5 Days To A Whole New Season

I think the great thing about sports in general is you always get a fresh start every year. Eric Smith said yesterday he feels like it was just weeks ago the season ended. But to me that Orlando series seems a long time ago. It was a bit of a painful summer for me in a lot of ways. I mean you may not like T.J Ford but I did. Next to Bosh he was likely my favourite player as a fan. So to sit and wait for him to be dealt away was not exactly a fun experience for me. I admit I was stunned at just how much the little Texas point guard would draw in return for him and a few of his Raptor team mates. Jermaine O’Neal was also a guy I was not a fan of when I first heard about this trade I was not sure about it at all. However I left the door open and said basically it was up to Jermaine O’Neal to change my mind. Well as far as all the off-court stuff he has been very impressive to me. I may even like J.O a bit. I really have not had to many strong feelings about what to expect from this season. I look around me and see most everyone seems very optomisitic that is good.

If I am being honest about things I am being asked to put faith in a lot of guys that I have concerns about to some level. Some a lot more than I do others. I am also being asked to put faith in some guys I barely know at all. John McCain in the U.S Election is asking who is the real Barack Obama. I was asking who the heck is Will Solomon and who is the real Roko Ukic. That being said last season I was asking who is this Jamario Moon guy. That worked out pretty well last year. I do know who Joey Graham is and maybe that is why I am truly scared when even folks I respect like Eric are suggesting that he can be the starting small forward. I have 3 years of watching Joey and none of that suggests to me I should be anything but worried about the prospect of him playing a major role on this team.

Someone asked me last night if I was excited about the season. I said that I was excited but it is a nervous type of excitement. I have had the good fortunate to work on the Radio and in broadcasting and that for some can be a scary experience. To talk to a large amount of people in such a public way. But I never am nervous about doing that. I will pick up the phone and call in on the radio whenever the mood strikes me. It really is something I enjoy to do expressing my opinions. Imagine that someone who writes a blog enjoys that….very shocking isn’t it? O.K not so much. I think the things that I do fear in life in general are things like change and the unknown.  I like to think of myself as someone that has a lot of common sense and I like to have control of things. The change and unknown do not exactly play to those skill sets. So I guess the best way to sum up my feelings as we approach this season is nervous excitement?

I can’t help but think that we still haven’t seen this whole plan of Bryan Colangelo’s play out. Not that I expect anything to happen right away based on how close the Raptors are to the tax threshold of the cap. But I don’t see this Raptor roster as complete and I think the pre-season pointed out those flaws. It is very clear that the Raptors need someone anyone to commit to be a driving and slashing force on this team. I had thought that was going to be Jamario Moon. But Jamario has not had the pre-season he did last year that won him a spot on this roster at the exspense of Luke Jackson. The Joey Graham fan club will tell me that guy is going to be Joey. I would agree that ” Good ” Joey can be that guy. But I have no faith in him lasting. I wrote on a forum about Joey Graham this:

Fool me once shame on me, Fool me twice shame on you, Fool me 3 years going on 4 =Joey Graham.

Not exactly a math equation but it is the reality of things. I guess a lot of folks may think I am against Joey Graham. Truth is I am not for or against him. However I am an emotional guy and to have my emotions toyed with is painful. That is why I don’t want to buy into the Joey Graham Experience. However I am happy if Joey can prove his own history wrong and come through because it will mean good things for the Raptors.

There are people that I have complete faith in through. One of those is Chris Bosh and I have no doubt that he will have a great season. He is really starting to come into his own as a superstar in this league. He is talking big throwing out the MVP idea. I love it. Vince Carter seem to be stunned to here a crown chat that for Chris Bosh. But what a group of fans think has to be taken with a grain of salt. Vince believes in that because if he didn’t than he might have to think he sucked. Nah that would never happen as Vince’s ego would never allow it. However this time around it is not the Bosh fans saying this it is the guy himself. It is a great sign for anyone that is a fan of him or the Raptors. Chris Bosh has gained a ton of confidence from his summer trip to China that produced a gold medal. In this tough times I put my faith in CB4. He is truly the face of this franchise and will go down ahead of V.C as the greatest Raptor ever to this point.

