RAPS TALK - The Weekly Audio Podcast

Based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, RAPS TALK presented by Hip Hoop Junkies and Hoop Heads North  is a weekly audio podcast with Romy Aquino, Sean Francois and U-E Sampang that breaks down the Toronto Raptors and the rest of the NBA along with Canadian Basketball from a fan's perspective. 


On the latest episode of RAPS TALK:


Episode 10 of RAPS TALK (03.01.11) - In this episode, the Raps Talk crew welcome another guest to the podcast, Raptors blogger/vlogger, Payal Doshi of insidethepurpleroom.com.  The guys of Hip Hoop Junkies and Hoop Heads North talk to Payal about her trip to LA and her NBA All-Star weekend experience, her thoughts on the Raptors and what went down with this year's NBA trade deadline.

Also, joining the podcast, was Ray Bala (@canballreport on Twitter) Canadian basketball enthusiast of RaptorsHQ.com. Ray talked about a few Canadian ballers to watch out for this week, the best high school players in the country and who he thought would be the face of Canada Basketball. Romy, Sean and U-E talked to Ray about former Halifax Rainmen player, Jevohn Shepherd; Pictou, Nova Scotia native, Bucknell's Bryson Johnson and the other top Canadian basketball players from across the country.


Click the link below to listen:
Hip Hoop Junkies and Hoop Heads North present RAPS TALK Ep. 10 (03.01.2011)

Make sure you subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blog, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and writing about the PBL/Rainmen at NorthPoleHoops.com.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Halifax Rainmen add NBA experience with guard-forward, Kirk Snyder

The Halifax Rainmen have made a huge addition to the roster, having signed former NBA player, Kirk Snyder.  Snyder, who attended the University of Nevada, has four seasons of NBA experience playing with the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Hornets, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.  The guard-forward declared for the NBA draft after his junior year at the University of Nevada and was a first-round pick in the 2004 NBA draft, drafted 16th overall by the Utah Jazz (after Al Jefferson and before Josh Smith).  This was also the year the Dwight Howard was drafted first overall.  He also appeared in the 2007 NBA playoffs with the Houston Rockets when the Rockets lost in a seven game series against the Utah Jazz.  The 6-6 guard has played in 211 NBA games and will be bringing a lot of talent and experience to the Rainmen roster.  He also has other pro experience, playing in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Zhejiang Horses in 2008.

Snyder has been more recently in the news due to unfortunate circumstances, having been charged with aggravated burglary in 2009.  According to KSL.com, after being convicted of "aggravated burglary, felonious assault and assault", he was sentenced to three years in prison.  He was diagnosed with a mental disorder as reported in Dayton Daily News but will look to begin his comeback with the Rainmen.

According to the latest Halifax Rainmen press release, Rainmen President and CEO, Andre Levingston, is looking to give Snyder a second chance: “I’m excited to give Kirk a second chance at having a professional basketball career and providing for his beautiful family,” said Levingston. “We’re happy that he has received the help he needed and look forward to having him join us in Halifax.” Snyder will be joining the team this Sunday as they face the Kentucky Bluegrass Stallions in Kentucky.

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blog, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and writing about the PBL/Rainmen at NorthPoleHoops.com.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino

Welcome, Halifax Hoop Heads!

Hello Halifax hoop heads, my name is Romy Aquino,  I have been a pro hoops fan for 20+ years and have joined the Haligonia.ca team to help cover the pro hoops game from a Canadian fan's perspective.  I have watched the NBA progress from the "Magic-Bird" era to the "Jordan era" to what we currently know now as the "Lebron James era".  Along the way, the basketball game in Canada has grown with the introduction of the two Canadian NBA franchises, with the rise of the Toronto Raptors and at the same time, the demise of the Vancouver Grizzlies.  As a resident of the HRM all of my life, I've also watched the pro game locally with the Halifax Windjammers as a kid,  to our current pro hoops team in town, the Halifax Rainmen.

