These are my links for February 25th through March 1st:

• YouTube – Chris Bosh – Thats Me On Twitter and Facebook Proof HD BLOG –
• Raptors vs Mavericks Stream #2 (password: raptorsnation.net) –
• Raptors vs Mavericks Stream #1 –
• DraftExpress: Mock Draft – Raptors draft Curry –
• Just a little update –
• FAN590 – VLOG 32.1 – Dallas (Part 2) –
• Mavericks Brace For Bosh, Raps | The Dallas Morning News –
• Jones: Nowitzki causes D problems – Sportsnet.ca – Marion Sick –
• Mediocre Forever – The Marion Effect –
• USATODAY.com – Raptors Mavericks preview –
• Raptors look for 1st Dallas win since the new millennium –
• Jawai debuts for Stampede – Local Sport News – Cairns, QLD, Australia –
• What’s Next for the Raptors | Bleacher Report –
• Wizards, Obama and Mobley –
• 3 In the Key – Toronto Raptors Game-Day Preview vs. Dallas – RaptorsHQ.com –
• Raptors game day – Raps/Mavs (here we go again) | Cuzoogle –
• Dino Nation Blog: Finally…Chris Bosh Comes Back To Dallas –
• First Shaq, now Dirk | Toronto Sun –
• TheStar.com | Raptors’ ‘trying’ year leaves Bosh frustrated –
• Dino Nation Blog: Jawai Gets His First Win In D-League –
• Jay Triano Interview –
• Nike Huarache ‘09 – Chris Bosh Player Exclusive (PE) | Sneaker Files –
• Balance Idaho Attack Gives First Place Back to Stampede – Jawai Scores 12 –
• Jawai eager to hone his skills with Stampede | Idaho Statesman –
• Toronto Raptors at Dallas Mavericks preview | Dallas Mavericks News –
• FAN590 – VLOG 32.0 – Dallas –
• Jones: Big Diesel too much for Raps – Sportsnet.ca – In short, the Suns could of won an NBA game with the inside scoring alone with O'Neal leading the charge. Shaq was 20-of-25 from the floor and if not all, most of those were in the paint. The Suns came into the game as the top team in the league in scoring in the paint and last night's output certainly enhanced their average. O'Neal himself entered the game as the second-leading scorer when it comes to points in the paint averaging just over 12 per game. His prowess down low had two Raptor big men, Andrea Bargnani and Jake Voskuhl, foul out trying to guard him. Voskuhl's quick exit set a record, eclipsing that of Roger Mason Jr. for the fastest foul out in club history. Chris Bosh was also hindered by fouls that reduced his effectiveness as he finished the game with five fouls and was forced to sit on the bench at times when the Raptors could have really used him on the floor.
• Dino Nation Blog: Raptors Have No Answer For Big Cactus – Bryan Colangelo no doubt has to do his part and make this team better. However fans need to do your part as well. I think when Jameer Nelson earlier this year commented on the booing of Bosh that should have been a wake up call. If other NBA players notice this how likely are they going to be willing to come here. Toronto has a tough enough time as it is to attract players having a fan base that shows no loyalty to it's star player is not exactly a selling point for free agents to come here. There is already enough stuff you need to fight through to convince folks to come here. Let's not be part of the problem in people wanting to be here. It may be a small thing and I have no idea if it truly matters.
• Suns 133, Raptors 113 – Shaqtastic | Fanster.com – The Raptors played well in the third, only to have their momentum sucked right at the beginning of the 4th quarter, when star power forward Chris Bosh picked up his fifth foul.

  “The first play of the fourth quarter typified it,” said Toronto head coach Jay Triano. “They made a hard cut to the lane and Chris Bosh picks up his fifth foul. That’s when we kind of lost our momentum.”

  Of course the other storyline coming into the game was Shawn Marion returning again to the Valley. The Matrix finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals.

  “It was cool,” Marion said. “It’s always nice to come back here. This is where it all started. It would’ve been nice to get another win though (laughs).”

• Nba: Chris Bosh, Shaq on Brink Of Twitter Armageddon – The real melodrama from this little war of words has yet to fully happen. As we all know, Shaq's Twittering habits are otherworldly and he has a very devoted 196,000+ following. Bosh is also a full-blown member of the Twitterati, but has a less devoted following, most likely due to his Toronto address and not openly inviting his followers to touch him at a mall.

  But, what if Shaq retaliated to Bosh's diss by ordering his pro-active Twitter army to attack Bosh's feed with merciless vigor? We could have a Big Lead/Cowherd situation on our hands. Stay tuned.

• SHAQZILLA! – Shawn Marion showed up for the Raptors in the game against his former Suns' squad, Shawn Marion finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals. The Raps didn't play bad last night as they kept up with the Suns all night and after three quarters as the Suns were only up 96-92. Unlike the game against the Knicks where the game was run and gun and the Raps didn't do anything at all, they actually got the offense rolling last night against the Suns. All five Raps starters were in double figures and Jason Kapono had 15 points off of the bench.
• Raptors Forum » Game 60: Raptors vs. Suns – Post-game – I still think there were a lot of positives from this game. We saw continued production from the Killer B’s and Marion, showing that they are meshing well. It may be too little way too late and there is a good chance that by next year, 66% of that trio may not even be here, but if they are, it could be the start of something good.

  So the road trip continues, in Dallas. Anybody want to go with me and call a win here?