The other person I have faith in a lot of Raptor Fans don’t. Sam Mitchell is my guy I have got his back because I like the way he approaches things. Will he ever be a Zen Master like Phil Jackson in L.A. I would highly doubt it. But the core values of what Sam Mitchell is about are ones that I personally agree with. I think at the end of the day his players respect him and sorry to break it to some media folks and some fans that is all that matters. Sam has managed to be the longest serving coach in Raptor history. He may never rise to the level of play calling guru for some but here is what he does do and always has done. He demands and challeges his players and he has the respect of his players. It is not easy to be able to do that in this modern world of sports. Sam Mitchell is at his core a guy that has a lot of old school values that I respect and admire. Give them hell Sam I always will be a Sam Mitchell supporter if for no other reason than he has entertained me more than any Raptors coach in the history of this franchise.

Having said all of that I have to say that I still can laugh at both Sam and the reactions to Sam. I woke up yesterday and was getting set to do my interview. I checked my e-mail and saw something from someone I did not know. I thought it might be a reader or something so I checked it out. What I found was some pure comedy gold. Sam Mitchell was the co-star of this very funny You Tube video:

Sometimes you need a good luagh to break up all that stress that a new season brings. Speaking of new there is a brand new blog site out there. It is not a Nation but a Republic. The Raptors Republic is a brand new site that is made up of a bunch of bloggers that have come together to form their own team of bloggers. I am not going to start a Raptor Blogging incident. There is room in this world for a Dino Nation and a Raptors Republic. I am always for anything that gives fans more info and fun. I think these guys are hopeful of doing both.

The second part of that Raptor Blogger Round Table is up. I actually am talking about Sam in that too. I guess today is Sam Mitchell Day at the Dino Nation Blog.  But here is a link to the second part of the Blogger Round Table Preview @ Raptors HQ:

Blogger Round Table – Guest Appearance By Dino Blogger

IT’S COMING SOON….

You are going to be seeing some changes with the Dino Nation Blog. They are all part of something that is getting set to happen. I hope you will be happy about it. I think it is going to take the Dino Nation Blog to the next level. So for now that is about all I can say. But trust me when all of this is all done I will have a lot to say. But basically if not for all of you that have read the Dino Nation Blog and supported it these things would not be happening so even though you don’t know what it is yet. I thank you in advance for your past and future support of the Dino Nation Blog.

Your Raptor Stock Market Report

I have been talking about the first Fantasy League that has been set up for the Dino Nation Blog. It is a league on NBA.Com that runs like a stock market. I encourage you all to take part in that. Here is the info you need:

If you do not have a free account with NBA.Com you will need to sign up for that. once you have use the link below:

Dino Nation Blog League

The password for the league is: dinos

But for the purpose of the blog I wanted to use the values of the various Raptors and do a blog about it. Because is some ways Fantasy Sports actually tell us some things about reality to a point. For example if you were going to pick 3 players as your choices to win the M.V.P of the league right now who would they be?  Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Lebron James? Is that a good list?  Well it will not surprise you to learn this:

Stock Value

Kobe Bryant 100.00

Lebron James 100.00

Chris Paul 100.00

Those are the top 3 players in terms of values on the NBA Stock Exchange. Most Raptor Fans cry out that there is a unfair U.S bias against the Raptors. So if this is true the Raptors should make good value stocks in this virtual market. Well lets see about the top dog on the Raptors Chris Bosh. But wait a second he isn’t even the highest Raptor in the market. That would be Jose Calderon. 

Jose Calderon 45.00

Chris Bosh 40.00

This is where Fantasy goes away from reality. Chris Bosh is the clear best player on the Raptors to most I would think. But based on his fantasy production Jose Calderon is actually the top rated Raptor. That Fantasy aspect also Factors in on the price of the Raptors Jermaine O’Neal. Most feel that O’Neal is a better player than T.J Ford. Even myself a Ford fan has stated this for all to read. But in the Fantasy Market T.J Ford is worth more than J.O.

T.J Ford   26.00

J.O 17.00

Yes Jose Calderon fans in this Stock Market it is true:

Jose > T.J

Here is one for all of you frustrated with Andrea Bargnani. He lost the Rookie of the year award to Brandon Roy. So where do these two guys stand in the market place?

Brandon Roy 40.00

Andrea Bargnani 13.00

That is not a surprise to anyone I am sure. But if you believe in Andrea he looks like a good buy at that price.

So what about the rest of your Raptors in this market:

Jason Kapono  8.00

Jamario Moon 26.00

Anthony Parker 20.00

Joey Graham 4.00 ( His Twin Stephen is 3.00 )

Roko Ukic  3.00

Kris Humphries 3.00

Hassan Adams 3.00

Nathan Jawai 3.00

Will Solomon 3.00

These prices do confirm something about the Raptors that we already know. The Raptors do not have a lot of depth of talent on the bench. You see a lot of 3 dollar players on that list and that is the lowest value for players in this market.