At the beginning of the 08-09 NBA season, myself and a couple of friends started a hoops fan blog named Hoop Heads North covering the game that we were huge fans of.  We decided to take a unique approach to the blog, by covering the NBA game not only as Toronto Raptors fans but more as Canadian hoops fans, looking at the Raptors, the Steve Nashes, the Jay Trianos and the Jamaal Magloires of the league.  I have sinced moved around the NBA blogosphere and currently write for NBA hoops blog, Hip Hoop Junkies, which is a part of TheScore.com's Sports Federation.

CANADIAN CONTENT: Highlighting the Canadian Content of the NBA

(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

The NBA regular season is less than a quarter way through but we've already had the opportunity to see a sampling of what Canuck ballers are capable of.  Not only do we have the lone Canadian NBA franchis in the league, the Toronto Raptors, but we also have a handful of  Canadians balling south of the border.

Toronto Raptors
Record: 7W-12L
Welcome to the roller coaster we like to call the Toronto Raptors.  So far this year's Toronto Raptors have shown glimpses of greatness and then glimpses of mediocrity.  First off, the Raptors are one of the top offensive teams in the NBA averaging 104.9 ppg.  With a starting five that includes the likes of Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon, they've definitely have some offensive weapons that can shoot the ball.  So all this offense is impressive, right?  Well, on the other side of the coin, the team is also one of the worst defensive teams in the league, where opponents are averaging 109 ppg.  And the latest trend has been their struggle to compete in the second half of contests.   Although the Raptors have added a defensive-minded coach, Marc Iavaroni and some defensive stoppers, Antoine Wright and Reggie Evans, the Raptors have failed to display that  they can stop teams.   So we're 19 games in,  and this team is struggling to find their identity with nine new faces on the roster.

The highlights from this Raptors' team? 

• Chris Bosh is having a monster season in his contract year averaging 25.4 points/game and 12.2 rebounds/game (2nd in the league)
• The Raptors have depth on the bench, which is an improvement from last year.  The Raptors have some new additions with guys like Jarret Jack, Rasho Nesterovic, Antoine Wright, Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems and a crowd favourite from last season in Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
• The Raptors also added highly-touted free agent from the offseason, Hedo Turkoglu, who has yet to make a consistent impact on this team.
• Lottery-pick, DeMar DeRozan is slowly making an impression with the Raptors.  Jay Triano has given the Compton kid the starting SG spot but he's also given the rook limited playing time.  He averages approximately 18 minutes per game, 6.7 ppg and 2.8 rpg but Raptors fans have to give him some time to develop, in two-three years, this kid will be special.

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns (Victoria, BC)
16.4 PPG, 12.1 APG, 2.7 RPG
The Phoenix Suns lost Shaquille O'Neal to free agency in this past offseason but apparently it's been nothing but a blessing for the Suns.  The Suns are running again, with 35 year-old, Steve Nash leading the way. 

The Suns sit at the top of the Western Conference with their 14-3 record and have been one of the biggest surprise teams so far.  With veterans like Nash, Grant Hill and Jason Richardson, the Suns are proving their doubters wrong.  Nash has been outstanding and already has two 20-assist games this season.

Joel Anthony, Miami Heat (Montreal, QC)
2.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.3 BLKS
The 6-9 backup centre has been putting in quality minutes for the Heat, playing behind starting centre (and former Raptor) Jermaine O'Neal.  Anthony recently made a visit to Toronto when the Heat played the Toronto Raptors on November 20th.  While in the city, he participated at a Canada Basketball event promoting the new Canada Basketball t-shirt collection.

Jamaal Magloire, Miami Heat (Toronto, ON)
0.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG
"Big Cat" has played in only one game in 5 minutes of action  for the Miami Heat.  The former All-Star was brought onto the team to provide centre experience and veteran leadership for the Heat bench.  He has recently been in the news as he is considering putting on the Canada jersey to help the Senior Men's national team at the World Championships in Turkey next year.

Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia 76ers (Montreal, QC)
6.3 PPG, 7.7 REB, 1.9 BLKS
Dalembert returned as the Sixers' starting centre this season doing what he does best, grab rebounds and block shots.  Dalembert had a season-high six blocks on Friday in their loss to the Atlanta Hawks.  The Sixers have been a disappointing 5-13 this year and are rumoured to be looking to sign the so-called "retired" Allen Iverson.

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.