• Raptors Forum » Game 61: Raptors vs. Mavericks – Pre-game – So now this “more competitive team” has to walk into Dallas and try to come out with a win. This isn’t as daunting of a task as it has been in past years, although it isn’t going to be a cakewalk. It is going to be extremely important for the Raptors to focus on the defensive end, not only because with this new running style, they have made themselves more vulnerable, but also because they have blown two 24 point leads to the Mavs in the past. If the Raptors are able to get up against the Mavs, they might have to try to slow the game down a bit to tighten things up, providing the Mavs with less chances for their stars to shine.
• Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post Game – Shaq-Attacked – RaptorsHQ.com – The frustrating thing for Raptors’ fans is that TO actually was actually neck-and-neck with the Suns until the fourth quarter. Toronto executed on offense even when they were having their troubles stopping Shaq, but as the fouls piled up and O’Neal became more and more dominant, it seemed like the Dinos lost their willingness to fight back.

  That’s when things got ugly in the fourth quarter, and you could tell after about two minutes of
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  the final session this one was over. Phoenix wins the Colangelo bowl even without Nash or Amare, giving them 11 straight wins over Toronto.

• It’s time for Bargnani to start playing like a big man | Toronto Sun – The next step in Andrea Bargnani's evolution as a frontline NBA player is to step up against more formidable foes that roam the paint.

  It's one thing to post numbers against undersized centres on teams that like to play small-ball, but for Bargnani it must be about imposing one's will against legitimate bigs.

  That step began last night when the Raptors began their three-game road swing, the team's final extended away period of the season, with a 133-133 loss to Shaquille O'Neal at the Phoenix Suns.

  Their next stop is tomorrow night in Dallas and a meeting with the Mavericks' Erick Dampier, followed by a Tuesday tussle against Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets.

• Shaq Daddy spanks Raps | Toronto Sun – Matt Barnes' dunk on a lob pass from Hill capped a 10-0 run that gave Phoenix a 66-54 with 1:46 left in the first half.

  The Raptors scored the next 11 over the final 1:06 of the quarter. Jason Kapono's three-pointer from the corner with 19.8 seconds left cut Phoenix's lead to 68-67 at the break.

  There were 10 lead changes in the third quarter, with the Suns up 96-90 entering the fourth.

• TheStar.com | Suns’ Shaq unstoppable in rout of Raptors – "It seems like he's healthy for the first time in a couple of years, he's been a little bit banged up," said Voskuhl. "I don't know what his weight is but whatever it is on the media guide (325 pounds), add 30 or 40 pounds to that. He's playing really good right now.

  "Any time you play him, it's going to be a physical game. You just know you have to strap it up and you have to try to match the intensity. The one thing with Shaq is you can't back down, you can't get out of the way. If he's going to get the layup, I think you've just got to hit him."

• sports.theglobeandmail.com: Shaq runs over Raptors – A week shy of his 37th birthday, O'Neal scored 45 points Friday night — his biggest offensive performance in six years — powering the Phoenix Suns to a 133-113 victory.

  "He's just so strong and pushes guys right under the basket and gets inside," Toronto coach Jay Triano said. "We have no match for him."

• Mediocre Forever – Shaq-Fu all up in this joint! – Another opportunity, another loss, another record-setting by an opponent. Sad to see when all our opponents chasing the eight spot loss tonight. Some quick thoughts:
• Shaq, Hill come up big in win – The first half was a tale of two streaks. The Suns went on a 10-0 run in the second quarter to take a 66-54 lead. Toronto responded with a run of its own, outscoring the Suns 11-0 to take a 69-68 advantage early in the third.

  The Suns picked up the pace in the third quarter with the help of Louis Amundson, who came off the bench to finish with a career-high 20 points.

  The Suns sealed the victory with a 21-8 run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth.

  The victory was the Suns' 10th in a row against Toronto.

• Raptors 113, Suns 133 – Box Score (Suns with 90 PINP) – Derek Richardson
• O’Neal scores 45 in Phoenix win over Toronto – NBA – Yahoo! Sports – Afterward, O’Neal insisted he could do this every night if only he got the ball often enough.

  “I think I’m the only player who looks at each and every center,” he said, “and says to myself, ‘That’s barbecued chicken down there.”’

  Chris Bosh, one of the would-be defenders who turned into Shaq’s big meal, said O’Neal got a big lift from the officials.

  “He was just camping down in the lane,” Bosh said. “I mean, if they’re not calling three seconds—I thought it was a rule, but I guess not.”

• Dino Nation Blog: Raptors Rewind- High Speed Edition – Yes once again the game has been held hostage on TSN 2. I am really out of jokes, out of patience and convinced that no one in this stupid dispute cares about me and the feeling is mutual on my part. So we have a basketball game to cover. If I wanted to make a point I guess I could to a re-cap of the Stampede game which you can also see via the internet.
• FAN590 – Suns Scorch The Raptors – Smith says:
  - “This was an entertaining ball game, but it’s a tough loss to take, considering TORONTO was the rested team and it was the SUNS that had the fresh legs in the 4th quarter to close out this game and hammer the Raps by 20.”
• TheStar.com | Shaquille O’Neal and Suns dominate Raptors 133-113 – O'Neal had forced Toronto's Andrea Bargnani to foul out trying to guard him, Jake Voskuhl lasted less than eight minutes before picking up six fouls and Chris Bosh only finished with five because he got his fifth early in the fourth quarter and had a few minutes off.

  The Suns, who had played Thursday night in Los Angeles and arrived home in the wee hours of Friday morning, had an astonishing 90 points in the paint, with fully half of them being O'Neal's.

  And Toronto's efforts at speeding the game up and using its quicker big men to draw O'Neal away from the basket were futile.

  Bargnani did have 21 points, Bosh had 17 and Shawn Marion led the way with 27 to go along with 11 rebounds but the Raptors ran out of gas in the final quarter and simply couldn't deal with O'Neal's power.

• The Associated Press: O’Neal scores 45 in Phoenix win over Toronto – Toronto decided against double-teaming Shaq most of the night, and the results were disastrous for the Raptors in their 10th straight loss to Phoenix, whether the defender was Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh or Jake Voskuhl, who fouled out in eight minutes.