However this is how the Market has been set up. The people like you and me have yet to have any influence on it. That will begin on October 26th. So beyond playing the fantasy aspect of this league it can also provide you a way of understanding how fans in general feel about players in the league to a point.

It also is great way to start some debates among fans based on the values of players. Fantasy Sports are mostly based on two factors. Popularity and Productivity. Which only one is of concern for teams in the real world. Well actually both are important I guess because popularity means sales of merchandise. But from the stand point of on the floor it doesn’t mean a thing.

Fantasy Sports ARE GOOD

I also encorage people to play fantasy sports as a way to force yourself to pay attention to other teams in the league. It is always good for us to step out of our Raptor Fan Bubble and see what is going on in the rest of the league. It helps you know your enemy. You are more likely to pay more attention to the league at large if you are engaged in fantasy sports.  

As far is this stock market goes it is all about fun and it is not going to cost your life savings.  But it is a good educational tool for anyone that wants to learn a bit about how a stock market works. An injury to a player is like a bad quarterly report for a company. Retirement of a player is like a company going bankrupt. It all translates to simple terms that sports fans can understand. But stick to fantasy sports markets for now if you don’t want to have any stress in you life.

A Hello Is Coming Your Way….

Happy to tell you that Jack Armstrong will be visiting us again very soon. He makes a good advisor for you NBA Stock Market needs. Not to mention the Raptors as well. At some point during next week while Raptors are hard at work, we will have Jack to tell us what he thinks about a number of things.

Ex-Raptor Fantasy Outlook

We all have those Ex-Raptors we love and those that we hate. Emotion is the enemy of any good fantasy player. You must leave your feelings at the door be they good or bad. You may in fact think “V.C Sucks” but if he is the best player on your draft board you need to pick him regardless. You may have been on the Jose side of Calderon vs Ford debate. But if T.J is on the board and you need a point guard you may need to take him. Same goes in reverse. Most Raptor Fans love Morris Peterson but you can not turn that love into a selection of him to early in the draft. These are just a few examples of choices you may face in your fantasy draft. So let’s break it down and give you some logic to use instead of that nasty emotion.

Vince Carter: Carter is a very interesting fantasy choice. On the one hand Vince Carter is the lone remaining member of the Nets “Big 3″. From a fantasy perspective you would think this should be a good thing. However as Raptor Fan you do know how Vince has dealt with being the man. Vince will have the chance to increase his numbers but will he take advantage of it? Oh and let’s not forget the fact the Nets are a team that is rebuilding. Anyone that knows Vince’s history has to be very careful if you are going to risk a high pick on him. It comes down to the question of do you believe that Vince Carter has changed and matured from his time in Toronto. If you do he might be worth the pick. If you don’t it is buyer beware. One last thing is the fact Phil Jackson threw Vince under the bus. This may provide motivation for Carter to show Jackson was wrong. But even though all signs may lead you to think Carter could have a big year it is taken away by the track record of the player that tells a much different story.

T.J Ford: I am still a fan of T.J Ford. But the fact I see him having a bounce back year this season is not as much about being a fan as coming to grips with the fact T.J had the worst season of his NBA Career in a lot of ways. So you can expect a better year from T.J Ford. Despite all the injury concerns that come with Ford the truth is the risk of taking Ford remains the same. Medically his condition is the same as it has been. But if T.J can remain safe and avoid hard hits he should be fine and have a very productive season. High assist totals and a improved number of points for Ford should be a lock.

Tracy McGrady: McGrady is highly talented but is always an injury concern. His back may never be good enough to have any confidence in him playing through an entire season. He may also need to play peace maker between Yao Ming and Ron Artest. The good news for T-Mac with Artest coming to Houston will mean a easier defensive assignment on most nights. It could mean a little less wear and tear and more chance to do his thing on offense. But a bad back is always a worry. This is why personally I am not someone who wants to take Tracy in my first round. If you do it is a gamble but one that could pay off. But it also could blow-up in your face.

Marcus Camby:A whole new team for Marcus. He was not exactly thrilled about it. But Camby and what he does and who he is from a fantasy perspective remains the same. If healthy he is one of the best fantasy players in the league. He fills a stat sheet like few players in the game. He has been injured plaqued through his entire career. But last season was one of the better ones for Camby from an injury prospective. The older you get the healthier you are? That goes against logic. This is why I always take a pass on Camby. But if you want to go against the logic and take him it is not a bad move. Even with slight injury concerns throughout the year when he is in your line-up you get a lot of blocks points rebounds steals the whole fantasy package.

