Of Sam and Marcus and T.J. talks

Nice. A guy gets up at 7:15 a.m. to finish this off and it feels like sleeping until noon. Gotta love days off in Athens.

But in case you missed it, they’re back as the early game again on Friday, 6 a.m. start in the East, way, stupid early if there are any west coast Canada fans and once again it’s on The Score.

One question: If anyone out there from the network is reading, can you get the play-by-play, colour guy, cheerleader to identify himself once or twice. That way, people out there who write me to rip him will at least have a name to put with the notes.

Anyway, on to stuff.

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L’affaire Dalembert.

Got to preface this by pointing out there are three sides to every story: His side, their side and the truth.

And since none of us were on the bus, or at the bus, that took Canada from the hotel to the gym in Athens to see first-hand what transpired, this is all second-hand information.

I’m sure there was some “eff you” “eff you, too” stuff going on, I’m sure Leo’s back got up and I’m sure the confrontation had the potential to get nasty.

All I know is that enough people told me yesterday they’d “heard” about Sam big-timing the program that there has to be something to it. And here’s an anecdote I saw with my own eyes.

Heading to a Saturday morning walkthrough at the ACC during the training camp portion of the season, I was walking along Lakeshore from the parking garage to the arena about 9:35 a.m. for a 10 a.m. session. The players, who were all staying at the Harbour Castle Westin were wandering into the arena, too, in groups of three or four. A cab pulls up, obviously not from the hotel and out gets Sam, all by his lonesome.

But I also know that after starting a game on a Friday, Juan Mendez disappeared from the program on the Saturday of the Lebanon game here  because he wasn’t “committed” enough and now the team’s starting centre is kicked off, or quits, a few hours before what was then the biggest game of the quadrennial because of his level of commitment to what the coach wants from the team.

I’m not sure there’s a clear cut right or wrong in this situation but a team that needs to rely on the intangibles as much as it does its talent probably doesn’t benefit from the shenanigans that have gone on.

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Perhaps the most telling quote of all of yesterday came from Sam’s agent, Marc Cornstein.

"Good luck ever getting another NBA player to show up again.”

I don’t know if there is another NBA player from Canada on the horizon, it’s likely years away, but when agents starting looking sideways at a program and, believe me, they talk about such things, it can’t be a good thing.

All those Canadians playing in Europe, who’ll be the backbone of the team forever, have agents, too.

I think some schmoozing is in order.

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Okay, so what’s no Dalembert mean where it counts? Like on the court?

Well, it wasn’t as if he was playing at an all-world level lately but you cannot take a 6-11 shot-blocking centre off a team and expect it not to suffer.

I think it’s a huge longshot for Canada to beat Croatia– just like it’s been ever since the schedule was released – but it’s exponentially longer now that they have a front court rotation without Dalembert.

I will say this, Levon Kendall was a beast in the second half against Korea but that has to be tempered by the fact Croatia is wildly better in every facet of the game than the Koreans.

A guy with extensive international basketball experience told me yesterday that anything can happen in one game and Croatia certainly isn’t the United States.

But watching Canada bumble and stumble against Slovenia and Korea (an 18-point comeback is nice, digging an 18-point hole not so much), And unless Carl English (5-for-17 so far) and Olu Famutimi (4-for-12 so far) get going, Canada has precious little chance.

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Oh, T.J. talked yesterday. In Indianapolis that is. Click over there to see how Mike Wells of the Indy Star chronicled it.

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One from the mail bag and, judging by the in-box I’ve got more than a few hours of answering questions in my immediate future. Thanks, folks.

Q: Hey Doug, can you clarify whether or not teams have any special rights to players they invite to their training camp? Like if a player on the Raptors summer league team excels (eg. Jaycee Carroll), do the Raptors have the first rights to sign him? Or can any team offer a contract to any player on any summer league team not already under contract? Thanks.

Ron M, Markham

A: No, the Raptors, or any other team, has no extended rights to any summer league player they haven’t drafted. Guys like Carroll or Ron Benson or this C.J. Giles kid I’m hearing good things about, are free to make whatever deals they can once the summer league seasons are over.

That’s why you see some guys, like Carroll, playing for multiple teams in multiple leagues.

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Right, forgot about the other big news yesterday.

Roko. Roko. ROKO.

He’s coming, three-year deal, the number I heard was $1.25 million in the first year.

It will be interesting to watch him tomorrow morning against Canada. But, remember, this is Canada he’s playing, not the Celtics. Or the Cavs. Or some, you know, good team.

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One more from the mail having to do with the fascination out there with the Marcus Camby trade:

Q: Can you please explain this Trade Exception rule that developed as a part of the Marcus Camby deal to LA Clippers?
I always thought that in order to make a trade you have to receive the same salary in return for cap purposes. The Nuggets gave the Clippers Camby for nothing and now get a trade exception.