  O'Neal, who also had 11 rebounds, sealed the victory by scoring all of the Suns' points in a 10-2 run that gave Phoenix a 120-102 lead with 5 minutes to play. He left the game to a thunderous ovation with just under 2 minutes remaining.

  The Suns took control with a 21-8 surge that started in the third and carried over to the fourth. Phoenix scored the last seven in the outburst, capped by Jason Richardson's 3-pointer that made it 106-95 with 9:53 to play.

• Shaq scores 45 as Suns top Raptors – The Suns swept the season series for the fifth straight time…It was O'Neal's 49th career 40-plus point game. His 20 made field goals tied a franchise record…The Raptors haven't tasted victory over Phoenix since a 101-94 win in the desert on February 10, 2004…The Suns are 18-11 as the host this year, and will finish a quick two-game homestand against the Lakers on Sunday…Toronto kicked off a three-game road trip Friday. The Raptors, who are just 11-21 on the road, will finish their trek with visits to Dallas and Houston.
• Notes: Marion bringing new energy to Raptors – "It's all good," Marion said Friday before the Suns' game with Toronto. "I'm doing great."

  Marion and Banks, with cash considerations, were sent to the Raptors in a trade with Miami, which acquired Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon and a conditional draft pick. Marion received a warm reception from fans during introductions.

  "He brought in a new sense of energy," Toronto coach Jay Triano said. "He's one of our best players at tracking the basketball, so he goes and gets rebounds. He runs the floor real well. I think he's enjoying the fact that we're playing a little more up-tempo. He's back into a system he's very familiar with."

• Rumors: A Fresh Look at the 2009 Cap Teams – Toronto Raptors: Unless they win the lottery or lose a ton of games, the Raptors will be on hook for about $1.8-$2.1 million with a pick around 8-10.

  If they waive the rights to Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Joey Graham – they'd have about $7.8 million in cap space. Is there a single player available at that price who would help the team more than the three they'd be letting go? Probably not.

  The Raptors might be better off seeking reasonable deals with their own free agents and shopping with their Mid-Level Exception. Waiting until 2010 to shop may be advantageous but Toronto runs the risk of losing Bosh to free agency.

• Stream 2 – Raptors vs Suns –
• Stream 1 – Raptors vs Suns –
• 4 Q’s of Basketball with Ben’s Suns Blog – I got a chance to talk to Ben from Ben’s Suns Blog who is also one of the managing editors for newest Phoenix Suns’ Community, that Ben calls “The Perfect Storm” which brings together some of the best Suns' blogs into one online community. I talked to Ben about tonight’s matchup, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash's possiblemove to Canada and his favorite Shaq rap video.
• FAN590 – VLOG 31.1 – Phoenix (Part 2) – Vloggin’ poolside in Phoenix. Gotta love it.

  We’ve got updates and info on the big tilt tonight – Raps @ Suns. Check out the VLOG.

  And be sure to tune in to the pre-game show tonight. Jonesy and I are on the air at 8:30pm Eastern, with the tip off set to go just after 9:00pm

• Bosh To Follow Garnett’s footsteps? – Steve Aschburner – SI.com – • Chris Bosh: Given the speculation about his potential whereabouts starting in the summer of 2010, Bosh already can be voted the All-Star power forward most likely to follow in Kevin Garnett's footsteps and achieve real postseason success after relocating. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but the Raptors' signs aren't encouraging.
• Jones: Euckerism rings true – Sportsnet.ca – Andrea Bargnani will draw the assignment of guarding O'Neal and Jay Triano is still tinkering with different ways to guard the big "Shaqtus" as he can score down low but is an under rated passer should you try and double team him. I fully expect Bargnani to play away from the hoop on offense to pull O'Neal out, particularly in screen and roll or pick and pop situations. This in turn will allow Chris Bosh some room to manoeuvre as he will be guarded by a smaller player, possibly Grant Hill in a match up that needs to be closely monitored.
• globeandmail.com: From Deep – Team Canada – Steve Nash has proven a point guard tide capable of raising all boats.

  If you're Bryan Colangelo and you need to create a prospects for improvement right now in order to restore some shine to the genius label?

  Steve Nash lifted the Suns from 29-53 to 62-20 in the space of one season.

  Need to create an environment where Jay Triano – the cheapest option cost-conscious MLSE could turn to as a medium or long-term coach – has the best chance of thriving?

  How about team him up with the one NBA player who believes in him more deeply than any other?

• Raptors to battle Phoenix, still hopeful for playoffs – Although the Raptors (23-36) are in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, and behind eighth-place Milwaukee by 4½ games, they still have their sights set on a playoff spot.

  Phoenix is in a bit of better position, sitting two games behind Dallas for a playoff position in the West. If the Suns win Friday's game, it will be the squad's 11th straight victory over Toronto.

• What’s next for the Raptors : T.O. Sports – Colangelo, who originally drafted Marion ninth overall in 1999, and is aware of what The Matrix is capable of doing on the court, is attempted to right the failed experiment of the summer when the team traded T.J Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and 1st round pick Roy Hibbert to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal (and the 41st pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Nathan Jawai). In addition to Marion, the Raptors also picked up Marcus Banks, the one time NCAA co-defensive player of the year when he was at UNLV. Although Banks a one-time first round pick himself, seems to show potential within the raptors organization, he has played for as many teams as the amount of years he has played in the league since being drafted in 2003 – leading to speculation that he might not the player he appears to be on paper.
• globeandmail.com: Protein punch – Raptors Rebound Remedy Energy Shake – No matter how intense your workouts are-or aren't-you need to restore the energy you expend. Keith D'Amelio, the strength and conditioning coach for the Toronto Raptors, peps up his players with an energy shake fortified with whole-food-based supplements-not the synthetic kind-made by North American Herb and Spice. You can find most of the ingredients at your local health food store.
• USATODAY.com – Raps/Suns Preview – Bosh says the team needs to toughen up.