Morris Peterson: In his second year with the Hornets Morris Peterson should be a bit better. He had a very slow start last year. But this season he should be feeling more at home as a Hornet. The key is how much of a factor can he be on a New Orleans team with a lot of weapons. Morris Peterson should give you a guy that can shot a decent number of 3’s for a good percentage. But there are a lot of those guys in the NBA these days. A late round guy in any case and someone that may even make his way to wavier wire. Moe can be a guy that gets on streaks and picking him up when he is hot can help you get a few wins along the way in head to head leagues.

Mike James:A one year fantasy stud. With the Raptors and that was about all. The same reasons the Raptors didn’t resign him have proven to be true. Mike James has never produced the numbers he did as a Raptor and I don’t think that changes any time soon. If this was an American Idol draft he is a first round pick. We all remember him rocking the Raptor exit interviews with R Kelly tune ” I believe I Can Fly”.

Rafer Alston: The problem child former street ball star. He has had his issues with the Law and is to unpredictable both on and off the floor to expect much of anything from him. Who knows what will happen with Rafer he once announced in Toronto he was giving up the game altoghter and he is a wildcard not worth the risk.

Rasho Nesterovic: How bout some love for Rasho. He is a excellent pick in the late rounds as a big. He should do very well with the Pacers and have the chance to likely start. But everyone sleeps on Rasho. So unless Tim Ducan (Cause he think’s Rasho is Awesome) is in your draft you can expect Rasho to be around late and make a nice pick up for you. We saw first hand what Rasho can do with the Raptors when he got chance to play and I think for the Pacers he will play a lot as Roy Hibbert learns the ropes of the NBA.

Hoffa… um… Actually I read in a blog he may not even be in the Russian League he played in last year. I wonder if anyone ever drafted Hoffa in a fantasy league ever? If you did NEVER ADMIIT THAT. In fact take up a new hobby. That would go for anyone that drafted Yogi Stewart, Michael Bradley, Chris Jefferies and the list goes on. But as Raptor fans these names seem to live on longer than guys that were average players on the Raptors squad.

So hope the last two days have given you some things to think about going into your fantasy drafts. I will be providing the info for our leagues as soon as the leagues start to open up. Also Tomorrow I will be interviewing Matt Devlin so the blog may not be up till late. Hopefully there will be time to get Matt’s interview up. If not it will be Friday and I will have another topic for tomorrow. I look forward to talking with Matt for a second time. He has been very willing to talk with me and reach out to you the readers of Dino Nation Blog and that is something I respect.

That is all for me. See you Tomorrow a little later than usual.

Bryan Colangelo Hits The Airwaves

Bryan Colangelo sat down with Bob McCowen on Prime Time Sports and had an indepth conversation about the Toronto Raptors. This was the most I have heard from Colangelo for the entire summer. He talked about a number of topics and some were very interesting ones. The first topic that was interesting was about T.J Ford. Colangelo was willing to admit that Ford he felt was not giving it his full effort. He would not go as far as to say he felt Ford was tanking. He suggested that the mental aspects of Ford’s injury lead to a lack of performance on his part. He said the the team had developed a good chemistry with Calderon and that Ford took away from that when he returned. It also made the job of Ford to bounce back that much more of a challenge. This would make the choice of keeping Calderon and trading Ford an easy one. So this may not be news to anyone but it the first time I can recall Bryan going into any depth on the topic of Ford and the choice to trade him.

Another topic of major interest was that of Andrea Bargnani. I have heard a lot from Raptor Fans as to wondering what Andrea has been up too this off-season. Most are aware that he spent some time in Las Vegas. Colangelo did mention that and working with Jermaine O’Neal. But he also said that Raptors have had coaches working with him in Italy. He says we can expect to see a bigger Andrea Bargnani and he also went on to say there has been a focus on teaching Andrea some basic post moves to add to his game. He suggested that Andrea Bargnani was not playing 100% healthy last year and he lost confidence. Colangelo also said that he gets many calls from other NBA teams making inquires about Andrea Bargnani. He went on to say that everyone that has worked with Andrea has seen significant changes in him. Colangelo also suggests we could see Andrea Bargnani playing a little small forward on the floor with both Bosh and O’Neal. The thought being with the added defensive force of O’Neal and an improved Bosh on defense that the Raptors could manage for brief stretches with Andrea playing at that position.

