J.O Says No More Mr. Nice Guys…Dino Blogger Cheers

There have already been some comments that have jumped out to me this season from the Raptors. Chris Bosh and his saying he wants to be the M.V.P this year. In the first rankings on NBA.com he is #5. So he is in the conversation. But last night I was interested in what J.O had to say.

J.O’s Post Game Comments

What jumped out to me was what was said near the end. The Raptors were nice guys last year if they knocked you down they would help you up. This year J.O says that the Raptors are going to knock you down and walk right over you. That got me excited. I am one of the many that has thought the Raptors have missed the tough attitude that was brought to this team by Charles Oakley. J.O seems to be the guy who just might fill that long missing role.

Last year the Atlanta Hawks knocked around the Toronto Raptors. They sent T.J Ford crashing to the ground. They later in the year had someone hit Jose Calderon in the back of the head with an elbow. The best way you stop a bully is you smack him in the mouth. No one stepped up and did that for the Raptors and did that last year. Someone should have and I personally was disappointed in this team for not doing that. Raptors will be playing the Hawks on November 7th and I am guessing there will be a response if the Hawks choose to play dirty. The Raptors will not be those nice guys on the floor anymore. J.O has brought a new attitude that is spreading through the Raptor locker room.

Sam Mitchell was the guy that came storming on to the court when Ford went down in Atlanta. He was the guy who was the emotional leader of this basketball team. That is a problem when your toughest guy is your coach. Mitchell now has a guy in J.O that understands his brand of tough and rough attitude. Chris Bosh seems to have got the message that Mitchell had tried to express to him in the past I would think. Now he sees it from a guy in his locker room that is going on the floor with him. I am not suggesting the Raptors are going to become some modern version of the Detroit Bad Boys team’s that won a couple titles. But I am suggesting they are not going to be pushed around.

Sam Mitchell now has a team that is taking on his own personality more than any he has had in the past. It allows him to build on the principals that he believed in as a player and now as a coach. J.O is the type of player that Sam Mitchell has been searching for. Jose Calderon as the point guard is an extension of the coach on the floor for the Raptors offense. But I think J.O is Sam Mitchell’s head of defense. Mitchell will enjoy having a guy like J.O in his locker room and it will help the Raptors be a little less warm and fuzzy. The proof of that new found grit can be seen in the last two wins that the Raptors have pulled off.

A big test to all of this lies ahead in not only the Atlanta Hawks but also the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. These two squads are solid defensive teams that don’t mind to mix it up with other teams. The Raptors seem to be willing to take on those fights this season. They are willing to battle and fight and play defense.  This according to Chris Bosh there are two factors that have made that happen. J.O was the first, but he also points to how this team was cast aside so easily by the Orlando Magic. It really made the Raptors take a step back and look at what happened to them. Basically they just could not play well enough defensively to get the job done. Whatever is the reason the Raptors seem to know what they did wrong and are looking forward to changing it.

So is Jermaine O’Neal the new Charles Oakley? Not exactly to me. But he does bring that same tough attitude and accountability that has been lacking with this Raptor Team for years. A guy who in the past has been tagged by some as a “Cancer” to a locker room.  I first and foremost hate that expression. But aside from that J.O has shown no signs of that here. He in fact has added something to this locker room that was badly needed. If it cost 22 million dollars of whatever the exact number is that Jermaine is making. Whatever the cost it is to get back that feeling that Charles Oakley brought to the Raptors it was worth the price.

I was not sure about Jermaine O’Neal when he came here. I had bought into all the hype around him. Well I want to say that as far as J.O is concerned I was dead wrong. It was also worth giving up T.J Ford to get that tough feeling back. I think T.J has a lot of that tough attitude that J.O does. But it does not have the same impact coming from a guy of such small size. I do want to thank T.J and his Pacers for the help in beating Boston though. Raptors will get their chance to beat the Celtics on November the 10th. But today is a day off for the Raptors and a well earned one at that.

Have A Great finish to your weekend and see you sometime Monday.

Raptors Taking The Gamble For Success

The Toronto Raptors head into this season looking very different than the team that lost in 5 games to the Orlando Magic. It was clear to anyone that watched that series that changes were needed and were coming to Toronto. Some of the media suggested that the first change that would come would be the firing of Sam Mitchell. But that was not the case. Bryan Colangelo instead decided to re-build the team that Mitchell had to coach. If anyone questioned that Bryan was behind his head coach it should be a clear message that is the truth. Colangelo has decided to stick with Sam despite a lot of speculation on a couple of occasions.

So, with coach Mitchell remaining the question became how do you address the flaws in this Raptor roster? The answer would be the trade for Jermaine O’Neal. If this move works out it is a pretty brilliant one. This is one of those trades that will be highly successful or a complete failure. There really is no in between. But in the view of Bryan Colangelo it was a risk worth taking. There is also the fall back of having a huge amount of cap space in 2010. Despite what people thought about T.J Ford in Toronto the rest of the NBA did not seem to share that opinion. Five offers according to Colangelo came his way for his unhappy point guard. He said the O’Neal offer was the best of the bunch and he and the Raptors made the move. It would also cost them Rasho Nesterovic and seldom used Maceo Baston and trading down into the second round from the number 17 pick in the 1st round.

Jawai vs Hibbert

This would produce the other gamble of this deal that is not talked about as much. Nathan Jawai instead of Roy Hibbert or someone else the Raptors could have selected at number 17. Jawai is a raw talent from Australia that has about 5 years of experience playing basketball at all. He could turn out to be a steal of the draft. The Raptors historically have had little to no success with picks from the second round. It will be another second round pick that will be the back-up point guard behind Jose Calderon.  But as far as Nathan Jawai he will not have the pressure to contribute right away at least not from the Raptors.  But the people in Australia have higher expectations for Nathan and most important of all he does for himself.  When people look back on this trade how Jawai does in comparison to Roy Hibbert will also be a factor to consider in who won this trade between Pacers and Raptors.

When you compare Hibbert and Jawai it is interesting. Some of the skills people question about Hibbert are strengths in the game of Nathan Jawai. I have no doubt that Roy Hibbert is going to have a productive NBA Career.  But based on my own personal opinion and the great amount of research I had done on Hibbert leading up to the draft, I do not think he will ever be a star in the NBA. I also did a tremendous amount of research about Nathan Jawai. Based on that and my own opinion I think there is a chance that Nathan could be something special. You have to take into account how young in his basketball life Jawai is in comparison to Roy Hibbert. In Roy’s time at Georgetown I learned in my research how much he developed in his time there. He is much closer to the max level of what he can be as a basketball player than Nathan Jawai. The gamble that Jawai can become that special player is a small part of the larger gamble that Bryan Colangelo is taking. This is part of this deal that most will overlook but it could be a key to evaluating it in the future.

Can J.O Have A Rebirth In Toronto?

