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TSNs Three Man Weave close out the first month of 2015, diagnosing if the Raptors have cured their January blues, explore All-Star robbery and snobbery and the return to glory of the Slam Dunk Contest. Hosts of TSN 1050s 1 On 1 with Will & Duane, Will Strickland and Duane Watson receive some crisp passes from Ray Bala, author and authority of The CanBall Report, as they also question if Jason Kidd has already run away with Coach of The Year honours. Are the Raptors finally over their January blues? Strickland: All signs point to that being the case. But even on the tails of a five-game losing strike, there are whispers and fears about the elite-level readiness of this squad. These perceived issues can either be an odd discomfort or a cause for real concern. Winning aside, the play has been loose and sloppy vs. relatively underwhelming competition. Yet and still, the Raptors possess the franchises best record ever in its 20-year existence before the All-Star break at 32-15, 17 games above .500. Odd discomfort, indeed... Bala: Maybe, but it will probably be the February blahs if they play like they did this month. With the exception of Brooklyn and New York, every other club on the schedule is currently playoff bound and though New Orleans is not, their record ties them for sixth in the East. The Raps need to have a short memory and play like its November. Watson: Yes, particularly when its more important on how you finish than how you start. A five-game win streak to close out the month with some attention to defence and, more importantly, a DeMar DeRozan who has found his rhythm are a cure all. Coach Caseys next challenge is to get them to ride this momentum into All-Star break. Damian Lillard was robbed as a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team, whose place should he have on the roster? Strickland: Ouch! Robbed? Despite getting ethered by 2014 All-Star Game MVP and 2015 East All-Star reserve Kyrie Irving for 55 big ones recently, Lillard got all up in his feelings and let us know how he felt about the selection slight. He deserves to be on the team, but the criteria for selection after the fans popularity vote seems to shift with the wind. If combinations of personal numbers plus team record are the standard measures, Big Game Dame seems to fit the bill, averaging 21.6 PPG and 6.3 APG on a fourth-place team at 32-15 in the West. If anyone should be mad, though, it is the perennially underrated Michael Alex Conley, Jr. of Memphis Grizzlies. Bala: People will probably call this blasphemy, but Kevin Durant. I know that hes the reigning MVP, superstar and that the Thunder were 9-17 without him but hes missed half of the teams games. The All-Star player criteria should be treated like baseball stats - minimum amount of games to qualify - and that should apply here. Of course, we could keep KD on the roster and replace Carmelo Anthony with Lillard since the Knicks are just horrible. Watson: While we talk of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade receiving legacy votes, Chris Paul is still collecting them every year. Paul is on the downside, while Lillard is on the upside, even though their team records are similar. While Adam Silvers office has a fleeting memory that Lillard competed in five events at All-Star Weekend in 2014 - Rising Stars, Skills Competition, 3-Point shootout, Slam Dunk Contest and the All-Star Game – he receives no love, no respect and no thanks. The NBA Dunk Contest has reverted to its original format. Who do you like in this years contest? Victor Oladipo, Mason Plumlee, Zach Lavine or Giannis Antetokounmpo? Strickland: Unless there is a meltdown of epic proportion or a Chuck Hayes sighting as a late entry, Minnys Zach Levine should win easily. His bungees are banoodles and on Valentines Day, hell be handing out dunks bordering on the absurdative, breaking the hearts of his fellow contestants. The setup for a showdown with his T-Wolves teammate Andrew Wiggins in 2016 for the All-Star festivities in Toronto would all be in place! Bala: Truthfully, I havent really jazzed about the dunk contest for years, but if I had to pick one it would have to be Zach Lavine. Lets see if his hops make for creative show dunks. Watson: Always bet on the little guy. Historically, you can look at shorter dunkers like Spud Webb or Nate Robinson who have captured the judges attention due to the distance they have to get to the rim. Oladipo is just that, a 64 package of power, creativity, springs and athleticism. Brady Heslip was showing out in the D-League but opted to move across the water to play in Europe. Would he have had a realistic shot at a call-up this season? Strickland: Yes, but only to be a practice player filling due to injury. At 62, 180 lbs., Heslip doesnt possess the size, speed, handle, defensive capabilities and necessary wrinkles in his game to be an everyday NBA player. There may be mannequins out here somewhere who can beat Brady off the bounce. All jokes aside, all the best to him in his overseas endeavors. Bala: Even though I love Brady Heslip as a player and he was torching guys for 24.5 per game, I dont think he would have been called up. What can he offer to a team outside of that? Even though he could be a great benefit as an outside shooter to open up courts, hes not quick enough to defend an NBA point guard and not big enough to defend an NBA two, two big issues. I think he made the right choice right now. Watson: Heslips shooting and