He also was asked about where he felt the team he had put together stacked up in the Eastern Conference. Were they the second best team in the Eastern Confernce? Colangelo brought up about 5 other teams and suggested their merits and would say that he did feel that the goal was to be in the top 4 and get home court advantage but the Raptors were among a number of teams that could be second best in the conference.

Colangelo also spent a lot of time talking about the improvement of Chris Bosh on defensive end of the floor that was on display at the Olympics. He mentioned how all of the staff of team U.S.A were very impressed with Chris and his play. He also talked a lot about the entire effort put forth by the American program run by his father Jerry.

There was also the suggestion of some major changes coming to the Raptor attack on offense. Colangelo said ultimately Sam will decide how to use the various players but suggested that the O’Neal and Bosh combo presented a lot of options that the Raptors could take advantage of. He painted a picture of a high low game that would allow the shooters like Parker, Kapono to roam free with Calderon acting as the distributor of the basketball.

This was a highly instersting interview and I would suggest a MUST listen for Raptor Fans. It was the most we have heard from Colangelo on his vision behind the moves that were made this off-season as we sit 21 days from Training Camp opening on September 30th in Ottawa. Here is the link to the entire interview.

Bryan Colangelo On Prime Time Sports 

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.

24 Things On Dino Blogger’s Mind

Today I don’t have a topic in mind. So I just thought I would fire out some questions and comments that have crossed my mind lately. Feel free to add some of you own or respond to the ones I have provided. So I got a 24 things on the shot clock before the buzzer sounds so let’s go:

1. In general is there any loyality left in the sports world be it fans, management or players? I want to think so but it gets harder everyday.

2. Can you be a fan and a journalist at the same time? I know I have heard from a lot of media folks that you can’t but I try. I love what I do but I don’t love it enough to stop being a fan as well

3. What is the Raptor Offense going to look like come next season?

4. Can Nathan Jawai be as good as I honestly think he can?

5. Why are we in such a rush to talk about guys leaving and contracts ending?

6. Why can’t Canada win a medal in the Olympics already? On a side note how is Leo Rautins still coach of Men’s Team?

7. Vince Carter is cool with rebuilding team in Jersey? How am I suppose to buy that?

8. What will be the end game of all this Europe vs NBA stuff. Will I need to start learning names of Euro League Teams?

9. Who will be the first ever Raptor to get his number Retired?

10. Could I hold my own in an interview with Sam Mitchell? No I don’t have one lined up but just wondering if I could?

11. Is the Eastern Conference finally good?

12. Where will I and this Blog be in 5 years?

13. Will my hometown of Hamilton some day have the Raptors D-League Franchise?

14. What would Mark Cuban do if he was NBA Commisioner?

15. How will T.J Ford do as a Pacer?

16. Is this Raptor Team a Legit Contender in the East?

17. How is it going to be that first game without Chuck Swirsky? I don’t think it will hit me till it happens.

18. Will the Raptors make a trade this season? For who?

19. Will a day come when bloggers like me are considered part of the real media? Is that day already here and I just don’t know it?

20. When will Toronto host an All-Star Weekend?

21. Who is going to be the Raptors Starting small forward? Moon? Kapono? NOT Joey Graham can that even be possible at this point?

22. Is Kris Humphries the odd man out based on all the Raptor player moves?

23. Will Steve Nash ever win an NBA title and is that going to happen with the Suns?

24. Could Dwight Howard end up being an M.V.P someday?

BUZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!! That is it now it is your turn if you want to add a comment or ask some questions of your own. Tomorrow we go back on the Olympic Trail as United States plays Greece as part of Day 3 of Men’s Basketball.

Overtime: 3 way Trade:

Cavs make a 3-way deal with Bucks and Oaklahoma City. Mo Williams is heading to Cleveland as the headline of this deal. For the rest of the info check out a link to the deal with all the details of this trade:

Cavs Trade For Point Guard

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

The Nation Speaks….Dino Blogger Answers

Ok back hopefully for good is a day for your comments and questions. I never did get any suggestions on what to call this so I came up with the Nation Speaks. I like it personally and I likely will go with that. There was some response to my pleas for mail. Doug Smith always talks about how much he gets and rightfully so. After all he has been covering the team since day 1 in 1995. I had chance to meet him at the recent Canada Basketball games here in Hamilton he is a nice guy.