  “We have to realize nice guys sit at home and watch the playoffs,'' he said. “That's just how I feel. Maybe I'm wrong, but if you play with more intensity you're more likely to win and you're more likely to play better basketball.''

  After missing five games with a sprained right knee, Bosh had been held to a combined 23 points in his first two games back. He was 10-of-19 from the floor and had six rebounds and two blocked shots against the Wolves.

• Pete Marasmitch » LOLRaps Contest – While I’m gone, create some “Lolcats” images related to what’s new with the Raptors from March 1 to 7 – what happened in the games against the Mavs, the Rockets and the Heat; who got signed to a 10-day contract; the Bobby Baun-like return of Hump, stuff like that.
• Raps and Suns both have issues | Toronto Sun – When the Raptors practised yesterday in Phoenix, it was only the second time the Matrix stepped foot inside the Suns' facility since his trade to Miami last season.

  Chris Bosh can opt out of his deal next summer, but this summer figures to be the day of reckoning when Toronto's brass sits down with its franchise player to gauge interest in a long-term commitment.

  Jose Calderon is best suited to run a half-court team at a time when the Raptors want to play a full-court game. Anthony Parker is an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Joey Graham, who has finally found his niche, is a restricted free agent.

  Graham, who injured his hamstring in Tuesday's win over Minnesota, was able to practise yesterday, but the team will wait until today to determine whether Graham will suit up tonight.

  Jay Triano continues to wear the interim tag, but at least he and GM Bryan Colangelo are on the same philosophical page.

• Doug Smith’s Toronto Raptors blog – Hey, you know how you hear all the time about coaches going in after games and ripping their players or praising them or making some heartfelt speech that rallies the troops for the next game?

  Doesn’t happen with the Raptors.

  This isn’t new at all, but I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before. Jay, after games, doesn’t talk, he calls the players in, says stuff like ‘okay, tomorrow at 11’ and then retreats to his office.

• TheStar.com | Raptors’ trey streak going the distance – "He came in, went, `boop,'" Parker said yesterday. "I remember being like, `what's he doing?'"

  What Martin was doing was preserving a streak that's now been alive for a decade and a day, a 10-year stretch of NBA games in which the Raptors have made at least one three-pointer, a streak that's at 837 games going into tonight's contest with the Phoenix Suns.

  "Was he aware of it?" Parker wondered about Martin's shot, the latest into a game the Raptors have ever preserved their trey streak.

  Parker was assured Martin knew exactly what he was doing.

  "That's crazy."

• sports.theglobeandmail.com: Suns prosper with run-and-gun – But if things continue to unravel, Nash has considerable leverage. If the cash-strapped Suns come with a less-than-satisfying offer, Nash could balk. The team has an option on the last year of his contract and is certain to pick it up, considering about $7-million (U.S.) is guaranteed Nash regardless. But if Nash doesn't sign an extension, the Suns would have to consider trading Nash this summer rather than lose him for nothing in free agency in the summer of 2010. The Raptors undoubtedly would express interest.

  "I haven't thought that far ahead," Nash said, though he talked this season about the possibility of ending his career in Toronto or New York. "I'm going to see how this season goes and take it from there." For now, his focus is on finishing the 2008-09 season strong — and fast.

  "We've gone back to the principles we had in the past, which were so good to us," he said. "It's not as easy as it appears to play that style … but it's really fun."

• Raptors Game Day – It is the start of a three-game road trip against three potential playoff teams in the West. That does not bode terribly well for Toronto, 4½ games behind eighth-place Milwaukee in the East. Over the last four seasons, the Raptors are just 2-10 against Phoenix, Dallas and Houston when playing on the road. Take away the games in Houston, and the Raptors are a perfectly imperfect 0-8.
• Marion Struggles With Canadian Winter, I Say Buy A F-ing Jacket Dude! | Hooped Up – Winter jackets are an old invention, and you can even buy a winter vest if your arms are on fire and your torso is freezing Shawn. They sell them at a variety of stores and if you’re not sure of what they look like, you can always ask a nice Canadian to show you where they are and they’ll even show you how to put one on.

  I’ve picked one out for you in Raptors colors above, to start you off on your mystical winter coat journey.

• Raptors Forum » The Fun is Back – so far – This season has been hard, and it has a chance to become unbearably so, if they finally get the kind of player they’ve needed for the last two years, but only for a few months to close out the season before he hauls his ass off somewhere else. I have to admit I have been pretty up and down regarding Shawn Marion throughout his career. He’s always been fun to watch. But how much of that was him and how much the rest of the Suns? And why did he seem to come up with so many reasons to leave what looked like a great situation for him? Was he more trouble than all the good stuff he brought to the table was worth? I couldn’t really answer any questions about him. But now, with only a brief glimpse with this Raptor team, I feel like I have a bit more of an understanding of the guy
• Raptors Forum » Game 60: Raptors vs. Suns – Pre-game – The great thing about Andrea being able to run the floor is that is adds another element to his game. If you have a 7-footer who has long-range ability, is starting to get more effective putting the ball on the floor and can get out on a break, then you are starting to look at something special. If he is able to stay in good enough shape and is lucky enough to remain healthy, this setup could be the perfect thing for him. The Raptors just have to make sure that he gets some breaks in between because whether he likes to run or not, that’s still a big frame to get up and down the court.

  So this is where the test starts for the Raptors. Heading out west to see what they are made of. Get ready for what should be an entertaining game.

