The List

Chris Bosh's agent, Henry Thomas, has told the Toronto Raptors that he's narrowed his list of preferred teams down to five, two sources told ESPN.com's Chad Ford. The list--which includes the Rapto, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks (in no particular order) was given to management in case Toronto wants to construct a sign and trade deal (assuming Bosh doesn't want to re-sign with the Raptors). Contrary to belief, Bosh has no interest in signing with one of his home town teams in the state of Texas, or the up and coming Oklahoma City Thunder.

"It's been narrowed down to handful of teams, including us", Bryan Colangelo told the Toronto Star without providing more detail.

Of the four teams (not including Toronto), I believe the Lakers present the most interesting sign and trade scenario--the Raptors have shown great interest in both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. However, a source said "If the Lakers win the NBA title, I think the chances of them shaking up the roster goes down dramatically".

I also believe the Knicks could be a likely destination for the all-star. Like Bynum and Gasol, the Raptors have shown interest in David Lee, who will very likely leave the Knicks. Beside these two teams, I can't imagine the Raptors facilitating a deal with the Heat or Bulls--neither team presents a good enough player for the Raptors to acquire in return. Yes, the Raptors could land Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah from the Bulls, but sources believe that's highly unlikely.

A sign and trade would be beneficial for both the Raptors and the team Bosh may sign with. The Raptors will get a player in return, and Bosh would get one more year and more money on his contract.

The source also said that Bosh's decision hinges on where LeBron James signs. "If LeBron decides to go to either New York or Chicago, I think that's where you'll see Chris land," the source told Ford. "If LeBron stays in Cleveland, I think the process is more wide open."

However...

Bosh and his agent have denied the report, and claim a list hasn't been given to the organization. "Why would I do that?" Thomas said about the wish list. "We're still in a process of evaluating a lot different situations." Thomas also said that Bosh is not committed to a sign-and-trade deal.

I personally don't believe this report for one minute. Bosh and his agent have definitely given a list to management, and Bryan Colangelo has been quoted saying the report is indeed true. Given the fact that Bosh is denying the report, along with his Twitter incident a few weeks ago, I think it's safe to say Bosh won't re-sign with Toronto. I don't blame him for wanting to leave, but as a Raptors fan, it's very disappointing to see his Raptors tenure (possibly) coming to an end. However, it appears that if Bosh departs Canada, the Raptors will get something in return. Bosh and Colangelo have agreed to "work together" regardless of Bosh decides to do.

July 1st, the day free agency officially begins, is only 41 days away.  Cross your fingers, Raptor fans.

Podcast Interview with the James Borbath

While it's still a tough pill to sallow, the Raptors reality has finally hit me. Obviously, the Raptors had a very disappointing season, and it took fans like myself a while to digest and regroup.

The Raptors first official off-season move happened on Tuesday, as us fans found out the team will draft #13 in June's draft. Although it's debated if the Raptors will draft a rookie or trade it veteran, it will nonetheless help shape the off-season.

I was foruntate enough to have a phone conversation with my buddy James Borbath earlier today. James is the writer of the Dino Nation Blog and is a big reason why I decided to create this blog. He's showed me that, although it takes vigorous work, anything is possible. James and I frequently interact with each other,weather it be through Twitter or Facebook. I appreciate the friendship the two of us have developed. You can follow James on Twitter, @dinonationblog. Hopefully, I can get more my "Raptor family" on the Salami & Cheese in the near future.

James was kind enough to record a podcast with me earlier today, as we discussed the past, present, and future in Raptor land.

Episode 2

Kevin Hooker's Podcast

Reality Check

The Chicago Bulls will travel to Toronto tonight in what is a must win for both teams. The Raptors, 38-41, currently hold the 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are also 38-41, but hold the 9 seed because the Raptors clinched the regular season series between the respective clubs. Needless to say, this is a very important game for both teams. If the Raptors win, they basically clinch the 8 seed (because there's only 3 games left in the regular season), and if the Bulls win, the Raptors will have to dig deep to come back from a 1 game deficit.