But the thing that will be the focus for most is can Jermaine O’Neal be healthy and productive for the Raptors. He says that he was a man playing on one leg with the Pacers for a year and a half. He says that he is healthy and ready to put the Pacers behind him. The Raptors did their homework and seem to agree that he is indeed healthy and ready to go. There is also the mental aspect of what went on with the Pacers. O’Neal who was the leader of that franchise watch it explode on his watch. The Ron Artest brawl that happened in Detroit was the start of the Pacers fall from grace. A team that was thought to be a contender prior to that night fell from contender to not even in playoffs. The blame for that fell at the feet of O’Neal. In Toronto the buck stops with Chris Bosh and that should be a good thing. O’Neal can focus on helping someone else lead rather than lead himself.

The Reason Why Was D

The whole reason for the gamble that the Raptors have taken is the need to get better on defense. A healthy O’Neal is going to go a long way in doing that. A big body like Nathan Jawai could also impact down the line. Not to mention the star player of the team just won a gold medal and it was based on a new found defensive intensity on his part.

More D = Less O?

The question becomes how much offense have they given up to get better on defense? Jose Calderon no matter what you think can not produce the combined numbers with Roko Ukic that he had with T.J Ford. What Raptors fans can expect from Roko Ukic is a real unknown and that is part of this gamble as well. Jose Calderon is not super human and there will be points that this offense will be in the hands of a player that has not played a single minute in the NBA. A fast learning curve for Roko Ukic is going to be needed. In fact he must out perform what Claderon did as a rookie for the Raptors to feel confident they have their point guard situation on solid ground. The fact people are wondering if a Marbury reunion with both Bryan Colangelo and Sam Mitchell is being talked about says not everyone is convinced in the fan base. The artist formerly known as Starbury is expected to be bought out by the Knicks by the end of the weak. If Colangelo is still in gambling mood that would be a big one.  But there has been no indication that the Raptors intend to do anything to it’s roster prior to the opening game vs Sixers.

The real thing that may decide the amount of success on offense is the guys on the wing. A new look on the inside should give more open and easier looks from the outside. This should mean more chances for Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker from the outside.  While guys like Jamario Moon and maybe even Joey Graham to drive to the basket. You also have Hassan Adams as part of this group and combo guard Will Solomon.  Who ever steps up to the challenge could become a guy that will see his point totals rise. The smart money goes on the shooters in Parker and Kapono.  The Raptors Offense should look more like the one Kapono played in with another O’Neal in Miami. While Anthony Parker can have a chance to be a bigger part of the offense to if he steps up to the plate. There is also that Bargnani fellow. He may even play some time at the 3 spot according to Bryan Colangelo.  Sam Mitchell was not as willing to say that.

Regardless of where he appears on the floor, this is a key season for perhaps Colangelo’s biggest gamble of all Andrea Bargnani. Jermaine O’Neal said that Bargnani will be a key to this team being successful. He has worked with Andrea a bit in Las Vegas.  It seems pretty clear to almost everyone if Andrea Bargnani breaks through this season the Raptors chances at success take a dramatic rise. He is truly the ultimate X-Factor in all of this. He is said to be bigger and worked on some basic post moves to add to his key weapon of long range shooting. After last season I really have no idea what to expect from Andrea. But for those who want to see the positive side of the fence, the pressure to perform should be less on Bargnani. He also will get to see a lot second team units from the Raptors opposition on a consistent basis. These are all good signs for Andrea to rebuild his confidence. That has been a very fragile thing over his first couple seasons in the NBA.

The Health Question

There are a lot of gambles for the Toronto Raptors including the reduced number of bodies. Only 13 players makes you very worried if the injury bug enters into the Raptors this year. A injury to Jose Calderon would be a death blow for this team. For as much as the talk is about the health of O’Neal the health of Calderon will be key. Thankfully Jose has had a fairly good run in the NBA as far as that goes. But the injury in the Olympics at least for me brought the fear that if Jose is not healthy this team is in serious trouble.  But that is a bridge we all will hope this team does not have to cross.  I am looking forward to seeing how all this looks on a basketball court. That day is fast approaching.  CAN’T WAIT!!!

J.O Trade Is A Win For A Lot Of People.

The Jermaine O’Neal Trade has had a good impact for a lot of people. It is a much longer list then just O’Neal himself. This was truly one of those trades that should be a win for all sides. O’Neal has said that his time in Indiana had come to an end and he was in need of a change. After the brawl that happened in Detroit things never really would be the same. O’Neal would be handed the second largest suspension from the NBA in the aftermath of the events. There would be legal issues that would come out of it as well. That one night in Detroit would mark the end of the Pacers being thought of as a contender. There would be a list of troubles that would follow. The Pacers were starting to look like the Trailblazers who had earned the nickname of “Jailblazers” or like the Bengels in the NFL. Indiana is a pretty conservative place and people were not thrilled by this to say the least. The support for the Pacers Franchise had really bottomed out. I remember when Raptors went to play Pacers last year I was shocked at how empty it was. Looked like a game verus the Atlanta Hawks.

A lot of blame for that fell at the feet of O’Neal. He was suppose to be the leader of this team. But as he said in his press conference in Toronto there is only so much you can do. He can’t be a hall monitor as the team leader really can he? What can he do if Steven Jackson goes out to a strip club and ends up in trouble as a result. Is that J.O’s fault. If he organized the outing to the strip club it would be. However that isn’t the case here. This is not like when Minnesota Vikings had a sex party on some boats and the team’s Quarterback was a willing guest. That has not worked to well for Daunte since has it?  But if O’Neal is at home and not involved really what blame can he take. I mean it is not like he endorsed any of these events.

Beyond that O’Neal has a series of injury problems that left him MIA for the Pacers without their best player. O’Neal says that those injuries are behind him and he is in Toronto and back at 100 percent. He comes to Toronto looking for a fresh start and looking to earn back the respect of being an All Star level player in the NBA. I was not wild about the O’Neal deal at first. I am guilty of buying into all the hype that pointed the finger of blame at O’Neal with the Pacers. But his press conference in Toronto changed my mind about him. I had always said I was willing to give O’Neal a chance even though I had my doubts and concerns. I think from the attitude standpoint he has addressed my concerns pretty well. The injury thing is another matter. However nothing he can do about that until he can play some games and remain healthy. Just like T.J Ford who he was traded for. Ford also has the injury tag placed on him. The difference is you can play through a bad knee to an extent but the injuries Ford has racked up are ones that make some question if T.J should even being playing in the NBA at all. No one wants to see T.J Ford end up injured to the point he can not walk. That is the fear of some people.