There was not a HUGE response of emails but there was some. Hopefully by starting this it will inspire more of you to send in some stuff for next time. I am basically a friendly person so there is no need to be afraid to send me your thoughts. I want to mention something that was in the comments be for we get started. Ian from Hamburg, Germany wrote a comment about the Canada win over Germany. He was at the game and is living in Germany and reading the Dino Nation Blog. How cool is that. Prior to moving to wordpress I could track the countries people came from and was amazed where some of you were reading from. Global reach of the internet is truly amazing.  But this blog is suppose to be about you folks so let’s get to it:

A Random Read( They Didn’t Sign It ):

How come the New York Knicks can go miles over the cap but we don’t. MLSE has lots of money still last I looked. Why don’t they spend it?

True thanks to Thomas the Knicks are far beyond the luxury tax limit. They pay a dollar for Dollar tax on that amount that they are over the limit. So it is not like they are just allowed to without penalty. The Raptors have always as a rule looked to remain out of the tax. Bryan Colangelo even pointed out how Jose Calderon in his new contract agreed to re-work it to keep the Raptors under it. Doug Smith has said that the Raps will never go over the Luxury tax number and to forget about it. I tend to agree that in the off-season they will not. Trade deadline could be a different story but that is long way away.

Hey, what’s up my name is Shant Bakmazian …1 of my addictions is watching the raptor games, I always end up watching them instead of studying for my finals and I read your blogs everyday while I’m in the office, to help pass by time, and keep me in the right state of mind, and I can honestly say I am a big fan of the dino nation blog so GREAT job and keep them coming.

 Just a couple of questions, I know this one is from last year but it was asked to me by a friend and I don’t know the answer to it so maybe you can help… remember the game where Shaq got fouled out and they were going to play it again… he was on Miami when that occurred, and so what happens with that now that he is in phoenix now?

Also, when do you think Joel Bosh will be with the raps? And is that a for sure thing? Do you think he can tear up the court like Chris does?

O.K, first off School is important study hard. Well come to think of it I didn’t much. Study hard enough to pass. That sounds more like me. On to the basketball stuff. The game you are talking about was re-played without Shaq. The NBA had addressed this issue. A couple days after the trade to the Suns. Ironic in the sense that the player who caused the historic re-do did not even play in it. Also for the Record the outcome did not change the hawks won the game.

Joel Bosh is not likely to be a Raptor anytime soon(if ever). The closest to being a Raptor might be catching on with the Raptors D-League team which is NOT the Colorado 14ers as the Raps annouced they have changed to the Idaho Stampedee which is shared with Portland Trailblazers. The Raps are giving Joel a shot so he can have a chance to get a job somewhere but it is not likely it is with them in Toronto. I think we all know the Bosh Family will be happy with the gesture on behalf of the Raptors.

This is not to say the brother of CB4 sucks. But he did go to a small school in Alabama State. Big Borther Chris, went to Georgia Tech and was ACC Freshman of the Year. It is a big difference. Joel played through senior at Alabama State. Bosh was in year 3 with the Raptors when he was suppose to be a senior in college. Basically what everyone should want for Joel “Bubba” Bosh is to get a job be it in the NBDL or Europe. Why Bubba? He is Bubba from the famous YouTube Video. I’m 98% sure on that.

Random Nation Memeber ( No Name)

Hey James, I just wanted to know how far you think the Raptors are gonna go this season. Can they finally get past the first round in this ever improving Eastern Conference?

By the way, I love the blog; I just started reading recently and I’m gonna stick around for a while. Keep up the good work!

Thanks ( Insert Name Here) …. Anyway name or not I am glad you enjoy the blog. Happy to hear you plan on sticking around as well. I am sure we all hope to be doing that. As for your question. I as people who have been reading know have not been blown away impressed with this trade. That being said the press conference by Jermaine O’Neal did help me start to change my mind on him to some degree. I think it is to early to say for the record. But if defense is important to advancing in the playoffs. Most seem to think it is. That would and should mean the Raptors took a major step forward in that regard. In the end match-ups in series mean a lot. Replay the Orlando Series from last year with this crew. I think they would win.

 

Hey James,

Just wondering why when the Raptors team for next year is mentioned by any website or anybody in general, Andrea Bargnani isn’t even mentioned. I believe that this guy is what will make our team good or bad and he is what can push us over the top. If the media thinks he’s a bust, they should at least talk about him being a bust. This guy isn’t even being mentioned and I just want to hear what you think is the reason why you think this is happening. I mean, nobody is even talking about what he’s doing in the offseason or how his training is going. Why is this?

