Little bit of this, little bit of that

Bunch of dribs and drabs today after The Benevolent Bosses gave me the day off. Rainy, stinky day for the most part but, still, a welcome break and a few good hours of hanging out.

Oh, and time to think about this morning’s offerings, which is sort of a Nothin’ But (Inter)Net day.

Here we go:

Just chill a wee bit

You know what? Everybody’s just got to take a pill over this Garbo stuff.

He’s hurt, he has to have surgery and he could be back for the final few weeks of the season. He decided

LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR

Sorry folks, can't count on Jorge Garbajosa for a while .

to play for Spain last summer – a decision I think is entirely justified, by the way – and his continued rehab since then didn’t go well.

Who are we to tell a guy he can’t play for his country? Who are we to know how his leg felt when he played? Rip him if you like but I can entirely understand a guy feeling no pain in his leg with medical clearance from doctors in his homeland deciding to go ahead and play.

The money? Unless it’s your money, who cares about the money?

The roster spot? With the salary slots they have available, they aren’t going to get anyone any better than anyone playing for them right now so that’s a moot point.

Is Garbo ticked? Sure, he’s a basketball player who can’t play basketball. Are the Raptors ticked? Sure, one of their guys is hurt.

Could they use him? Maybe. Maybe at 100 per cent he’s better than Rasho or Bosh or Bargnani, or Moon, Delfino or Kapono. Maybe.

It’s a crappy situation but there’s nothing that can be done about it now. The guy got hurt. That sucks. Deal with it and move on.

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Crowded House

Who sits now?

Rasho’s close to coming back and then what? Does he start? Who doesn’t play? There’s no way they can use 10 players every night, at least not in my opinion, because it disrupts everybody’s flow.

So, you’ve got Calderon and Ford; Moon, Parker, Delfino and Kapono; and Bosh, Bargnani and Humphries right now. Add Rasho and that’s one too many.

See ya Hump? Probably, unless foul trouble or injuries hit.

The other question: Does Rasho start?

Bargnani hasn’t looked comfortable in either role, really, so ... Me? I’d start Rasho again.

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More Moon (like always)

So, Daniel Puzzuoli writes to say he loves Super Jamario as a nickname and we should all stick with that. He writes: "leave his last name alone, there’s no way you can put a spin on Moon that isn't going to sound lame and obvious, let alone the fact that Moon is a bad ass last name in the first place. If more Dr. J comparisons start to pop up, you can even put a spin on Super Jamario and call him Dr. Jamario."

I’m going to add one thing to this: If anyone, ever, ever compares a 27-year-old rookie to one of the greatest players in the game again, he or she will lose all credibility with any sane-thinking basketball fan.

Jamario Moon is good, has been for, what?, 10 games now? I hope he sticks around and plays in the league for a decade. But Dr. J? You can’t put ‘em in the same sentence.

Speaking of Moon, I’ve lost the e-mail from the reader who came up with perhaps the best nickname I’ve heard:

Jamario Speedwagon.

That’s pretty good.

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I (heart) NY

The Knicks have won two straight and that can only mean one thing: Another contract extension for Isiah.

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I (heart with a line through it) Helio

It pains me greatly to say this but the car driver out-danced Mel last night. It’s going to take some dramatic turnaround from Scary to win tonight but she’s got it in her, I know.

Marie? Done. Like dinner.

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Wither AP?

This from Trevor Kendall of Halifax:

What's the deal with Anthony Parker this season? He doesn't seem to be as much a focal point as he was last season. His scoring is down and he's only had one game of with double digit points in his last 5. What do you think has caused this? Is he not being involved in the offence enough? Is the emergence of other players affecting his playing time? My fellow Anthony Parker fans want to know.

The easy answer is that he’s not quite the focal point he was last year, the presence of Bargnani in the starting lineup has changed that. Bargnani takes a lot of Parker’s offensive space away from him and adapting has taken some time. You can see that because Parker’s best games have come with Rasho in the starting lineup.

I’m not sure he can get back to being the offensive player he was a year ago but as long as he continues to defend as well as he does, his overall role won’t be diminished.

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That’s all for now, don’t forget to click here to send along a question.