However that is no doubt a factor in the departure of Ford it is not the major reason behind it. The fact that Jose Calderon did so well in that time when Ford was debating his NBA future is. T.J could not adjust to life as a back-up and was not being paid like one. You also add in the fact that the majority of the fan base had grown to love Jose and saw Ford as a disruptive force on the Raptors. I never agreed with the out of control wildfire that turned T.J Ford into the excuse for Toronto Raptors failure last season but someone needs to take the blame and T.J was it. All he ever did in Toronto was state he wanted to be the starter and he proved he can not play well in a reserve role.

But the best thing about a trade is one team may not want you, but that means another one does. T.J Ford will be #1 in Indiana. A new number(5) and a new chance, you can expect Ford to have a great bounce back season. Ford will not only be expected to be the lead point guard but a team leader. This was not a role he had in Toronto except for brief points when Chris Bosh was MIA with injury. Despite the fact some in this market tagged him the nickname “ME-J” it is not the truth of who Ford is. He will have a chance to prove that in Indiana and I am personally happy for him. I have stuck behind T.J since his days at Texas so I am not going to stop now.  He like J.O was forced into needing a change through a lot of circumstances that were out of his control and a few that were.

Rasho has never said anything about playing time ever that I recall. He just does his job and plays his game. His move to Indiana will be good for him. He should be in the starting line-up with Ford for at least the start of the year. Rasho has another rookie that will be looking to steal his job. Roy Hibbert the Raptor draft choice that we all knew was the Pacers pick. I wanted him to be a Raptor and he was but only on paper. I think Roy will be able to have a productive NBA Career but that being said he is not going to be ready to walk in and start in the NBA. Good News for Roy he has a vet like Rasho to show him the ropes in the NBA. Good News for Rasho that he will get some time to shine with the Pacers before Hibbert is ready to take over.

Nathan Jawai who was the other draft pick in the trade will benfit too. Toronto will not expect as much from him as he might have had to deal with elsewhere. The fact the Raptors gave him a two year deal speaks to that.  However it also speaks to the faith the Raptors have that they have found something in the raw Australian talent. Life in Canada should also be good for him as well. This is as I have said many times the guy that Sam Mitchell has been waiting for. He can bang on the glass and set solid picks and that is a type of guy Sam Mitchell can use.

Speaking of Sam this trade helps him out as well. We have heard Sam preach about defense for the past few seasons. I think it is clear he would have liked to have gotten a lot more out of his team on that end of the floor. Well now he has Jermaine O’Neal to send his message through. O’Neal will make this team better on defense. That should make Sam Mitchell smile. We all know the tremendous amount of respect Mitchell has for Kevin Garnett who he played with in Minnesota. Many credit Garnett with the much improved defense of the World Champion Boston Celtics. There is no reason not to think that addition of O’Neal in Toronto can not have a great impact on the Raptor defense in the same way. I am sure that was in the thought process behind this trade for Bryan Colangelo and the Raptor brain trust.

Chris Bosh gets another all-star to share the load from a standpoint of leadership as well as what it will mean on the floor. The blogs frequent guest Jack Armstrong has said a few times on Fan 590 that this was the biggest trade in Raptor History. It is a clear sign to Chris Bosh that the Raptors are looking to win a Championship. That is what this type of move says. How it turns out is in the hands of the coaches and players. But management has done it’s job. Chris Bosh has a second star to play along side him. That is something many fans and the media have said he has needed for awhile and now he has it.

The old expression in sports is the team that gets the best player wins the trade. But in this case I think both teams the Pacers and Raptors can consider they have won. What a win would be for both is different as well. For the Pacers a win is getting more fans back in the building and being in mix for a playoff spot in the east. Toronto is thinking much higher and without a first round playoff win there will not be to many people calling this trade a success in Toronto. But both teams should have a good shot a reaching those goals and making the fans happy. That is what any organization hopes for when the make a major trade. More wins and happy fans which will turn into more money for the franchise. After all what Pacer fan doesn’t want a brand new Ford #5 Jersey and what Raptor Fan is not excited to get a #6 Jermaine O’Neal Jersey. Also makes a Toronto vs Indiana match-up a lot more interesting on the schedule as far as selling tickets.

T.J Ford Press Conference With The Pacers

T.J Ford was introduced to the folks in Indiana today. Ford talked about being excited to be in Indiana and trying to lead the Pacers to the playoffs. He talked about the concerns about his injuries and that he is not concerned about it. He looks forward to being a leader of the Pacers who have a total make over not only based on the trade with the Raptors but a trade with Portland that sees Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts come to the Pacers. Roy Hibbert also part of the deal with the Raptors had his day with the press a few days ago. Ford will be wearing number 5 when he returns to the A.C.C. I have a feeling when the schedule is released both Ford and Raptor fans will have it circled on the calender. The history of returns to Toronto will suggest that Ford is booed out of the building and I would expect this will be the case. But I will not boo T.J because I just don’t feel the reason too. Vince Carter gets booed and I understand why. I think it is deserved. T.J has even said that he liked Toronto and did not ask to be traded. I think his only crime is that he wanted to start. Well in Indiana he will get to do that. So I may be in the minority but I wish T.J Ford much success and good health as a Pacer. He is not the bad guy that many folks have painted him out to be. It will be a very interesting night at the A.C.C when T.J comes to town whenever that will be. To read what was said here is a transcript of the presser today in Indiana:

Pacer Presser

So long T.J you still have at least one fan left in Toronto. The Dino Nation Blogger

Rap Up Of A Big Day

They say first impressions are lasting ones. If that is the case Jermaine O’Neal did pretty well today. He seemed well prepared to talk about all the questions that were coming his way. The first and formost about his much talked about knee. Bryan Colangelo says that based on medical staff looking over that knee the Raptors had zero issues about it. He even went as far as to say they would not be sitting there if that was not the case. O’Neal said that he basically has been playing 2 and half years on one leg. He stated that he had a small tear and continued to play through pain and that lead to it getting to a point it was in need of some work under the knife. After that he says he returned to quickly from that. But now he has consulted doctors and that was why he sat out the bulk of the 07/08 season. But at this point his knee is 100%.

He also talked about this move to the Raptors as almost a rebirth for him. He is leaving all of the Pacer experience behind him for a fresh start in Toronto. He also is ready to be a part of Chris Bosh’s team. That he was here to help Chris and did not care about who the team belonged too. But so there was no misunderstanding he made it clear this was CB4’s team. He talked a lot about the defensive ability he brings north to Canada with him. He feels that his addition will make the Raptor defense better. Hard to argue that point. He also has said the Andrea Bargnani will be key to this team and wants to help him grow and improve. Anyone that wants to light a fire under Bargnani’s butt is cool in my books.

He also talked about how in Las Vegas, Phildelphia and since getting in to Toronto how Raptor fans had been coming up to him and seemed very excited at the fact he was coming to town. He thanked all of them. But the real thanks he can give is to stay healthy and help win games. The idea of O’Neal and Bosh together as a modern version of the Combo with the Spurs of Ducan and Robinson. Sam Mitchell has been watching tape of those Spurs team for ideas to use for his new dynamic duo. To say Mitchell is excited about this deal would be a massive under statement.

