JT in the deep south and memories of Edmonton

Just want to say it’s very nice of the Raptors and Direct Energy to pick a winner in that contest where Jamario and AP come to your house to shoot hoops who lives about five minutes away. Makes for an easy-ish morning.

Thanks.

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Not much going on once yesterday’s announcement of the pre-season sked became official; can’t say I’m a big fan of back-to-back games on the west coast but it’ll be nice to see Edmonton.

Bet the fans out there will be treated to something more substantial than the last time, which was 1999 for a big Naismith Cup tilt with the Vancouvers and provided a couple of moments of great hilarity.

That was the game that featured 7-3 Alex Radojevic leading a fast-break like you’ve never seen a fast break led by before (all arms and legs and the ball being dribbled about six feet high with each bounce) and was also, I believe, the swansong for that Great Raptor Training Camp project Master P. If I recall correctly, he shot it every time he touched it and I must be recalling correctly because he shot it every time he touched it no matter what game he was in.

Oh yeah, that was also the arena (not sure what it was called then or is called now) that kept showing hockey scores on the auxiliary scoreboard instead of, you know, the score of the actual basketball game and I believe Butch Carter pointed that out quite vociferously at one point in the evening.

Ah, the memories!

Pre-season neutral sites, you gotta love ‘em.

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Cool to see JT get a gig, no? In case you missed it, he joined the Hawks staff, along with Tyrone Hill, who I don’t believe owes Oak money any more. Although I could be wrong on that one, haven’t spoken to Oak in six weeks or so.

Anyway, I’m sure JT will do a great job with Mike Woodson (I’ve got him as the interim head coach by about Feb. 1) but the funniest thing is gonna be if he does his halftime TV gig with the Hawks, too.

Put that New England accent in the deep south and I’m betting no one has a clue what he’s actually saying.

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Speaking of assistant coaches with a Raptor angle, New Jersey hired Roy Rogers yesterday.

You have to go deep in the memory banks to remember him. He came over in the Chauncey, Dee Brown, John Thomas deal that sent Kenny Anderson, Popeye and Zan Tabak to the Celtics.

Roy, who lasted all of six games with the Raptors, was also part of another significant deal.

It took him, and two second-round draft picks, to pry The Big Fella Kevin Willis away from the Rockets in ’99.

Ah, the memories!

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A mailbag followup:

Q: Hey Doug. Guess what! Every single Raptors game is live on the radio anywhere in the world for free at NBA.com plus every other game on the schedule, also for free. I never miss a game that’s not on TV.
I'm surprised you didn't know this.
We will be able to listen to Chuck Swirsky on Bulls radio. Say what you
will about Chuck but he was not ever bland. Are you kidding me? Great passion!
Larry B, Sydney Forks

A: That’s true, but that certainly doesn’t help someone who, let’s say, is driving in Waterloo or someone who – gasp! – doesn’t have internet access all the time.

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So, I’m at the ball yard yesterday, watching this Canadian kid make his first start and I’m talking to a few guys from the Olympic team ‘cause I’m going back to my roots and covering some ball over in Beijing.

And it strikes me that the Rogers Jays (I believe that’s the official name now, isn’t it?) royally screwed the national team.

The Richmond kid who pitched was going to be, if not the ace, a huge part of Canada’s rotation and now he can’t pitch because the Rogers Jays needed an emergency starter or somesuch in what was actually one of the more crucial games of the season (chasing Tampa for first, you sure want to trot out a guy who’s never pitched in a big league game in the deciding game of a series, don’t you?).

There wasn’t someone else in Syracuse or Double A, or even in the bullpen who could have made that start and kept Richmond available for the Olympics?

I think it sucks and shows a complete lack of respect for the national team program.

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Speaking of the SkyDome (or whatever it’s called now), you’d think the kabillion dollar scoreboard in centre field would, you know, show the score?

But no.

It does have a nice Rogers ad, doesn’t it?

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Okay, basketball, the digression is over. For now.

As a Former Beat Grunt Turned Political Reporter But Still A Musicologist (and you’ll have to try to guess who that is) points out, the Houston Rocket locker room is now populated by Rafer Alston, Steve Francis and Ron Artest.

Yip! and Eeee!

That’s a dream team of dysfunction and story possibilities.

Don’t you feel so good for Rick Adelman right about now?

Anyway, I don’t think the acquisition of Artest does much to move the Rockets from where they are, maybe top five in the West. I’ve got them behind the Lakers, Spurs, probably the Jazz and likely the Suns and I still say they’re hard-pressed to win a playoff series.

Oh, and you know that Artest is going to do or say something foolish and costly during the season. He always has. Everywhere he’s been. Can’t see it changing all of a sudden.

As one of his former teammates once told me, and I’m paraphrasing a bit, “Ron’s great. We just gotta keep him on his meds.”

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First report just in from our coach in Beijing (he arrived a few hours ago) and it can’t be better.

The dorm rooms are fine, the Blackberry works, no trouble at Customs and – get this – beer’s like 8 RMB (I’m guessing about a buck and half Canadian) at the media village store!

The trip’s looking better every day.

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Last mail bit for the day

Q: I just read about how Australia's national basketball team defeated China in an Olympic warm-up due to 'dogged defense' where Yao and Yi where held in check all night. I got excited thinking our boy Jawai might have been involved in shutting down the Chinese big men.
Is he on the Australian national team? If not, why not? You can't tell me Summer League is more valuable than the Olympics and playing against Yao Ming or Dwight Howard.
I know they have Bogut from the NBA but that's it, right? One NBA centre and a bunch of guys who play in Europe ... sounds familiar. Except they're in the Games and we're not.

Rob M, Toronto

A: With all due respect to the Australian team, the qualifying process for them is exponentially easier than anything Canada has to do. They need to, basically, beat New Zealand in a best-of-three series to qualify for any Olympics or world championship.