• Scoop Jackson: A Mount Rushmore for each NBA team – ESPN Page 2 – Toronto Raptors

  Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Morris Peterson, Damon Stoudamire
  Rationale: If Bosh doesn't leave in or before 2010, he'll be the most meaningful Raptor ever. Finding four players that have stayed with the organization more than six years is close to impossible. That either says something about the city or the franchise.

• 3 In the Key – Toronto Raptors Game-Day Preview vs. Phoenix – RaptorsHQ.com – I think one interesting point that keeps popping up however is fans’ affinity for seeing Steve Nash in a Raptors’ uniform. And while Captain Canada is one of my favourite players of all-time and still a joy to watch, I confess that I don’t get it.

  I mean if Nash is talking about taking a major pay-cut to come and be Jose Calderon’s back-up so be it, but does that really make any sense? Wouldn’t Nash essentially be Jose part II at that stage of his career, and therefore defensively the Dinos would be blitzed all night long at the starting point of attack?

  Would you then move Jose? (Remember, Jose Calderon and his defensive woes are on the books for another four years.) What about Roko if he continues to develop?

• Dino Nation Blog: Nathan Jawai Is Off To Stampede – I had mentioned a feature we were going to be doing for the Dino Nation Blog. It was and is a feature series on the Idaho Stampede. It is said in life you have to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good. I say this because on the day of the first interview that is part of this feature, Nathan Jawai was assigned the Stampede about an hour prior to the interview I had scheduled to start this feature series.
• Raptors Assign Jawai To Idaho Stampede –
• Happy belated birthday Raptors’ three-point shooting record – Ball Don’t Lie –
• Doug Smith’s Toronto Raptors blog – Word is Joey may try to practice in a few hours – there was no substantial injury apparent on the “diagnostic testing” he had (a fancy phrase for MRI) – and then they’ll see how he comes through that. Or they may just treat him today and see if he can do anything tomorrow at shootaround.

  The one thing about this team and injuries this year is that everything is “day-to-day.”

  I swear, if someone left the court with his leg dangling by a tendon, we’d get a “injured let, will not return, day-to-day” notification.

  Maybe it’s understandable (we are all day-to-day, aren’t we?) but it’s also a bit frustrating.

• globeandmail.com: From Deep – Nash out? – For those that missed it, Nash rolled his ankle against Charlotte on Tuesday night and a game-time decision tonight when the Suns play the Lakers and presumably Friday night against Toronto.
• Report: NBA plans to borrow money to distribute to teams in need – ESPN – SportsBusiness Journal reports the NBA plans to borrow $175 million to distribute to teams in need of additional cash.

  The deal comes at a time when leagues are laying off staffs and cutting ticket prices. It will allow the NBA to distribute up to $11.66 million to 15 teams that responded to a league survey gauging interest in the money, SportsBusiness Journal said.

• FAN590 – VLOG 31.0 – Phoenix – FYI – Joey Graham (hamstring) took part in practice today. He’ll get some treatment today/tonight and see how he feels when he wakes up tomorrow. He’s a game-time decision for Friday’s game against the Suns.
• Jones: How point-five saved the day – Sportsnet.ca – With all the talk about the uptempo game being the way to play in Toronto since the acquisition of Shawn Marion, who was at his best when he played that way here in Phoenix, Toronto's numbers on the break have gone up.

  The Raptors are still last in the NBA in fast-break scoring with just over eight points per game, but in the four contests since Marion arrived they have totalled 75 fast-break points for an average of 18.75 per game.

  To put that into perspective, the NBA's top squads on the break are Golden State and Philadelphia, who put up 18 per game, followed by Denver, Atlanta and Dallas who put up 16.9, 16.2 and 15.6 fast-break points per game respectively.

• Courtside – Buyers market coming in the NBA – The slumping world economy is going to have a huge impact on the NBA.
  Salaries will go down eventually, players will take huge paycuts this offseason and owners losing tons of money from their other endeavours (Real estate, banking, etc.) are looking to cut contracts.
  ESPN's John Hollinger had a good piece recently on what will likely happen this summer:
• Chad Ford: Looking ahead to the free-agent class of 2009 – ESPN – The other key factor is LeBron James. A number of teams are trying to make cap space for the summer of 2010. That happens to be the summer when LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, among other stars, can hit free agency. So for the first time in years, teams like the New York Knicks are being financially responsible.

  Those two factors should end up causing major problems for a good but no longer stellar free-agent class of 2009.

  With the trade deadline now passed, here's an updated look at who could be available in 2009:

• Bring Ettore Messina to Toronto – The first is that it’s difficult for an NBA superstar to take orders from a coach hailing from a “minor” league. It seems to matter very little that Ettore Messina could teach the game of basketball to many American coaches. The second is the argument about language and culture in a world that is different and difficult to adapt to.
  “There are too many issues.” And lets not forget that “games are played every second day in the NBA, and not weekly or twice per week tops like in Italy.”
• The Easiest Job in the World? – AOL Sports Canada – On the hardwood, however, GM Bryan Colangelo predicted the ’08-’09 Raps were capable of progress deep into the NBA playoffs. Instead, the team languishes well out of a post-season spot, with dim prospects for improvement — a scary scenario a year from Chris Bosh’s free agency. So hoops heads are disgruntled because, with cause, they expected better.
• POST [Game] Mortem: Raptors vs T-Wolves –
• Dino Nation Blog: The Run and Gun Raptors? – To be honest the Raptors comeback was nice and lots of great things including the play of both Bargnani and Bosh. However once they got down a ton to the T-Wolves that was it for me. If the Raptors did that against a quality team there is no way they come back and no way they win. They come out with any kind of performance like that in the next 5 games they are toast. It is as simple as that. I guess if I had confidence that Shawn Marion was here for the long term I would be more optimistic about what I am seeing.
• Money for Nothing – The Raptors’ Salary Cap Situation – RaptorsHQ.com – At first glance, considering that Marion is a free agent and that Marcus Banks will cost considerably less than J.O. would have next season, not having any money to spend may seem confusing. In fact even if readers have heard BC say that the team does not have a lot of money to work with other than re-sign current players, they may feel that he is blowing smoke.