DA N, Toronto

A: It’s only in trades between two teams over the salary cap that the numbers have to match, or come close to match. The Clippers have enough room under the cap to assume all of Camby’s salary so they didn’t have to take anything back.

And the Nuggets get a “trade exception” worth the value of Camby’s contract that they can use for one calendar year to take on a player making up to that amount of money. If they don’t use it in a year, it’s gone and because they are shedding money to avoid a huge tax hit, I’d be surprised if they did use it.

Now, for all those who wonder why Toronto didn’t offer a second-round pick to get Camby – a personal fave who would have been a nice fit – please understand that they couldn’t have done the deal like the Clips did because they didn’t have the cap space.

And it’s obvious that Denver didn’t want to take back any salary in a Camby transaction so that cut Toronto – and almost every other team in the league – out of the sweepstakes.

Comments

[James Jacobs]

If Triano was the coach this situation would not happen. Leo is making very questionable moves, how is his son still getting playing time when he's horrible out there. I find it funny how dalembert is not committed, he's a nba player making 10 million a year, and its summer and he went to training camp played in exhibition games hurt, played for a teamwhich has a long shot of making it, played in small dingy arenas etc. and he's not committed? Leo Rautins needs to go as he is ruining the little glimpse of hope canada basketball has.

[Derik]

I could rant about Leo Rautins until I wear out the keyboard on my laptop. Suffice to say that this proves that "basketball knowledge" (and I apply this term to Leo very loosely) doesn't equal good coaching.

I seriously hope we've seen the last of him as a coach at any level. It's too bad that we'll be stuck hearing his baseless diatribes on most Raptors broadcasts for who knows how long.

P.S. Remember when he got interviewed for the Raptors coaching gig at one point? I propose that if ever the Raptors plan on playing for the number 1 pick in the draft sometime in the future that they revisit Leo as a head coach, you'll get a record setting losing season and make the New York Knicks look like an example to follow.

[PK]

Doug, do you know if TJ gave props to the Raps organization/players during his welcome interview (like JO did for the Pacers)? I would be dissapointed if he didn't. After all, his career resurrected because the Raps gave him opportunity after the spinar cord injury. Players also respected him as a starting PG (even Jose), and fans respected him as well (for the most part). Now I knew Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was going to be booed when he bounced, and I knew Mo-Pete was going to be welcomed when he bounced, but TJ... I have no clue what kind of reception he would get.

Blogger's note: I have no idea if he was asked specifically about Toronto, I don't imagine he was, but I'm sure he'd have said all the right things.

[Martin]

Leo's a nice guy and what not. However, just watching him coach shows many fundamental flaws. To get into an argument with your star player shows very little class. Leo can't say he is not committed when an NBA player making a ton of money sacrificing his summer to represent his country. THis is a situation when you have to remove the coach in the hopes that another NBA player will ever join the team.

[Kelsie]

Hey Doug,

No contraversy here but I do recall Jose coming over to the NBA with similar numbers to Ukic and has now obviously developed into a good NBA player. Do you think Sam will work him over like he did Calderon in his first year or two with the team? I do remember Sam being pretty harsh with Jose in his first couple of years here, but it helped him become a better player.

I don't know much about Ukic but if Sam can develop him along the same lines, this kid has some things going for him in terms of height at the 1, quickness, and length.....who knows maybe in a few years he's pushing Jose for the starting spot? I like Calderon but I'm hoping this kid can come in here and really push him for minutes in the future. I've only caught a few of his games in Europe but he does appear to be able to get by his man through dribble drive penetration and he shot a high percentage from the field which are always good starting points for a 1 in the NBA.

Blogger's note: I'm not sure, but I'd imagine Ukic and Calderon have different personalities and Sam and his staff will have to figure out what works best to get the most out of the new kid.

[Ellie]

I don't have much time for Leo as a commentator and his actions this week have not endeared him to me as a coach.

Why did Canadian b-ball sack Triano in the first place? Wasn't the 7th we finished in Sydney or wherever it was our best-ever result?

Blogger's note: No, it was a good result, but not Canada's best. They were fourth in '84 in LA, won a silver in '36 in Berlin and sixth in Seoul in '88.

[Andrew Gregg]

I've always been a fan of Leo's--he came out of Toronto and made a splash in the NCAA and internationally when that sort of thing just didn't happen. And even though he talks too much on the Raps broadcasts--and makes his 36 games (or however many it was) in the NBA sound like a hall of fame career--I still like listening to him. Unlike Swirsky, Leo was always "our guy." But this coaching situation on the national team is a mess. Delambert has an ego? Who would ever have guessed? Part of Leo's job is to manage egos. Leo has to coach Delambert, not send him home. First Mendez, now Delambert. Who's next? Does Leo now just send home everybody that ticks him off? And it's happening at the worst possible time, on the eve of an elimination game. If Leo doesn't get a win out of Croatia, he has to be fired. This has just gotten too out of hand.