While this a crucial game, it's also a pathetic game. Considering both teams are 38-41, the fact that one of these teams will make the playoffs just shows how terrible the Eastern Conference is. Hell, the 8 seed in the Western Conference is 48-31. Tonight's game is almost like a "battle of the bad's"--the winner has nothing to be proud of, nothing to brag about, and should feel a sense of disappointment. The fact of the matter is, both the Raptors and Bulls failed to live up to expectations.

As a die hard Raptors fan, I'm just sick of this. I'm 16 years old and can't vividly remember a successful season since 2006-2007, and I only have flashes of the 2001 season when Vince Carter missed the game winning shot that would have...well, you know the rest. The truth is, I'm sick of mediocrity. Going into the season, I had really high hopes for the Toronto Raptors. When they were a season best 31-24 in February, it seemed my predictions were right, and that finally...FINALLY the Raptors would be relevant once again. But then it all fell apart--the Raptors were playing back to their old ways of terrible defense, less-then-stellar coaching, and decisions that made you get off your couch and yell at your TV "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I was the happiest man in the world on the night of October 28 after the Raptors beat the Cavs in the season opener. And now, just 6 months later, I'm embarrassed and ashamed to be a fan. Nothing positive has happened this year. Hedo Turkoglu has been a huge disappointment, Jay Triano has been questionable as a coach, Andrea Bargnani still needs a lot of work, and the team defense is an absolute joke. I knew the Raptors defense would be bad, but I didn't think it'd be 27th worst in the league and give up nearly 106 points per contest.

I'm just too bummed to be motivated for the game tonight. Because the fact of the matter is, weather it's the Bulls or Raptors who get the 8 seed, neither team will beat #1 seed Cleveland. Cleveland is just too good, and could sweep either team in a 7 game series. I understand why Raptor fans are excited for the game tonight, but if you actually look back and reflect, you'll realize how disappointing the Raptors have been--they shouldn't even be in this position.

Because of the trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Miami (another one of Bryan Colangelo's genius moves), the Heat will take the Raptors first round draft pick the first time they MAKE the playoffs. This essentially means the first year the Raptors make the playoffs, they won't have a first round pick. Because of this, part of me thinks: why bother making the playoffs if you're going to get a 4 game sweep AND miss out on a first round draft pick? At least Chicago will have a first round pick regardless if they make the playoffs or not. Now, I know the goal every year is to make the playoffs and win a championship, but I think it's better to think long term in a situation like this. This year's draft class is so deep, the Raptors could land a very solid rookie with the 12th or 13th pick. So in a sense, I want the Raptors to MISS the playoffs, in an effort to make a big splash on draft night. I've been criticized for this belief by fellow fans, but trust me: when Toronto sacrifices drafting rookies like Kansas' Xavier Henry or Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe (just to name a few), to get swept in the playoffs, you'll understand my train of thought. When June 25 rolls around, and the Raptors don't have a first round pick, you'll wish we didn't make the playoffs. Trust me, you will.

Don't look at this and think I'm not a fan. I'm a HUGE fan. I'm just giving all the fans, including myself, a reality check, which may be difficult to absorb. And the reality is, the Toronto Raptors aren't a very good team.

But needless to say, it'll be an exciting game tonight between the Bulls and Raptors. Be sure to check out the game tonight at 6:00 on TSN. Even I'll be watching.

A Must Win

Before I get into the details of this write up, let me start out by admitting something: I was wrong about this team. Every prediction I made back in July has been completely wrong, and every negative that I thought wouldn't be a problem has been. The Raptors have been a huge disappointment this year (at least in my eyes), and I'm very sad to be a fan. It's like a big budget movie with an ending that goes nowhere--sure the hype was there, but at the end of day, you left the movie saying "Eh". Contrary to my belief a few months ago, I think it'll be a miracle if Chris Bosh stays in Toronto. Based on his post game interviews lately, he seems miserable to be wearing the Raptors uniform, and wants to on a winning team. I've got to give credit to Bryan Colangelo for attempting to revive this team, but he, once again, came up short. But on that note...

The Raptors are in a position I thought would never be possible--on the cusp of missing the playoffs. Their 35-34 record is bad enough for the 8th seed and is just 2.5 games better than Chicago, who is on the outside looking in. But as bad as the Raptors have been, they're only 1 game out of the 6th seed--which is currently vacated by the Miami Heat.

