You people ask lots of questions

Far too much here for anyone to get through in one sitting so I’ve save a bunch to put up tomorrow (and I’m sure more will filter into the system today) so not to worry if you’re not here.

Oh, and the women’s football? It’s gonna be a cool gig. Not a bad game (wretched first half, entertaining second) and my new favourite Canadian soccer player in Melissa Tancredi (I’m not really sure I had one before, though). Took a boot to the nose, broke it, blood everywhere and still came out after the game to talk to reporters. Plucky, tough. Neither really does her justice.

Okay, enough of that. Until Beijing, that is.

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Q: Hey Dougie, maybe this Hassan Adams kid will turn into this year's sleeper. Now, I'm not the type to get fooled by a player's highlight reel. Obviously, (a clip I’ve seen) doesn't give a representative picture of the guy's overall game. HOWEVER... this guy isn't afraid to take it to the hole, and knows how to finish! The clip shows about five or six muscular, in-traffic slashes and dunks, which by my count is five or six more times than Moon did it last year. That alone endears the kid to me. But throw in the tenacious D that he is known for and I can see this guy maybe getting starter minutes at some point, probably at the 2 at AP's expense, but maybe even at SF. You agree?

Lee Z, Ottawa

A: I have no idea what Hassan Adams will end up doing here, or who’ll he’ll supplant in the rotation but I do know that my respected friend Dave D’Alessandro in New Jersey says Adams being cut was one of the most egregious personnel errors the Nets have made in years and that the Raptors brass who saw him at the free agent camp here were determined to sign him after about the second practice session.

I fully expect him to challenge Parker for minutes, if not the starting job at some time during the season based on what I’ve been told.

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Q: Hey Doug, how realistic would it be for the Raps to come to the small city of Kingston? We're only about two and a half hours away from the heart of Toronto, and recently there has been a large sports venue built here. Would the organization ever consider them coming to a smaller-scale city in the near future to build on the growing popularity of basketball in Canada?

Sam C, Kingston

A: Sorry, my regularly-writing friend, can’t see it happening. Kingston’s a great city and all but I don’t know if it has the infrastructure – read restaurants, clubs and social amenities – that these guys would want.

What they should do is what old time baseball teams used to do, send a caravan of a couple of players, a coach, a front office type or two, maybe a beat grunt, to places like Kingston and Niagara and London and maybe Peterborough during the month of September to help promote themselves, and the game.

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Q: It's all about the Color Man, Doug. Jack's back?! In a basketball market that sometimes gets talked down to Jack Armstrong is a guy who plays the Jester but also can break down plays and players in a way that basketball heads love. Great rumored move.
For me, Doug Collins is the best Color Man.
Mr. Smith, who is on your Color Man honor roll?
L.J.S., Brampton

A: Of the current group? I’d put Jeff Van Gundy at the top, just a notch above Collins. I think Jeff’s got great chemistry with Mike Breen (best play-by-play guy out there) and a nice sense of humour.

Collins is good, to dry, though, for my tastes most times.

The others? I really don’t see enough local broadcasts often enough to really come up with a list. I’m not a fan of Reggie Miller or Mark Jackson, though.

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Q: I want your job. Anywho, If/once the Knicks buy-out Marbury's contract, will BC think about signing him for the minimum (that's if Marbury considers it) as their back up PG (that's if Marbury accepts it). 

Lotof 'ifs' but how unlikely is it?
Justin S, Sudbury

A: You’ve got a better chance of playing for the Raptors than Stephon Marbury does.

And, you know, on days like Wednesday, with a 6 a.m. wakeup to blog, a soccer story to write, four hours of press conferences to sit through, a conference call from Germany to listen in to and two stories for the web, three main pieces for the paper and a note on the new TV dude to write, you could almost have my job.

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Q: Hey Doug, quick question, don’t mind if you don’t post me but you mind just giving me a quick answer? LOL. Just wondering who you think our next swingman is going to be. At the moment, it is a mystery to me and I would just like to know who is coming of the bench to give Ukic some help at the wing.