scoring were proving undeniable to notice by league front offices, however his role at the next level would definitely be more situational than rotational. Hes a professional and due credit to him for starting his career, getting playing time and being compensated accordingly. Jason Kidd: NBA Coach Of The Year? Strickland: Oh, indeed! The sexy, early season frontrunner, Golden States Steve Kerr, basically inherited Mark Jacksons solid teams and gave them more structure to improve their standing in a fairly dramatic way. Bud Ball is all the rage in the ATL as former San Antonio Spurs assistant-turned Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer leads a cohesive veteran group who has won 32 of their last 34 after a slow 7-6 start to impress many. But what in the wide, wide world of wins witchcraft and hoops wizardry is happening with the very surprising Milwaukee Bucks? At 24-22, the Bucks have exceeded last seasons win total of 15 and have done so mostly without mercurial centre Larry Sanders and the No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft Jabari Parker, all the while pushing point guard Brandon Knight to borderline All-Star status. The answer, Jason Kidd happened. Bala: That is a pretty good choice right now. The Bucks are playing incredibly despite missing Jabari Parker and Larry Sanders for big chunks and having a lineup that could really be role players on any other team. They are beating teams they should and losing close games to teams they shouldnt be beating, so Id say this kind of improvement needs serious consideration. If it doesnt go to him, it better go to Derek Fisher for setting the Knicks up for one epic season of futility. Watson: Jason Kidd, coach of mediocrity. There isnt any lower to go when youre at the bottom, and Kidds transformation of a lottery team to a playoff team has been great. However, his means to get there were more than unscrupulous and Steve Kerr has the Warriors on pace for a franchise-best season that could soar as high as 60 wins. Kerr gets my vote. Follow them on twitter: Will Strickland @WallStrizzle1, Duane Watson @duanewatson and Ray Bala @CanBallReport Nike Shoes Dunk .com) - Rakeem Christmas scored 21 points, B. Cheap Nike Dunk For Sale . The visitors missed a host of good chances to win the game, and were left to rue substitute Ivo Ilicevics strike against the crossbar in the 86th minute, when he only had the goalkeeper to beat. http://www.cheapnikedunk.net/ .J. - Trying to learn and absorb the new West Coast offence being installed by new offensive co-ordinator Ben McAdoo, the New York Giants wrapped their final organized team activity Thursday before a three-day mini-camp next week. Cheap Nike Dunk China . -- The Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Sidney Rice have agreed to terms on a deal. Cheap Nike Dunk Free Shipping .C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next."I dont get this much love at home." Clearly enjoying the moment, he then looked out from the stage towards his eldest son, who was sat in amongst the Impact faithful, and dead panned. "Dont forget to tell your mother." It was the Impacts inaugural Members Assembly and Joey Saputo had just been formally introduced to 500 plus newly minted IMFC members taking place at the downtown Sheraton Centre. As Saputo walked to the podium to welcome all, to a man and woman they got to their feet and gave their club President a rousing standing ovation. He reveled in the adulations. How different it had been just six-weeks earlier and the last time Saputo spoke to an engaged Impact audience. Then, it was a clearly disillusioned Saputo who met with the media for the 2013 season post-mortem. A season which promised so very much and which ultimately descended into the Horrors of Houston. Uncertainty may have reigned that fall Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday night however the theme and focus was future Impact. To set the tone, an hour before the Assembly kicked off, new head coach and director of player personnel Frank Klopas had been introduced to a sizeable media throng. Fresh off the announcement of signing a three-year deal, the latest Stade Saputo sheriff then took his place on the stage at the Impact head table. Sat four-square with Saputo and Klopas on the stage were Sporting Director, Nick de Santis plus Impact and Saputo Stadium Executive Vice President, Richard Legendre. Legendre is the architect and driving force behind the clubs decision to do away with the season ticket model and go with the more widely embracing club member scheme. Before that though, Saputo opened the proceedings Wednesday evening and used the occasion to explain the new technical structure which had been put in place during the intervening weeks since the November 5th post mortem. After welcoming Klopas deep inside the Impact bosom, Saputo announced that from now on De Santis would now only deal with the senior team on an exclusive basis and that long term servant Matt Jordan had been elevated to technical director. With all but assistant Philippe Eullaffroy, who would return to his first love as IMFC Academy Director, all of the other 2013 backroom staff remain for 2014. Eullaffroy is immensely regarded by the club hierarchy, staff and his charges so need to wonder about the vote of confidence this bestows on Mauro Biello, goalkeeping coach Youssef Dahha and fitness coach, Paolo Pacione. Klopas has inherited a staff which will always bleed blue. In a city where often language defines, each of them