Comments

[Bay Street Lawyer]

Try thinking about the Garbo situation like this:

If Steve Nash declared that he wanted to play for Team Canada, but then suddenty mutilated his leg, our concerns would rate as follows: (1) Nash's health, (2) Team Canada, (3) the Phoenix Suns.

Now let's say come next June, reports are coming out that Steve says he's fine. He feels no pain. He wants to play for his country. Let's also add an extra element - it's 2010, basketball is now played at the winter olympics and Canada will be playing in Nash's backyard. So there is extra incentive.

Canadian doctors are saying Nash is fine. But the Phoenix team doctors say that Nash should have more surgery and sit out the olympics.

You can understand why there would be frustration on both sides. Canadians would resent Phoenix for trying to keep Nash off of our national team. Phoenix fans would resent Canadians for pushing Nash to play when qualified doctors are saying that he shouldn't.

Meanwhile, Nash is caught in the middle. Would any of us blame him for playing in the olympics? In BC? Of course not. So why get bitter at Garbo for doing the same thing in Spain?

[Grant]

The comparison, made by Leo Rautins on CBC, between Moon and Dr. J. was entirely appropriate in the context that it was made - commentary on Moon's incredible,long-hang-time-layup. But I don't recall Rautins saying anything like Moon and Dr. J. are comparable players.

Blogger's note: Yes, that comment in that context was fine; it's the e-mails I've had that concern me.

[Dave Fritz]

Hi, Doug,
I'd say you threw one down with your comments regarding Garbo. Spaldeen sandwich for the moaners.

[Adam C]

The one real concern I have with Garbo's choice is that he may have seriously damaged his chances of playing for Spain in an Olympics that they were already qualified for.

[Abbas]

Doug, is your rant regarding Jorge entirely aimed at the fans or would you be willing to include Dave Feschuk in the mix as well :) ... And you're absolutely right about Jamario Moon. People need to realize he has only played 10 games. I know we've all been starved for a highlight reel dunker for the last 3-4 years now, but I've heard certain people compare Moon to Shawn Marion which is just a ridiculous comparison.

[DougG]

One of the things people love about Garbo is the fact that he is willing to play for his country on a broken leg, even though his country had already qualified.
What I can't quite rap my head around is why the people of Spain, as reported, are furious with the Raptors. The Raptors told Garbo he needed surgery but ultimately relented and let him play for his country. We now know that he is lost for the season.
So the Raptors let him play for his country, were right about him needing surgery and are now paying the expense of losing his services and yet, they are the bad guys. I must be missing something.

[Kevin]

I like to think that most people's issue with Garbo is that we all just want to see him healthy and contributing like we know he can. It's tough to see a favourite not playing as well as you'd like and it's tougher to think that they might have done permanent damage to themselves trying to please us and all their other fans.

[M Smith]

Comparing the European Basketball Championships to the Olympics is laughable. Especially when Garbo's team was ALREADY QUALIFIED for the Olympics, which he may now miss due to his insistence on playing this summer. Makes no sense, but was his decision, the Raps OK'd it in the end, and now everyone lives with the consequences.

[Zack]

I understand Moon hasn't played much, but c'mon, the (27-year-old) kid looks like he is going to be good if not really good. I haven't bought my #33 yet and I can agree with people reserving their comparisons for now but those were six sweet blocks on Sunday.

[David]

I'm sorry Doug, but I have to strongly disagree with you over the Garbo situation. I agree with you that it is very admirable that he wanted to play for his native Spain but his decsion in September was a selfish one.
Garbo's decision demosntrated that he is more committed to Spanish basketball than he is to the Raptors. The Raptors pay his bills, not Spain, and Garbo should have listened to team doctors, not SPANISH doctors whose mediacal opinions were clearly made in the interests of Spanish basketball. Now, what will happen, is not only will Garbo miss the season, but he may even be ready to play in the Olympics.
So essentaily what he's done was play for Spain in a MEANINGLESS Euro Championships (I don't care what you say, they already qualified) and probably play in the Olympics while not playing for the 07/08 Raptors. You don't think Bosh badly wanted to play for the U.S.
Sure he did, but his first priority was the Raptors and his actions demosntrated that. Garbo's does not and I won't cheer for someone who is not 100% committed to this team.