  Unfortunately it’s a reality and I will do my best to explain why this is, and outline some of the key points that will affect Toronto this off-season.

• Raps’ Marion still warming to T.O. | Toronto Sun – "I've been catching cabs everywhere," Marion said. "Fortunately, I've been staying close to the arena so it has been easy, It's just too cold. I'm not used to this."

  The biggest casualty of his reluctance to leave the indoor warmth has been his biggest off-court passion, his DVD movie collection.

  Marion has been buying new releases every Tuesday like clockwork since his NBA career began nine years ago.

  "I've got a sick collection," Marion says but has no idea exactly how many movies he has.

  "Every Tuesday I go get whatever new releases have come out," he explained, "but I haven't done any of that (in Toronto). I have to get out to Best Buy. I'm like two weeks behind in my DVDs. I got to get caught back up."

• A decade of threes | Toronto Sun – Not sure what it is about the Timberwolves and this record, but it was against that club that the record string began.

  Vince Carter sank one from three-point range against Minnesota on Feb. 26, 1999, to begin the streak.

  There have been plenty of close calls since then. In fact, on 24 different occasions the Raps finished a game with just one three-pointer.

• TheStar.com | Shawn Marion to ‘enjoy’ return to Phoenix – "It'll be cool, my mother's going to meet me out there, I've got old friends out there," Marion said in anticipation of his return. "We're going to be out there for two days, I'm going to relax and enjoy my old friends and just enjoy the city."

  Marion, who has spoken of being "shackled" by a relatively pedestrian offence for almost a season in Miami, is enjoying a renaissance not unlike the Suns themselves.

• sports.theglobeandmail.com: Marion made for up-tempo game – Rather than leave after practice today — the usual routine on trips — the Raptors took off to get an extra day at Phoenix's luxurious Ritz-Carlton. With the forecast calling for 27C and cloudless skies, it's hard to blame them. They do, after all, have a two-game winning streak to celebrate.

  Marion, 30, is returning home in more ways than one.

  After nearly nine seasons in Phoenix he was deemed expendable when the run-and-gun Suns traded for Shaquille O'Neal last February, as they decided to try to become more of a half-court team. Marion then thought himself stifled in a Miami offence in which Dwyane Wade was the first, second and third option.

• Busy Marion pushes pause on DVD player – After the Raptors' win over Minnesota on Tuesday, Marion got to talking about his vast collection of films and television series collections — mostly old cartoons such as Voltron and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Marion's collection is spread across the continent. He has some in his homes in Miami and Chicago, as well as some in storage in Phoenix.

  Phoenix just happens to be the next stop for the Raptors, and the same place Marion played more than eight seasons. As he is familiar with the city, and the Raptors will be spending parts of the next three days in the city, perhaps he will get caught up in his old home.

  "I want to, but I don't even want to carry that stuff around," Marion said. "I've got enough stuff to carry around as it is. I might go grab a few things. In the last few weeks, I don't think that many new movies came out. Maybe five, so I can go grab that. But if it's like 10 or 15, I'm not going to grab that many."

• The Three Decade – In between those shots, there have been quite a few oddities that have been part of the streak. Here are a few of those more interesting numbers:
• FAN590 – A Decade Of 3’s – The streak has not been without a few close calls. On 24 occasions the Raptors have finished a game with one three-pointer, including a game at Cleveland (February 3, 2009) this season. Some memorable close calls include Jason Kapono’s three-pointer with 3:42 remaining in the fourth November 18, 2008 at Orlando and Darrick Martin’s rainbow three November 29, 2006 with 0.5 seconds left in a game at Dallas.
• FAN590 – Jay Triano Interview – Toronto Raptors Head Coach Jay Triano joins Gord and Don to discuss the Raptors most recent win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
• The Four-Point Play: Feb 25th « snatchSPORTS – Andrea Bargnani finally appears to be comfortable playing in the NBA. Since Jermaine O’Neal left town, Bargnani has been putting up pretty consistent numbers after moving into the starting lineup. The highlight came against the Knicks, when he posted 28 points and 10 rebounds. It’s a long-time coming for Toronto fans who have been waiting for Bargnani, the number 1 overall pick in 2006, to produce consistently.

  Bargnani is never going to be putting up Dwight Howard-like rebounding numbers, but he doesn’t have to. His job is to create matchup problems when the Raptors have the ball, by making the defense come out to guard his jumper. With Shawn Marion now on board, the Raps want to run and gun, which should really allow Bargnani to thrive.

• Why do the Toronto Raptors stink so good? Vol. Bosh or Bargs – HoopsVibe – The Toronto Raptors of 2008-2009 is experiencing similar stuff. They lack any direction, players and coach lost support in each other, Bosh’s 2010 plans, Jermaine O’Neal experiment ending in utter failure, and lack of effort exposed them. Don’t worry, T-Dot. Look on the bright side. You don’t really need a number one pick when you already have one with Andrea Bargnani. Just look! He’s turning the corner! He doesn’t look like Bustnani anymore. You still have Chris Bosh, too. This tandem creates more problems than answers though.

  Who are you going build around? Continue with Bosh or start around Bargnani?

