Some pre-Canada Day Canada stuff

It being close to Canada Day, let’s sprinkle in some Canada stuff today.

Not too many people over here have ever seen Nathan Jawai in person, let alone seen him play basketball.

So we turn to someone who’s actually been on the same court as the Aussie Shaq to offer this assessment:

"He’s a beast, man. He’s a monster.”

That comes for Canadian national team veteran David Thomas, who’s played about a decade Down Under and is uniquely familiar with Toronto’s second-round draft pick.

"He’s dunking everything in the paint in our league.”

I’m sure we’ll all learn a lot more about young Jawai when training camp opens (we need good stories to fill oft-boring days) so here’s one angle we’ll have to pursue, courtesy Thomas.

"The story was, they found him off the coast of Australia playing basketball barefoot … that’s what we had heard in Australia… He comes from an area that’s not well off.

"Great kid, humble, good head on his shoulders.”

Really, where else can you get information like that except here?

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Now, while all of you are off barbecuing and watching fireworks and doing all the fun Canada Day stuff that everyone likes to do, the NBA will be buzzing.

Tomorrow’s Free Agent Negotiating Day, as we all know, the start of the interminable week of rumour and speculation before anyone can sign anything.

Thankfully, it’s going to be uber-boring around these parts.

No money, too many roster spots to fill, nothing much to do except sign the players they have to sign. It’s shaping up to be a nice quiet week of watching Canada play and relaxing.

Here’s the priority list:

Re-sign Jose

Sign Ukic

Listen to sign-and-trade offers for Delfino, turn them all down.

Get ready for summer league.

As I’ve mentioned about a billion times, there isn’t the money – nor the desire -- to do anything big. Or, really, anything at all. They like the nine- or 10-man rotation they’ve created with the Ford trade and they don’t want to cloud the issue.

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TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

2005 draft: what's your favourite memory?

Quickly to some mail:

Q: Can you dedicate some time in your blog to discussing Roko? There seems to be a lot of hype around him and I was wondering if you could fill us in on what he is all about.

Bill K, Toronto

A: Sure, why not, this is information mostly obtained from people who’ve seen him since the last time I laid eyes on him was last year in the pre-season game in Rome.

He’s 6-5, a point guard who needs to work on his shot. I’m told he’s a bit of a gym rat, loves to compete and just play and has pretty good court vision when he’s running a team. He’s never really taken the Euroleague by storm but he’s been okay and his Italian league team made it to the final this year.

Seems like a good kid and there are those in the organization who think he, at 24 years old, is at about the same place, maybe a wee bit ahead, that Jose was when he came over.

He’s not going to take the NBA by storm but he could certainly develop into an 14- to 16-minute-a-night backup.

He handles the ball well but there have been concerns that he carries it a bit too much and for the NBA he’s going to have to work on that aspect of his game.

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Off to the Canada-Lebonon Canada-Lebanon game tonight (nothing stirs the sporting fires better than that intense international rivalry) and really don’t know what to expect from the local lads.

But one thing I do know is that these guys think they can do something spectacular – like qualify for Beijing and there’s a lot to be said for confidence.

Of course, confidence needs to be backed up by talent but glancing up and down the roster, this is a very athletic team with a good mix of young and old.

I still think it’ll be a major upset for them to make it to the Olympics but stranger things have happened.

I remember in 1999, the team went down to Puerto Rico, beat Puerto Rico in the final game for the final Olympic spot when few had given them any chance.

Can that happen again? I don’t know for sure and I suspect not. But it’ll be fun to watch. From afar.

Speaking of fun to watch, go watch them. Tickets are cheap, there are lots available at McMaster tonight and tomorrow and at the Ricoh Centre on Friday and Saturday and they could use the support.

After all, it’s not every year we get to see the best basketball players Canada has around these parts.

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Let’s do this one last time, okay?

Q: If you are BC (besides the obvious differences in fashion and paycheck), would you have done the Gerald Wallace deal for TJ Ford without demanding a second round pick and thus keeping the 17th pick or the Jermaine O'Neal deal?

Nick O, North York

A: No, I would have done exactly the deal that they did.