He sat down with Matt Devlin who also is new. He was officially announced as the replacement for Chuck Swirsky. I am still getting use to the whole idea of no more Chuck. I have to admit till today it never really hit home. I think what clinched it for me was the fact Devlin had a blog go up on Raptors.com. I added a link on the blog roll if you would like to check it out. I also sent off an e-mail to the man and have invited him the chance to talk with all of us here at Dino Nation Blog. Will see if he takes me up on the offer. I hope he does because I want to give him a chance to get to know us and more importantly us to know him.

He sat down with JO for a one on one interview which they have been airing on Raptors TV and I think you can check it out on the website as well. O’Neal said all the right things and really seems legit in his idea of starting fresh as a Raptor. I was not very thrilled about this trade and still have my concerns and doubts. But I did say that I was going to give O’Neal a chance. So far he has impressed me in the way he has acted and presented himself. Ultimately the health of his knee will be how this trade is evaluated in the end. But all this talk of hime being this type of bad guy seem without base. At least it seems if he was that guy he is changing and growing into a man. At 29 years old he has played close to half of his life in the NBA. He was drafted straight out of high school. I look at a guy like Kobe Bryant and see a guy who has also had his struggles although different ones and much like Kobe it seems Jermaine is growing and is more mature and has a growing family to focus on.

I am thus far impressed with Jermaine and what he has had to say. Hopefully his coming to the Raptors can lead them to being a better team overall. The Raptors seem very convinced he will.

We also had the re-signing of Jose Calderon press conference. I am happy Jose got rewarded for a very solid year. He earned every dime of that money. Bryan Colangelo made it public knowledge that Jose actually gave back a few dimes in his contract to keep the Raps out of the Luxury Tax. Jose agreed to alter the orginal deal and wait to get the money he gave back in future years of the contract. If we heard it once we heard it 1,000 times from Sam, Bryan and Jose he is a team first player. The obvious suggestion was that T.J Ford was not. I was not so cool with that but it is what it is. We all understand what a team player Jose is. I just felt it was a bit of an over sell on a fact we are all well aware of. Maybe I am a bitter T.J Ford supporter but it just seemed like to much. Still Jose is everything they said and I am not going to say any different cause it just would not be the case.

Jose did not seem to comforterable in talking about his now Ex-Teammate. He never had anything bad to say about T.J. He even suggested that he was o.k if Ford would have still been there. His quotes in Spain of wanting to start he said were more a case of feeling that he was ready to start. But he said it was not that he demanded to do so. I think that is true but I also think by suggesting he was ready to start in the end meant the same thing. He also said he has not talked to Ford since the news of the deal had broke. He feels that there relationship is still fine though. T.J Ford I do not think feels the same way. One thing I am sure about is the idea of Pacers vs Raptors in a much more interesting game to watch this upcoming season.

In talking with Paul Jones the subject of the Olympics and that’s impact on his new job came up. Calderon said that Spain has 3 point guards to share the minutes and playing in the Olympics should not have a negative effect on him for his job with the Raptors. He was also asked about his team mate now only on Spainish team Jorge Garbajosa. He said it was sad to see Garbo gone from the Raptors as he is Calderon’s good friend. But Garbo is happy and so that makes him happy.

Calderon will also have Roko Ukic as his under study and Sam Mitchell said Roko will be given the chance to contribute if he is ready to do so. But he did suggest that the Raptors would be still looking to acquire a combo type guard should Roko not be ready right away.

So much change and it really was all on display today. Well most of it. Hassan Adams and Nathan Jawai are in Vegas getting ready for Raptors first summer league game with takes place in just 3 days. That was part of the reason for double press conference today. Colangelo did mention that the Raptors were also happy to acquire Jawai in the draft as part of the trade. Jawai is really someone who could turn out to be something. He is a really raw talent and playing with Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh on a daily basis should help him learn. Jawai got into basktball late in life but many NBA scouts were very impressed with the guy nicknamed “Aussie Shaq”.

KUDOS FOR THE SCORE

If you love basketball you must be a fan of the Score Televison Network. They covered the press conference live on regular T.V. They unlike the other 2 major networks in this country have shown basketball fans they matter. The have over the years expanded their coverage on the NCAA. They do more for the Raptors than anyone. Now they are helping Canada Basketball as well. They will be covering Team Canada’s Games live from the tournament in Athens Greece. They also re-air the games in primtime. The live start time is 6 am …OUCH.

I also use the Score Bullhorn as part of the promotion of this blog. If they would just answer an email I want to have some of their people on the blog for an interview. But still aside from that fact they are A+ and have treated basketball fans well. I will post the detail for the team Canada games tomorrow but this has already been a long post and a lot to read and games don’t happen for couple days yet. But I wanted to commend the Score. Maybe this will get my E-Mail answered now. But that is not why I wrote it. I wrote it because BASKETBALL FANS OWE THE SCORE some THANKS and PRAISE.

So It has been a busy day and it is truly a start of a new era of basketball in Raptorland. I quote the WWE Champion HHH and ask you…ARE YOU READY?  The Raptors think they are and have bigger goals and said the word Championship a few times today. That is what all of this change was all about getting closer to that goal.

My Canada Includes Matt Bonner?

I wrote an article for the folks at T.O Sports yesterday. It hasn’t been published yet as far as I know. In it I was talking about Team Canada and them needing your support. Something I have been doing here on the blog for awhile. I happened to mention that Matt Bonner Ex-Raptors was at the game. He even joked at the possibility of the RED ROCKET one day putting on a  Team Canada Jersey on one day. The New Hampshire native is if you did not know marrying a girl from Toronto in fact in Toronto this summer. Bonner also still has a home in Toronto as well so he pays taxes here in Canada. So is that enough to make Bonner legal for becoming a Canadian. The rules seem to get bent by other countries. Chris Kaman of the Clippers recently found his way on to the German National team. So why not bring Red Rocket home to Canada. One of the things I have said about Canada Basketball and growing it’s profile is people knowing the players more. Tell me who does not know who Matt Bonner is? Every Raptor Fan from coast to coast knows who he is. Not only that they love him for the most part. It is too late for this Olympics but the next World Championships and the Next Olympics are not. So come on Canada Basketball we need a RED ROCKET. The current team is in Germany preparing for the last chance qualification tournament to be held in Athens Greece later this month.

Dino Blogger Gives Some Advice to Matt Devlin

I have said that Matt Devlin will have a tough job that will be a great challenge. Chuck Swirsky was beloved by many Raptors fans. I remember reading posts after he left of some folks being brought to tears by the news. That is some serious love for a person. Chuck also built his own Raptor Vocabulary in his time here. So here is a list of some advice from me:

1. No Chuckisms can be used by you. Salami and Chesse and all the rest are out of bounds
2. Jack Armstrong is your friend, Raps fans love him almost as much as Chuck some more.
3. Do what you do. In other words be yourself.
4. Take Shots @ Vince Carter and Rap Fans will love you.
5. Do not look like a dumb yankee, silly hockey references will not make basketball fans very happy.