Imran K, Toronto

A: I have no idea who it’ll be and you know what? They don’t either. That’s why they’re waiting to see who’s out there later in the month and into August before they decide who’s in the mix with Parker, Kapono, Moon, Graham and Adams.

And Ukic is a point guard, not a wing.

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Q: Got the opportunity to check out the O'Neal press conference and was pretty impressed by the number of media types in attendance. Wondering how the turnout would compare to a major Maple Leaf signing.

Nate W, Toronto

A: Dude, if the Leaves had done something significant like obtain a six-time all-star and re-signed someone like Sundin, they would have had to hold the news conference out in the bowl.

But there were a lot of us there, weren’t there?

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Q: What do you think of the Golden State Warriors signing Corey Maggette?  Personally, I think they should have made a run at Josh Smith since he seems to fit their system perfectly.

Rick T, Toronto

A: I think they probably did make a call to Smith but I also wonder, in a Baron Davis-free Warrior world, if they have a “system” any more. He pretty much made it work.

And I absolutely think Maggette got too much money for his value. At $7 million, he’s all right, at $10 or whatever it is for five years, it eats up too much cap space.

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Q: Hey Doug. Just watched the press conference for JO. Then headed over to the net and noticed Pietrus getting signed by the Magic. Doesn't it look like the Eastern Conference has gotten a lot stronger all of a sudden? Looking at the Raptors I don't see enough depth or improvement to challenge Boston, Orlando, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Am I way off base or is .500 a lofty goal here?

Garth S, Chilliwack, B.C.

A: I think, right now, that .500 is the absolute bottom level this team should be at, or expects to be at.

I’ll give you Philly’s better but Pietrus is a backup in Orlandoand, really, how much better is he for them than Maurice Evans was in his role? And I’m wondering if Joe Dumars will actually do anything in Detroit, if he doesn’t that’s just an old team a year older.

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Q: Hey Doug, I have read a report that the Celtics just recently gave a workout to Darius Miles and he had an "impressive" showing. I know the Raptors don't have any cap room now, but don't you think Miles would've been a cheap and resourceful pickup for the Raptors at the wing position?

Dilpreet S, Brampton

A: There are a lot of issues with Darius Miles, his health, the fact there’s a report out there that he’s facing a 10-game suspension whenever he does play because of a failed drug test and I don’t think these guys would have any serious interest.

Q: A couple of quick questions for you.  Today (July 9) you mentioned the Raptors have enough money for the one guy at the one price they expected.  Who do you speculate the guy might be?  And what type of money are we talking about?  Finally, do you think the Raptors, given the strong Canadian dollar, should consider becoming a "tax team", go after a bigger name free agent and pay the price? I would have loved to have been able to get Maggette before Golden State nabbed him!

Jon E, Woodstock

A: The names of the types of guys I’ve heard now are like Tony Allen, Eddie House, guys like that. I’m sure there will be more as the free agency period plays itself out.

I think they should only consider becoming a tax team if it’s for the one stud three who answers all their concerns. I’m not sure that guy exists at the moment because they might be further away than one guy and being a tax team this year and next may hamper them from spending anything next summer. Any guy they sign that puts them over the tax is going to want a multi-year contract so you’re talking at least two seasons of paying and not “getting” tax money.

And no matter what they did, they couldn't clear enough cap room to get Maggette. Please, please, please, please, please, can we all put him out of our thoughts?

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Q: A couple of questions for you:
1) It seems as though TJ Ford has gotten the short end of the stick in the Raptors point guard debate as he was unwilling/unhappy to come off the bench and as such was portrayed as selfish and not a team player.  And since Calderon offered to give up his starting spot in a contract year, most Raptor fans seem to believe that Calderon is the epitome of a team player.
However, I do remember reading that Calderon was quoted in a Spanish newspaper that he hoped that the Raptors remembered his unselfishness and that it didn't really effect his contract status as other teams around the league were able to see what he was able to do.
Given your access to some higher ups in the front office, how much of the decision to trade Ford was influenced by being able to keep Calderon by offering him a starting position.  And were there any rumblings that perhaps it was a quasi-strategic move by Calderon to show his commitment to team play and further enhance his market value?
2) Scrolling through the summer league, I noticed that John Lucas III was included on the roster.  Does he have a chance of sticking as the 3rd PG or was this a favour for his dad to give his kid some more exposure?  Also, with Ford gone, does John Lucas Jr (former 1st overall pick and NBA head coach) still have a role with the team as a special consultant/PG coach?  Or will he be replaced by D. Martin?
John S, St. Catharines

