tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24507453035487348192012-02-29T20:47:30.196-05:00dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.comBlogger13361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-20352172935502652882012-02-29T12:03:00.002-05:002012-02-29T13:26:38.810-05:00

Things have been going rough this year so you think David Stern could let us have this one? Make a phone call, refuse to clear someone to play on his team? I mean he had no problem refusing a trade right? Maybe he could order that Andrea Bargnani has to play? Alright enough jokes. The Hornets have an even worse home record than the Raptors which is saying something. If the Hornets franchise is

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-20671833076206558272012-02-28T20:04:00.004-05:002012-02-28T22:32:24.713-05:00

James Johnson opens the scoring after a turnover on the first possession of the 2nd half of the season. Rockets go on a 6-0 run until Calderon drives and finally gets the Raptors back on track. Rockets again score 6 to the Raptors nothing and it was 12-4 early. Raptors shooting was awful early in this one. Raptors were shooting sub 20% and were down 17-7 just past mid point in the first. Raps

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-33568048800698490462012-02-28T14:11:00.004-05:002012-02-28T14:20:37.210-05:00

Well it seems Wilson Chandler is a free man. So the story we had about him not being able to sign with the Raptors has now changed. It had been reported he would have to wait about a week that would have made it impossible for him to sign with another team. Here is the update we added to the original story from the weekend.This ongoing saga or maybe it just seems that way, has taken another

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-86340669564510843152012-02-28T07:35:00.003-05:002012-02-28T08:57:56.646-05:00

Andrea Bargnani was well enough to go shake hands and kiss babies at All-Star weekend, but it would appear is not ready for basketball still. When exactly do we start to worry about this? The rest of the Raptors who won just their 4th game without him before the break have re-assembled in Houston. Not sure how many people saw the Rockets being so successful so fast in the post Yao era. Pretty

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-74496529458226675672012-02-27T15:06:00.002-05:002012-02-27T16:03:09.159-05:00

Ratings seem to be growing but the product is on the decline in terms of All-Star weekend in the NBA. I am not sure what that says about things. I was surprised to learn that All-Star Saturday Night had it's second best ratings number in it's history. It featured the worst dunk contest in history and had all the typical sponsor driven garbage we have come to expect/accept. I fight with the idea

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-25916518659965072532012-02-25T20:03:00.003-05:002012-02-25T20:44:34.885-05:00

I have said many times that the ultimate goal of the Dino Nation Blog is to be truly a multimedia site at the end of the day. This is a step in that direction as we launch our second podcast brand. This Week in Raptorland is what is called. It will take a look back at the last 7 days in all the things going on with the DNB and the Raptors. Your weekly catch up on the Raptors. We will mix in a few

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-36924773428963941352012-02-25T14:18:00.006-05:002012-02-28T14:11:33.112-05:00

Based on some info being provided by Adrian Wojnarowski looks like Wilson Chandler is not going to be a Raptor and will only have a chance to return to the Nuggets@WojoYahooNBA-The China Basketball Association has refused to give Wilson Chandler a letter of clearance to play immediately in NBA, sources tell Yahoo!Chandler has filed an appeal that could take up to a week to get him free to sign.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-77354609037744783782012-02-25T11:37:00.004-05:002012-02-25T13:41:59.310-05:00

Tonight will be All-Star Saturday Night. I debate if I will even watch it. I likely will out of some obligation to know what is going on. However, if I didn't cover the NBA in some way, I would not even bother. All-Star Saturday Night has become a complete joke to me. It is a collection of who feels like competing in the various contests. It was over a decade ago in Oakland that we saw Vince

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-21024450468996833772012-02-24T11:07:00.003-05:002012-02-24T13:26:05.669-05:00

Yesterday we had James and today we have Amir. Some of the questions are the same as well we talk about the fact Amir will be an answer to a trivia question someday. We talk about how Amir has changed from his days in Detroit and what is the same. Amir is as many know the last high school player to enter the NBA. Recently on Twitter, was kicking around the idea of bringing back the high school

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-44637513631933869412012-02-23T14:19:00.004-05:002012-02-23T14:52:40.671-05:00

We had a chance to talk with both Amir Johnson and James Johnson last night. They are not brothers or even cousins to the best of my knowledge. But what they are is some pretty good interviews more times than not. We talk with James about the season to this point, His goals for the second half and his thoughts on one of his nicknames from fans "The Ninja" as well as thoughts on his coach.All the

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-42714223955913707792012-02-23T11:01:00.003-05:002012-02-23T12:21:48.842-05:00

The Raptors came out all business on this night. Demar DeRozan leading that charge. He would have about as perfect a first quarter as you could going 4-4 from the field and 4-4 at the line to lead all scorers with 12 points in the opening stanza. He was also doing a better job on defense as well, something that was missing against the Bobcats. Raptors as a team were bringing it on the defensive

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-60753924981704702112012-02-22T10:30:00.003-05:002012-02-22T11:33:40.703-05:00

The Raptors will not be able to say they didn't have time to prepare for this one. They have not played since Friday with that ugly loss at the hands of the Bobcats. We saw Kemba Walker in that one, a guy some Raptors fans wanted in the draft. Tonight we see another in Brandon Knight. We also get to see one of the candidates for the Raptors coaching position in Lawrence Frank. He ended up going

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-21876183229183560202012-02-21T11:17:00.007-05:002012-02-21T13:54:44.160-05:00