Thanks

Jamie

First some useless trivia about the Dino Blogger. Jamie is what I was called as a kid and still am to this day by my mom. As for the Jamie asking the question he has been a long time reader of this blog. I don’t know everyone that reads personally but Jamie I have talked with several times.

Anyway, Andrea and media. I don’t think they are ignoring him. He is working with John Lucas and is back and forth between Italy and United States. If Raps had put him on summer league roster I am sure we would be hearing on how he was doing. But the Raptors feel it is best to just keep him working as they had planned for him. Italy is not in the Olympics so this gave Raps a chance to have Andrea work together with them on his off-season program.

As for the whole BUST idea and his roll. Jermaine O’Neal said in his press conference that he sees Andrea having a key roll on this team. If he says that the Raptors must think that as well. Media have all for most part said this season will be the make or break year for Andrea. To borrow a line from Jack Armstrong( Who is Visiting us Again SOON) he said football coach Bill Parcells use to say that in Year one a player thinks they know. In year 2 they realize they didn’t know and Year 3 THEY BETTER KNOW. I think that is where we are at with Andrea.

Tim says:

im wondering outside the beasly, rose, mayo, dani and guys
who do you think will have a huge nba career specifically those in the second round?

Chuck Swirsky HOMER ALERT!!!! I know this is going to sound like pumping up the Raptors. But honestly if he had been drafted by anyone I would be saying this. Nathan Jawai has the most chance to grow as a player and develop. It is my undersatanding he never even picked up a basketball till he was a teenager. He has a lot to learn but he has amazing upside and the scouts LOVED AUSSIE SHAQ. I am doing research on Jawai and hoping it will turn into a nice feature for the blog. But I will say that Huge Star and 2nd round are rare things. Solid and productive is what I would say. Raps gave this guy 2 year deal that says a lot as very rare do guys get a multi year offer in the second round. The other one that I personally do not agree with but I think many out there believe is Chris Douglas-Roberts. A guy once pegged for Raptors that free falled all the way to round 2. He was a hot pick to a lot of Raptor Fans. CDR is at the least going to be motivated to prove something.

That is it for the E-Mail. But I thought of something else I can add to this and if the mail is light in a given week we can use more of this. I go on several chat boards and read. From Real GM Forum to several groups on facebook. I try to get to as many as I can to understand what rap fans are talking about. One of the E-mails I got was from someone that acts as a moderator on one of those forums. He said he enjoyed the blog and wanted to know if it was ok to post a link to it. To which I replied THANK YOU AND HELL YEA. So I thought why not give these forums some kind of note. Like I said personally can read them all. So if you find something on a Forum and you want me to see it and comment. Add that to my mail bag as well. dinonationblogger@hotmail.com

Raptor Fan Web Buzz

T.J Ford:

Still hated by some loved by others( Like Me) and debated into the ground. Just think what it is going to be like when Pacers go against Raptors in first meeting. Can you say off the hook Insanity.

Vegas Baby:

What did we ever do without a Vegas Summer League team last year. I mean the amount of hype around this is insane to me. People going off the wall excited for games that mean less than exhibition games. I blame the summer heat and lack of basketball. But I admit lots of reasons to be interested in this summer league team for a variety of reasons.

Pay Taxes Get Us Players!!!

MLSE can never win. They can make lots of money though. Raptor Fans want them to spend more of it. Pay the Luxury Tax the Knicks do(Like an Emailer Said above). Here is my take on it. If you believe that this team will advance beyond round 1 go spend that exception to the max. You will recover it in extra playoff revenue. But I am not going to throw MLSE under the your a cheapskate bus until the trade deadline. After all I think you could find a better player at that time.

So hope you liked this new blog based on you folks. If you didn’t maybe you can make it better with some comments of your own for next time. Raps play Kings today in Summer League and I will post the results of that and the Team Canada game from yesterday that they lost to Germans later tonight.

Not Your Older Brother’s Titanic Division

So the Atlantic Division is getting to be a rough neighbourhood. The latest resident comes from the mean streets of L.A. Not the Hollywood Laker side of L.A but the rough side where Clipper fans live. Elton Brand is heading to the 76ers. Sam Dalembert just got a big helping hand in his front court. The Sixers shook up the front office last year and they had some positive results. This is a huge step in making sure they build on what they started. Brand is returning from major injury but seems to be healthy and well rested for this new challenge.

The Celtics not only broke a streak of not winning a title for their franchise but the Atlantic Division as well. The Nets, Knicks and Sixers all made the finals in that time but never won it. So is this a new start for a once proud division in sports? It sure seems that way.