Basically when I was a kid, I loved the show Dukes of Hazzard. The stars in the show that played Bo and Luke Duke had a contract issue with the producers of the show. The producers decided to replace them and told the new guys to basically act exactly the same as Bo and Luke. Coy and Vance Duke the replacements were awful and only lasted one season on the show. The producers were forced into meeting the demands of the former stars. The return of Bo and Luke Duke was one of the highest rated shows of all time back then.

I have no doubt Matt Devlin is a smart guy. But I do wonder if he truly understands the amount of love and support Chuck Swirsky had with Raptor Fans. It was truly amazing and many will miss Chuck no matter how good or bad Matt does in doing the job. So all the best to Matt and I seriously hope that my thoughts about your time being short will be wrong. You want to win some fans come talk to the Dino Nation Blog consider it an open invite.

Raptors Vegas Summer League Questions and Answers?

Hey No JAMARIO MOON what is with that?

One of the things the Raptors most wanted Moon to do was hit the weight room and build up is skinny frame. So this is why NO MOON in Vegas. He is in Goodwater Alabama or somewhere on planet earth pumping iron.

Where is Aussie Shaq?

Nathan Jawai will be added once the T.J Ford and Jermaine O’Neal trade is final tomorrow. The Pacers in turn will add Roy Hibbert to their summer league roster as well I would imagine.

Joel Bosh, Is he any good?

For those who do not know. Joel is of course the brother of Chris Bosh. If my memory is working he was “Bubba” in the famous Chris Bosh car salesman Youtube video.  But he is also a basketball player who finished his senior year at Alabama State. The chance of him being a Raptor are very unlikely. But this is a chance for him to catch on to a D-League Roster( Maybe even the Raptors D-League team) or get a job in Europe. He is a decent player and it doesn’t hurt Raptors to give him a shot to help his career. I am sure his brother Chris will be happy with management for giving his little brother the chance.

No Bargnani, Why is That?

Many will say if anyone needs to be in the Summer League it is Andrea. But the Raptors have Bargnani working on things and he will be working with John Lucas to get prepared for next season. Given Andrea having some confidence issues I would think if he did not do well in Vegas Summer League would have a bad impact on him. Not to mention fans would be even more convinced he is a bust. Raptors have no interest in helping lower his confidence or building the case for him being a bust.

Can I See Vegas Summer League Games?

In the past Raptors T.V has shown the games but not live. You can expect the games to pop up on Raps TV about a week after summer league ends if they follow the usual way they have done things in the past. You can find info on the Vegas Summer League on NBA Website as it goes on. Here is the link:

Vegas Summer League on NBA.COM

Finally We Can Talk About It

So for all you CBA junkies out there you already know this. Tonight at Midnight the accounts will be done crunching numbers and the NBA will release the Cap Numbers for next season. What does that mean for the rest of you? It means all the rumours and trades that have happened will turn into reality. So we will hopefully hear on all of the things that have went on with the Raptors.

I should also make mention that when things get busy here in Raptorland i will often provide updates to the blog through the day. Like yesterday the Raptor released the summer league roster so I added an update to the blog which was written prior to that. So in case you missed it you can find the complete roster for Raptors Summer Squad and the schedule. But if you can’t wait till the next day. Be sure to check back here on the Dino Nation Blog for updates.

The mail is starting to slowly roll in. I am going to re-launch the idea of a mail bag blog as I have been mentioning. So the cut-off to get your questions in for that will be for the summer Friday at Midnight. Those emails with questions and comments can be sent to dinonationblogger@hotmail.com

If you are really lazy. Just leave your question in the comments section on the blog and I will add it into the mix of the e-mails. I understand if being lazy we all can be from time to time. The real point of all of this is I want to hear form you folks and give you all a chance to decide what to talk about once in awhile. I feel it will help build a sense of community for this blog which has always been one of the goals. Just a word of thanks to Ano who noticed I butchered(Spelling Of) Chris Kaman. Dino Blogger is human but I should have checked my player log for spelling thanks for the heads up though.

UPDATE ( 4pm July 8th)

The Raptors have announced they are having 2 press conferences tomorrow. The first will be a 1:30pm and the Second is set for 3:30pm. It is expected they will officially announce the signing of Jose Calderon and the Trade for Jermaine O’Neal. Which is first and second I am not sure. I would expect that RapsTV will cover these press conferences live. Dino Nation Blog will have full details on both press conferences tomorrow and if they are indeed on Raps T.V. I will update as they go along. A semi-live blog event of sorts.

The Article I mentioned on Canada Basketball is now up over at T.O Sports if you want to check it out use the links to check it out.

Roy Hibbert Is Raptor For A Little While

The irony of what is going on with the Toronto Raptors and your Dino Nation Blogger is amusing to say the least. People know that I am a big supporter of T.J Ford and he is now on his way to join the Pacers. You may also be aware that I was pushing for Roy Hibbert of Georgetown to be part of the Raptors. I even wrote about Hibbert and became the Raptor Blog choice of Hoya Fans. So on draft night the Raptors selected Roy Hibbert. It could have been a great moment for me personally and from a career standpoint. Only problem is despite being technically right about the Raptors pick, it will only be till July 9th. Which is also ironic because the fact I get to remain right until that point is T.J Ford’s Contract. For details on that read back in yesterday’s blog.

Draft Party And Hoyas Fans

Everyone at last night’s Live Draft Party Blog had a good chuckle along with me. I always claim not to be an expert and I still stick to that claim but I am right more times than I am wrong. But this one I can only take credit for till July 9th. There is a small chance if something went wrong with this trade Hibbert would remain. It is something that can happen on rare occassions when NBA teams are selecting for other teams. But these things are very rare. So based on that I wanted to thank all the many Georgetown Hoya fans that have come to find the Dino Nation Blog over these past few months. I was amazed by the response of the Hoyas Nation and your support of your player. Short of the time this blog was on the Raptors Website we have never had as many hits as you folks produced. The first blog on Roy Hibbert is the second largest blog we have ever done. I was hopeful all you folks would have reason to check back on Hibbert as a Raptor but looks like that will not be the case. But you are all welcome to come back and visit anytime and especially when the Pacers and Raptors meet up. I now have a few folks on the Pacers to pull for minus about 3 or 4 games a season. Roy will be one of those I pull for and wish success. I really think he will have an excellent chance at success in a Pacer uniform. So shout out to all you loyal supporters of the Hoyas. I will point out that this blog also ended up on a Syracuse site when I talked about Donte Greene and your numbers of fans crushed the Orange supporters. So add that to the fire between the two Big East Rivals. Here at Dino Nation Blog the Hoyas were big winners in the numbers of hits they produced.