is tri-lingual. To complete the coaching set up down Stade Saputo way, Klopas is expected to bring in a friendly face, perhaps two. After Saputo had concluded, and sat down with warm cheers still ringing in his ears, Sporting Director Nick de Santis got to his feet to address an audience which was a reflection of a very diverse Impact fan base. They ranged in age from a blue clad baby about to meet Santa for the first time to many who likely would have attended Stade Olympique from those early 80s Montreal Manic NASL days. Largely male, the conference room was scattered with some rather stylish looking ladies which la Belle Ville is synonymous for the world over. The Impacts Sporting Director might not always have had the best of relationships with certain members of the clubs supporters but his 10-minute completely unscripted speech at the Assembly delivered entirely in French was more passionate and said with more conviction than anything the Bell Centre has witnessed in recent years. Good luck topping that Miley Cyrus when you visit in late March. There is no denying De Santis or his incessant conviction and devotion to a club that made him as a player, and one which likely had the greatest influence on defining his entire character profile. With Beckham now retired to the London suburbs there likely is no more a stylish individual in all Major League Soccer. Only MLS Cup hero and haute couture devotee Aurelien Collin could likely give De Santis a run for his clothingg money.dddddddddddd I doubt there is another single executive across the league who is more devoted to his club than De Santis. His Montreal soccer roots even pre-date the Impacts 1993 birth. He might not have always got it right over the decades, but has always been willing to lay it all out on the line. Ruthless if need be, De Santis does not hide or shirk away. Having won it as a player, a head coach and most recently in 2009 as a GM - make no mistake before De Santis calls it a day the Impact will be crowned MLS Champions. When his turn came to wax lyrical Wednesday night, Klopas opened up admitting he didnt have a clue what De Santis had just said in French but promised there and then he would learn the language. If the new head coach is anything like Montreals sizeable Greek community, then come the opening game on the season on March 8th hell be able to recant De Santis speech verbatim. Klopas said all the right things, pointed out Joey Saputos deeply embracing ways played a key role in Montreal convincing him. The new head coach also stated this was the best ever fan event he had ever attended. He should know having joined the league in the inaugural 1996 season. For a club which truly positions itself as an extended family, Klopas disclosed he has been a visitor to Montreal for a number of years, often at Christmas and could recall those Manic days. The concluding speaker for IMFCs inaugural Assembly was Legendre who gave a power point presentation in his native tongue which revealed some rather startling data. In mid-July when the Impact announced they were setting up a members only club, their Executive VP explained to TSN.ca at the time, "The way it originated for us is the fact we wanted to go one step further in the interaction of our season ticket holders." Wednesday evening we had empirical evidence of this. With a nod to a deepening soccer sophistication of the Stade Saputo devotees, eight in 10 season ticket holders demanded Saturday evening matches in the summer. For a competition that was conceived as one to be played under floodlights in midweek, the Impact faithful took a cue from the UEFA Champions League with a sizable majority also preferring Wednesday night matches. Go check the clubs schedule to see how the Impact responded to this extensive supporter feedback. The soccer is what will always compel Impact folks to part with their hard earned money for the season cause - but for over 30% of them they place the Saputo Stadium ambiance and atmosphere just as highly. Led by the Ultras Montréal and having been attending football grounds the world over for close to 4-decades I can lay witness to some quite fantastic Saturday and Wednesday night matches last season. No greater measure than closing your eyes and allowing the cacophony of Stade Saputo sound lead your match commentary. This crowd doesnt need any PA encouragement. It occurs organically. When Legendre took his seat a very well spirited Q & A period which extended itself well beyond the allotted time had all 4 of the Impact hierarchy go through the entire football emotion playbook. Fittingly the evening also included the introduction of the Impacts brand new 15 person member council. This football collective will meet four times a season and liaise directly with senior club personnel on matters of vital importance for those most meaningful for any FC, its supporters. Saputo and Legendres last point of business on an evening that went deep into the cold and wintry Montreal night was to announce the name of a club member who would get to take themselves and a guest away from the late winter Montreal deepening cold for a quick hop down to the sun and fun of Florida. Not just any old Florida resort mind you. Instead chance to take in the 2014 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic® and scream their level best as the Impact looks to defend a title that very much helped set up a very memorable 2013 campaign. Roll on March 8th. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter ' ' '