p.s. - Tell Oakley that his "pimpin ain't dead, pimpin ain't easy, the hoes are just scared" line is possibly the greatest soundbite in sports history.

A: There were all kinds of factors that went into the decision to trade T.J. There was the fact Calderon had proven himself more than capable of being a starter and running a team, there was the chance to lock him up for five years rather than risk losing him this summer and T.J. in two or three years. I don’t think you can pinpoint one specific thing over the others. And I think Jose’s character, both by giving up the job in the season but letting it be known in the summer that he wanted consideration for the starting role was not so much “strategic” as just part of his personality.

I don’t think John Lucas III has a shot at the open Toronto job, I think they want someone bigger who’s more of a combo guard. His dad’s contract is up with the Raptors, I can’t imagine it being renewed and there is no suggestion from anyone I’ve talked to with the team that Martin will be here in any capacity. That could change, but I would be surprised.

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Q: A couple of questions concerning JO that hopefully are a little different from the typicals.
I was just wondering, seeing as this deal was long "confirmed" before July 9, what made the deal a staple? I mean, how do GMs know that the other party won't back off a deal and, in Toronto's case, potentially ruin the draft pick?
Also, what kind of person is JO in the locker room? I was assuming that he wasn't the greatest guy to look up to, but after watching the RapsTV report, one guy there mentioned that JO was "a great guy" in the locker room.  Agree?

Jay C, Toronto

A: Because NBA general managers are men of their word; if they weren’t, they would never be able to make a deal again.

I haven’t covered a team Jermaine O’Neal’s played on so I can’t really speak to his dealings with teammates and coaches and media in the locker room. People who covered him in Indy and people whose opinions I respect tell me he’s a good guy. That’s enough for me right now until I see for myself.

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Q: My apologies if this has been covered and I missed it. I was wondering about the format of the Olympic qualifying tournament and how it works. So there are 4 groups of 3 and only the winner of the group goes to the playoffs? Or the top two goes through? I just wanted to know if we need to win both to make the playoffs, or would a 1-1 record do. Winning both might be a tall order, but the hopes are definitely buoyed by the impressive showing in the win in the first ex. game against Germany.

Louis K, Richmond Hill

A: There’ll be a lot more on this in our big preview in Monday’s newspaper but here’s a synopsis.

Four groups of three, top two from each group advance to knockout quarter-finals. Canadawill have to beat either Slovenia or Korea to advance, and two wins will get them an allegedly easier quarter-final berth.

As it looks now, I would bet on Slovenia and Canada advancing from their group to play either Croatia or Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals.

The four quarter-finalists play semifinals, winners go to Beijing, losers play for the third and final berth.

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Q: This have been about my fifth or sixth question with no response. Hopefully this will qualify an answer. Two questions, I heard that Oklahoma City has dropped the team name Sonics. What are they going to call themselves? Second question. We make comparisons of JO and CB4 to David Robinson and Tim Duncan. One being offensive savvy and the other being our anchor in defense. But, what about Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry? What can you tell us that would make this front court duo a success rather than a failure? I remember when Isiah made the trade for Zach Randolph, there was a lot of optimism of that front court duo.
Thanks for your time.

Anthony R, Mississauga

A: I understand they might have a ‘name the team’ contest in Oklahoma City and I’d submit Dust Bowls or Tumbleweeds.

I would also suggest the differences between O’Neal and Bosh and Curry and Randolph begins with talent, runs through work ethic, continues on to team attitude and finishes with personality. If this one in Toronto is an abysmal failure it will still be more of a success than the dysfunction that engulfed the Knicks.

