The countdown to trade time continues

Happy day before Trade Deadline Day.

You know what’s going to be good about Thursday at 3:01 p.m.? No more silly trade questions. To answer soooooo many of you: No, they are not going to trade Andrea, nor should they; yes, they like Mikeal Pietrus and, no, I don’t know what Golden State would want; yes, I think Bryan will do something small but, no, I don’t know who and where and I don’t have a list in my mind about who they should get. Well, I guess I do but I don’t think Yao or Kobe or Nash is available.

Anyway, we are still trying to sniff out news, there’s been very little chatter in the ACC corridors but there’s all morning at shootaround and afternoon on the phones trying to break stuff so check back here regularly.

Now, on with the morning …

We’re talking to Sam Mitchell yesterday about T.J. and stuff and he’s saying it’s too bad the little guy’s injured but they’ll deal with and he’ll trot out another point guard behind Jose and mentions Juan and, ta-da, Carlos.

Not sure if that means Delfino’s definitely in the mix but it was the first time he’s said it out loud. If you’ve noticed, they’ve had Delfino run just a couple of sets but always with another PG on the floor.

The big concern with Delfino is if he can avoid turnovers when he’s running plays and how much being a PG will take away from the other stuff he does well, like slash, rebound and defend big twos and threes.

Not sure if Sam’s ready to leave him out there alone for any length of time but sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. Or so they say.

RICK MADONIK/TORONTO STAR

More Toronto memories from Vince Carter.

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Here’s a juicy thought. Check out Chris Sheridan at ESPN. He’s got all kinds of Vince trade stuff, including the chance the Knicks might make a play for him. Hmm, Knicks are here Sunday; that’d give all the boo-birds another shot at VC. With him and Isiah in the same game, it could be a boo-fest.

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What, pray tell, was the most inconsequential Raptor deadline day trade?

I’ve got Shawn Respert for Acie Earl in 1997 in a landslide.

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Here’s a mailbag first-timer.

Q: Hello Mr. Smith, I've finally got the nerve to put something in the mailbag (I think it's more exciting to see what other people say). These are jus simple questions I've had. I just wanted to know if what the players do in the all-star game effects their overall stats and averages? If a player takes a shot and it doesn't hit rim, and another player (same team) catches and shoots, if the shot is made, is it an assist or a rebound? Also, I happen to have RaptorsTV and enjoy all interviews (especially Smitch and his reporter family) that are shown after the game, but I realize that they don't show us the whole interview, so I wondering if you could insert a little excerpt in your blog sometimes if it's not much trouble. Thanks.

Chauntee M, Toronto

A: Glad you found the nerve, don’t be a stranger.

No, all-star weekend stats are quickly forgotten.

I’d say in the shot situation you describe it’d be nothing, assists are subjective enough that I don’t think they’d give one for an airball. Same with a rebound.

And I’ll try to do full transcripts if there’s something worthwhile but, trust me, you get the best most nights.

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Had a couple of queries about Garbo earlier this week. He’s got the full cast off, wearing some sort of brace but that’s about to go and he can begin full rehab shortly. It’s not like he’s been doing nothing, though, we’ve seen him in the weight room doing a variety of exercises almost daily.

Don’t get your hopes up, though, it’s still a longshot that he puts a uniform on this season.

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Big win for the Orlandos in Detroit, and it struck me watching that the Pistons looked entirely disinterested. Here’s how it played from my man B. Schmitz in the Orlando Sentinel.

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Let’s get into the mailbag one more time. Well, make it twice, I’ve got a whack of mail that’s got to get delivered.

Q: I've noticed Jose still has his middle and ring finger taped up on his left hand since dislocating it earlier in the year. It obviously isn't effecting his shooting; however, I have only seen him finish once or twice with his left hand on a layup, he now goes back to his right even when driving to his left. Especially noticeable at the end of the Clippers game a while back when he pulled up at the end of the game instead of driving to his left. Any word on when that will be fully healed or will it have to take ‘til the season is over?