And, no, Jawai is not on the national team, never has been. Frankly, they have better, much more experienced international players they’ve taken.

Of Jack and Leo and a blast from the past

You know what’s weird?
You go in the office a couple of days and they ask you to write about China so you write two days about pollution and smog and cheating and bird flu and some more pollution and smog and air quality and then they ask you if you’re excited to be going.

Huh?

Anyway, T-minus four days ‘til departure so still more time for boring old summer basketball news. Except today, there are some nuggets of news.

Here we go:

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I’m hearing that we won’t get the schedule today but we may get a look at least part of the pre-season schedule, which includes that CSKA Moscow visit, which I’m hearing is Oct. 14. That’s gotta be right around Thanksgiving, no? Funny about the Raptors and Thanksgiving. I’m not sure, in the past, they’ve actually taken that holiday into account given that it’s not, you know, the American version. I don’t know how many years they’ve had games on the weekend that either didn’t consider the paucity of fans since they’d be with family or didn’t consider the inconvenience to, you know, us media types who miss just about every other holiday for games.

But I digress …

Not sure what else they’re going to announce today but whispers are we’re going to Los Angeles for a couple of games, likely in the four-team tournament they usually run out there, and then I think there’s a quick trip up to Edmonton for the traditional “Spread The Gospel Game In Canada” game.

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Word, late if you’re a regular reader here, comes down yesterday that, yes, Jack and Leo are back to share analyst duties on TV this season, with Jack handling TSN and Leo doing The Score and CBC, both along with play-by-play dude Matt Devlin.
But because we like to advance stories here in blogger-land, I’m hearing that the breakdown is about 45 nights of Jack Games and 37 nights of Leo Games.

It’s unofficial, and maybe off a game or two because the schedule’s not cast in stone yet, but those are the ballpark numbers.

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A topical mail one, given yesterday’s jurisprudence events:

Q: Not really a Raptors question, but a basketball one nevertheless.  So Tim Donaghy gets 15 months for his sheniagans. Frankly, from the reports and speculations, I figured he would have gotten a lot more. Do you know if he will have to serve the whole time, or is there time off for good behavior?  Also, you may have addressed this before, but do you think Donaghy was the lone rogue ref in the league?  In looking back on some of the more controversial calls (and yes, the refs are humans and will make mistakes), it sure makes one wonder.

Colin W, Toronto

A: I’m actually thinking the sentence was about what everyone I talked to expected, in fact some figured it’d be a year. And given that I don’t think too many criminals ever serve their entire sentences, I’d presume he’d be in the hoosegow for fewer than 15 entire months.

I do think Donaghy was the lone criminal among the officiating staff, the refs I know are honest men who have a difficult job and feel horrible about the hit their profession has taken.

It’s funny, but all of Donaghy’s more astounding assertions – about that Laker-Kings game in ’02, the number of calls he made to Scott Foster (who is thought of as one of the best young officials in the game) – all came while the judge was trying to determine a sentence and were well known to law enforcement officials who never pursued criminal probes against the officials who were slagged.

I think it’s good that the league restructured the top of its officiating hierarchy – a new big boss, two underbosses will oversee officials from now on – and when the Pedowitz report comes out (the independent investigation into the whole affair) I think we’ll get a better look at what’s wrong, and what has to be corrected, within the league office.

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So, if you’re looking for a Euroleague team to cheer for, how about Khimki Moscow.

Not only do they have Garbo and Delfino (and I know at least a couple friends who will be closely watching for whatever Garbo does – apparently he has that affect on some of the ladies) a look at the roster today shows one Milton Palacio and the esteemed Jerome Moiso.

(Wonder if Milt’s got the layup problem licked yet?)

Moiso brings back one of the great Sam moments of the last four years. We’re in Orlando, they get killed and in his post-game scrum Sam, totally unprovoked and entirely out of character for a coach who rips players publicly, absolutely kills Moiso – can’t play, empty uniform, won’t work, piece of poop, all very un-Sam-like.

I don’t even think Moiso played in the game so, being the enterprising grunts we are, we immediately head to Moiso’s locker and the kid’s like a deer in the headlights.

"Huh? Said what? Who? Sam? Me? Um, I dunno. Work hard. Try my best. Ah, don’t know. Who? Sam? Said what?”

Classic.

Wonder if Sam’s gonna call Khimki’s coach?

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Emeka Okafor gets $72 million and what’s a guy to think? Well, centres don’t come cheap, I guess, but the suspicion here is that Okafor is a bit over-rated and that’s not money well spent. Not that the options were plentiful, though, so I guess you can just chalk it up to the Bobcats over-spending to keep one of their own.

And I think you can draw some parallels to the past here, where if you wanted to keep your own free agents, or attract others to a situation that’s gloomy – given what’s gone on with the Bobcats with crowds and on-court performance since they returned, it’s as a gloomy there as it ever was here – you’ve got to spend a bit more than you’d probably like.

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Another one from the mail:

Q: Hey Doug - love the blog. Two quick questions for you:
1. Has there been any more discussion of the Raps creating their own D-League team in Ontario. Any narrowing down of locations?
2. Regarding the debacle that is our National Program (even though the kids are looking alright...), is there any chance that Basketball Canada would look outside of Canada for someone to lead the program or coach if they don't go with Leo?  It seems to be relatively common with European soccer/football in countries where they are far more passionate about that sport than Canadians are about basketball.  Does Triano have what it takes to lead the whole thing?  Would he forgive the previous slight?

Dan D, Hamilton

A: The D League thing is still cooking but it can’t, or won’t happen now until the ’09-10 season at least and I don’t think they’ve narrowed the possible locations down at all. In fact, given how things worked at the Ricoh Coliseum for the Canada games this summer, it may be on the list as a legitimate location now and I’m not sure it was before. It’s a very good, small, basketball venue.