I have to say it has been nice to have a break form the grind of this season. Sunday I even decided to take a day off. That will change from now on at least on Sundays. We are going to starting doing a 30 minute Podcast called "This Week in Raptor Land". It will take a look back on the week that was for the Raptors. It should be something fun to try and do. Hopefully it grows into one the the

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-47896086610781393002012-02-20T13:56:00.004-05:002012-02-20T14:04:41.763-05:00

As you are all aware we held are MGD DNB VIP Contest this past Friday at the ACC. To look back on the event we present this "Special Edition" of the DNB Game in Pictures:Thanks to everyone that participated in the contests and to our winners and the good folks at MGD for working with us once again. It was a great night and if you want to see more photos from the event head over to our Facebook

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-36772458961914593342012-02-18T11:57:00.006-05:002012-02-18T13:59:22.059-05:00

So I had this dream that I some how ended up having to cover the Bobcats vs Raptors, on the same night host a party for readers of the DNB, and get this the Raptors lost. Wait, I am being informed this actually happened. The Raptors and deservedly so, have been praised for their effort in the last four games, despite the fact they have been 1-3 in those games. But based on their performance last

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-73444346915967560522012-02-17T00:29:00.005-05:002012-02-17T02:59:03.065-05:00

I am pulling double duty today with covering the game and hosting the MGDDNBVIP Contest winners. So I thought instead of your normal preview, I would ask the guys from the Round Ball Review to handle it. See how they made out? There was actually a valid point mixed in with all that comedy. The Raptors have indeed been playing better against good teams. It would be easy to over look the Bobcats

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-80976215509452591452012-02-16T13:57:00.003-05:002012-02-16T15:19:34.454-05:00

It was a big night for Demar DeRozan last night in a loss to the Spurs. We caught up with Demar pre-game and got his thoughts on how things have been going on of late for the team and himself. Here is our brief chat prior to last night's game. At the end it cuts out a little but all you missed was "a little"Demar does seem to have started to turn a corner in his play. I would like to say it is

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-83259789502646707292012-02-16T01:53:00.009-05:002012-02-16T03:42:51.701-05:00

Rather than do a re-cap will just give some thoughts on my evening at the ACC watching the Spurs and Raptors. I chatted with Demar DeRozan prior to this game. We got into how the team had performed recently. Will have more on this later today in a feature on Demar but in general he felt encouraged from the play of late. The Raptors would be even more short handed than expected as Linas Kleiza had

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-10992771056451870212012-02-15T09:22:00.003-05:002012-02-15T10:22:28.260-05:00

We did a live chat last night so I never did a re-cap of last night's game. Jeremy Lin was the star going in and he left that way, hitting a dagger three to complete the Knicks comeback. This season the Raptors have both battled back from some large holes and blown some large leads. Last night after one of their better first halves of the season they let it all get away from them in the 4th. Jose

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-62021187940307780652012-02-14T12:47:00.006-05:002012-02-14T18:06:08.357-05:00

Linsanity is invading Toronto if you have not heard. I know we still have not had the winner for contest #2 but I will be busy covering the Raptors vs Spurs tomorrow so Contest #3 will be tonight as well. Right here on the website and if you have the best comment of the night you win contest #3. We will also announce at the end of the chat the winner of contest #2. Feel free to enter both. You

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-78761784431975918662012-02-14T11:07:00.003-05:002012-02-14T12:11:59.290-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day. There may not be another Valentine's Day like this ever for the Toronto Raptors. Having covered the Raptors for a normal game a time or two, the amount of media to welcome Jeremy Lin is off the charts. The last time I can remember the Raptors having to use the media lounge to hold a press conference in that room was for the Big 3 and the return of Chris Bosh to Toronto.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-11122163273147000812012-02-13T16:58:00.004-05:002012-02-13T17:46:50.483-05:00

Ryan became someone I got to know in having access to games, and has been a regular guest here in the DNB since last season. He covers the Raptors obviously, but also has covered some NCAA Basketball in his work for the Toronto Sun. In today's interview we talk about the Raptors latest surge of positive play. Then the story that everyone in the NBA seems to be talking about in Jeremy Lin. He and

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-60657287330407304222012-02-13T14:09:00.003-05:002012-02-13T14:26:34.726-05:00

Ok for contest number two we are going in a different direction. To explain here is J.B and Joey G from the Round Ball Review:So you have till the end of the Raptors vs Knicks Game on Tuesday. Leave you entries in the comments or tweet them to us @Dinonationblog . Will announce the winner on Twitter and in our Re-cap of Raptors vs Knicks.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-66461653655676855572012-02-12T20:29:00.009-05:002012-02-12T22:58:33.456-05:00

This won't be your typical DNB recap. I was in attendance today as a fan not in the normal media capacity. So as such it was not like I was sitting there taking notes of the blow by blow today. This was my first time catching the Lakers as a fan or media. Never really have been a Laker fan although there were lots of them in attendance today at the ACC. I am not sure why this happens, but in

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-26577111551243864732012-02-12T08:18:00.003-05:002012-02-12T08:32:53.699-05:00

For one of the rare times in the last four years + I am going to a Raptor game as a fan. So I don't have a lot of time to do the preview so will keep it simple. Here are the 3 keys to Today's Game.1. Raptorsystem- Make Kobe Bryant a volume shooter. The chances that 81 points happens again is very unlikely. If you make him the main scorer and take care of the other options like Gasol, Bynum and