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Q: Thanks for the column Doug. It allows basketball fans living in the far corners of the country to keep in touch with what's going on. I am a newbie fan so I have a pretty basic basketball question. I hear the phrases like "He's good but he can't create his own offence" a lot at this time of the year, when free agents are being analyzed.  What does it really mean to be able to "create your own offence"?

Kirsty G, Alexis C, BC

A: In the basic sense, it’s a guy with good ball-handling skills who doesn’t need a screen to get off a shot, someone who can take his man off the dribble and get into the paint, either to make a basket or get fouled. Basically, someone with good all-around offensive skills.

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Q: Hi Doug, I was searching the web in vain for information on Jose's (and Hassan Adams') new contract.  I notice that in their official press releases the Raps always say something like "As per team policy the financial details were not disclosed".  Do you know what the rationale for this is?  Isn't there an obligation to notify the league office very soon as to the contract value, and doesn't the information become public at that point?

Mike K, Brampton

A: Au contraire. The teams do have to notify the league office but they keep salaries confidential there, too. We usually find out all the particulars through a team or league source and will as soon as I can get hold of someone who’s in Vegas. But Adams is getting a two-year, league-minimum deal which, for a player with one year’s experience, is $711,517 (US) this season.

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Q: I saw Jerm-O posing with a #6 jersey during his introductory press conference. It just doesn't seem right to see him in something in other than #7. Do you think he will make a deal with Andrea to get his #7 back? It's not uncommon for a veteran player to buy his number back from a new teammate.

Craig A, Toronto

A: To hear O’Neal talk about the last couple of years in Indy, I’m not sure he wouldn’t like to put the No. 7 behind him, too.

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Q: Love the blog, keep it up! We've been putting all our attention to the players surrounding Chris Bosh for a while now. We know Chris Bosh is an all star and will be for the years to come and expect consistency from him. My question is what part of his game can he improve in order to take this team to the next level? We all know the success of this team depends on his level of play.

Philippe A, Ottawa

A: I would suggest the one part of Bosh’s game that has to improve this coming season is his rebounding, and having someone like Jermaine O’Neal next to him to occupy some opponents is bound to help. Oh, and he can always shoot a better percentage.

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Q: How do a couple of realistic waived and/or free agent possibilities from the Clippers sit within either your or the Raptors' braintrust's view as potential signings:
Quinton Ross (a lot like Moon without the athleticism, but much more consistent as a defensive stopper -says this "braintrust"); and
James Singleton (had a few good games when some Clippers were injured, would be able to match up with posting small forwards better than perhaps all than Joey)?

Geoff H, Toronto

A: I’ll give you the same opinion of those two I’ve had of a few other names: Are Quinton Ross and James Singleton REALLY any better than anyone who would play ahead of them here? Could they take minutes away, consistently, from Moon, Kapono and Parker? Maybe Graham, who starts the season as at least the fourth wing/swingman and maybe the fifth if Hassan Adams comes on strong.

Ross and Singleton are journeymen NBAers, there’s no need to add them here.

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Q: Hey Doug, there was talk before about the potential to move Anthony Parker, because of his expiring contract, in order to address their problem at the wing (although I love AP's game its interesting to see who we can get for him). I know the Raps are probably not going to spend a lot of money on free agents but are they planning to maybe package AP to sign a middle of the pack wing? Would BC even give this a thought?

Jason R, Toronto

A: No, no, no they’re not. Why in the world would they want a “middle of the pack wing?” Middle of the pack is not going to improve any team. If they were to ever move Parker, it would be only to upgrade significantly and he’s way better than “middle of the pack.”

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Q: Is Alvin Williams' contract still on the Raptors books?
I seem to recall hearing a couple seasons ago that it would be on the books for a number of years and the amount was about $6 million.
If it is still on the books, is it after this season that it comes off?
How much space is it taking up on payroll?
P.S. Looking forward to your Men's Field hockey blog. An idea long overdue!