Dan H, Hamilton

A: He’s not going to be fully healthy until next season. He’s just going to have to suck it up and play. Which he’s been doing pretty well since he hurt it.

Q: Having seen all the community work the NBA is doing in New Orleans over the past week, in addition to all the other NBA sponsored charity works around the world, question: does any other professional sports organization do more for the community than the NBA, or does NBA just do a better job in promoting. FIBA comes to mind??

Phil K, Singapore

A: I would say, safely, that no sports organization on earth does more charitable work than the NBA. FIBA, FIFA, NHL, MLB, NFL, none come close.

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You can click here to get something in the mail but I warn you, any trade stuff goes right into the deleted bin because by the time I get around to answering it, the deadline will have passed.

Comments

[Mikey]

Charitable work? C'mon people, the only money donated to N.O. over the weekend was from corporate sponsers during All-Star Saturday night. I'm not going to pretend to know what I am talking about because I wasn't there so I don't know, but those checks being handed out were for no more than $50,000 apiece and we all know that the NBA and it's sponsers can afford more than that.

I think it's great that the players were out in the community doing their part to help out, but one afternoon is not going to save that city. After the weekend was over I thought it was pretty distasteful for the NBA to roll into town with their rich, young celebrities basically flaunting it in the face of those who have nothing.

Blogger's note: You're right on a couple of points. You weren't there and you don't know what you're talking about.

[Mikey]

Well don't enlighten us or anything Doug! That would be *GASP* actual reporting! Please, tell me how much David Stern donated out of pocket or how much Chris Bosh gave to N.O.'s homeless? Probably nothing. They were all too busy enjoying the nightlife, surrounded by armed police that kept them seperated from the rest of the city.

Blogger's note: Out of pocket? I don't know. Probably as much as, say, you. Or me. But time is worth something, so is bringing awarness to a serious problem. It's easy to sit back and rip athletes and corportations when you're ignorant of the facts.
The Day of Service was an outstanding success and an important endeavour, a dozen or so homes were rebuilt, some that were standing were repainted and improved. There were playgrounds constructed where there had been nothing but bleak reminders of Katrina's wrath.
Stuff was done, important stuff that let the people of New Orleans know that some people, famous, rich people, were willing to go out and do manual labour, meet them and tell them they hadn't been forgotten. And to help them, if only for an afternoon.
It was something NBA can be proud of and, dare I say, exponentially more signficant than anything any other pro sport has done in one day in that city.
The original question was about the NBA's global works, it's NBA Cares program, the Breast Cancer Awareness program run by the WNBA, Basketball Withour Borders and the Day of Service.
You seem quite set in your ways that these fat cats with their police guards sat back and simply wrote cheques to the poor unfortunate souls who are beneath them. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This is the last I'm going to say of this in this forum but I will repeat:
You were not there and you do not know what you're talking about.
End of rant.

[Dave Dee]

Mikey, you sound angry. Do a little charitable work yourself and come back when you're more enlightened.

On a Raptors-related note, glad to hear Delfino is getting consideration at the point! It'd be nice to see him develop into a servicable combo-guard. That term is usually used when a player can't shoot well enough to be a 2 guard or handle well enough to be a point. However, with Carlos, I think he handles and shoots well enough, the question will be how he passes when he penetrates. He doesn't do it much now, that shoulder (and head) is down when he drives, so we'll see. But his best asset is definitely his versatility, so give it a try Sam!!

[voislav]

Blah, blah, overpaid athetes, blah, blah, charity. With that out of the way, back to basketball. I don't see the need for Delfino to play point guard, he can take on a role of a point-forward and initiate the offence without having to bring the ball up the court. With Dixon on the court with him, you can have another shooter and a faster defender to cover the point guard on offence. Wait a minute, my phone is ringing. Why Mr. Mitchell I would be happy to become the new assistant coach. Salary, you say? Well, you have to pay to get quality... (click) Sam, are you there? Oh, well.