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-34787945084201738352012-02-11T17:11:00.005-05:002012-02-11T19:55:26.474-05:00

Audley Stephenson is one half of the duo that each and every week bring you The Breakdown Show. It is a unique look at the NBA from a variety of prospective with a guest list of people from both NBA and the entertainment world. You can catch the show live on Sundays at 9pm or listen to on the web where it fits in your life. I have even been on the show last season. They like to say it is

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-52963983903781803092012-02-10T21:36:00.005-05:002012-02-10T22:41:38.807-05:00

If I told you the Raptors would never trail in this game and never looked close to losing the entire night what would you say? This is of course if you never saw the game with your own eyes. Pretty much everything you would imagine happening in this game went the opposite of what logic would have suggested. Raptors will get off to a slow start and fall behind early. Nope it didn't happen. They

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-18331428637063629932012-02-10T09:35:00.004-05:002012-02-10T11:21:44.633-05:00

The Raptors have had a tough season obviously. Nothing illustrates how tough more than their performances against Boston which have been horrible. First there was a 96-73 loss on January 18th and if you thought that was bad there was the 100-64 embarrassment on February 1st. Both of those games took place in Boston. However, I don't think the venue is the problem as the Raptors have not exactly

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-54822343599093623792012-02-09T13:00:00.010-05:002012-02-09T16:10:09.998-05:00

Change is coming for the Toronto Raptors at the point guard position sooner or later. Jose Calderon seems like his days with the Raptors will eventually be done. While he has never been a favourite of ours in the DNB, it seems clear now the end is coming. Calderon next season will enter the last year of the contract he signed back in 2008. In that time the Raptors record has been 103-170. Even

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-17419850799727185792012-02-09T10:47:00.007-05:002012-02-09T12:19:43.680-05:00

Last night the game resembled a game you might have seen last season. The Raptors were not playing defence but were scoring fairly well. In terms of Demar DeRozan it had to feel like the past as well facing long time friend Brandon Jennings and having his dad on hand watching the game in the stands. For those who are not aware Jennings and DeRozan have played together as kids coming up on the AAU

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-77063958903918660312012-02-08T10:41:00.003-05:002012-02-08T11:32:31.989-05:00

The Raptors begin a monster 7 game home stand tonight with just a 3-6 record at the ACC on the season. They are 8-18 overall as they get ready to host the Bucks,Celtics, Lakers, Knicks,Spurs, Bobcats and Pistons. When you look at it on paper the Raptors have 3 games that would appear to be loses with Celtics, Lakers and Spurs. Two games you would consider must wins vs Pistons and Bobcats. So in

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-66808865616423323472012-02-07T18:39:00.004-05:002012-02-07T19:23:03.942-05:00

As you might have noticed were attempting to make some changes with the DNB. It has always been the goal to be not just words on a page but to do more things in terms of audio like the Starting 5 and in terms of video. Things like the DNB Game in Picutres and DNB Top 10 are just the beginning of what we hope will be a much more multi-media DNB for all. We hope you both enjoy and support these

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-2479234202444130442012-02-07T00:19:00.003-05:002012-02-07T01:40:51.700-05:00

Remember this? Strange things happen in Washington. Nothing strange happened the first time the Raptors and Wizards met there earlier in the season. The Raptors as they were tonight were on the 2nd half of back to back. The Wizards were rested but without a win. That would change on that night as the Wizards would dismantle the Raptors in embarrassing fashion. It appeared we were heading for a

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-31439917937298336072012-02-06T13:15:00.004-05:002012-02-06T15:49:21.599-05:00

The guys from the Round Ball Review are back for another fun filled episode. Joey G has some strange ideas of what is going on in the world and NBA. Even a little stranger that usual. Hopefully you enjoy and check out the guys new and improved set. If you enjoyed this video please go on YouTube and like it. I love doing this segment and it would be great if more people became aware of it. But

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-63072066519287661812012-02-06T10:44:00.003-05:002012-02-06T11:42:07.202-05:00

Raptors come into Washington feeling good about themselves. The last time it was a similar situation after a win over Minnesota the day before. True the Raptors never won yesterday but the fact they could hang with the Heat had to instill some confidence. Again the Wizards had the chance to rest and prepare for the Raptors. But the difference might be what happened on Friday in Toronto, where the

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-40446468302515518862012-02-05T15:41:00.004-05:002012-02-05T16:48:46.316-05:00

So let's be honest no one really expected the Raptors to win today. That being said they sure gave an effort to try and make you believe they could. It started out looking like the game many expected. The Raptors would score first but then the Heat would rail off 8 straight points. But the Raptors fought back and took the lead. This would be a theme that would continue through out the day. The

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-24379505069349461162012-02-05T10:15:00.005-05:002012-02-05T11:07:32.806-05:00

I was stunned to hear a conversation on NBA-TV (Not NBA TV Canada) about if the Raptors could be a playoff contender. It seemed crazy to consider a 8-16 team as a playoff team. But as we enter Sunday the Raptors sit 2.5 games behind the 10-13 Bucks for 8th in the East. The Raptors are 6-7 win Andrea Bargnani and 2-9 without him. So, if Bargnani is able to return sooner rather than later it is not