As for Canada, when it comes time to look at a coach, and that’s gonna be a while ‘cause they’ve got to structure the system first, but I think their first choice will be someone from here.

Jay? I know the new regime has reached out to him, and to Nash, and to several others from the past, I don’t know how far along that process is.

Now the off-season's really here

Okay, now what?

No trade speculation, legit or otherwise. No free agent chatter, legit or otherwise. No nothing. What’s a guy to do? And what’s a group of rather faithful readers to do?

Guess we’ll just figure something out and go plodding along. After all, I’m sure you’ve got questions, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got answers and looking at the comments I haven’t had a chance to publish yet (they’ll be up right after this) you’ve got opinions.

And, of course, I’ve got all of Beijing to worry about and I hope you all noticed my women’s football team stomped the Singapores in their final pre-Olympic friendly (you did notice, right?).

So I’m guessing there’ll be enough to sustain us until September, when it’s going to get really, really slow.

On with today’s stuff …

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Will Solomon?

I have to admit, the signing caught me a bit by surprise (kudos to Israel’s Eran, usual chronicler of all things P.J. Tucker, for tipping me off) but when you sit back and look at it, it makes a bit of sense.

There was really no one over here who was overwhelming, a couple of guys might have fit but that’s about it. And getting a 30-year-old who’s probably happy to be back in North America doesn’t hurt. Sure worked out okay with AP, not that Solomon is going to have nearly the same responsibility but it’s something to take into account.

What’s his role?

Well, he’s going to be given a chance to compete with Roko for that backup point guard position but right now, it’s Ukic’s to lose. And I don’t presume he will, from what people tell me about his game.

I know Solomon does come with the Sam Stamp Of Approval, having met with the coach last week just to make sure they were on the same page and could co-exist.

That’s a key because one of the knocks on Solomon over in Europe was that he had a tendency to get a bit out of control, trying to do too much. I’m pretty sure Sam would have laid it out in pretty plain terms – you’re here to be a part of the team, not the dominant member of it.

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How’d they find him?

Bryan was at a game in Turkey, watching Omer Asik (a second round Portland pick) when Solomon killed Tau Ceramica in the same game. Bryan kept Solomon’s name in mind and when it came time to find that combo guard, the memory of that game came flooding back.

Goes to show you, you make all these long goofy scouting trips and who knows what might come up. The guy you want, you can’t get; the guy you need falls into your lap.

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Here’s one from the mail:

Q: Hey Doug, I have a bone with the Raptors and I'm just sending it to you because. The Raptors are constantly trying to tell us they are Canada's team and yet, you can't even pick them up on the radio as far away as Waterloo? It just seems a ridiculous way to engage the region.

Kim A, Toronto

A: That is a tad ridiculous, I think it’s time they tried harder to expand their radio network. I don’t know if they can but for the people over at Maple Leaf Sports who are reading this (and you know who you are, with the daily clips on your desks), see what you can do to help Kim out, would you?

Thanks

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Oh, if you were wondering why they didn’t give John Lucas a look at camp, here’s the assessment from a guy I trust who saw all five summer league games:

“He’s T.J. without the talent.”

Which means small, fast, can’t make a shot or a play.

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A couple of cranky-pants over in the comments section seemed to think I was taking some veiled shot at Nathan Jawai yesterday by busting on him for calling in sick for the Dance Pak (oops, Irish Spring Dance Pak) auditions.

It was a joke, people. Chill.

Nothing nefarious behind it. A wee shot at the new kid for calling in sick. That’s it.

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Kwame Brown to Detroit? Good luck, Mike Curry.

Of all the under-achieving draft stiffs of the last few years, he’d be right near the top of the list. Maybe being with a bunch of old heads like McDyess and Rasheed (if he doesn’t get traded) will teach Brown a few things but I’m skeptical.

Been a pretty underwhelming summer for the Pistons, no? Joe Dumars, who would be in the discussion of best GMs in the league, sounded like he was bent on blowing things up after they bowed to the Celtics. So far? Nada.

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Here’s one that touches on a couple of different subjects:

Q: Doug I was wondering if you can shed some light on whether we might see more of the Raptors on any of the national broadcasts this upcoming season. I would think that with the addition of O'Neil and the continued rise in popularity of Blaine Harrington (aka Chris Bosh) that the NBA might want to feature our beloved heroes of the hardcourt a little more now than in past seasons.

Have you heard any rumblings about this? What are your thoughts? Do you think the Raptors as currently constructed could be a draw for viewers in prime time ABC Sunday matchups...perhaps against a newly constructed Sixers team?

Steve H, Mississauga

A: I presume you mean American national broadcasts, right?

The schedule should come out next week (they were tweaking it late ‘cause of the Seattle-Oklahoma City move) and I really haven’t heard anything about it.

I would imagine, though, that these guys will get at least a sniff of a Thursday TNT game and I’m sure they’ll get a Friday night ESPN date but I don’t know about Sunday afternoons. I’d presume it’d be like last year, they’d have a chance to get moved to a Sunday afternoon date late in the season (like they did for the game in Detroit last March, I believe it was).

But I do know people in the broadcast group down in the Ivory Tower in New York know about the Raptors and see it as a team with some potential and some interest.

Well, that didn't take long, did it? 13th man is here

REUTERS FILE PHOTO

Ladies and gentlemen, your 13th man.

The Europification, if that’s a word, of the Raptors continues.

Unable to find anyone on this side of the Atlantic to fill the 13th man role, the Raptors are about to sign Will Solomon to a contract and finish off their summer shopping season.

(Of course, you regular readers – as regular as this morning, in fact – will know I thought this signing my drag on until late August but guess not).