Brian V, Toronto

A: No, they have no salary obligations to anyone not on the roster this year. Alvin’s done, Alonzo’s done, everyone’s done.

Yes, men’s field hockey, women’s football, baseball, softball, goofy things you can buy on the streets of Beijing to eat are all bloggable indeed. Don’t remember to tune in during the Olympics. Oh, and there might be some basketball in there, too.

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Q: Do you think it would be stupid if the Raptors try to go out and see if Shaun Livingston, would come play in Toronto.

Nelson R, Toronto

A: I don’t think it’s stupid at all and I would presume and certainly hope, that the Raptors at least do their due diligence and find out how healthy he really is.

Comments

[Chris]

Doug, so you repeatedly say every day the Raps can only get someone to round off their bench, perhaps steal a couple minutes, provide depth etc, with their last few roster spots because of a lack of money. Then when someone suggests Singleton and Ross (the same type of player you say they are looking for) you practically berate them in your answer.

You say, "Are Quinton Ross and James Singleton REALLY any better than anyone who would play ahead of them here? Could they take minutes away, consistently, from Moon, Kapono and Parker?" Is Tony Allen or Eddie House any better either? House is the epitome of a jouneyman and Allen is well on his way to that distinction.

I just don't get how you tell people to suggest actual possibilities for the end of the bench (not Maggette etc) then when someone does you basically say how stupid he is.

Blogger's note: I may have misinterpreted the question, I thought the suggestion was that either could come in and play. As end-of-the-benchers and 13th men, though, neither really satisfies the stated desire for a combo guard who can handle the ball.
If it was you I offended, sorry; if you're not the letter-writer, let's hope he didn't take it quite so badly as you did.

[Nicholas C]

I think Parker will be a beast again this season à la his first season in TO. Last year the guy was arguably the most consistent player on a team with ... er ... confused motivation? ... a backlog of similar talents? Whatever it was, his light still shone in my eyes. I think a trade like the one for O'Neal can only make him better, much much better. We are really lucky to have him.

[chris]

Challenge Parker for the starter role? Hilarious. Have you watched Hassan Adams play or are you just drinking the BC/Sam Koolaid (whoever told you that).

Hassan Adams is small, can't shoot, doesn't really create his own shot (his drives are usually through open lanes. Think of JYD if he were playing the PF role and a smarter defender (small, everything comes off hustle and tenacity). Hassan Adams is NOT a starter.

Blogger's note: I recall him vaguely from his year with the Nets, I presume by your statements you saw an awful lot of him in Europe last year to make that assessment. I trust the opinions of people I spoke to about him, none of whom are employed by the Raptors.
But you may end up being entirely correct; or I may be. We, as they say, shall see.

[Jason C]

Isn't Garbo on the books for this year?

Blogger's note: He is. Early morning brain cramp

[Kalson]

I'd have to disagree about Maggette. I think $10m/year is right on for him. He's capable of scoring 30 points on any given night and can hit the big shots. As Toronto fans can see, that's no simple task.

[Jeff]

Re: Payroll Obligations

You mention the Raps "have no salary obligations to anyone not on the roster". What about Garbo's buyout?

Blogger's note: See earlier comment, response.

[Kelsie McPherson]

Hey Doug,

I read your comments this morning regarding Adams and I'm wondering that do you really feel bsaed on what you've heard that he has the potential to push AP for starting duties at that position? I like AP, but i'm been arguing for awhile that a more tradtional two with ball handling abilities would be a better skill set for our team than a shooter. If this became a reality through two free agent camps you would potentially have two starters at the wing positions. My concern is what does this say about the other wings that Raps actually invested far more money into? Why are we paying money to guys who can't supplant free agent cast-offs? Just a thought.

Hypothetically, do you think the Raps would ever exceed the luxury tax in the future if they legitmately felt they had a chance to win it all?

Blogger's note: I don't know if they would but if they really, truly felt there was ONE guy to put them over the top, I'm sure it would have to be discussed.