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-62402102590434020372012-02-04T10:28:00.005-05:002012-02-04T11:39:38.242-05:00

The Raptors and Wizards started off with a sluggish start in the first quarter. The two teams took turns leading this game only to let the other come back and even things up. The one thing the Raptors did consistently for most of the game was getting on the glass at both ends. They ended up with 61 rebounds, 64 points in the paint and 28 second chance points. That is always going to be a recipe

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-64186646783645648102012-02-03T20:59:00.006-05:002012-02-03T21:54:59.385-05:00

Bryan Colangelo hi-jacked the Raptor broadcast tonight to address the captive Raptor audience. He used the time to talk about his recent trip to check on Raptors 5th pick Jonas Valanciunas. He was as expected extremely positive about his prize draft pick. Even at the expense of current players like Amir Johnson. He said some things about Jonas' defence and said unlike Amir Johnson had been doing.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-52888944779956943082012-02-03T11:21:00.007-05:002012-02-03T14:26:13.228-05:00

I was doing my daily routine and did a preview of the Raptors and Wizards game tonight which is posted and you can read that here on the blog. Someone tweeted me after it was posted and said it has to be tough to promote your work day after day in such an awful season for the Raptors. I paraphrased that a little but that was the basic idea. The short answer to that would be a simple yes. But it

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-64526406096383641152012-02-03T08:53:00.003-05:002012-02-03T10:34:11.870-05:00

The Raptors have had a lot of low points this season. They come off one on Wednesday and now they re-visit another tonight at the ACC. The Raptors were the first team to find a way to lose to the Washington Wizards. Since that time the Wizards have flipped off Flip and have 3 more wins to their total which stands at 4. Included in that is a road win, so at least it saves the Raptors the indignity

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-64437010597264494782012-02-02T16:00:00.004-05:002012-02-02T17:20:16.956-05:00

It has been a rough season on the floor for Amir Johnson. But in good times or bad he always is active in giving back to his fans. He has had some of the more unique ideas in promoting himself while giving back to the people who support him. Last season, as a way to say thanks to his fans, he treated about 50 fans to a Raptor game and an after game meal with him at a pretty high end restaurant in

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-32377746130250830472012-02-02T11:21:00.003-05:002012-02-02T11:59:37.902-05:00

I really don't know what you say after last night. Which is not good when you write a blog and are suppose to say something. You can not use the old expression if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all or this would be a pretty blanks entry. That being said when you looked at this situation heading into the game you could almost have seen this coming. Boston the last time

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-77786493418031909672012-02-01T13:38:00.006-05:002012-02-01T15:00:47.372-05:00

I have started to come around in terms of James Johnson. When you go back to his draft year, the Raptors had been said to be considering him for their pick that year. They did not end up drafting him and he was eventually selected by the Bulls. Last season the Bulls decided to trade him to the Raptors in a deal near the deadline. I was not really excited about it. It to me was a sign that things

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-90994230906818643852012-02-01T11:21:00.003-05:002012-02-01T12:30:15.972-05:00

Well I saw it live and in person and it was not pretty. The Raptors did at least get off to a decent start which has plagued them most of the season. But in the second quarter this game would slip away and like a snow ball heading down hill the Hawks lead would grow bigger and bigger. Josh Smith was the guy that did all the damage last time, this time it was Joe Johnson. He racked up 30 in 3

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-63702221976932731292012-01-31T09:52:00.003-05:002012-01-31T10:35:15.605-05:00

Ok we will keep this brief because I am off to Toronto to catch this one live and in person. The Hawks put the boots to the Raptors on MLK day and it was not close. So what if anything can the Raptors do to stop a replay of that from happening tonight? Here are the 3 keys to the game as we see it at the DNB. We must know what were talking about because Jack Armstrong had the same 3 keys for the

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-39696749048564403562012-01-30T15:21:00.003-05:002012-01-30T15:33:01.982-05:00

For the first time doing game in pictures we have a win to talk about. So let's get at it and call your momma cause it is time to ROLL'EM!!!If you like this video head over to You Tube and give us some love. I am off to cover the Raptors and Hawks live from the ACC tomorrow so will see what we get from that.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-52394019077597177732012-01-30T10:50:00.003-05:002012-01-30T11:57:27.425-05:00

No one would have predicted the Raptors would be returning home from this road trip with a 3-2 record. But after a dominate win in New Jersey the Raptors do end up with that record. It was far from an ideal trip. Along the way they saw Andrea Bargnani return only to be sidelined again with the same injury. The Raptors heading into yesterday were 0-7 this season with out Bargnani in the line up.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-36243595413934421882012-01-29T12:39:00.004-05:002012-01-29T13:33:57.744-05:00

If it is hard for me to get excited for this game wonder if it is the same for the Raptors. How about you folks are you pumped up for Nets and Raptors? The Raptors do have something to play for in that they could return home with a winning record from a road trip that few expected them to do much in. It saw the return of Bargnani only to be short lived as it would last almost 2 games. The

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-22687435336045388492012-01-28T16:12:00.003-05:002012-01-28T16:17:15.346-05:00

Ok this has been a fun feature. But we are taking into the next level. It is Raptors and Nuggets DNB Game in Pictures.....Roll'EM!!!Hope you enjoyed if you did go on Youtube and like this video. Follow the Dino Nation Blog on Twitter @Dinonationblog and like us on Facebook.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-58471037849679305152012-01-28T10:55:00.004-05:002012-01-28T11:47:45.191-05:00