Spies here and in Israel (my man Eran comes through again, and it wasn't even P.J. Tucker-related), where Solomon once played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, say the 6-2 combo guard is destined to be the next player from overseas to join the Raptors. No idea when the official announcement will come – there’s always paperwork to be done – but it’s a done deal as far as I can glean and could be finished as early as today.

Solomon does seem to have a bit of what the Raptors want in their final player.

He’s 30 years old so he’s been around.

He’s coming off a solid Euroleague season with Turkey’s Fenerbache, where he averaged 17.9 points and 3.9 assists in 21 Euroleague games, stats that aren’t to be sniffed at.

He’s got some NBA experience – he was a second-round pick of the Grizzlies in ’01 and played in 62 games with Memphis in the ’01-02 season.

He’s been all over Europe, spending a season with each of Efes Pilsen in Turkey, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem and Aris Thessaloniki in Greece before playing the last two seasons with Fenerbache.

Signing Solomon likely ends all activity for the Raptors this summer. They’ll go with a 13-man roster that has a payroll just under the NBA tax threshold and is constructed pretty much just as GM Bryan Colangelo wants it.

He’s got three point guards – Jose, Roko Ukic and now Solomon; a quartet a quintet of wings – Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Jason Kapono, Joey Graham and Hassan Adams; and five bigs – Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal, Andrea Bargnani, Kris Humphries and Nathan Jawai.

Starting the process of making change

You know why basketball’s better than golf? No rain delays. Man, days can get long when you have to be at the course at 7:30 a.m. to finish off the day before and don’t get out until after dark. Other than that? It’s not a bad gig. Fresh air. The odd bout of sunshine. And no deadline pressure.

Have a feeling it’s gonna be pretty quiet, hoopwise, this week so not sure what we’ll get in this little space. Got a lot of pre-Olympic stuff to do – the baseball team’s here, meetings, banking (you know how hard it is to find Yuan?) – but I’m sure some basketball stuff will pop up.

So here we go.

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Did get off the course in time on Friday to catch the USA-Canada game (that wise tout who said take the Americans and give the 45 was pretty sharp, no?) and have to say I came away absolutely unimpressed.

No one thought Canada would win but keeping the game within 50 would have been a goal that they should have reached.

The last time I was speaking to the big boys over at Canada Basketball, they suggested the debriefing would begin today and that’s not a moment too soon.

It’s too easy to say change the coach and all will be right because the problems, and work, goes much, much deeper than that.

There are structural issues to resolve too and, as a public service, here’s a suggestion they should feel free to use.

I’d think about hiring at Director of Basketball Operations for the men’s program, one guy to oversee the senior, junior and developmental teams, a guy to go out and coach the coaches because that’s the only way they’re going to develop long-term success – starting with the kids.

Then I’d find someway to establish a national team hierarchy that includes a bunch of “old heads.” I’d find some way to convince Steve Nash to become the head of the group, I’d involve Jay Triano and Gord Herbert in advisory capacities and there’d be a role for Leo in there, too.

We don’t have enough sharp global basketball minds in this country to alienate any of them.

Maybe this group can help convince Euroleague teams to take a chance on some young Canadians because that’s where we need the players playing.

As for coaching? I don’t think you need a full-time “coach” who criss-crosses the country making speeches and conducting clinics.

I think they could hire a coach – to coach the players he’s given, rather than someone who picks his own team – on a summer contract each year. Maybe the guy has some European experience, maybe not. But he needs, I think, to be disassociated from the selection process as much as possible.

Will this work? I have no idea. But I presume something like this will be on the table when the discussions start today.

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I don’t know about this Nathan Jawai character.

He’s in town and was supposed to help Jason Kapono out yesterday judging the tryouts for the Dance Pak but had to bail because he was, allegedly, sick.

Hmm. Passing on Dance Pak judging? I wonder.

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Chalk up another sizeable step for Canada Basketball in programs that aren’t the senior men.

The women’s under-18 team went 4-1 (beating Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, losing to the States) at the world qualification tournament on the weekend in Buenos Aires.

That’s a rather significant accomplishment and the experienced they’ll glean at next year’s worlds will be hugely important in the long-term development of the game.

Toss in the fact the men’s under-18 also qualified and that’s a great thing for the future.

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I hear old friend Pape Sow’s about to sign with Armani Jeans Milano of the Italian league. Guess they needed a replacement for Danilo Gallinari.

And with Garbo and Carlos both in Russia and The Gangster in Rome, are the Raptors now being the EuroRaptors in reverse? Stocking teams over there rather than stocking their roster with Euros?

And before you ask, there was no way Pape was coming back here.

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Here’s a rather lengthy one from the mail:

Q: A comment, and a question that you will probably - for good reason - not be willing to answer right now.
First, the comment - I know that I am not alone in commending you for continuing the blog - on a regular basis - far beyond the  end of the Raptors season. But, I also want to point out that I, from time to time, check in on other blogs - by Star writers and in other publications. And I have to say, although I still am not sure exactly what a blog really is, yours is, BY FAR, the absolute best. And the reason I say that - yours is the ONLY one I have visited that is truly INTERACTIVE.
The others post their feelings in their blog, and then allow 'us' to comment. You not only allow us to comment, but, very often, you reply to the comment.
For that reason alone, my first 'read' of the day is not your current blog - although I certainly do get to that quickly enough - but rather, yesterday's blog, and comments, AND RESPONSES. I glean almost as much info from your responses to our comments as I do from the blog itself.
I have not seen another blog that works that way. Your extra effort is truly appreciated - that is what makes your blog truly exceptional!
Now to the question: You have made it abundantly clear (although it seems that many readers have missed that point - time and time again!) that the 13th spot on the Raptors roster will be a 'combo guard' that fits their needs, AND their financial abilities. I am not going to suggest, as others might, that, in order to fill this position, they package Joey and Leo to get Kobe.
But, I do wonder, based on your knowledge of the way the Raptors and the NBA work, is your best guess that that person will be a Raptor before the end of July; before the middle of August; or in the latter part of August?
And, as a side note, what do you think that 13th player (who may not be the 13th player on the depth chart) will/should bring to the table?
Keep up the great work! You're my #1 read of each day!