[MARK M]

Doug please put these crazy realgmers in their place and tell them Vince wont be returning to Toronto.......EVER!

Blogger's note: Attention crazy realgmers (that's Mark's description, not mine; although now that I think about it ...)
Vince won't be returning to Toronto ...... EVER!

[Dennis]

Remember me...Two years ago I posted a comment that Calderon should grow his hair, Bosh would be Amare, and we should draft Rudy Gay to become our next Marion. You dismissed my comment saying "if Calderon was our starting point guard, Raptors would be in deep trouble." Maybe I should be the lead reporter for the Toronto Star.

Blogger's note: Two years ago? If this is two years ago, I stand by what I said then. Imagine, things change in two years! Who'd have thought that?
And I can absolutely guarantee you I never, ever said "our" starting point guard.

[Ryan]

Why are the Knicks trying to get Carter for Curry? I know Curry hasn't worked out as well as they had hoped, but won't Carter just create a logjam of swingmen for the Knicks, and keep them anchored down with another huge contract that no one will trade for? Am I missing something here?

Blogger's note: Welcome to the wonderful world of the Knicks.

[Andy C]

contrasting the raptors and leafs, leafs have about 5 rumors a day from "inside sources". I've noticed since BC's been in charge he seems to be running a tight ship with less rumors surounding the team compared to previous raptor seasons. with you being privy to some back office chatter have you noticed the diffrence Doug?

P.S. Glamour Boy Dave would not be refering to you in his article would he...

Blogger's note: I think there might be less rumours because there are fewer players in play, so to speak. But Bryan does keep things closer to the vest than some.

[fire lord]

regarding Garbo,

any word who won the raptors versus insurance company fight?

Blogger's note: No word, and it's a state-guarded secret, will take some sleuthing but we're trying

[GM]

I think the NBA is to be commended for its charity work; the players less so. They're mandated by their contracts to go out into the community x-times a year. Some would do it anyway, but when it's just part of your job, you get fewer points for your altruism.

I thought Calderon was very good even in his first season. If you can see Bargnani's potential in his first couple of seasons, surely you saw that Calderon was a keeper. His shot wasn't going in, but you could tell the form was excellent. It just wasn't falling, due to, I'm guessing, inexperience, nerves and being in a new league/country.

[Eric]

Tj injured again? Well I'll be darned. Must be some kind of crazy coincidence. He'll be fine next month... or next year... or the year after that... and we'll continue waiting for him because we're so sure of it. /sarcasm

Any sports fan who hasn't learnt from the past would wait for Tj to come back healthy. Unfortunately those of us with an eye on reality understand that that may never happen. This isn't a fluke like Andrea's appendicitis last year that could've happened to anyone. This is a body that can't handle the rigours of pro sports. I don't see Jose going down with sprained wrists and abdominal strains and everything else. Even when Tj's healthy, we're worried about his next injury. Not with Jose or Parker or any number of other key pieces, though! I'm still looking for a single player in the history of pro sports who spent his first five years on and off the injured list before going on to build a splendid career anyway. It doesn't happen often. I don't know if it EVER happens!

Tj might play a healthy season or two down the road but is it worth it to build around him now for those few miracle years that may or may never come later? Absolutely not. Signing Tj Ford to his extension may have been Bryan Colangelo's biggest mistake as Raps' GM. Jose Calderon is saving the team's season.

[M Irish]

Regarding the comment that the NBA does the most charitable work: Alright, fine, maybe in terms of sheer volume, but in terms of relative contributions, the Toronto Argonauts' work in the GTA community is unparalleled in professional sports. It seems like every day an Argonaut is at a school function, preaching safety at a charitable event, etc. Plus, you've got Pinball running the show, so you know community involvement is a top priority on that team.
Cheers

Blogger's note: I love the Argos and what they do and if were discussing individual teams, they'd be right at the top of the list.