I also want to thank all of the hardcore loyal readers of the Dino Nation Blog that were part of the Live Blog Draft Party. We had some technical issues that caused me to be MIA for a bit but I hope you had fun. If any of you showed up late and were not able to get in to it, I apologize. But these events seem to be something worth doing going forward. I am going to start the search to find a more friendly host to my computer. It also was suggested that we should do something where we all could get together. I will keep that in mind. It is hard to come up with something that would allow everyone to take part. Some of my readers are under age and thus can not go certain places. I would not want them to feel left out. Anyway it is a thought and will see what happens in the future.

NBA Needs To Fix This….

I really think all this we are not allowed to comment stuff is stupid. Can the NBA please come up with a rule that allows teams to comment on trades that are in process as long as they have been agreed too. I mean Larry Bird an NBA legend and a guy I respect, looked like a goof saying that this is all speculation and he can’t comment. Jermaine O’Neal thankful does not share that view and did comment on this trade. There is a link in the last blog prior to this one if you missed it go check it out. I was doing updates through the day all yesterday. O’Neal commenting was his first step in getting me on his side. I am sure being on the good side of the Dino Nation Blogger is high on his list of things to do. Actually if I am high on any NBA players list of things to do I would be shocked. Heck I would be shocked if any of them read this blog. But just in case you are a NBA player I am a good and fair interviewer and am happy to talk with you whenever you have the time. I think now is a good time to mention that it has been a long week. So hope you don’t mind the little bit of fun. Not that it wouldn’t be a serious thrill to chat with NBA players in this blog. I am hopeful we can reach that point in the future.

Raptor Brand Coming Soon To Land Down Under

Now the Raptors again for the record till July 9th did not have a second round pick. But it is pretty much public knowledge that the Pacers selected for the Raptors at number 41. They selected a guy that has the nickname ” Aussie Shaq “, yes that would mean he is big. Nathan Jawai is a native of Australia and come July 9th will be a Toronto Raptor. He is a raw guy that is said to be someone that impressed a lot of NBA scouts despite the fact he has a lot to learn. Just like the charcter Shaq played in the movie BLUE CHIPS this guy is kind of like that as he didn’t pick up a basketball till a very late age. But click on his name above and learn more about him. You have till July 9th to get to know him. I don’t think there will be a test but it is never to early to study. Draft Express does a very good job of breaking down the various players. You can start your studying for the 2009 NBA Draft as soon as you like.

What Goes Around Does In Fact Come Around

For those of you that believe in Karma I have some great evidence for you from last night’s NBA DRAFT. Darrell Arthur sat in the green room for hours and had to wait till very late in the first round to get selected. I mean at first glance you feel really bad for this kid. We all have seen this in the past in sports with guys like Jameer Nelson in the NBA, Brady Quinn in Football and many other examples over the years. But in this case it is more a case of karma instead of sympathy. This is the kid as you may recall stiffed the Raptors for a draft work-out not once but twice. So I was happy to see NBA teams STIFF HIM. After all that waiting he was finally selected only to be traded later on from the Hornets to Portland.

Sticking with this theme. Richard Jefferson I hope it is REALLY COLD and lonely in Milwaukee. Many will recall Jefferson during the playoffs two years ago made remarks that were mocking Raptor fans for wearing red which was a marketing mistake as Jersey wore red alternate uniforms for Game 1 of that Nets/Raptors series. Jefferson will be in Milwaukee based on a draft day trade that sent him to the Bucks. Here is the breakdown:

To New Jersey:
Yi
Bobby Simmons

To Milwaukee
Richard Jefferson

No O.J in Minnesota…More Love

There were lots of minor deals and to many to mention but the other of some major impact was a deal between the Grizzles and T-Wolves. O.J Mayo the much talked about U.S.C freshman is traded for Kevin Love of Rival U.C.L.A. it was part of an 8 player swap between the clubs. The Pacers made another trade that was with the Portland Trailblazers that will see Jarret Jack former team mate of Chris Bosh join soon to be former team mate of Bosh, T.J Ford. Larry Bird also has Jamal Tinsley and you almost have to think he will be moved based on these trades.

Colangelo Will Be Ready For July 1

The next big event for the NBA will be the start of free agent peroid on July the 1st. As werid as it seems the Toronto Raptors could likely sign a free agent and annouce it before they are able to have a press conference to welcome Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto. How strange is that. Obviously the 2 things the Raptors will be looking for would be a back-up point guard and a more athletic and slashing type option at the swingman. They will have somewhere between 5 to 6 million to spend once the Cap Number for next season is set. The Raptors will have a the full Mid Level amount to spend. Few teams in NBA will have cap room this off-season. As a result this year the free agent pool is much smaller. Guys like Shawn Marion and Ron Artest decided not to take opt outs based on the fact there was not a lot of teams with money to spend to acquire their services. Bryan Colangelo has always been skilled at finding guys that would not jump to the front of your mind and make them work for his basketball club. He will be put to the test in this free agent market and try to find some more of those guys you might not expect.

Tired Dino Blogger

It has been a busy and fun week for the NBA and for the Dino Nation Blog. The amount of people becoming aware of the Dino Nation Blog is starting to grow and that is something that I find to be something that I take great pride in. Yet at the same time it is something that I take as a great thrill. I remain humble and do my very best to entertain and inform all of you. The fact that since the Raptors season has ended and yet this blog continues to grow is really a great feeling. I work hard to not only write this blog but get it more attention and readers. It is nice to see that work is paying off. So if you are new to the Dino Nation Blog. I thank you for joining this growing community of Raptor fans. I also encourage you to pass it along to others. It is the best thing you can do for me and it is something that I am greatful for to each and every person that does it. In a short time of just 8 months this Blog has grown into something far greater from what I could have imagined. I am working hard on expanding on that to even bigger and better things. Each and everyday I devote a great deal of time to building this blog into something that will be hopefully something that will become something not only I can be proud of but all of you that read it from it’s roots can be as well. All of that being said it is time to take a couple days off and recharge. Not to say they will be total days off as I am always doing little things even if I am not writing. But basically unless something major happens I will see you all on Monday. Enjoy your weekend and be safe so you can come back Monday and read the Dino Nation Blog for another day. Thanks to everyone that took part in last night’s Draft Party once again. You guys are great and I personally have a lot of fun interacting with you in a more direct way. You are all welcome to join the blog’s facebook group and get some idea of what is to come in future as well as share any thoughts or ideas you have for the blog or me. I will add some links to this over the weekend to the complete draft results and anything else that might be interesting.