Tim H, Windsor

A: Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.

If I had to guess, we won’t be hearing about any 13^th man signing until late-August. A lot of teams are starting to shut things down now for some much needed R and R; a lot of basketball people are turning their attention to the Olympics and even agents have to get some down time.

Someone may emerge during the Games but I’d bet it’s after, like first week of September.

Now, what should they bring?

The biggest thing is a willingness to be a 13^th man, if you know what I mean. Someone who will accept a role as a basically a practice player but someone who, on the very odd occasion they’re needed to, can handle 15 or 20 minutes in a game or two. I agree it should be a combo guard who can make shots in a hurry.

The trouble is, if you’ve got guys on your roster, you don’t want them just there to collect a paycheque so finding a balance between a player who knows his role and someone competitive enough to push teammates in practice is hard.

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Here’s something to look for tomorrow. Disgraced ref Tim Donaghy’s going to be sentenced. I don’t know much about the American justice system – except that every now and then it seems quite screwed up – but I’d think he gets a nice long sentence.

Bonus mail from another wet day

What’s a guy to do waiting out another couple hours of a downpour at Glen Abbey? Why, mail, of course.

So here you go, but I warn you, this empties the mailbag as of Saturday night so I’m hoping there are more queries around to help me get through what should be a slow pre-Olympic departure week.

I’m pretty sure you’re not ready for women’s football, softball and men’s field hockey quite yet.

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Q: You said this about the WNBA "brawl":
"But it did get the masses chattering about the league and that can’t be a bad thing.
As regular readers – both of you – will know, I don’t mind WNBA basketball at all and if there are a few converts after that set-to, that’s cool."
You don't "mind" the WNBA? Wow, what a vote of confidence! Why don't you just come out with your true feelings-- that the league absolutely sucks. Why do people try to be so politically correct about it? They suck and always will. Period.

Shawn P, Brampton

A: Why don’t you stop trying to read my mind and read what’s been written.

I like the WNBA, it’s a different game, played below the rim and more people – even Neanderthals like you – should give it a chance.

But that would require an open mind, which is apparently not something you have.

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Q: Quick question(s) for you: You've mentioned more than a few times how you have reliable sources in the right places.  Which made me wonder: why would sources choose to give out nuggets of information if the organization intentionally wants to keep them a secret?  And how long does it take to develop one of those reliable sources?  Last, but not least, have you ever had a source that turned out to be unreliable?

Sal L, Toronto

A: Sources provide information for any number of reasons. If you hear something and ask, they might just answer questions honestly, they might want to steer you in the direction of a good story, or – and this happens every now and then – you might get something because, regardless of what they say – they want news out there.

How long does it take to build a relationship? It can take years, actually, you have to be known as fair and trustworthy.

And, no, no one’s really turned out to be unreliable in my dealings with them, the only thing that might happen is someone tells you something one day and something happens that changes the landscape and makes the information wrong.

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Q: Carlos Delfino, Josh Childress and others are taking good money in Europe.  Anthony Parker has about 5 years of service in the NBA but may return to Europe after next season.
I understand that a significant percentage of players end up bankrupt after their career ends. That made me wonder about the NBA  pension plan for the players.  How many years of service qualifies a player for a full pension and how many for a partial pension?  Parker and Childress may want to consider their post-retirement years rather than big bucks today that they will probably waste on SUVs and Hummers and their entourage.

Andrew B, Toronto

A: Basically, current players have to have three years of service to be eligible for the league’s pension plan.

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Q: Is Alvin Williams contract still on the Raptors payroll?
If so, when does it come off?

Brian V, Toronto

A: Done and gone, off the books.

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Q: Quick question about rookie contracts. Most (all?) NBA players have clauses in their contracts to make a certain number of public appearances in the community on behalf of the team, I imagine that Veterans and or superstars (the Kobes and LeBrons) would be granted to make fewer appearances. Do rookies, in their pre-determined contracts, have a set number of mandatory appearances? Or because they are younger, are they often exploited for their early popularity (say Rose, Beasley or Mayo this year) and forced into more public appearances?

Ryan M, Oakville

A: No, no. It’s standard, same number for everyone in the league. Teams may only ask their bigger stars to go to things that they deem more significant but everyone’s out in the community somehow the same number of times each year.

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Q: I was just sitting outside enjoying the sun and having a "pop" when I got thinking of one of your recent answers. It was in regards to Ernie D and what he is up to now...it got me thinking of the Braves and some of their players such as Randy Smith, McAdoo (under-rated) and then I started thinking back to that era and the likes of Gervin, Thompson, McAdoo, Bird, Johnson, Jabbar, those players plus a long list of others such as Bernard King, Erving etc., they were just so gifted offensively and any of them capable of throwing up huge numbers and just impressive to watch...do you feel nowadays the players are as offensively talented???...I don't besides Bryant the players just seem so methodical and just settle for 3 pointers ... the artistry of the game has definitely changed and not for the better ... what are your thoughts..

Doug B, Toronto

A: Randy Smith was outstanding. Held that ironman streak for a very long time, I believe until A.C. Green snapped it. But I digress.

I don’t think there’s any question today’s players are more athletic – bigger, faster, stronger – than the bygone eras but I do think a lot of them lack the creativity of the others.

And a lot of that blame has to be placed on coaches today. They somehow feel compelled to call almost every play in a game, something you didn’t see back in the day and that stifles a lot of today’s athletes.