I came out for a Raptor game in which they probably had little to no chance to win and got the Toronto Rock. TSN was up to their old tricks and as they had the end of a Toronto Rock game on instead of the Raptors. It was about a year ago I was covering the NBA All-Star Game when I still worked for The Score. TSN decided that it was more important to get Sportscentre on the air then let the

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-88208132027105795672012-01-27T12:11:00.005-05:002012-01-27T13:08:00.600-05:00

Before we get to the game tonight in Denver as most of you probably saw we have an injury update from the Raptors on Andrea Bargnani. An MRI has revelled no significant damage to Bargnani's re-injured calf, however he is out indefinitely. These two things don't seem to go together. But what it means in terms of the here and now is don't expect to see Andrea Bargnani any time soon. Which makes

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-45994803608834538702012-01-26T14:23:00.006-05:002012-01-26T15:20:07.437-05:00

Today in the Starting 5 we catch up with Matt Devlin on the road with the Raptors in Denver, after some extra work last night in calling a double OT win for the Dinos in Utah. We start with conversation on that game and the unfortunate injury to Andrea Bargnani. Also look back a bit at the win in Phoenix. We also talk about the major step up Bargnani has made on the floor and Matt says who he

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-35411452368644999892012-01-26T08:53:00.006-05:002012-01-26T11:26:24.909-05:00

Based on how this game started it sure didn't look like it would be a significant night. The Raptors continued the not so great tradition under Dwane Casey of coming out flat in the first quarter. Given the fact the Jazz had been off since Saturday this was a terrible sign. But the Jazz were short handed as Al Jefferson would be scratched prior to game time. The Jazz seemed to have a game plan to

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-76310535297431636412012-01-25T15:44:00.008-05:002012-01-25T20:25:41.502-05:00

I have to say the fact the Utah Jazz are 10-5, winners of 4 of their last 5 games is quite a surprise. The Jazz now without Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams you would think would be in full rebuild. After all Tyrone Corbin who took over from Sloan was only 8-20 last season. The trade that saw Williams go to the Nets did bring the Jazz some young talent in Derrick Favours and Devin Harris but this

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-20237504083344323472012-01-24T23:38:00.005-05:002012-01-25T00:56:09.667-05:00

The rumours were true Andrea Bargnani after 6 games on the shelf was back. It would be a slow start for Bargnani but he would get hotter than a Phoenix afternoon in July by time this one was done. Suns were returning home after a loss last night in Dallas. Raptors needed to jump on them early but Raptors just can't seem to do that even with Andrea Bargnani. The Suns powered by as always Steve

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-53534958460017743522012-01-24T09:37:00.003-05:002012-01-24T10:22:27.449-05:00

This is the night where the Raptors can put an end to this losing streak. First reason being is it is likely that Andrea Bargnani will return tonight. Second they face a Suns team that is on second night of a back to back, as they were in Dallas last night with the WWE taking over their home. Telfair will be sitting tonight out for the Suns tonight as he received a flagrant 2 foul last night in

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-73481294621184515472012-01-23T11:06:00.004-05:002012-01-23T13:37:22.736-05:00

My two world's have officially collided in Phoenix Arizona. The Raptors and the WWE are in the same town on the same day. Clearly the Raptors need some motivation so how about we have some WWE Superstars attempt to motivate the Raptors. This has the potential to be a total train wreck of a blog or one of the best ever. So are you ready? I SAID ARE YOU READY? Than for thousands reading this blog

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-42567565631577956942012-01-22T21:06:00.006-05:002012-01-22T22:50:20.700-05:00

It was likely a sign when the first play of the game was a lop to Blake Griffin for an easy slam dunk. There would be many dunks that would follow. Despite having Jerryd Bayless back for this one it would matter very little. He was not going to stop DeAndre Jordan from slamming it down. Ed Davis wasn't either as he got posterized early. It was the same script as the Raptors have been following of

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-85084881772020865782012-01-22T11:33:00.006-05:002012-01-22T12:44:55.038-05:00

The Raptors face the most hyped team of the 2011-12 season. It also became the landing spot for Reggie Evans the former Raptor for the past 2 seasons. I often make jokes about how many point guards they have in Minnesota but how about this team with Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams. Now Billups when Paul is healthy plays at the shooting guard possession. Speaking of shooting guards

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-87995610003625905152012-01-21T12:38:00.003-05:002012-01-21T13:15:09.022-05:00

I remember having a conversation with Paul Jones during a Raptor losing streak. It is hard not to have the losses blend into one another after awhile he had said. Last night at the ACC the venue was different and so was the team they were facing but that is about it. Raptors against Boston shot 30% and did not get to the line. Last night against Blazers it was 31.8% and still no free throws. The

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-39014012872937957852012-01-20T10:55:00.005-05:002012-01-20T12:05:54.638-05:00

Toronto Raptors may get to the point that the ACC feels like they are on the road. It is a brief stop over for the Raptors to take on Portland before they hit the road for a murderous 5 game road swing. Given the Raptors history on west coast trips, to steal a game vs the Blazers would be big for team moral. But the Blazers are a solid club above .500 in the tough Western Conference. Still no

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-44223193613062642842012-01-19T13:57:00.012-05:002012-01-19T14:23:25.350-05:00

So we had so much fun we decided to do it again. Unfortunately another loss for the Raptors but that does not stop DNB Pictures from having some fun. So let's get ready set ROLLEM!!!