No one hopes this is true more than fans of the New York Knicks. Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh have been put in place to clean up after the Thomas years in New York. Knick fans have suffered for a long time now. Spike Lee has had little to smile about when it comes to his favourite sports team. Chris Duhon is the first part of the change in New York. They also drafted what they hope to be a future star from Italy. The nice thing about all of it. Is can they honestly do any worse from what Knick fans are use too?

While everyone else in the division seems to be taking a step forward the Nets seem to be taking a step back to move forward. Vince Carter looks to his left. No Jason Kidd he is gone. Looks to his right and No R.J is there. So Vince is right back where he started in Toronto prior to when he left. Many Raptor fans will say it serves Vince Carter right. But all that being said Devin Harris is a young and solid point guard. China’s Yi is a player that could become a very good to great player. But many feel that New Jersey is just killing time till they can move to Brooklyn and sign Lebron. Well it is a nice plan but what if it doesn’t work out? Least they will have some young talent that hopefully works out. Guys like Williams and Boone could be great role players on this team for years to come.

The Celtics are the defending NBA Champions and have brought back Celtic Pride. Even though they did not get Cory Maggette they will still be a top squad no matter the minor tweaks they may or may not make this off season. I think they have a window of about 2-4 years with the big 3 of Pierce, Garnett and Allen being able to be in the Title mix. Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins have grown a lot from the experience of playing along side of them. Rondo is rapidly climbing the ranks of best point guards in the league. Some would say he already is pushing the top 10. I was never worried about Rajon Rondo heading into last season. He is very good and he proved it this past season and in the playoffs even more. Perkins has been a great surprise as well. Under the radar a bit you have guys like Powe and Davis. Glen “Not Big Baby Anymore” Davis was a second round pick and it has worked out well for the Celtics. He was more Shaq like in his days at LSU. But to his credit he has worked hard to get his weight down and has found a role on a championship team.

The Sixers said good bye to Billy King and have not looked back. King was let go as General Manager in the middle of last season and since that point the Sixers have taken off. Andre Iguodala has no love for the Raptors for passing him over. He has made it his mission to prove them wrong. He has benfited from the departure of Iverson as the new AI he has been key in the Sixers rise. Also Canada knows all about Sam Dalembert and he too has been having a great rise in his play based on in part to his work with team Canada in the summer of 07. He is back with Canada again and looking to grow his game some more. But the biggest news of the off-season thus far could be the signing of Elton Brand by the Sixers. Others will argue the point but no one will debate that the Sixers have just became a very big force in the East.

I hope by reading this blog you have a good idea of the Raptors and where they are at. By the way Nathan Jawai was signed today to a 2 year deal. Aussie Shaq is someone the Raptors really like and offering a guy drafted in the 2nd round a 2 year deal is not the norm for NBA Franchises. So if you had any doubt that the Raptors have belief in this guy that should tell you something. He could honestly be that 2nd round gem that the Raptors have been looking for. I can not recall a second round selection that has actually turned out well for the Raptors, going back all the way to year 1 and Jimmy King out of Michigan. He never worked out and he is not alone as P.J Tucker from Texas other then getting the cool nickname of “Baby Mule”.  If anyone can think of a good 2nd round pick Raps made add it to the comments. I wrote an article for T.O Sports on this same topic of the Atlantic Division which I am told will be published this weekend.  There is more on Raptors in that. But here I think folks have a good understanding on my views. I also thought we had not talked about rest of the league much so I wanted to focus on the other teams in the Division.

Dino Blogger Not Going On IR

A roster note for the Dino Nation Blog. The Dino Blogger is day to day with flu like stuff. But have no fear the Mail Bag will go as planned. I have gotten some questions and comments and am excited to re-launch the mail bag and give you a voice. I have had no suggestion on what to call it? I will come up with something but if you have an idea pass it along. Also there is always room for more questions and comments. As long as you get it to me prior to me writing it up. Likely Saturday morning the Midnight Friday deadline is a SOFT deadline. So send me your mail at dinonationblogger@hotmail.com

Hassan Adams was on Fan 590 today and so was Scoop Jackson of ESPN. Both were interesting interviews and check out Fan 590 website if you want to listen to those interviews. Also speaking of interviews if you are still someone that likes T.J Ford and are interested in what he has to say. He was on a local Indiana Radio Station and the interview is posted on his website which you can find in the Dino Blogger Favourites. I still like T.J and likely will keep the link to his site as part of mine.

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.