[Ben]

I agree that Philly has been improved, but i certainly don't think it's given that they're better than toronto. Philly had a late season surge based on all-star type play from their PG. I don't think that happens again, and although Brand is great, Bosh+fairly healthy JO > Brand+Sammy. Iggy is the big wild card for Philly, and I don't think they have our bench depth, even though it's been a bit reduced.

I think Boston should still be at the top, with Detroit, Orlando, Toronto and Philly in a virtual dead heat, more or less. Detroit is going to be making a move this summer, and that's what will affect their team more than anything, and why I don't see them as a clear cut #2.

[michael wang toronto]

Doug one question, if Ukic does not be effective off the bench for the point, what PG will raps bring in then? Maybe a Salim Stomiare or maybe Louis Willaims a former Philly?

Blogger's note: Those are certainly two names out there. But whoever it is won't be brought in, he'll be here from the start of camp.

[Rahulan]

Doug,

Rumor in a Spanish newspaper (Marca I believe) that Garbo has received a contract offer from the Lakers? Is this true? any details?

Blogger's note: I'm trying to confirm that but until I hear it from someone in Los Angeles, I remain dubious that there's been an "offer"

[Chi-Hung Ta]

Let's say Adams supersedes Parker as the starting 2 during the course of the season. We then magically have a BACO'N starting line-up of Bosh, Adams, Calderon, O'Neil (and a fifth "bit" part). Imagine the marketing opportunities!

[Tim M]

Did anybody catch this Bob Kravitz article on Jermaine O'Neal?

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/SPORTS15/807110418/1062/SPORTS04

I came across it on TrueHoop. Here's a sample: "I'll make this prediction: O'Neal will be an All-Star in 2008-09."

[JMk]

Today the spanish written media opened the basketball information with an offer from los angeles lakers to jorge garbajosa, but if you say that he is in the raptors books for this season, don't they have a saying on that possible (very doubtful) signing? weren't he bought out of his contract so he could play in europe? i mean Jc navarro did something similar with memphis and if he returns to the nba, the grizzlies still have got their rights. what's garbo's situation in this matter with the raptors?.

Blogger's note: Garbo has no contract with any NBA team so he has a right to discuss his future with anyone.

[Dan]

Loius Williams is still with Philly. I think he is there top scorer on the bench and there point guard of the future. No way will he be in a Raptor jersey next year. Even if he were a free agent he would demand more money then the Raptors can afford. Stoudamire would be similar to Daniel Ewing. I think Stoudamire is a better shooter. Just really streaky.

[Tony Freitas]

Regarding JO's number. I saw him give an interview where he stated "7" was AB's number for the Raptors and he did not even consider asking for it as he did not want it. He chosse "6" because he wore the number as a kid growing up playing ball for the love of the game and that's what he see's the move to TO bringing back to his life. I must say Jermaine has impressed me every step of the way since the trade was made. He's well versed, well spoken and was well prepared for all angles of questioning from the media (personal and professional). A real bonus as I expected little in this regard.

Any chance that Nash will play for team Canada if they make the Olympics?

Blogger's note: Anything's possible but I highly, highly doubt it.

[S in Ottawa]

Doug, I would say Hubie Brown is the best color guy in the business!. I do like Vangundy, very funny guy. I agree Marc Jackson is all about promoting Marc Jackson, they might as well have magic on the broadcasts!

[Mikey G]

Looking forward to the Beijing blog. When you see Chris Bosh this summer will his reaction be "Hey Doug, how's it going big guy? Long time no see!" Or more like "Uh oh here comes that crazy newspaper guy for TO." Enjoy the weekend.

Blogger's note: Maybe he'll try to sell me a used car

[H to the Immo]

Doug, just saw a replay of a game early in the 1999 season on Raptors TV (they beat the Lakers in LA). I was astonished by the talent level. It's almost 10 years later and I'm wondering if there will ever be a Raptors team as good.

The crew was a lucky combination of draft picks (McGrady, Carter) and savvy vets (Oakley, Curry, Davis, Bogues, Christie). There was little dead weight... even Dee Brown seemed to be on fire.