[derek]

building a culture of winning.... that's the way i see this dalembert situation. Lets face it with Dalembert, Canada has a greater chance of beating any of the top ten teams in the world, but the chances are still unlikely. So we all talk about "cancers" on a team, and how they can be crushing to the winning ways...(see Alston, James, Woods, Carter, Marbury, Randolph, Artest....), all of these guys had to go for the betterment of the respective teams. Rautins did do the right thing if Sam was too big for his britches - it will pay off in the long run.

[derek]

And lets face it, Dalembert is definately not a game changer when going up against a quality team - heck Rasho did quite a number on him, didn't he?

[chachi]

The trouble with Leo has never been his passion for the game (or for Team Canada) but that he gets into pissing contests. A big part of coaching isn't just managing the talent on the floor but managing the egos and attitudes in the locker room, on the bus, etc. (ask SMitch about that learning curve.) I'm afraid that as much as the team is putting a good face on this, Leo alienated a player on the team (and it isn't the first time) and made an example of him.

As a player I could always smile and say the right things around coaches like that but don't think for a second that I wasn't looking for a way out at the end of a year, tournement, etc.

[Damian]

Hey Doug,

Do you think O'Neal is a better choice for the Raptors than Camby? At least Camby played the last season in relatively good health whereas O'Neal hasn't been healthy in awhile. Camby sounds like he would've been the less riskier option.

And I believe that Camby's salary is somewhere around half of O'Neal's. It would've given the Raptors more flexibility to sign more players like say, a desperately needed wingman...

Blogger's note: They couldn't get Camby, it's a moot point. But I've said for months he'd be a good fit here. And even at half the salary, the Raptors would have had NO cap space and only the mid-level salary exception to attrack free agents with.

[Tree]

The firing of Triano and hiring of Rautins was extremely dubious from the start, but considering Rautins' performance since, it's fair to say we can forget about Canadian basketball for the next few years. He's coached the team to zero notable successes, and the most headlines that he's made have been of the "players aren't committed, so they're gone" variety. Isn't it the coaches job to get the players on the same page? Rautins was a mistake from the beginning, and now he's turned the program into an absolute embarassment. Why did they ever let someone as well respected as Triano go? USA Basketball thinks highly of him, he's an NBA coach ... and we replaced him with the lesser Raptors commentator? I'd have rather seen Swirsk coaching our squad.

[Amr Abou-Guendia]

There is ABSOLUTELY NO reason for this stuff to come up now, regardless of whose fault it is. It shouldn't have been an issue to begin with. The team chemistry and ego junk should have been sorted out during the training camp/tune up period. This speaks to a weakness in management and coaching. No SERIOUS program should be undergoing this kind of drama during the Olympic qualifying tounament.

The fact of the matter is until Basketball Canada gets its act together, the National Team program will continue to be viewed as an amateur entity rather than a respected, professional program.

The solution is simple. Hire real coaches with international basketball experience. We need basketball tacticians not "handsome" tv personalities. Being a Canadian sports icon - heck, even being a Canadian - doesn't have to be a prerequisite. We need to hire David Blatt/Donnie Nelson types, who have international bball experience AND are respected by the NBA players.

Basketball Canada cannot continue to run this program like it is amateur hour. It's an embarrassment.

[Nemesio]

Why are you guys bashing Leo Rautins?
Isnt this Dalembert issue the case of an arrogant, selfish,
egocentric, multi-millionaire
NBA player who thinks he is "too good" to be playing
for the Canadian team, and who probably doesnt
think much of his teammates and doesnt want to
respect team discipline? Isn't this the same reason why
the USA lost in the World Champions and in the olimpics?
with a bunch of selfish stars who rather be spending their millions
of dollars than to be playing for their country in
international basketball. It should not matter the quality of the
player, if he is going to come to play for CANADA with a bad attitude.
Rautins just did the right thing by kicking him out of the team.
Dont you guys have no dignity, no pride that you want an NBA
player come to a team and do whatever he wants? Shame on you.

[Eric]

Unless Dalembert said something like, "I am the King of this team, bow down to me" I would side AGAINST Rautins and the staff. For Sam to show up while the rest of his brethren didn't even bother (namely Nash) is enough to show me he's ok. Did anyone see that arena vs Korea? There were more people on the sidelines than in the stands. Dalembert wouldn't be there if he didn't have his heart in the right place.