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-71826773376491021112012-01-19T11:03:00.004-05:002012-01-19T11:59:27.348-05:00

On Twitter before this game ever tipped I said it was a case of need vs want. The Raptors no doubt wanted to win and snap their 5 game losing streak. The Celtics needed to win to snap their same 5 game losing streak. The Raptors entered this season with no expectations of success other than the ones the team had for itself. While in Boston the expectations are always high and have been that way

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-75508674913626014312012-01-18T11:37:00.004-05:002012-01-18T12:49:09.617-05:00

The Raptors only division championship came in the last season the Celtics were struggling like this. Boston at the time was a lot like the Raptors are now. They like many Raptor fans are this year were hoping to hit the lottery. The big prize in that lottery was suppose to be a dominant big man out of Ohio State named Greg Oden. The Celtics would fail to win that lottery and in the end that was

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-66615022082399365862012-01-17T14:47:00.004-05:002012-01-17T15:11:10.479-05:00

Here is the latest episode of the Round Ball Review. Even the guys are having trouble getting along during this losing streak. But they manage to get through another episode and hopefully provide some laughs along the way.That is it for the guys. But they were not the only ones making fun of Primo Pasta today. Check out The Basketball Jones campaign to get Andrea Bargnani voted to the All-Star

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-46047305701021041192012-01-16T21:14:00.003-05:002012-01-16T22:47:04.228-05:00

The Raptors would be another man down as the entered Atlanta for a special MLK Day Matinee. James Johnson joins Jerryd Bayless, Aaron Gray and of course Andrea Bargnani. The writing was on the wall it seemed heading into this one. Demar DeRozan day started out the day on the right foot with the Raptors opening score in this game driving to bucket and getting an easy two points. But by the end of

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-75716871822544831442012-01-16T10:18:00.005-05:002012-01-16T12:00:47.022-05:00

Before we get to basketball today just a few words on what today is in the United States. Martin Luther King was one of the many that struggled for civil rights in the 60s. He was one of the great men that lead that struggle. When I was in high school studying American History this time period was one I took particular interest in. I have always had great respect for not just King but Malcolm X

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-62572687708448548772012-01-15T14:36:00.016-05:002012-01-15T18:00:50.903-05:00

This is something new will try for the odd Raptor game that has some extra time between games. Basically we have some photos from last night's game with some fun captions to give you all a laugh so if your ready...Roll'Em

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-18128304914959707842012-01-14T22:09:00.004-05:002012-01-15T01:35:32.838-05:00

The Toronto Raptors had about as much chance of winning this game as Tim Tebow has in beating Tom Brady. But while Tebow is currently on the way to being crushed by Brady. The Raptors in Chicago had a lot more fight than one might have expected coming in. But in the end the Bulls would come out on top of things but it was an interesting ride to get there.Demar DeRozan got off to a good start with

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-20900018723126125042012-01-14T10:57:00.003-05:002012-01-14T11:38:38.487-05:00

The odds of hitting a bullseye according to some site I found on the internet is 1/50. The Odds the Raptors beat the 11-2 Bulls is probably greater than that. In fact this entire road trip offers no easy games with stops in Atlanta and Boston after this. But at least the schedule slows down a little for the Raptors after this. A day off between games in this season is gold as the Raptors will

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-50990982560667824732012-01-13T21:54:00.005-05:002012-01-13T23:09:50.961-05:00

This was a game fitting of the date on the calender. It was if you have not checked a calender today Friday the 13th. Lots of odd things would occur at the ACC on this night as the Raptors limped in to face the Pacers without Andrea Bargnani. This game was not going to be pretty. How on earth would the Raptors make up for the 22 points that Andrea Bargnani both averages and scored that exact

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-42353402956834328812012-01-13T12:24:00.005-05:002012-01-13T13:09:03.211-05:00

The Raptors with a healthy Andrea Bargnani scoring 21 points were not able to beat the Pacers in their home opener losing 90-85. Now After Dwane Casey has proclaimed Andrea is unlikely to go and is listed as day to day the chances of a Raptor win tonight seem bleak. It is also a safe bet you will have a much smaller crowd than you did on opening night. Demar DeRozan did actually lead the Raptors

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-4358014984046971412012-01-12T18:40:00.007-05:002012-01-13T02:14:34.484-05:00

One of the things at the Dino Nation Blog I am most proud of is The Starting 5. It has been the driving force that has made this blog as well known as it is. Given how the NBA Season was sprung on all of us, I did not want to impose on guests during the holiday season as they tried to prepare for an NBA Season, that none of us were sure would happen and when. So, it has been awhile now and we

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-33231176926990485632012-01-12T02:05:00.003-05:002012-01-12T12:43:36.288-05:00

The Toronto Raptors did not exactly come out like gangbusters after what most would consider an embarrassing performance in Washington. Both teams looked pretty awful to start this game. In fact the whole first half was borderline unwatchable but fair close. Andrea Bargnani was rebounding but wasn't scoring. Which considering how the rest of this roster was scoring was a big issue. Leandro

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-36812833497467074202012-01-11T09:42:00.004-05:002012-01-11T10:27:46.386-05:00