And here’s why, again:

There were two glaring needs after last season: Toughness and rebounding and athleticism on the wing.

I think O’Neal addresses the former better than Wallace would have addressed the latter.

This trade defines the role of Bargnani, which may give him some confidence and a comfort zone. There is no question now about who starts at centre and power forward and who comes off the bench; there were questions last year about whether Rasho should start or Bargnani and what role each would play. Clearing that up was as important a factor as any.

And the 17^th pick was not going to contribute for a couple of years, at best.

There are a couple of other reasons I like the trade:
You’ve got to something bold sometime and this was bold. If it fails, it fails, but I’d rather have a franchise fail trying something than fail sitting on its collective butt.

Believe it or not, there are members of the coaching staff here who aren’t really in love with Wallace’s game.

Finally, the mail, a bit overdue

Sorry ‘bout the delay, gals and guys.

A trip to the national team camp yesterday turned into a longer reporting, writing day than I expected and then there was a little neighbourhood shindig that conspired to keep me away from the machine for a few hours.

But here’s the mail anyway and we’ll be back tomorrow with the usual pap and drivel.

Q: Thanks for making my morning coffee a little more informative and interesting.
My question is not so much about basketball as it is about reporting (I appreciate it when you give behind-the-scenes information on your job, as well as the team).

The other morning you posted a comment that mentioned the Pacer trade, but immediately clarified it by saying that nothing was imminent. This set off a storm in the forums, blogs, news sites, radio sports updates, sports TV updates, etc. I suppose, that is part of being in the media mecca that is Toronto.
My question is, in a broad sense but with this particular story as a recent example, how does it make you feel when you see such a strong reaction to some piece of information that you posted?  In this case, it was often overstated on other mediums, as you had intentionally downplayed it at the time. Do you take any offense by being 'misquoted'? Is it flattering to see your hard work spread to the masses in such efficient style? If you give a piece of information out like that and it doesn't come true, do you feel embarrassed, or less satisfied with the work you put in to find it?
How about this, do your sources take offense to their tidbits of information spreading so quickly? Does one story like this coming out for you cause them to rethink giving you more info the next time?
Sorry, long post, and many questions.

Dale H, Kitchener

A: One of the best pieces of advice I ever got, from someone far more accomplished in this business than I am, was this:
On a beat, 90 per cent of the stories are tied, five per cent you win, five per cent you lose. That’s pretty much been true on my time covering the Raptors.

So you get your information – and believe me, it’s a very competitive city to report in – and you put it out there because, first and foremost, you’re here to serve the readers as best you can.

You feel quite proud when you win a story, just like you feel quite grumpy when you lose a story but, and I’m really getting clichéd here, you don’t get too high after a win and you don’t get too down after a loss.

There’s always another story brewing so you do one and move on to the other.

Sure, it’s nice to have your paper’s name, and your name, out there getting credit for a big break but it really isn’t what drives any good beat writer. What should drive them is doing the best possible job to provide correct, insightful, timely information in a style that includes context and is entertaining.

As for “sources,” the thing you do is build trust and the ones who help you out through stories don’t mislead you. Of course, if you protect them and help them, they will be quite willing to help you out again down the line.

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Q: Some questions regarding team Canada's upcoming home games.

I plan on attending both games at the Ricoh Coliseum July 4th and 5th.
I've never been to an international game before so what can I expect in terms of skill, intensity, and general experience? I attend on average 10 Raptors games per year not including playoffs. How might these Canada games compare? Is there anything I should watch out for?

Scott F, Toronto

A: Good on you for going, all the rest of you should, too. In Hamilton and Toronto.

Now, for what to expect? The game’s different in a few ways. Not as crisp, not as free-flowing. Depending on the officials, it’s generally a bit rougher, both in style of play and the physical nature of the game.

There’s no defensive illegal defence, meaning defenders can camp out under the basket all day if they want, leading to more three-point and mid-range shooting.

With the Canadian team, you should watch for point guard play, since that’ll be the key to any success they have at the Olympic qualifier and you should watch to see if they are getting easy shots on offence because, last year at least, they struggled to score.