If I had to guess, I'd say Rautins wanted to make an example of Sam for something small, it escalated and it led to this. That would be Rautins' fault. If you want the team to behave like equals, you have to treat them like equals. I wouldn't doubt that Sam was getting tired of being under the microscope.

Like I said, unless Sam said something outrageous like, "I am your saviour" and demanded that the team acknowledge his point, the staff has to be to blame here. Management has already burned the bridge with Nash by firing Triano. Now they'll do it with Dalembert for who knows what "principled" reason. Taking the high road has not paid off for them at all.

[Damian]

I was just curious, is Roko's game more developed at this stage than Uros Slokar's game when he first came to the Raptors? Two totally different basketball positions I know, but I think it's an interesting comparison...

Blogger's note: Absolutely more developed. Not even close

[Aaron Campbell]

This whole situation is an embarassment for Canada.

I would love to know exactly what happened, cause it still doesn't make any sense.

[David]

Leo Rautins is the worst thing to happen to Canada basketball including the Raptors. Too bad technology doesn’t exist to turn him off only when I’m watching Rap games. His analysis makes him look like a goof. Doug, you should try calling Rap games. You’re far more intelligent with zero ego.

[Nik W. Ottawa]

I keep waiting for someone to come out and say "Just kidding!" This is ridiculous! What's that SMitch line? "It's not the X's and O's it's the Jimmies and Joes" I can't believe that after all the good done by the team that they would go and do this?! I don't care what Sam D. did or said, Leo has to deal with it and manage the team! Players say things and have egos... it what they do. Coaches deal with it and get the team back on track... that's what they do...

[Marc in Burlington]

Hey Doug,

What is going on in the minds of the people that run Basketball Canada? I know that in the past there were some very poor decisions made by people that are no longer with BBC, that resulted in the program being dramatically under-funded and left the program in tatters. I never have understood why Jay-T was relieved of his coaching duties, and what credentials that Leo has/had that make/made him so desirable as the head coach of this program. Didn't the dismissal of Coach Triano play a major role in Steve Nash's decision to no longer play for Team Canada? jay Triano isn't good enough to coach our team, but he's good enough to coach the select team in the States to tune up Team USA? Hunh? With this embarrassing situation having illustrated that first and foremost you have to hire a coach, and not a personality to run a program, and assuming that changes might be made, where do we go from here?

Cheers dude,

Blogger's note: Let's get this tournament and summer season over and I can sit back and try to examine what's up at Canada Basketball much more thoroughly.

[AA]

BRING BACK JAY TRIANO!!! Honestly, Canada should've blown out Korea. It was an embarrasment to be down 18 to them. I don't think we'll have a chance to play in the Olympics until maybe 2016, when some of the young talent finally matures.

[JM]

Leo Rautins may have an encyclopedic knowledge of basketball, but his gigs as Raptors analyst and Canada's coach, show that his practical/cognitive/managerial knowledge of the game are low. Combined with his obvious ego and self-importance issues, is it any wonder that this program can't attract the country's best players - Nash, Dalembert, Mendez, Brown, or that the players assembled look lost on the court? We should have known something was wrong when Andy Rautins was getting PT.

[paul]

It's an unfortunate situation, yes. would triano have cut sam? who knows. I do know that dalembert is not talented enough to beat croatia if the rest of the team is not in sync with him. I might fault leo for not communicating well with sam, but he wouldn't cut the guy without being sure it was the best move to make.

That agent's quote about ever seeing a canadian NBA player on team canada was stupid. Players won't stay off the team because sam dalembert was cut for being a chemistry-killer...this just isn't as important as people think it is.

[GM]

It doesn't make much difference between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. start times for me. It's not like I'd get up (or stay up) for either. I PVR it and watch as soon as I can when I get up. The only part that sucks is that I have to hold off reading this blog until I've seen it.

The part I don't get about the Camby deal is why the Nuggets didn't try to get at the very least a 1st round pick back. Seems they could have. Easily.

Funny thing about the Dalembert case is that Leo had almost the same attitude when he came back to the national team after having played in the NBA and overseas. I think he even threatened to quit and play for Lithuania at one point. That's not a guy who was playing "for Canada". Ah, sweet karma.

[Rich]

Doug,

From what I've read, Darius Miles has looked good in workouts and is willing to sign for the minimum. Could he be a low risk/high reward option at small forward for the Raps? Or are his injury/character issues too much to get past (not to mention that the Raps would be left a bit thin at guard if BC doesn't want to have more than 13 on the roster)?

Thoughts?

Blogger's note: I think there are a lot of issues to be cleared up before these guys would even give Miles a second look. The first is health, the second is the report that he's facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy whenever he comes bfack and the fact that, really, I don't know if he fits in this 13-man roster. Would he really be a huge upgrade, a difference maker? I don't think so.