If you are not embarrassed by last night's loss to the Wizards you should be. I felt embarrassed and was just watching the game. It is one thing to lose to a team searching for it's first win. It is another to come out and get destroyed. Raptors blamed themselves in the post game comments last night and they were right to do so. It is not that the Wizards played exceptionally that is not what

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-28948943176039561852012-01-10T23:22:00.003-05:002012-01-10T23:47:20.905-05:00

Tonight's game was awful. It was just terrible. I figure doing a recap of this one would only add to your pain. So instead we call on our friends Joey G and J.B to recap this one. They will give you some laughs and actually tell you a little about the game. So take it away guys:Hopefully you got a laugh or two from that. The Raptors performance tonight in Washington was no laughing matter. It was

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-6678815640140691582012-01-10T13:06:00.003-05:002012-01-10T13:36:26.909-05:00

No one wants to be the first team to lose to a team that is struggling. The Raptor at 4-5 need to be on high alert as they hit Washington D.C to take on the 0-8 Wizards. There are not to many teams the Raptors can say they have more talent than in the NBA. But the Wizards might be the exception to that. John Wall is great and all but when you look beyond him you do not see a lot of people that

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-61376714789433834942012-01-09T23:06:00.004-05:002012-01-10T01:02:33.466-05:00

Somethings stand the test of time. The Raptors have not lost to Minnesota in Toronto since 2004. That was so long ago K.G was still on the T-Wolves. However what was different was how the Raptors would beat the T-Wolves this time around. The Raptors are making you redefine what you have come to expect from this team. The poster boy for that change is Andrea Bargnani. In his 6 years prior to this

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-39690250902971262922012-01-09T11:21:00.002-05:002012-01-09T11:54:30.522-05:00

Knowing Jose Calderon it is unlikely he is going to say a bad thing about Ricky Rubio. However it has always been a tense relationship between the two as they have battled for playing time in the summer for Spain over the years. That battle now hits the floors of the NBA and the first one will take place in Toronto. Rubio has dazzled the NBA after his long awaited debut. Drafted all the way back

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-19647789105941843762012-01-08T11:49:00.007-05:002012-01-08T13:05:52.410-05:00

Think of the worst Saturday Night you had in your life. You got a clear picture of it in your mind? This game in Philadelphia might be worse than that. Jack Armstrong's jokes and funniness were the only things that would keep you sane at times. This was poorly played basketball game by both teams in the beginning and by the end just one team and that team was the Raptors. As bad as the Raptors

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-44790516020777002772012-01-07T11:56:00.004-05:002012-01-07T12:52:54.910-05:00

Many felt the Eagles would be on their bye week waiting to see who they would play in the playoffs. The "Dream Team" of football was a flop. The Phillies never made it to the World Series. For the purposes of research I am told the Flyers are in 4th in NHL's Eastern Conference. The team on top of their Division and the best team in Philadelphia with no Allen Iverson required is the Philadelphia

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-45708897491273753702012-01-06T21:44:00.002-05:002012-01-06T22:39:40.494-05:00

Honestly being a Raptor fan is a tough existence. They have a way of playing with your mind. Most Raptor fans came into this season expecting the worst. But after 6 games they had been pleasantly surprised. Confident...maybe even a little cocky. The Nets were not going to be a problem. O.K... Deron Williams and Kris Humphries were back for Nets but we got this. Not so fast. The Nets came into

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-59067910184266788822012-01-06T11:42:00.004-05:002012-01-06T12:40:44.110-05:00

Toronto Raptors are going to be some busy damn Dinos in the next little while. The NBA Sked offers them 5 games in just 6 days. It starts tonight at the ACC vs Nets. That means the most hated player in the NBA comes to town. What a joke that is. Kris Humphries is far from that. He is a good dude and I have been saying on Twitter Toronto Fans should cheer hump because we know better. He has become

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-59583600800664100552012-01-05T14:10:00.004-05:002012-01-05T15:35:20.996-05:00

Since Amir Johnson arrived in Toronto he has really embraced it. In fact sometimes the L.A native sounds like he is Canadian. In talking with him about his new more bigger look for the 2011-12 season he sure sounded like one. "Can you tell" Johnson said while flexing his bicep like a WWE Wrestler, " Like I said this summer the beer has been good to me, been drinking a lot of beer and it has been

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-78981725496829306282012-01-05T12:24:00.004-05:002012-01-05T13:52:09.126-05:00

The focus heading into last night's game was the return of Tristan Thompson coming home to Toronto. At the end of the night it was the home town team he watched as a kid at Skydome. In his NBA debut Thompson had a pretty impressive outing against the Raptors despite his team dropping their home opener. It would end up a disappointing night for the estimated 200 or so people that came specifically

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-15918613081474409052012-01-04T10:48:00.003-05:002012-01-04T11:11:08.297-05:00

I am heading down to cover this one. Had it circled on my calender from the day the new schedule came out. Tristan Thompson's home coming was a game that I was not going to miss. His Cavs come in off a win vs the Bobkittens. Cleveland is 3-1 since there loss in the opener to the Raptors. So with not a lot of time let's get to three quick points on Cavs vs Raptors.1. Second Time Around- This will

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-62868915441877636382012-01-03T13:04:00.006-05:002012-01-03T14:27:31.654-05:00

I generally take pride in having a good take on the Toronto Raptors. To have that feeling of knowing what to expect. It is not unlike when you are a wrestling fan you know what is coming next before it happens. As an example fans had been told someone was coming to the WWE and they already had Y2J signs ready to display. How did they know? Mainly because wrestling is predictable and scripted.