The Raptors face the Jazz tonight, which is a game I consider a "must win". For one, the game is at the ACC, and just like my basketball coach tells me, "no one can beat you on your home floor". The Raptors are 7-4 at home against West Coast teams, and have an overall record of 23-11.

Secondly, the Raptors must bump up in the standings. An 8 seed, even a 7 seed, will mean a 5 game series at best. With the 6 seed, the Raptors at least have a shot of beating either the Hawks or Celtics in a 7 game series (but I'm begging it's the Celtics). And most importantly, the Heat travel to Chicago tomorrow night, which I'm guessing will be a Heat win. The Raptors can't afford to fall 2 games behind. I haven't said this all year, but it now needs to be said: The Raptors NEED this win.

Given how tight the 6-8 seeds are, every game is significant. The Raptors must take advantage of these last 13 games, and move up in the standings.

For once in a very long time, I want a reason to smile over this team. I'm so sick of losing.

Following March 14's loss against the Warriors, Chris Bosh called out his teammates, saying:

"Time is ticking and it's counting down, and if we keep playing the way we are right now, we're going to be on the outside looking in. Guys need to step it up, period."

You heard the man. Let's go Raptors.

I've Been Exposed As a Raptors Fan

About 8 months ago I was the happiest man in the world. The Toronto Raptors were making so many moves, and it appeared they would finally be an upper echelon team in the Eastern Conference. When the Raptors signed Hedo Turkoglu, I was smiling from ear to ear. I'll never forget it. Considering all the moves, I, along with the experts, believed the Raptors would be a 5 seed, maybe a 4 seed in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. I made a bold prediction of a 51-31 record, and possibly an Eastern Conference Finals reach. Yes, maybe these were biased predictions, but nonetheless...I had very high expectations for the Raptors in 2009-2010.

On February 19th, the Raptors defeated the Wizards 109-104, and improved their record to 31-24. Although that's just a so-so record, it appeared the Raptors were turning the corner and would only get better. But since then it's been....well, not what I thought. The Raptors are losers of 8 of 9, now have a 32-32 record, are the 8 seed in the East, and are just 1.5 games away from being out of the playoffs. Could it be? Could the Toronto Raptors really not make the playoffs?  We're not talking about a 4 or 5 seed like I predicted, we're talking about not making the playoffs?? Damn. I was way off. Now granted, the Raptors are only 2.5 games out of the 5 seed, but nonetheless. Having a record of 35-32 and a 5 seed isn't because of talent, it's just because the rest of the conference is so bad.

Last night's loss to the Warriors put me over the edge. Considering how bad the Warriors are (18-47), and how much the Raptors are playing for, it was very upsetting to see how flat the Raptors came out in the second half. Chris Bosh wasn't shy to vent his frustrating following the loss:

Although those are harsh words, Bosh is spot-on right. The coaches can preach all they want, but that means nothing come game time. Chris Bosh can dominate all he wants, but the Raptors won't be successful if he doesn't get the back-up support. It's because of this, along with his obvious frustrations, that I'd be surprised if Bosh re-signs. Bosh is an all-star, and he deserves a lot more than an average, first round playoff exit (if the Raptors even make the playoffs) team. Now, I could be wrong (because as you can see, I've been wrong before), but this team needs to start winning if they have any shot of keeping their superstar.

Is Bryan Colangelo overrated as a GM? While I applauded his off-season moves, they haven't made the team better. Yes, the Raptors have a deep bench. Yes, trading for Amir Johnson was a brilliant move. But his biggest acquisition, Hedo Turkoglu, has been a huge disappointment. Turkoglu is making roughly $10M this year, and he's playing like a pile of garbage. I knew Turkoglu was overpaid, but I didn't think it'd be this bad. Given Colangelo's failures over the past three seasons, could his job possibly be on the hot seat? I personally don't believe so, but just the thought of it shows how badly the Raptors and Colangelo have failed this year. 