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Q: A CBA 101 question for you: does a restricted free agent's team have the right to match an offer coming from a non-NBA team? For example, if a European club were to offer Delfino a contract which he accepted, would the Raptors have the right to match it and retain him or are they powerless should he choose to play for a team that isn't in the NBA?
Thanks,

Serge P, Ottawa

A: Good question. The answer is no, they can only match any offer he gets from an NBA team. If Panathinaikos or Olympiakos or CSKA Moscow or Real Madrid offers him a deal, he can take it and there’s nothing the Raptors, or any other NBA team in a similar circumstance with a restricted free agent, can do about it.

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Q: I go to Toronto about 8-10 times a year, and I was wondering what they were building in front of the ACC? (the side facing towards the Rogers Centre) I saw a lot of construction when I passed it earlier this week.
Thanks again.

Sam C, Kingston

A: Anything to help a visitor to our fine city.

Those are condos and offices and retail outlets and, I believe, future homes of wayward beat grunts.

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Q: Doug, re the other player in the Pacers-Raptors deal, any thoughts on why Baston instead of Joey Graham?

Colin W, Toronto

A: The Pacers need an end-of-the-bench big more than they need another swingman and, I believe, they probably have their quota of Grahams.

Mail's gonna be late

A confluence of atual newspaper work and another glorious triumph by the Erindale minor Little League Yankees and subsequent coaches "meeting" kept me away from the machine most of yesterday.

Hence (good word, huh?) the mail's going to be late 'cause I gotta go check out the Canadian national team this morning, a long-neglected assignment.

Be back later

A weird night of nothing, really

What a surreal night.

We’re in the media room and everyone knows what’s happened, we all know Bryan can’t talk about O’Neal, there’s no sense in him talking about Hibbert and even the 41^st pick, as relatively inconsequential as it is, can’t evoke an official comment.

So what’s a group of grunts to do? Well, sit around and mock the draft TV coverage among other things.

Oh, and come up with little tidbits to put in here.

(If you came looking for the regular Friday mailbag, you’ll have to wait a day; seems it’s an irregular Friday Or Saturday Depending On The News And Doug’s Mood mailbag now)

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Had chats with a couple of Raptor coaches yesterday, trying to figure out what they think of the big deal and what they were doing to figure out how to use Bosh and O’Neal together.

Reaction was overwhelmingly positive (yeah, that’s a huge surprise) but mostly because of what O’Neal might do defensively.

Now, when some flat-footed wing guy gives up one of his many blow-bys, they think at least there’s a big, ornery fellow waiting in the paint. Rasho, for all his good things, was not big and ornery and I’m pretty sure Andrea couldn’t find big and ornery with a search warrant.

O’Neal at one time was a pretty good defender, even excellent at times, and if he’s at either of those levels this time around, that’s the huge plus of the deal.

Offensively?

Well, and take this not as a true comparison but just as an example, the staff’s going back to look at vintage video of how San Antonio used Duncan and Robinson together. Not saying Bosh and O’Neal are at that level, not a chance, but as a way to figure out some plays, that’s a pretty good duo and a pretty good coaching staff to mimic.

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Yes, there was a Gerald Wallace deal in play that never materialized because the Bobcats wouldn’t throw in another draft pick.

Wallace is intriguing, no doubt, but there are concussion issues, he’s not a particularly good jump shooter and he really doesn’t get to the free throw line all that much.

His money? Deal’s cheaper but longer than O’Neal’s.

I don’t know what I would have done had the two deals been actually on the table at the same time. Might have done Wallace and kept No. 17 but look who was there? A bunch of long-term projects. I dunno. Would have been a tough call.

Wallace doesn’t address rebounding and defensive needs, doesn’t provide the cap flexibility soon, and there are those on the staff who think he’s actually a four in a three’s body.

Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge now, they did what they did with what was actually available.

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You watch that on TV last night?
What in the world is up with Jay Bilas and his fascination with “wing span?”

I swear, every kid had an extra forearm or another elbow or something.

Odd. Very.

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Check out this Jermaine O’Neal quote from the interviews he did yesterday.