Update: T.J Ford Talking on Trade on Swirsky Show on Fan 590

The Future Beyond This Deal

I am offering you some advice. If you ever have a chance to play poker against Bryan Colangelo do not do it. I mean it could be a costly venture for you. Bryan is a very cool cat in every sense of the word. He held his pre-draft press conference yesterday and was very happy to talk about the Raptors and lay out a number of things that could happen for his basketball club. Knowing all along that he was about to pull of a major deal with the Indiana Pacers. It is not like he lied at all. He said in his press conference that there were 2 deals on the table for T.J Ford that teams were waiting to hear back from him on to be done. One can assume that the deals were the one they took for Jermaine O’Neal and the other likely was the other deal that had been widely speculated for Boris Diaw. There was also talk of a Ford for Maggette deal that could have been out there as well. In the end the Raptors went with the deal with the Pacers. What they left on the table may never be known. But it is clear that Bryan Colangelo was successful in giving himself several options to move T.J Ford.

Some Things To Understand About This Deal

First of all the draft pick at number 17. Technically speaking the Raptors can not trade this pick based on the fact that they had no first round pick in last year’s NBA DRAFT. So tonight when pick number 17 comes along the Toronto Raptors will select for the Pacers. When that happens the draft rights to that player will become part of this deal. The best example for Raptor fans to understand this is ironically another deal with the Pacers and Raptors from the past. When the Raptors traded for Antonio Davis they also had to pick for the Pacers and selected Johnathan Bender. This ended up being a very successful for the Raptors.

Second, this deal will not be final till July 9th. Why? Again another issue of a CBA nature. Ford was in the first year of his new deal that he signed when he became a Raptor. So under the CBA that makes Ford what is called a BYC (Base Year Compensation Player ) which means only half of his contract could count in any trade. This ends on July 9th. Thus the reason for the delay.

Lastly there is an issue with the numbers matching in this deal. That is why there is a player to be named later(Rumoured to be Graham or Baston) coming from the Raptors to the Pacers. This is because in the CBA any trade must be within 100,000 dollars for any teams that are over the NBA CAP number. Which both the Pacers and Raptors sit currently.

Update Note(Draft Day 1pm): ESPN is Reporting the The Raptors may have acquired a 2nd round pick from Pacers in this deal at #41 and that player to be named later is Maceo Baston For Details Read the Story on Real GM

Update(Draft Day 5pm) Real Gm is reporting that O’Neal has confirmed the the Trade to Toronto ….Details from Real GM

Hopefully that clears things up for you. Sports is a business and these things can get very complicated at times. But none of these things should impact on this deal being done. There is also a matter of medicals and all of that. But it is safe to assume both teams have already researched the injury issues that would be of concern with both Ford and O’Neal.

Some Things To Consider Beyond The Trade

Many including myself may have some concerns about this deal but these things may help change your mind a bit. They did mine at least:

Jermaine O’Neal and his 45 million over the next 2 years would expire at the same point that a number of Major Contracts would expire. Chris Bosh, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and a number of others. So even if O’Neal did not work out well perhaps the end game is the contract room he would create for a very key off-season 2 years from now. Something to consider moving forward. Should the Raptors have cap room to be active in trying to acquire another major player as well as re-signing Bosh. O’Neal should at the very least help Raptors maintain their status as a playoff team in the east.

People also may have read in the past my desire to bring Ron Artest to the Raptors. Well this deal may help that become more realistic. First off it will not happen right away as Artest has decided he will not opt out of the last year of his current deal with the Kings. It is based on the fact that this offseason very few teams have money to spend beyond the mid level. So looking forward to the trade deadline it would make sense that the Kings will be looking to move Artest. Ron has expressed regret about things not working out with O’Neal with the Pacers so a chance of reunion in Toronto would likely interest him. For the Raptors it would give them a test drive with Ron Artest. You could evaluate if you think he can keep his head screwed on straight and if he can he will help the Raptors in a push to the playoffs. They could look to re-sign Artest after this season. If it did not work the Raptors would gain about 7 million dollars of cap space to add for next off-season. It is a low risk option to see if the Artest idea is going to work.

Also Chris Bosh seems to be behind this deal which ultimately is important as he is going to have to build a relationship with O’Neal in order for this deal to be successful for the Toronto Raptors.

What About The Draft?

So are the Raptors out of the draft now? For now they are out with no pick currently. But there are people looking to unload picks in the draft and Bryan Colangelo did mention the idea of moving down from 17 in his press conference. So could the Raps make a deal to get back in and perhaps target a player they like. I think this could happen and it may be for the guy I have wanted all along. Roy Hibbert could be still there in the 20’s and Colangelo did say that he felt of all the centers in the draft he was the most ready to contribute now. Based on the deal he made for O’Neal it would seem that is what Colangelo is looking to do. So don’t be surprised if the Raptors at least attempt to re-enter this draft. Even if not for Hibbert there was a list of about 10-12 guys that Colangelo talked about yesterday. You may even see the Raptors look to get a pick early in the second round. This would allow them to select someone without having to guarntee a contract to them which has it’s advantages. Being such a deep draft there could still be a very solid player early in round 2. These our some reason still to watch the NBA DRAFT from a Raptors point of view. It also is reason to show up for the blog’s DRAFT PARTY. I honestly do believe these things though it is not an attempt by me to save the draft party. Besides there is lots to talk about with Raptors pick or no pick now that this deal has happened.

What Now For T.J Ford

I understand many our happy to see T.J Ford out the door in Toronto. I am not as many of you know he is a guy I have always been a fan of. That is not going to change for me. I liked T.J as a Longhorn, Buck, Raptor and now Pacer. I think he has ended up back in another point guard battle at least for the moment. Jammal Tinsley is still a Pacer and will no doubt be not thrilled to see T.J come in from the north and take his job. Larry Bird said he has no plans to trade Tinsley now was that just talk to down play rumours of the O’Neal trade. I have a feeling we will find out. I am sad to see Ford go and really think that not enough fans respected the things he did in his short time with this franchise. He is a quality point guard and he may not win a contest of who is the better person with Jose Calderon. But he is not a bad person like many painted him to be. Ask D.J Augstine who will be drafted tonight how good a guy T.J Ford is and you will hear how much T.J has helped him get ready for this moment in his life. So for all of you that call Ford “ME-J” it really is not the case at all. He is just a guy that believes he is a starter and drives himself to compete hard to be the best. I respect that and always will.

Also I want to speak about Rasho as well. He never got enough credit in his time here as well. He was a solid person for this franchise and was a true professional in his time here. He did whatever was asked of him and was always someone the Raptors could count on and be confident in whatever he was asked he would do. This was something Ford was unable to do and is ultimately why we have reached the point we are at. I always knew that if the Raptors were going to acquire a major contract it would mean the end of Rasho and as much as I am sad to see T.J go. I am also going to miss Rasho as well. Yes sports is a business but it is made up of people and I as many fans do grow some kind of emotions towards these people.