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-90989730421002273742012-01-02T22:10:00.004-05:002012-01-02T23:14:36.095-05:00

Well the Raptors do catch a break before the ball even went up in MSG. No Amare Stoudemire for the Knicks. The Raptors would take full advantage of that. Andrea Bargnani had in the past had one of his best performances as pro at MSG. Early on it looked like he might top that performance on this night. Bargnani was an army of one in the first quarter. There was not a lot of support other than from

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-36583281432964575952012-01-02T15:22:00.005-05:002012-01-02T15:44:29.921-05:00

After a long absence the Round Ball Review is returning to the Dino Nation Blog. Some things have changed but Joey G is still the same for the most part. Hope you enjoy the Round Ball Review as we bring it back for at least a couple episodes. So there will be at least one more episode. This is one of the more funny things I have created in the Dino Nation Blog and they are a lot of fun to produce

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-83280353046534727982012-01-02T11:32:00.004-05:002012-01-02T12:16:38.452-05:00

It can be hard to keep up with this schedule being condensed it can be hard to keep up with all the games. Here is a handy little offering from The NBA on YouTube:So that was what happened yesterday including the Raptors meltdown in Orlando. They move on the New York City where an opportunity is knocking for them. Amare Stoudemire turned an ankle on the Knicks west coast road trip and is a game

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-76748040839206275052012-01-01T21:00:00.004-05:002012-01-01T21:45:12.654-05:00

I am getting the reputation of being a negative person. Shocking I know. So let it be said the Raptors played for 3/4 of this game about as good as you can ask. Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon who often take a lot of shots in this blog were both fantastic. Bargnani added to a solid performance in Dallas with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists tonight in Orlando. While Calderon had one of his

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-30715809369294613072012-01-01T09:24:00.004-05:002012-01-01T10:20:42.562-05:00

First thing we need to talk about is fluids. Drink Gatorade and lots of it and you should be alright for the game. You see when you drink that makes you dehydrated. Honestly this is a medical fact. So go get something to drink and will get started here.Hungover Fan Question: Who are we playing again?Answer: OrlandoHungover Fan Question: Is Dwight still on the Magic?Answer: Yes he is.Hungover Fan

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-3874778244978563142011-12-31T00:34:00.006-05:002011-12-31T03:09:24.564-05:00

It's seems pretty easy to please Raptor fans these days. Show up and don't get blown out and happiness reigns supreme on Twitter. The Raptors did show up in Dallas and they did try. Even had a lead in the 3rd quarter when their old buddy Vince Carter led another team back to beat his former club. In the end this was a battle of the Raptors wanting to win and give their new coach an unexpected

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-47777855600330122672011-12-30T11:58:00.004-05:002011-12-30T13:10:29.016-05:00

Dallas almost was able to get in the win column last night. Kevin Durant saved the day with a last second shot and kept his Thunder undefeated at 4-0 while the Mavericks have started 0-3. In their first two games the defending champs were hammered by Miami and Denver. Maybe they miss their defensive guru Dwane Casey who returns with his new team the Raptors. It is more likely they miss Tyson

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-2831660798910382372011-12-29T11:20:00.004-05:002011-12-29T12:38:22.631-05:00

I am not sure what I expected after 16 seasons of the Raptors being in the NBA. But this team really lacks tradition. It is always constant change. The place they call home has seen more makeovers to it's court than perhaps any other team in the same time frame. The entire colour scheme has changed. There is a lot of people that would suggest the Raptors name itself should change to Huskies. The

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-1682378273401971642011-12-28T20:35:00.004-05:002011-12-28T21:20:34.321-05:00

Raptors had a full house for their home opener. For those that question basketball in Toronto they need to wake up. After being told basically your team has no chance at doing much of anything this year the Raptors still packed the house. That full house was not treated to much entertainment in the first quarter. They did see some rare events like Andrea Bargnani taking a charge. But by and large

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-53052088227241914682011-12-28T09:55:00.006-05:002011-12-28T17:05:27.992-05:00

It is the Home Opener a little later than originally advertised:Kardinal Offishall will be in the house for halftime as well. Not to mention prior to the game there is going to be a tail gate party that is free for everyone tickets to the game or not at Maple Leaf Square. All this because the Raptors are of course 1-0. Well not exactly but once all the hype that goes with the home opener is

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-38095184709630799882011-12-27T11:30:00.003-05:002011-12-27T12:01:10.675-05:00

Let's be honest we all as Raptor fans can be pretty moody. When things are good some tend to go a little overboard. When things are bad the same is true. So here are some classic over reactions to avoid so you don't look silly after last night's win. Or maybe were just being silly. Either way it makes for a solid top 10.#10- Got to start saving money for my playoff tickets in May. #9- That Ed

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2450745303548734819.post-53529614652802027612011-12-26T19:07:00.003-05:002011-12-26T22:09:34.460-05:00

The Raptors went to Cleveland and they showed us some things we have not seen in a long long time. Hustle and heart and an overall team effort that we haven't seen in years. The defence first was as advertised and much improved. But the offence was not left at the border either. The Raptors had 10 players play in the game and 8 of those 10 were in double figures scoring. Calderon and DeRozan led

dinobloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04949252276261906672noreply@blogger.com4