"You’re talking about a team that’s extremely athletic, extremely big at the wing positions, and they play defence.”

Guess he didn’t spend a lot of his downtime last season actually, you know, watching Raptor games.

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The talking TV heads – and I really like Jeff Van Gundy – were prattling on about the odd hiring of Vinny Del Negro in Chicago and Mark Jackson lauds it because the Bulls “went outside the box” to hire a coach with absolutely no experience.

Since Mark wants some team to do exactly that with him, maybe he should put that clip in his video resume.

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Bargnani update:

Don’t for a minute think the Raptors haven’t been keeping a close tab on him.

They sent Keith D’Amelia, the team’s strength and conditioning coach over to Italy to work him out, test him and make sure he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing. They tell me he is.

Oh, and he’s going to the big man camp in Vegas in late July to continue his off-season work.

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A dip into the mailbag:

Q: Doug, help me out with this: Why is everyone presuming that Delfino is gone this off-season? It seems that an athletic 2/3 with what will likely be a reasonable price tag is something we'd want to hold onto. Am I missing something? I know he's up and down, but c'mon! I think he's earned a new deal. Can you shed some light on this?
Mike K, Toronto

A: It’s a combination of two things that I imagine will drive Carlos out.

One is money, there just isn’t an awful lot to go around and the bottom three or four roster spots are going to be filled with low wage-earners.

The second is the fact there was a glut, or logjam, at the two-three spot last year and this is one way to clear it up. The rotation needs to be tightened and defined in some sort of swingman cull and this is one of the ways to do it.

Now, if he wants to come back for the minimum and they can move Joey somewhere, then I can see it happening. But neither of those things is likely to occur.

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Free agency’s next but anyone thinking the Raptors are going to make a big splash is likely going to be sorely disappointed.

Even a little ripple might be asking a bit.

Once they do Jose’s deal, they’ll have 10 guys under contract and will have very little money to spend. Without knowing the cap number, tax level or Jose’s number, it’s impossible to tell with any certainty but I’m guessing they’ll have around $5 million to spend on two point guards and another player and that’s not going to yield a star, that’s for sure.

My best guess: They do Roko Ukic, another point guard (I know there’s been some sniffing around Jason Hart) and then a young swingman in the Moon mode. If there’s money left, then they’ll go look for another big.

Anyway, that’s all to be determined over the weekend and into the first of next week.

Which, of course, will give me something to do while it rains all freaking weekend.

Wasn't that some kind of day

Is he done?

Not by a longshot.

Even as we were digesting Jermaine O’Neal, there was a flurry of activity in the Raptor offices until late, late last night and there’s every chance Bryan Colangelo’s got a few things up his sleeve.

Not a lot of downtime time today, it seems.

Word was he’s working on getting another pick – maybe two – in tonight’s draft to find people to groom for the future.

There are no details, of course, but it’s obvious around the league (see New Orleans, Denver) that picks are for sale and available.

What they’d like to do, I surmise (and surmise is all we’re going to get until tonight, I fear) is find a way to draft a young big man, maybe stash him in Europe for a year or two and hope he’s ready when O’Neal’s contract expires.

Not sure what he’s got to offer player-wise (I don’t imagine they’re clamouring for the other of Maceo Baston and Joey Graham) but I could see Hump being in discussions and maybe there’s another GM out there sniffing, too.

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Okay, the deal. (And, again, I preface all of this by saying it’s not done until it’s done, even if I cannot fathom a way it falls apart).

As you all know, I’m quite okay with this transaction.

Two years of Jermaine O’Neal is far, far better than a year of Rasho and a year of uncertainty, I don’t think there’s a doubt about that.

If he’s 100 per cent, this will be the best front court since 2001; if he plays 40 games a year over the next two years, he’ll still give ‘em something they haven’t had in years.

And I really, really, really like the $20 million or so they’ll have to spend in 2010.

Just check back a couple of days here to see the reasoning for liking the deal.

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The one thing Bryan talked about yesterday that got lost was infatuation in Europe with AP.