One basketball truth seemed to emerge: wing players peak early but post players get savvy when they're older. Carter and McGrady didn't really get any better. They were arguably at the height of their respective basketball powers in '99. This makes me think that a team should ALWAYS draft 2's and 3's and simply trade or buy free agent post players. The odds of getting a once-in-a-generation big man are so slim that it seems a waste to draft for size.

[Sean]

I know alot of people call the JO deal risky, but how about Philly using their cap space on Brand with a long term, gazillion dollar deal. The guy is a great player, but he is as injury-prone as JO and his teams never seem to win all that much. Philly caught some lightning in a bottle last year, and as much as I recognize Brand is an upgrade on Evans and I hate to see him in our division, fitting him into Philly's style of play may not be as easy as many would suggest. If Jo doesnt work out, we have 23M in cap room in 2010. If Brand doesnt work out, the Sixers have a serious long-term problem.

[Tim W.]

The reason I, as well as others I assume, think Philadelphia will be a better team is they simply have more talent than the Raptors. The Bosh-O'Neal tandem is arguably better than the Brand-Dalembert one, but really not by all that much. While Calderon has the chance to be a better player than Miller, Miller has more experience. I like Parker, but Igoudala is much better, and Thaddeus Young, while, well, young and not the shooter Kapono is, but he plays both ends of the court, and he's a better all around player than Jamario Moon has shown. Neither team's bench is all that deep, but Philly still has the money and roster spaces available to make several ore additions. When it comes down to it, Philadelphia has four very good players (Brand, Igoudala, Miller and Dalembert), whereas the Raptors have three (Bosh, O'Neal and Calderon). Keep in mind I like Parker and believe he could be a starter on a Championship team, but he's certainly not a big money player and never will be.

Right now, if there are no more big moves, I see the top 6 teams in the East being, in order, Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Toronto, with Washington, Atlanta, Chicago and my dark horse team, Milwaukee, fighting it out for the last two playoff spots.

[vener]

Hi Doug,

1. I thought I read in one of your blogs that Jawai will be in the Vegas summer league. I checked the website and his name isn't there. So is he or is he not playing?
2. I find it strange that Raptors TV is broadcasting the other teams' games in the Vegas summer league but no Raptors games??? What gives?

Thanks for your response.

Blogger's note: The Jawai deal got officially done about an hour ago, he's been in Vegas for days and is playing.
Raptors TV picks up the NBA-TV feed. And I'm told there will be a couple of Raptor games on, I don't know which ones.

[chris]

Re: my earlier comment regarding Adams.....not Europe, but did watch a LOT of Nets games. He's exciting off the bench but unless his shooting and/or ability to create offense has improved exponentially there's no way he'll ever become a starter.

But like you said, we'll see. If he becomes one, i'll buy you a few pints on a patio. Deal?

Blogger's note: Pints on a patio? Deal for sure!

[derek]

Doug,
Is that Sinclair making a rude gesture to the brazil soccer player? That is a priceless pic...looks like a brawl could have happened!

Blogger's note: I believe she was, and it was good to see.

[GM]

One huge difference between Bosh/O'Neal and Curry/Randolph is conditioning. Neither Bosh nor O'Neal are grossly overweight. Both Curry and Randolph are.

About the luxury tax that the Raptors won't pay unless it's a one-time deal that would put that near the top of the league, are they hurting for money? I mean in comparison to other owners? If they're billionaires, what are they worried about? A billion is one thousand millions. I know no one likes to lose money, but to drop 10 million bucks for a person with one billion dollars is the equivalent (sort of) of losing ten bucks when you have a grand.

Finally, is the reason you're not fans of Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller as colour commentators because they were such condescending prima donnas when they were players? Does your opinion of players as people ever affect your judgment of them professionally?

Blogger's note: Actually, my opinion of them as players is far greater than my opinion of them as broadcasters, I like to think I could separate the two.
The tax thing, as it stands now, is a business decision; if I were running the business, it might be different on a case-to-case business but, unfortunately, the teachers' pension fund people don't take financial advice from me.