[Mike Troskot]

Doug... generally enjoy your columns and your take and slant on Raptor issues.

However... You missed the target on the Garbo issue, BIG TIME. You stated his playing was "entirely justified"... and... "who are we to tell a guy he can’t play for his country?"

If "THE GUY" is healthy... then absolutely... who are we to make judgement. But when a player comes off an injury like Garbo's... "we" is actually the employer (Toronto Raptors) and loyalty to the employer is paramount... let alone common sense.

It was a selfish act on Garbo's part, nothing more, nothing less... I don't buy the basketball passion bit at all.

As a Raptor fan with "passion"... I hope there is a case for breach of contract... and the Raptor Lawyers pursue it... and it's made an example of across the league.

To me... this situation reaked from the beginning... and it will only get worse as more information is gathered.

Doug... Your summary made light of an issue that could change the spectrum on NBA players and FIBA participation.

As a fan with "passion"... the pill your asking me to take is too big to swallow.

[GM]

The Raptors are the employer but they can't control a player all year round. It could easily be argued the other way -- that the Raptor doctors wanted to keep him out -- just as it is to say the Spanish doctors wanted him in. They're both medical professionals. Being American or Canadian and being attached to an NBA franchise doesn't make them better or worse than European doctors. And since he was receiving contradicting information, it's up to him to decide. Obviously he felt good enough.
I gotta admire his basketball passion and think if it were the other way around and the Spanish doctors were advising him not to suit up for the NBA playoffs, he'd play anyway. The guy just wants to play. In an age when players sit out for a hangnail, it's kinda nice to see someone tough it out. Karl Malone and AC Green played through tons of injuries and sicknesses. Garbo is in that mold.

[Spott]

From a Spanish point of view just saying that here in Europe winning the European Championship or earning a medal is something close in importance to winning the Olympics (not as much but very close) and the Olympic qualification is just a secondary price, not the real deal as is in the Americas Tournament.
So Spain had not achieved anything of importance for just being qualified. In fact the loss against Russia in the final was very bad felt here. That said I also agree that there is nothing to be angry with the Raptors, but here in Spain the sporting media is quite pathetic and thought that Garbo was not playing because Toronto was punishing him.
I can guarantee you that not everybody in Spain thinks this. And Garbo just did waht his heart and physical feelings asked him to do.
Let's hope he recovers well and that Toronto gets very far with him in the playoffs.

[Sezar B]

jamario speedwagon? super jamario?.. those names are too long to flow in a sentence (especially with Swirsky saying it).. something short would be more useful, like CB4? AP? Jose? ... something simple and effective: "M33" (pun on AK-47).. "Jam33"

[Paul]

Come on Doug,
It's nice that you try to side with players when they are unjustly targeted by the fans or media but you dont have to be a genius to figure out that Garbo was hurt and he knew it....Reports say his ankle has been swelled up like a softball and he is clearly favouring the leg in games. He tried to pretend he wasn't hurt in order to save his country the $1 million he cost them by playing in the Euro tournament. I want the best for Garbo and the Raptors and there's no point in vilifying him at this point but let's pull our heads out of the sand here and call a spade a spade.

Paul - London ON.

[Spencer]

Garbo getting injured may have been one of the best things that has happened to the Raptors this season. If he played as well as he did last year chances are he would have been starting or would have been first off the bench. And if that were the case I don't think Jamario would have gotten the chance to really show his stuff because the Raps front court would have been too packed to give an unproven rook a shot at significant minutes.
On the Jamario nickname: does every player honestly need one. Call him Jamario or Moon and leave it at that.

[Miss Valerie]

I have been watching Jamario Moon play for over a year for the Gary Steelheads ,he has had one the best coaches in the legend,Coach Cliff Levingston has give Jamario the foundation he has now to make it ,like Levingston said "He's a unique player "He hasn't realized how good he can be yet.he can get the rebound, he score from the outside and get to the basket. and he's an exciting shot blocker. oh... I forgot he can fly. Now those kind of guys are hard to find. I'm glad the Steelheads head coach Cliff Levingston shared this talent we the City of Gary Indiana. Toronto you have fans in Indiana thanks to Coach Levingston and Jamario.