Here’s what the GM had to say:

"I think there’s some truth to the notion there was some interest on Europe’s part, or a couple of foreign team’s part, to try to lure a player like an Anthony, who obviously had a huge impact in Europe and would be considered a star returning.

"There may have even been some interest on his part … because the dollars that may have been available may have been ridiculous or silly. I think the notion was expressed back to us that he would really like to stay in the NBA and that would be his first choice.

...

"We have the player under contract, he’s a great, great young man and a very good player for us. He a very good player for and our starting two guard. It’s hard for us to find a scenario where that would be acceptable at this point to allow something like that to happen."

...

"We’ll continue to monitor what interest there might be but our intention is to have Anthony play for us this year.”

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A bit of old mail, and I haven’t even looked this morning to see how full the mailbag is today

Q: You said in (last week's) mailbag that you don't see a Canadian NBAer in the next five years. Are you including Bol Kong in this? Do you just not see him in the NBA anytime soon or is it that his visa issues are getting that out of hand? Any updates on his story?

Jake K, Toronto

A: The kid’s a Vancouver teenage high-schooler, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. A very interesting story, has visa problems as a Sudanese trying to get into the United States, and he may very well turn into the next great Canadian but with the visa situation and his age, you’re looking very, very, very long into the future.

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Oh yeah, we walked out to the bowl after Bryan’s thing yesterday to see this new scoreboard.

It’s gonna be freaking HUGE.

The shell’s there, looks like it’s got eight screens for video that are monstrous and about eight more for ads and stats and scores and stuff.

Appears quite impressive.

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Okay, off to see what they’ve got in store for us today. Oh, and to post about a zillion comments. I tell ya, you people are great. Can’t believe the interweb didn’t break under the weight of everything sent this way.

Deal's as done as it can be right now

Nothing's official until it's official, he said in his best Yogi Berra imitation, but it sure looks at the moment like the T.J. Ford-Jermaine O'Neal trade is going to go through.

The concerns both Toronto and Indiana had with the health of the principles -- Ford's neck and back and O'Neal's knee -- have apparently been eased and only some major last-minute snag or case of cold feet can scuttle the trade now.

The Raptors will also send the 17th pick in Thursday's draft, Rasho Nesterovic and another bit part to the Pacers in the deal that's been talked about in the media since Monday morning.

Bryan Colangelo had told us he had "four or five" conversations going about Ford but a couple of team sources said he liked the O'Neal deal best because of the impact it will have on the court immediately and on the bottom line a couple of seasons from now.

O'Neal will make $44 million (US) over the next two seasons but will come off the books and give Colangelo a boatload of money to throw at free agents following the 2009-10 season.

Neither side is talking, of course, because nothing can be finalized until T.J.'s base-year compensation tag comes off the books on July 1. For that reason, Toronto will make the 17th selection in tonight's draft based on what the Pacers tell them to do.

Just to keep you up to date

Just wandered back to the office from Bryan's media thingy and, quite frankly, there wasn't a whole lot new.

He's got "four or five conversations that we feel are legitimate right now," he said on the T.J. trade front, just like we've been writing for a few days.

Two of them, he said, are final and waiting on decisions, one is still being "negotiated" and two others he categorized as "fluid."

Pretty certain that Indiana (Jermaine O'Neal) and Phoenix (Boris Diaw) are the ones that are final and I'm hearing that Portland may be the one that's being "negotiated."

It could be that the Blazers, who I was told on the weekend didn't like "small guards" went shopping and couldn't find a big guard they like and have come calling again. No suggestion who would be in the talks but that's what I've got the rest of the night to figure out.

And there's also no word on what deals will allow the Raptors to keep the No. 17 pick. It's not in the Phoenix deal, I don't believe; it is in the Indy deal and I'm still trying to figure out how it fits in the others.

On the draft, the talk was pretty much all about bigs. He mentioned the usual suspects -- Alexis Ajinca, Robin Lopez, Roy Hibbert -- and tossed out JaVale McGee, who wouldn't come work out for Toronto.

The wings, which really got downplayed, were guys like Donte Green and, only if a miracle occurred and teams forgot about him, Brandon Rush.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know what was up. Now it's time to go work the phones.