And the next time you’re enjoying a pop and those NBA Classics (and I don’t mean Raptors-Grizzlies) come on TV, look at the pace of play and number of shots per game. It’s astounding how the game has slowed in the last 25 years or so.

Just in time, the mail's in

Okay, here we go.

Live from the press tent at Glen Abbey, where the sun is shining and I fear to go out in it lest creeping illness returneth, here’s most of this week’s mail.

And be warned, there’s lots of it!

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Q: I don’t know if someone asked you this before, but what do you think about the passive stand that US athletes have taken with regards to China's political involvement in Darfur? Now I m with saying the right things, avoiding  controversies and protecting your multimillion dollar foreign endorsements but I think sometimes opening up this subject for discussion (and a possible controversial press conference)will open some eyes and trigger a productive reaction from people around the world.
Saving one life is worth more than any money you can get from selling jerseys or making movies and commercials.
What would you do if you were a freakishly athletic multimillion dollar man playing for the US Olympic team?

Rob S, Vancouver

A: I know there will be some discussion among the players on the American team during the leadup to the Olympics about Darfur and I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them didn’t come out publicly against the situation. But while we’re looking at athletes, don’t we also have to look at the multi-billion dollar corporations that have remained silent on the issue as well?

What would I do? I’d like to think I would be like a guy like Nash on the war, I’d gather as much information as I could, and try to convince others to read up on the issue and make an informed decision on where they stand.

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Q: Why is all the talk about the 13th spot. I thought that there were 12 active spots and 3 inactive. Don't the Raptors have room for 3 more players?

Kristen K, Saint John, NB

A: Fifteen is the maximum, 13 is the minimum and because of the financial situation, the Raptors are staying with the minimum. But they could, if they wanted, add three more. They have the room, they just don’t want to use it.

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Q: Hi Doug, yet another question for you here about the TJ trade. I think it is a strong move by the Raps. There is just one aspect of the developments prior to the trade that I can't understand. I've read from a number of sources that one potential trade was with Phoenix. However, TJ has made it abundantly clear that he is unwilling to assume the role of a backup. Would the Suns have looked to move Nash for a superstar if they had managed to land TJ? I simply don't see the two of them co-existing, given TJ's behaviour in Toronto.

Geoff A

A: I cannot imagine Phoenix dealing Nash and it was probably part of the reason the deal with Toronto never got too much traction aside being on the table. It would have been an issue but once the Raptors got involved with Indy, it became moot.

But I will say even a player with as much self-confidence as T.J. cannot imagine himself starting ahead of a two-time MVP and the presence of Ford’s old coach, Terry Porter of Milwaukee, may have been a mitigating factor.

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Q: Doug, doesn't the NBA care about marketing in Canada?  Everything in the offseason happens after hockey -- lottery selection, draft, free agency, even the new schedule.  That just means more hockey blather drowning out what matters.  I know it's not an issue in the States, but here I think that the NBA would get more coverage if it preceded the NHL for at least some of those events.  Thoughts.

Alan C. Kawartha Lakes

A: Of course the NBA cares but its schedule is its schedule. And, trust me, they don’t give a rat’s bum about when the NHL does its things, and neither do many of its fans.

It’s not like the NBA lottery (nationally televised during a conference final), its draft (nationally televised on one night, not spread over days), its free-agency period (quite different in format and style than the NHL’s) were ignored up here.

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Q: If you are B.C would you not attempt a sign and trade with the Hornets for Bonzi Wells?

Mark M, Toronto

A: Nope, not in a million years. Wells may have some skill but is he substantially better than anyone who plays the same position here? I’m not sure he is. He certainly isn’t a guy who’s going to make a huge difference.

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Q: Assuming Kapono starts, who do you see as the Raps 6th man? Bargnani? Moon?

Alex H, Oakville

A: Isn’t that really splitting hairs. They’d be 6 and 6A; Bargnani’d be the first big off the bench, Moon the first wing. I don’t really think it matters who’s called what.

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Q: Good day Doug, hope you are enjoying the links. I must be in the minority to say I like this team built now on size ie: Detroit if Bargnani can become an excellent back-up not a game to game x-factor. When do you think there will be an opportunity to acquire more quality at the wing position, without giving away too much? Of the current assistant coaches in the association who may become a head coach in the near future?
Kevin V, Waterloo

A: The links are all right, thanks, except for having to bail out sick mid-day Thursday.

When? I’d say you’re looking at around the trade deadline, if they can find a taker for a package of Hump and Joey (if each are having even middling good seasons) or maybe it’s not until next summer.

As for the assistants? I really don’t have a clue, but I’m sure Thibodeau in Boston will once again be the flavour of the month (although the fact not one single team even interviewed him, or asked permission to, at the end of last season might be an indication of what he’s really thought of around the league) and I’m sure there are dozens I’m not thinking of at the moment.

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Q: Hey Doug! Long time! Got a question and hopefully this time, youll pay attention! With the recent trades of East Teams (Brand, O'Neal) and the continuous acquisition of superstars, do you think there will be a good balance between the East and West when the regular season starts, or will the West still dominate? With the Raps current roster (provided they wont make anymore moves, and if they do, im sure it wont be much of significance anyways) how far do you think the Raps will go? Do they have a shot at the Conference Finals?

Tobi B, Toronto

A: As has been mentioned more than a few times, you can’t handicap the East until after the summer and Philly does whatever it does with Iguodala, Joe Dumars does something big – or not – in Detroit, and Chicago deals with Deng and Gordon. Then, we can talk.

But I will say the East is going to be just as competitive as the West, without question. And seeing as the teams with the best records in the regular season both came out of the East last year and two of the last three NBA champs have come from the East, I don’t think the disparity is as grand as others do.

Another delayed mail delivery

Sorry, girls and boys, but we're going to be few hours late today with the mail.