Update: June 27- T.J On His Time With Raps on Fan 590

Some Final Thoughts

But as I stated in my first blog on this trade. I am a Raptor fan first beyond any player that is on the roster. I also said and will be willing to allow Jermaine O’Neal to show me the stuff I have come to think about him are not right. I am willing to give anyone a chance at a clean slate. Mark of the Raptors Core suggested that O’Neal could indeed have a re-birth not unlike the one Vince Carter had upon being traded to New Jersey. That could indeed happen and if it does and he can remain healthy as Carter has done for the most part this trade can be a huge success for the Raptors. I still am very uneasy about it I am not going to lie. But given some time to come to terms with all of this. I am a little bit more willing to wait and see.

After all it is no secret I have a high value for T.J Ford and have concerns about Jose Calderon going forward. But much like the departure of Chuck Swirsky to Chicago it is something that I am going to come to terms with in time. There is no question that based on O’Neal being a big name this will gain the Raptors a lot of attention. Here is hoping that Jermaine O’Neal can be a healthy and productive Raptor. After all Bryan Colangelo is banking on this happening. I also think that Sam Mitchell could be a good fit as a coach for O’Neal and push him to get the most out of him. It is clear the last few years in Indiana that was not happpening. I point back to the Brawl at the Palace that to me at least seemed to change O’Neal and he never got back to being the same player he was prior to that night. A change of setting to an entire new country may be good for him on and off the floor. Time will tell and the Raptors still have some things left to do. They now have a second star for Chris Bosh to play with. Would it be my choice for that second star? Not really but that being said it was clear that this was needed for the Raptors to reach a new level. I also am happy this will most likely make Andrea Bargnani a bench player and could allow him to play more at his natural spot at the 4 when Bosh is taking a blow. I think this will be a good thing for him as well as it seems clear he was not ready for the challenge of being a starter in the NBA at this point.

Hope to See You all at the Draft Party and see what people have to say about all of this. Click Here at 6:45 or Later. Draft is on the Score starting at 7pm.

Ford Deal Done? Jermaine O’Neal To Raptors

 

Ford On Way To Indiana?

Yahoo is reporting that the deal of a few days that was reported is actually been agreed to by both parties. The reason this can not be made offical would be the fact that the Raptors did not have a first round selection in last year’s draft and thus to meet the requirements of the league would have to technically draft at the 17th pick for the Pacers. NBA teams are not allowed to trade two consecutive years first round picks under league rules. In addition there is an issue with Ford’s contract that will not allow this deal to be final til July 9th.

The Detail of this trade seem to be a ever changing. As of right now the deal is as follows:

To Toronto:

C/PF Jermaine O’Neal

#41 pick in tonight’s NBA DRAFT

To Indiana:

Pg T.J Ford

C Rasho Nesterovic

PF Maceo Baston

#17 in Tonight’s Draft

ESPN Via Real Gm Link For Details

I wrote about this trade when it was first talked about in case you missed it here is a link to my thoughts of the deal which have not changed in 48 hours.

Dino Nation Blog on O’Neal/Ford Trade

Say It Ain’t So…O’Neal A Raptor?

Seems it is going to be a busy week for the Raptors and in turn yours truly. I was going to leave this for tomorrow but this story is getting far to much play in the media to leave it alone. So in case you have been under a rock and missed the news. There is a major rumour that the Toronto Raptors are in talks to acquire Jermaine O’Neal. The deal would be for T.J Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the Raptors First Round Pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

I don’t think anyone is unaware that I am a supporter of T.J Ford. That being said I have grown to accept the fact that the chances of him being a Raptor are about as good as a snowman not melting on Miami Beach. That being said I am not a fan of this deal at all. Jermaine O’Neal is not a guy that I am a fan of at all. He is just as much of an injury risk of as Ford. There is no question that O’Neal is a big name but he to me is a guy on the down side of his career. O’Neal is also a guy with a very troublesome attitude to me as well. This is a huge risk to me and not one worth investing 45 million dollars in for the next 2 years. I am much more on board with the deal that would bring Boris Diaw here from the Suns. If there is any truth to that at all.

I am not sold on O’Neal in any way shape or form. Could a change of venue make O’Neal a different player and have a better outlook. It is possible and I am not willing to throw anyone under a bus without at least giving them a chance to prove me wrong. Still the injury factor is not something that will change. Unless you think that O’Neal was doing a bit of a Vince Carter type act based on his unhappy feelings in Indiana. But he clearly has some issues and does not have a body that matches the age on his Birth Certificate.

There was a point and time where Chris Bosh was compared on par with O’Neal and since that point Bosh has been on the rise and O’Neal has been on the decline. Chris Bosh was named to Team U.S.A today and there was a time that O’Neal would have been in that conversation. But not now and same can be said for NBA All Star Games. Bosh is a regular in the East Roster and O’Neal is no longer a guy considered.

I do seem to be in the minority on this topic. But I admit that O’Neal has never been a player that I was high on even when he was a high quality player. Many will feel that this is about T.J going to me. But it is not about that to me at all. From a value standpoint this is getting a heck of a lot for T.J Ford. If I thought O’Neal was worth that value of his contract this would be a slam dunk victory for the Raptors. All this being said this is something that has not happened and could just be something 24 hours from now that will be an after thought.

What is clear from this is that T.J Ford has more value than most would have expected. The other issue in all of this would be in a draft class that seems to have some good players out there that I think can help this team address some of it’s needs I am not that happy about a something that sees Raptors trading out of the draft. It does fit the Bryan Colangelo mold of risk taking though. He took a risk in getting Ford in the first place. I would see this as an even bigger risk in his departure.

Doug Smith’s Blog on This Topic

An Update (June 25th 7pm) Yahoo is saying Deal is done For JO/Ford

Parker Leaving For Europe?

The other story is one that quite frankly I do not understand. Anthony Parker has said to have signed with a team in Greece to play for them next season. Yet he still has a valid NBA contract for next year with the Toronto Raptors. Unless he has quietly been bought out by the Raptors which would make little sense. How this can go down if it is indeed true does not make sense to me. The NBA would not be to pleased to have players under contract to their league signing contracts elsewhere. It may all make sense when all the smoke clears but as for right now it is a complete mud puddle to me. Just the fact this is out there would suggest that Parker knows he was not part of the Raptors plans going forward. But for a guy that has seemed to be a very classy stand-up indivdual this seems odd to me. I see Parker as a guy that would believe in honouring his contract and in a sense his word. If this is true it would seem that my impression of Anthony Parker was not an accurate one. I mean the guy did commericals with Dora and Sponge Bob how much more squeeky clean could he be?

So I guess the best advice for this week is check the Dino Nation Blog often as it would seem there will be lots of news and rumours right up until the Draft Party we are having on Thursday. Which ironically if this trade for O’Neal is true the Raptors would have no picks in. Talk about being a buzz kill on the Draft Party. SO SAY IT AIN’T SO. At least give me a rumour that says Raps will get back in this draft if they trade out.