Time to learn more, and time to mock

Little road trip for Sam and Jim Kelly yesterday. Off to Philly to see Alexis Ajinca for a second time and Darrell Arthur for a first.

Mean anything?
Probably just due diligence, actually, I wouldn’t read too much into it.

But Ajinca’s the intriguing one of those two.

A workout monster, I’m told, looks great in the gym but no one’s sure if that translates into the ability to, you know, play in games.

He’ll be a gamble for whoever takes him.

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Action: Reports suggest Nicolas Batum’s agent will distribute medical reports saying his client’s 100 per cent healthy.

Reaction: In Toronto? Yawn.

No matter what that report says, I’m told the Raptors aren’t going to try to see him today and he’s off their list of possibilities.

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ERIC GAY/AP

Derrick Rose seems to be the high point of the draft so far.

A guy works the phones and e-mails most of the day and lots of info comes tumbling out, some of it might even be true.

Stuff like:

Anthony Randolph is no longer seen as a top 10 pick, too skinny.

There was a workout in Phoenix yesterday for DeAndre Jordan that Toronto was thinking about attending but blew off to go see Ajinca and Arthur

The big movers up the charts is J.J. Hickson and Jason Thompson.

Roy Hibbert’s gonna be there when Toronto picks, and the best guess is he’ll be there after they pick.

Chris Douglas-Roberts could fall to the mid-20s.

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Here’s one thing to remember in the next couple of days.

All throughout the workout process, Jim Kelly has said publicly and people have told me privately, that the Raptors would indeed be comfortable drafting a guy they hadn’t had in Toronto.

It’s been mentioned so often, I don’t know if it’s one of those smokescreen things or real fact; I just throw it out to get the masses chattering.

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Mock me.

(A disclaimer: This is being done knowing there are several serious trade talks going on between several teams and the order – hence the picks – may change entirely)

The biggest provision being that I don't think Toronto will end up keeping the No. 17 pick, something will go down to change where, or if, they select.

But what the heck, have fun with it. And remember, use it for entertainment purposes only, no wagering.

Chicago: Derrick Rose

Miami: Michael Beasley

Minnesota: O.J. Mayo

Seattle: Jerryd Bayless

Memphis: Kevin Love

New York: Russell Westbrook

LA Clippers: Eric Gordon

Milwaukee: Joe Alexander

Charlotte: Brook Lopez

New Jersey: Danilo Gallinari

Indiana: D.J. Augustin

Sacramento: Mario Chalmers

Portland: Darrell Arthur

Golden State: JaVale McGee

Phoenix:  Brandon Rush

Philadelphia: J.J.Hickson

Toronto: Alexis Ajinca

Washington: Donte Greene

Cleveland: Marreese Speights

Okay, I really gotta stop, my head hurts and it’s even more of a crapshoot from here on in.

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Wanna know why a T.J. Ford to Miami trade isn’t likely to happen? Because T.J.’s contract has three years to run and the Heat, and a handful of other teams, are trying to clear the deck for 2010 free agent class.

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A mailbag query that’s not draft-related:

Q: Now that an announcement of the signing of Jorge in Europe for approx. 2 million Euros, approx. $3.2 million (US) can we than state that the cap allotment of Garbajosa would be $1 to $1.5 million (US)?

Mark B, Palm Beach Gardens

A: No, we can’t.

Garbo’s deal with Malaga has nothing to do with his buyout over here. I’m still trying to find out officially what the number is but that’s what will determine his cap it over here, not what Unicaja is paying him.

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And, of course, some draft- and trade-related mail:

Q: Hope you can shed some light regarding your comments in your June 23 blog about a possible TJ Ford to Portland deal. To me this makes perfect sense. Some combination of Ford for Jarett Jack and others (Webster or Outlaw and cap filler etc.) gives the Raps a back up point and a wing and me thinks Ford fits very well as a point guard to work with Roy, Aldridge and Oden et al. So why is there no smoke here? Is Portlandnot at all interested? Any idea why? Other teams seem to see value in Ford.

Matt A, Toronto

A: To you, maybe. To the folks in Portland, at least those that I talk to and hear from, the Blazers really aren’t in love with small guards and don’t really see T.J. as someone who can lead them up the Western Conference standings.