Had to bail on the golf thanks to some wild illness (I'm blaming the shock-to-the-system, too-much-fresh-air at the links this week) that took away a 5 1-2 hour rain delay mail-answering session and turned it into an afternoon at home.

Things better today so I'll get to the unanswered cards and letters (with questions, not Get Well Soon wishes) straight away.

Talk to you later

Fore!

The fight wasn't a fit and the mess that is the Hawks

AARON LYNETT/TORONTO STAR

It's a little slow around the Raptors right now - except for Jason Kapono, who's attending a different kind of dance competition.

Pretty boring times around the Raptors these days; the breathless wait for the 13^th man on a 13-man roster goes on, Moon and Kapono are gonna be in town and, yes, Andrea Bargnani is actually in a gym in Las Vegas.

So ...

Guess we’ll have to find other stuff warm the cockles of your minds, and give me something to do waiting out rain delays at the golfing course.

Lots of mail for tomorrow so we’ll toss a few in today to stretch this little missive out.

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Was watching that WNBA fracas – again – and it comes to mind that maybe it’s not a bad thing. It certainly wasn’t a “fight”, it was more like a brouhaha, a skirmish, maybe a contretremps or an incident.

But it did get the masses chattering about the league and that can’t be a bad thing.

As regular readers – both of you – will know, I don’t mind WNBA basketball at all and if there are a few converts after that set-to, that’s cool.

I’m not a proponent of fisticuffs on a basketball court before anyone goes off half-cocked and thinks that was a fight, take another look, some pushing and shoving, sure. Fighting? Not so much.

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Oh, oh.

Sixers sign Royal Ivey, taking another one off the list of possible 13^th men. And the Spurs traded Jason Hart so there’s another one gone. Hmm, the ranks are dwindling even further for that coveted spot.

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Hey, Canada’s under-18 women open the world qualifier in Argentina yesterday by drubbing Brazil and probably only needs a couple more wins in the round-robin portion of the six-country tournament to qualify for next year’s world championships.

And since the men have already qualified, getting the women there, too, will be a big boost for the future of the programs. The more games more kids play in grand world stages, the better equipped they’ll eventually be to deal with games with the senior national team.

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Here’s an oldie from the mail:

Q: It seems imminent that Igoudala is going to sign with Philly. Making them one of the early favourites along with Boston and Detroit (who are looking at Tracy McGrady via trade). To pole vault Toronto from that second tier of teams in the east (Toronto, Orlando, Cleveland, Washington), don’t you think BC has to do something like move Bargnani and another player for a SG? or is the plan not to win this year and wait on Bargnani's development after 3 yrs of experience?

Andrew A, Mississauga

A: You’re absolutely right, there is a big secret plan known only to the highest levels of MLSEL, and me, to not win this year. At all.

Seriously, Philly hasn’t signed Iguodala, may lose Louis Williams to Golden State and, while Brand is good, he’s coming off injury and no one knows how he’ll play with Dalembert.

Detroit hasn’t traded for Tracy McGrady, in fact, every report I’ve read in the last few days suggests that was never going to happen.

Boston still has the Big Three and is the overwhelming favourite to repeat, I think.

And, since I presume you’re a regular reader here, you know I’m not going to suggest trading Bargnani is a good idea. Let’s say, for the sake of your argument, they do deal him for a SG. So, you’re stronger at SG and weaker at PF-C. Make a big difference? I don’t think so.

I say let this team actually, you know, play a game or two before thinking about making moves.

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Do the Atlanta Hawks have a clue?

Nope.

Just when you thought maybe they were “getting it” with a pretty good young team that had some playoff experience and seemed ready to grow, they low-ball Josh Childress and watch him walk to Greece and they really haven’t made enough significant overtures to Josh Smith to make me think he’s ready, or willing, to sign some long-term contract.

That kind of mismanagement is going to get them right back where they were about a year ago, a perennial laughingstock with no hope of becoming even a middling Eastern Conference team.

Ownership’s a muddle – two fractious groups can’t find a way to make one or the other go away ; a new GM has, so far, botched the two most important things he had to do this summer; and Mike Woodson, who’s really an uninspiring coach in my opinion, has a new contract extension.

Welcome back, Hawks.

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More mail, which I think clears up most of the weekend stuff from last week and let’s me soldier on to deal with the bunch of letters in there now:

Q: I haven’t seen any footage from Vegas this year, but looking at the box scores, is Jawai's low personal fouls not impressive? With him being 280 lbs I was expecting Bargnani-ish numbers there.

Johah G, Richmond Hill

A: I wouldn’t read anything at all into summer league stats, especially fouls because the officiating, to put it in the kindest possible terms, is spotty at best.

Bargnani-ish numbers? Hope you’re not referring to summer league numbers because he’s never actually played in one.

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Hey, check out Kapono’s big gig on the weekend: Guest judge at the Dance Pak auditions. Tough life. Fitting choice. He’s a pretty good schmoozer. And maybe he knows a thing or two about dancing.

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You know, I don’t mind covering golf ‘cause they don’t play at night and there’s never any deadline pressure but this whole ‘sit out the thunder and lightning delay in a tent’ stuff is a wee bit troubling.

Right behind the media tent out at the Abbey there’s this crane, I believe for TV satellite use, that stretches about 100 feet in the air.

I’m not a meteorologist, and I don’t have too much specific knowledge about such things, but I’m guessing a 100-foot steel crane in a lightning storm is not something I should be sitting next to.

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Oh yeah, that Canada-US game Friday (take the States, give the 45) is live on one of The World Wide Leader networks at 8 (if you find yourself in some local watering hole that has access to stuff like that) and then it’s going to be shown tape-delayed on The Score at 10 p.m.

It’ll be the last chance to see this national team, and I presume a handful of players on it, in action.