• Catching Cupcakes like Kevin « Raptors Report – I’m sure there has been a possession or two where Bargnani has played some killer defence this year, but he still needs to improve on it. He’s lucky that he’s found his shooting touch this season. Without it, he’d be like Kevin Love, another centre with a +/- down below zero and likely on the fast track to the bench.
• Pete Marasmitch » The Ultimate Patrick O’Bryant Scouting Report – New Raptor Patrick O’Bryant is no threat to Roko’s minutes – on the contrary, he helped – but what about our other rookie, Big Nate Jawai? Inquiring minds want to know. Again, I dare to ask the blogosphere for scouting reports:
• globeandmail.com: From Deep – Flu-like symptoms – The Bosh-Cardinal thing was kind of interesting because you almost knew that it would get Bosh going a little bit. I've got all the time in the world for pesky, choppy, floppy guys like Cardinal. Guys like him Bruce Bowen, Jared Dudley, James Posey – they don't make for great highlights, but the way they play is the easiest for the average person to relate too, and you have to respect guys who have to play on that competitive edge all the time to even have a chance of making a real impact on the floor. But when playing that role you're best served by being kind of dumb about it and saying ‘excuse me' a lot, especially when matched up against a clearly superior player. That way you can bump and grind and hack and pull and then have Bosh get angry at the officials, not you. When Cardinal went chest-to-chest with Bosh and let him know he was there, that was a mistake. Because then Bosh got mad at him, and after a time he started taking it out on the floor.
• Detroit Pistons fans should be careful what they wish for in the 2010 off-season – MLive.com – I love Bosh and I desire more than anything else that he stays with the Toronto Raptors but even I was surprised to learn that Bosh is averaging 22 points and hovering around 9.5 rebounds per game for four consecutive years. His numbers this year are nearly identical to those in 2005-06. Now that doesn't mean he won't continue to get better but it does mean he's hit a statistical plateau and yet has not learned to dominate and win games for his team.
• Raptors Hope To Keep Marion – Chris Mannix – SI.com – There has been speculation that the Raptors made the Jermaine O'Neal-Shawn Marion trade simply to clear Marion's $17 million salary off the books after the season. Though creating cap flexibility was part of the motivation for the deal, GM Bryan Colangelo said the 30-year-old Marion "absolutely" figures into the team's long-term plans.

  "I hope we can lengthen the relationship," said Colangelo, who drafted Marion as Suns general manager in 1999. "In Miami, he was not producing the same kind of numbers I knew he was capable of, [but] that might be as much about system and utilization. Athletically, I don't think he has lost a whole lot at all."

• A decade’s worth of three-pointers for the Toronto Raptors – Posted Sports – Happy 10-year anniversary, lovers of the basketball equivalent of the long ball. Thursday will make it an even decade since the Raptors started their NBA-record 837-game streak of hitting at least one three-pointer.

  The streak started on Feb. 26, 1999, when Vince Carter hit a three-pointer at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter against Minnesota. The streak reached 837 when Jose Calderon hit a three-pointer at the 7:56 mark of the first quarter on Tuesday against, yes, Minnesota.

• Stephon Marbury another Colangelo mistake? – (It's worth noting that the massive contract that is expiring this year was given to Marbury by current Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, who at least had the good sense to cut bait and sign Steve Nash instead.)
• Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post Game- Better Late Then Never – RaptorsHQ.com – Early on it looked like the Raps were going to lay another stinker down by twelve at the end of the first quarter and looking fairly lifeless on both ends of the court. The “here we go again” mentality was sinking in early and I couldn’t help but think that the Penn State – Ohio State game would have been the better watch. The Raps definitely were not “Playing Hard From the Tip”, our first key to the game.
• The Italian job well done – If Bargnani's exhibition wasn't entertaining enough, the Raptors finally displayed the kind of "Phoenix East" run-and-gun style that everyone theorized Bryan Colangelo was going to bring to Toronto. They were sluggish out of the gate and got down by 16 to the Wolves in the middle of the second quarter, but then they cranked up the defensive intensity and started flying down the court after each defensive stop. If I remember correctly, all of Toronto's 17 fast break points came after that 16-point deficit.
• All Balls Don’t Bounce: Please Forward This E-Mail To Bryan Colangelo. – Last night my best friend DG came through with tickets to the Raptors game.
  The Raptors after a hard fought game eventually beat the Timberwolves 110 – 102, I lamented to him how everyone was getting excited about this victory. Beating a team without their best player that has an 18-38 record, despite how hot they have been lately is what they're supposed to do.
• No Easy Buckets: East teams fight for playoffs – AthlonSports.com – Raptors (9:1): Toronto has a long way to go, but watching the Raptors post four double-doubles against the Knicks (all right, it was the Knicks, and New York did beat Toronto by 30 on Friday) Sunday night was pretty interesting. Shawn Marion and Chris Bosh are a dynamic forward duo, and Jose Calderon continues to play well at the point.
• This is better than the alternative, no? – But it is better to be going out having won two in a row instead of losing two in a row. Beating the Knicks, eight under .500 at the time, or the Timberwolves, a mere 20 under .500 is hardly enough to get the playoff tickets printed or the parade route planned. But consider how many mornings you’ve woken up to remember “damn, they lost to Oklahoma City?” or “Hey, did they really shoot 29 per cent in Memphis last night?” these are such horrible times.

  Oh, those times are coming again, I’m sure of that, but for now? Why not feel a little bit good?

• Behind the Box Score, where Flash keeps it up – Ball Don’t Lie – NBA – Yahoo! Sports – A very entertaining game, from start to finish, even as it became obvious that the Timberwolves were losing this game nearly as much as the Raptors were winning it.

  No disrespect to Toronto, they're the better team and they were playing at home. It's just that the Timberwolves raced out to a significant early lead by sharing the ball, setting good screens, and finishing.

  Kevin Love was the main catalyst with those screens and those finishes, but the Timberwolves acted as if he checked out of the game for good after the first quarter. It wasn't Toronto's D, and it may have had a little to do with a bit of timidity from the rookie, but otherwise it was the Minnesota game plan that changed for the worse.