If the Blazers get desperate, they may call, but I have no indication that’s going to happen.

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Oh yeah, I’ll hammer it home one more time. Go here, find out where to buy tickets and pick up a couple for the national team games either here or in Hamilton.

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And, finally, one last kick at the mail bag (and don’t worry, I’m saving a lot of non-draft, non-trade queries to fill the regular weekend edition)

Q: I have a couple quick questions.
1. If the Raps do trade T.J and Rasho while letting Delfino walk - do you think they bring Giorgos Printezis over from Europe as a cheap small forward at the end of the bench?
2. Are you familiar with Ricky Rubio?  This kid has been playing professional ball since he was 14 years old or something like that.  Next year is his draft year and I was wondering your position on this Spanish youngster; do you think he'll be as good as they say he will?  I think so!

Jimmy T, Toronto

A: I don’t know about Printezis, if they bring him over and he’s a stiff and they have to cut him, they lose his rights. I think it’s best to let him play a bit more over there to see if he’ll ever be able to help here. But they may want to make a quick decision on him and bring him to camp.

I’ve only seen Ricky Rubio in video, never in person, but from what I’ve seen, and from what people whose opinions I respect tell me, he’s right now a top 10 pick next year and could, with a good season, vault himself into the top three or four.

Cleaning up from the Ford Fallout, among other things

I can’t believe this interweb thing is still working after the beating it took yesterday.

You’d think Chuck Swirsky was leaving the Raptors or something judging by all the comments and queries we got.

As was written in the very first installment of the Ford-O’Neal saga, the deal is not imminent, there are other teams in the mix for T.J. and no one knows for sure whether it’ll be consummated.

That said, the discussion with the Pacers are real, the Raptors do have a lot of interest in O’Neal (if his knee’s healthy) and it could start percolating again any minute.

And with all the comments yesterday containing so many questions, here’s as many answers as I can provide:

Who backs up Calderon?

There was an inordinate amount of concern over this one, which surprised me. Let’s say they do a Ford-Diaw deal, or a Ford deal to some other team for a big or the much loved Ford-Maggette deal. No backup there. Truth is, backup point guards aren’t hard to find. They are working on the Roko Ukic buyout and he could be the guy. They could sign a young one out of a free agency, maybe a guy like Pooh Jeter did enough in the weekend free agent camp to warrant a look.

That’s the least of their worries.

One guy I don’t think it will be, as some have suggested, is Carlos Delfino. Depending on what kind of offers he gets out there, it’s quite conceivable that Torontolets him walk. In a perfect world they’d probably like to keep him, this is not a perfect world. I still think with Moon, Parker and Kapono (especially if it’s the Kapono of the playoffs) you can make the case that he’s superfluous.

What about Bargnani?

If a deal for a centre comes to fruition, he comes off the bench, likely as a backup four. That way he plays against second unit guys mainly and has some success that helps restore his confidence. It doesn’t mean that anyone in the organization has “given up on him.” It means they found a way to improve the team – they think – top to bottom.

What about the tax?

Even with O’Neal’s numbers on the books – and this is running the salary numbers I have and figuring either Baston or Graham are thrown in for ballast and giving Jose a first-year salary of $8 million – I think there’s still enough cash this summer to spend the entire mid-level salary cap exception without paying tax.

The numbers I have came from an NBA GM and my math skills are okay, thanks to the calculator on this machine, so I’m pretty sure I’m right.

Anyway, they will have some money to spend this summer.

What do I think?

If it were to come off, it’s a gamble, no question. It gives them a two-year window to do something special and they’d have more than $20 million to spend at the end of it if the experiment fails.

Sure there are concerns about O’Neal’s knees, just like there are concerns about T.J.’s neck and back; if the deal happens it’s a gamble on both sides.

The upside with O’Neal is that he’s healthy and motivated to regain his place among the league’s elite and when he’s good, he can be very good.

The downside is he plays 50 games a year and these guys muddle through but, frankly, they’d probably rather muddle through with him playing 50 games than with Rasho playing 75 for a year and then losing Nesterovic for nothing in 2009-10.