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Not sure if we'll have a full mail bag tomorrow or maybe a regular blog and then do the mail for Saturday. Guess it depends what I get up to sitting out rain delays at the Abbey.

Of Garbo, promotions and a wild night at the Palace

Not sure how this is going to work out this week, was sort of a weird feeling around the golfing course trying to write without 19,000 fans screaming their lungs out, music being played during the competition and, of course, there are no Chickens in golf.

Odd sport, that.

But I digress, as I do.

On to the hoops

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Yes, we know by reading a snippet in our paper this morning that Jose went for 18 points and Spain beat Argentina by two yesterday in some pre-Olympic friendly (as they call it in my other sport, football).

Well, looking further into the boxscore, I notice that Garbo played 14 minutes or so, made a three-pointer and grabbed a couple of rebounds.

Haven’t talked to anyone who’s seen the game but I was told earlier this month that he looks the same as he always did. Doesn’t really run that well, can’t really jump that high but simply has a knack for making plays.

I know there were huge concerns n Toronto about how his surgically-reconstructed leg would hold up over an 82-game NBA season but if he can go 14-18 minutes of a 40-minute Olympic or Euroleague game, I’ve always thought he could probably tough it out for another three or four years, if he wants.

And that’ll make a lot of people happy. Garbo’s one of the good ones and it would have been a shame to see his career cut short by that play in Boston – a play, if you recall, that was pure hustle and work, trying to block an unblockable open dunk.

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Still with Garbo, I know there were all kinds of quotes floating around yesterday about him signing with Carlos Delfino’s new Khimki team in Russia but people I talked to in Toronto last night say it’s not quite a done deal.

Could very well happen but Garbo’s got a soft spot for Malaga of the Spanish league and they’re still in the running.

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I have no idea what it is, but Detroit’s like Brawl Central when it comes to basketball.

Check out the WNBA scuffle last night.

And here’s the story about it.

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It was Promotions Day around the ACC yesterday. They upgraded a handful of execs, awarding them with new titles and, I’m sure, untold riches.

To recap:
Maurizio goes to senior vice-president of basketball operations from vice-president and assistant general manager.

Masai Ujiri is now the assistant general manager, player personnel from director of global scouting.

Marc Eversley becomes assistant general manager, basketball development, from director of basketball operations.

Jim Kelly is senior director of player personnel after being the director of player personnel (I guess adding senior comes with being old?)

Steve Fruitman’s now the director of basketball operations after being director of basketball finance.

Micah Nori takes over as director of NBA scouting from his gig as the team’s advance scout.

I have no idea what any of this means except new business cards for all of them and, hopefully, gargantuan budgets for Beat Grunt Hospitality.

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Quick look into the mail bag:

Q: Nice coverage on the Canadian basketball team but why was it that there were NO Canadian reporters in Greece to get the full story about what happened? Do you think we have anything to be hopeful about in the future of Canadian Basketball? It seems to me that unless we can get guys playing in the top leagues, (Spain, Italy, Greece, let alone the NBA) and a solid coaching staff, we don't have much chance.

Jeff S, Taipei

A: You’d have to ask all of our bosses individually why we weren’t in Greece, it certainly wasn’t because none of us wanted to go.

I think there’s a bit to be hopeful about, as I’ve said, I’ve always thought the 2010 worlds were Canada’s next step on the international stage but with the Olympics being only 12 teams and FIBA Americas usually only getting two guaranteed berths (it’s based on results from the previous worlds, in large part), the Olympics are always going to be tough. I think the only way they’ll get there for 2012 is through the same last-chance qualifier they were at this year. And, yes, getting players on to Euroleague teams – where they actually play and don’t just sit on the bench – is a huge step.

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Remember yesterday I mentioned there may be a couple of Raptors lurking about the city this weekend for the 3-on-3 thing and other appearances?
Well, I heard it’s Kapono and Moon and they’ll be flitting hither and yon spreading the Raptor gospel.

And while I’m pretty sure the folks with the team will keep him busy, I’m guessing Kapono might try to find his way to the Abbey, being a golf nut and all.

The esteemed colleague D. Perkins reports that, while out traversing Torry Pines for the U.S. Open in June, he spied a rather tallish fellow among the great unwashed wandering the fairways.

Yep, our boy Jason out for a walk, watching golf.

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More mail? Why not. I’ve got a feeling I’ll have some time today and tomorrow to answer your queries while I sit out rain delays at the golf (and that’s the one drawback to the game, rain delays. It’s nice that they don’t play at night – more time to coach the Little Leaguers – but nothing spells boredom quite like sitting around waiting for golf to happen).

Q: Thanks for taking the time to answer my Raptors questions, I think I am one of the few who truly likes this Raptors roster.  There are a few gambles, but I think the biggest wild card will be the play of Jamario Moon.  I would think Jamario could add about 5 more points a night just by getting to the rim or free throw line a few more times.  What is he doing this off season to get better/stronger?
Also, what are the chances of Andrea playing the 3 with Bosh & O'Neil?  I don't think it'll happen, but if Kapono is playing in pre- playoff form and Jamario gets hit by a bus, it might be interesting.

Dave M, Oakville

A: We’ve been through the Andrea as a 3 thing about eleventy zillion times and I’ll say it once more: I don’t think you’ll see it very often because he can’t cover threes in transition and he lacks the post-up game to go on the block and punish smaller players. The very, very odd occasion? Maybe.

Moon? He’s doing what every other NBA player worth is salt is doing, working on his conditioning and every part of his game, presumably ball-handling and shooting. It’s not like these guys go home and don’t touch a ball or go to a gym all summer. They work at their craft.

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A moment of angst in the USA Olympic team camp.

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So, in another digression, I read on the weekend where the FC coached slagged the league’s officiating and the media and last night after they can’t beat the Montreal team he’s killing some of his players and all I’m thinking is, man, when did Sam move over to football?