You know what sucks about all this? I, as a die-hard fan can't do anything about it. I can throw my couch pillows at the television and curse my brains out, but that's about it. I can't join the team or scream at the personnel--I can only sit back, and witness losses to teams like the Warriors (18-47), Kings (22-44), and Sixers (23-42). It's very embarrassing to be a Raptors fan.

The Raptors west coast trip ends tonight against the Blazers, and I'm guessing their record will slide to 32-33. When's this nightmare going to end?

Raptors take on the Lakers tonight

How ironic--the last time I blogged was when the Raptors stunned the Lakers at the ACC. Going into the night, I thought the Raptors had no shot of winning, but somehow found a way to prove me wrong. I couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe the Raptors won.

Now, 44 days later I feel the complete opposite. Sure, the Raptors went on a hot streak and were 7 games above .500 at one point, but now they're on a cold streak at the worst possible time. The Raptors have lost 5 of 6, hold a very average record of 32-29, and have slid to the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. Chris Bosh has been injured during this span, but nonetheless--since the All-Star break, the Raptors have lost momentum when I thought it'd be opposite. The Raptors have let their opponent score over 100 points in each of the 5 losses, and 4 of them have been in front of the ACC crowd. Home is a place you never want to lose--but 4 straight times? Come on.

What I'm saying is, this isn't just another slump--this team has drastically fallen back down to Earth, and it doesn't look like they'll be rising up anytime soon.

I know it's been said and said, but I'll say it (well, write it...) one more time: If the Raptors have any shot of keeping their All-Star (if you don't know who I'm referring to, please stop reading this), they need to start winning now. I truly believe Bosh will stay, but only if the team is successful. I don't want another first round exit, and I'm guessing CB doesn't either. If the Raptors lose 4 of 5 games without Bosh, isn't that a sure tell sign that this team needs him?

And guess what? The Raptors are in LA tonight to face the Lakers. So just like I said 44 days ago, I'll be shocked if the Raptors win tonight.

Raptors edge Lakers

It's been a while since my last blog post. Why? Because the Raptors have been extremely streaky, and have been hovering over that .500 mark for the last few weeks--one win, won loss, two wins, one loss, etc. With the way things have been going, and with my crazy schedule, it's hard to keep the blogging a constant.

But I felt very inclined to do a write-up following last night's win. Last night's win wasn't just any ordinary win--it was a win against the Los Angeles freakin' Lakers. That's right. The 33-10 (now 11) Lakers. The team that has Kobe Bryant, who dropped 81 points on us roughly 4 years ago. You know...the Lakers.

I'll admit it--going into last night's game, I thought the Raptors would get completely blown out. In fact, I tweeted "hope for the best, but expect the worst". I honestly thought the game would be out of reach within the first 24 minutes. But as the game progressed, there was no blowout. In fact, it was a close game the entire 48 minutes. To start out the 2nd half, the Lakers went on a quick 7-0 run and saw their halftime lead of 2 increase to 9. Sure enough, I thought the Lakers would be clear sailing from there, and gradually increase their lead. But sure enough, the Raptors battled back.

Although the Lakers held a small lead, both teams kept exchanging baskets. It wasn't until a the 7:33 mark in the 4th quarter when the Raptors took the lead.

You know the rest--Turkoglu got fouled with 1.2 seconds left, made both free throws to go up by 1, then Kobe misses the game winner. Raptors win. Unbelievable. Un-freakin-believable.

Chris Bosh had just another day at the office--18 points, 13 rebounds. But it was the role players who were the most impressive--Jarrett Jack had 18 points, and Andrea Bargnani dropped 22, hitting some BIG shots down the stretch.

But in my opinion, the player of the game goes to Marco Belinelli. In 23 minutes, Belinelli had 15 points and shot 3 of 3 from downtown. Did I mention how important a bench is? Thanks Colangelo.

A crowd of 20,111 was at the ACC last night, in what was a playoff atmosphere type game. God, I wish I was there.

If this doesn't give the Raptors confidence, I don't know what will. The Lakers are the defending champs and have the best record in the NBA. The Raptors are now 23-22, and are about to hit the easiest part of their schedule. This is a perfect time for the Raptors to do some damage in the East

Before yesterday's game, Chris Bosh said "I haven't been this encouraged in a while". I can only imagine how he feels now.