Not knowing for sure what else is out there, I''d make deal.

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Okay, let’s get on to other matters. Like that pesky draft that’s coming up Thursday.

What should we read into the fact the Raptors had North Carolina State power forward J.J. Hickson back in for a second look, the only guy they did that with?

Not entirely sure but it has to be a good sign if you’re Hickson. He’s 6-9, a bullish low post guy who, someone, gets it done.

Here’s how Jim Kelly summed him up:

"I think he really knows how to use his body, he has a knack for getting inside, he uses his weight very well and has all these little ‘flip’ shots and I don’t know how you exactly describe him but he shoots the lights out from down in the low block area and he’s played against big guys all his life.”

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Let’s do a mail thing that’s divorced from the draft and T.J.

Q: I am aware of MLB's system for developing its umpires but what is the NBA's and why do they have such a hard time finding and developing decent refs? Maybe their development system needs tweaking as look at the amount of refs in college ball. I am a avid NCAA b-ball fan so I am aware of the lack of credible refs there as well but surely there are some good ones or ones that have the potential to become solid NBA refs?

Doug B, Toronto

A: That’s one of the big problems, there aren’t too many places for good young officials to hone their craft. The NBA looks to the D League, the other minor leagues and the WNBA to find officials. They use them in summer leagues and exhibition games but it takes time for them to learn the nuances of the game, and the craft.

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While we were in the arena waiting for the workout to be over, noticed a crane on the main floor and, being the astute observer that I am, immediately thought, “what’s a crane doing on the Air Canada Centre floor?”

Seems the new scoreboard’s on its way. They were dismantling the old one and getting ready to put the new one up.

Heard it’s very cool, bigger screens, better quality video and, hopefully, the scoreboard part of the scoreboard is somewhere easier to see than right at the top.

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Am sure you heard that Groom To Be Matt Bonner was in the weight room working out yesterday. He wasn’t alone.

The Hump’s in town, too, getting a little summer work in.

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Yeah, she’s pretty damn good.

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Oh, and all you Marreese Speights fans out there take note.

All I heard around the gym yesterday – coaches, staff members, people who saw him work out – was how disappointing the session was.

"Worst guy we had in” was one comment.

I’d suggest you’ve got a better chance getting drafted by Torontothan he does.

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One last thing, for now.

Thanks for all the restaurant, cocktail lounge recommendations in Ottawa. It’s a few months until we’re there but all are being dutifully saved.

Much appreciated.

Closing in on a Ford deal

Told you it was going to be a busy week of rumours and speculation and trade talk.

It’s all very tentative and quite up in the air but the Raptors have already investigated the possibility of a blockbuster trade that would net them a veteran – yet expensive – NBA centre.

According to league sources, Toronto has had talks with the Indiana Pacers about acquiring 29-year-old Jermaine O’Neal for a package that would include T.J. Ford, Rasho Nestervoic and, perhaps, the 17th pick in this week’s draft.

The talks are not the point where any deal is imminent and a deal is certainly not assured but the source said the Raptors are aggressively trying to move Ford and O’Neal is one of their targets.

Toronto also still has serious interest in forward Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns and is in talks with at least three other teams for trades of a similar magnitude.

O’Neal is coming off an injury-riddled season in which he played just 42 games and averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The 6-11 centre has been working out in Las Vegas since just after the 2007-08 season ended and according to reports has just begun full-court work.

Obtaining O’Neal will be a huge two-year financial commitment for the Raptors. He’s due to make about $21 million (all figures U.S.) this season and $23 million in 2009-10. To make the trade work under NBA salary cap rules, Toronto would have to add some other pieces in addition to Ford and Nesterovic but they have several less expensive expiring contracts that would make it work.

But even if the O’Neal trade doesn’t materialize, it does signal just how hard the Raptors are trying to move Ford so they can hand over the starting point guard job to restricted free agent Jose Calderon.

With Phoenix still in the mix and the other teams having talks with Toronto, it would appear Bryan Colangelo will have plenty of options to sift through before Thursday’s draft.