• The Raps came back | Toronto Sun – "They were scoring on everything that they did. Brian Cardinal running and throwing the ball over his head and the ball going off the backboard and in. They had momentum and everything going for them. We just picked up a little bit more, got a little more intense with our defence and forced them to miss some shots. When that happened, we were able to get out and run."

  And once they starting running, there was no stopping the Raptors.

  Chris Bosh, looking much more like the Bosh who this team is built around, tied for a team-high 26 points with Andrea Bargnani.

  It was just the second time in the past 12 Raptors games (five of which he sat out) that Bosh surpassed the 20-point mark.

• Raps putting bums in seats | Toronto Sun – February hasn't been a great month for results on the court, but at the ticket window, the Raps have been bettered by only a handful of teams.

  In five home games this month, the Raps have drawn an average attendance of 19,621 including sellouts against Orlando, the LA Lakers, Cleveland and the New York Knicks. Surprisingly, the only game that did not sell out was against the San Antonio Spurs.

  While pro sports teams are feeling the financial pinch, the Raptors are one of only eight NBA teams that is averaging over 19,000 at home this season. The others are Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, New York, Portland and Utah.

• TheStar.com | Bosh finds fire after mix-up with Cardinal – The Raptors all-star looked awful in the early going.

  He jacked up low-percentage shots, including a weak fallaway jumper that missed badly from the right block. He was a defensive straggler. And at one distressing moment, Toronto's resident Olympic gold medallist had his shot blocked by Kevin Love, the rookie forward not known for blocking shots.

• TheStar.com | Bosh, Bargnani spark win – "It's very important," Shawn Marion said of the shared offensive load, "because when you've got players who are unselfish and willing to make that extra pass, it's hard to guard. That's one thing I think we predicated ourselves on back in Phoenix, when the ball is moving and … everybody's getting involved, it makes it that much harder to guard and teams can't adjust to that. When you've got one person that's primarily dominating the ball or two people dominating the ball, it's easier to guard."

  The Raptors were far from easy to guard last night because there were so many of them going well on the offensive end. Andrea Bargnani, dominant almost any time he got the ball, had 26 points, as did Chris Bosh.

• Dino Nation Blog: Basketball and Raptor Fans Deserve Better – I am going to be honest. I have no desire to write a recap of the Raptors game from tonight. The Raptors got a win over Minnesota and it is the 10th straight over the T-Wolves. They had to come back after a pitiful performance early. Bosh and Bargnani tied for the scoring lead with 26. In the end it really doesn't mean a whole lot to the grand scheme of things. I mean no disrespect by this. If the Raptors are able to beat the Suns maybe there is reason to get excited but will see about that Friday.
• In The Scrum With Chris Bosh | Hoops Addict – After a recent win against Minnesota Timberwolves, the face of the Toronto Raptors talked with the media about the argument he had with Brian Cardinal during the first half, how big this win was, what the team has to do to sneak into the playoffs and a host of other topics.

  Sit back, relax, and enjoy some insight into Chris Bosh.

• Not the Wu-Tang, but the Killer B’s were on the swarm last night – In the fourth quarter, Mike Miller tied the game back up at 84. The score was 103-101 for the Raps with 5:30 left to go in the game. Jose Calderon had two consecutive turnovers but was saved when Marion got the block and the ball back. Then Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh got the offense going hitting baskets to go up 113-106 on the Wolves. Anthony Parker iced the game with the three with 1:29 left.
• 2009 Free Agent List « nbaroundtable –
• Raptors’ All-Star Bosh Gives Up Home Court Advantage for the Direct Energy Driveway Challenge – The Toronto Raptors and Direct Energy are once again teaming up to provide one lucky fan and 9 friends the opportunity to shoot hoops with an NBA star through the Direct Energy Driveway Challenge. The winner receives the once-in-a-lifetime chance to shoot hoops and learn some valuable basketball skills from Bosh in their own driveway. The Raptors will set up a basketball court at the winner's home, and provide jerseys, an autograph session, and a barbeque for family and friends.

  "Last year's Driveway Challenge sounded like a lot of fun," said Bosh. "I'm really looking forward to participating this year and to meet some of our great Raptors fans."

• Minnesota Timberwolves lose 10th straight to Toronto – TwinCities.com – "They were on fire early," Raptors coach Jay Triano said. "We had to call a timeout to see if we could cool them down a little bit."

  Wolves coach Kevin McHale thought it would be a high-scoring game because both teams like to play an up-tempo game, but he lamented the 53.5 percent shooting by Toronto. It was that kind of game — the Wolves shot 50 percent.

• Bosh will not give in to your little mind games, Brian Cardinal… « That’s what I’m saying, guy… – The Raptors also benefitted from Chris Bosh’s decision not to knock out Brian Cardinal (he of the worst contract in NBA history fame). After tussling early with the old man and picking up a tech, Bosh regained focus to score 26. Andrea Bargnani, who seems to have caught his third wind of this season, also scored 26 and Anthony Parker added 24.
• Getting to know Andrea Bargnani – ESPN The Magazine – The skeptics have been shamed. With a stroke as pure as bottled water, Bargnani is already one of the league's top sixth men and Brandon Roy's chief competition for Rookie of the Year honors. During the Raptors' surge to the top of the Atlantic, Bargnani averaged 13.5 ppg on 50% shooting in February. Fact is, not even his biggest supporters expected so much so soon. Before the season, if he hadn't done enough to earn a spot in the Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend, Raptors management wouldn't have been the least bit discouraged. But there he was in Vegas, foiling Andrew Bogut with a nasty scoop shot and earning raves from none other than the big German himself.

Related posts:

1. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 24th through February 25th
2. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 13th through February 14th
3. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 14th through February 15th
4. Toronto Raptors Linkage for November 25th from 07:21 to 07:35
5. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 8th through February 9th