Light reading on a rainy day

Okay, I can barely keep up to you folks. Lots of good ones here and more than a few left to sprinkle in throughout the regular daily blog, which is a good thing given the dearth of NBA news.

Happy reading on a rainy day, Super Son and I are off to a the Glorious Little League Yankee End-Of-Season Celebration and Bun Toss as a local establishment out here that’s known as Cooper’s Pub. A place, by the way, that know gives me locals in both downtown and the home village so it’s a great, great thing.

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Q: Hi Doug. We owe a lot to chickens...human civilization, including the development of writing, a development to which we owe your blog and you enjoy your living, was aided by the domestication of fowl ( reliable food source,helped our ancestors to exist in cities, etc.). I am proud of my statuary chicken collection although the collection has been an issue in the marriage! And now a new fad: people are (again?)raising chickens in modern N. American urban centres! See http://www.culture11.com/node/31701
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Q: If Kapono gets more playing time might it be because Coach Mitchell judges that O'Neal provides more defensive backup for when Kapono's man beats him on the dribble? Is this one reason The Raps obtained O'Neal?

Charles N, Toronto

A: Excellent chicken link.

O’Neal’s defensive prowess, and his willingness to take charges, alter shots and anchor the area under the basket is indeed a large part of the reason they obtained him.

And yes, his presence will lessen some of the glaring perimeter defensive deficiencies (they hope) and perhaps allow a guy like Kapono to get away with more lapses and play more significant minutes.

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Q: Doug, I was thinking how deja vu your comment was about Kapono being the likely starter. On paper it seems obvious but I have a quirky fact for you. Jason Kapono has never dunked a ball in an NBA game.  How does this happen? The guy is 6-8. Can the guy dunk? Have you ever seen/noticed it during warmups/practice? Kapono has said his shot is what defines him as a player but how can a team afford to play a guy who is no threat to take it to the rack, only has 15 career (blocks less than 0.05 a game),  and draws zero fouls? Yes he is the best shooter in the league by far, but you have to be versatile enough to make your the defending team respect your options. I really hope he does well but this ain’t football and there ain’t no special teams - you have to have some all around skill to earn minutes.

Ryan L, Calgary

A: Wow, lots of Kapono these days.

Yes, he can dunk. And yes, he is multi-skilled enough to thrive in the NBA. And I’m pretty sure he, and his coaches, know he has to be a threat in other ways as well.

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Q: This is the first time I've written into your blog, but I'm a long time reader.. Love your insight, and point of view for all things Raptors and some things Olympic.
My question is in reference to the suspension of Chalmers, and Arthur for violation of the drug policy. Specifically, I'm wondering about your thoughts on the appropriateness of the punishment.
I agree that the 2 are boneheads/ idiots/ mind numbing imbeciles etc, for partaking in these activities at this camp, but I can not rationalize the punishment.
So you are going to send home, the 2 from a mandatory camp, that's sole purpose is to teach you how to live your life in the NBA, ie "life skills, handling finances, the importance of character and image, the difference between NBA and NCAA game rules, legal matters and dealing with media".
You don't think that there may be a topic or two on.. "don't take/ use/ get caught with" drugs??
So they kick them out, this year, suspend and fine them, then make them repeat it next year??
And you don't think that next year, one of them won't lean over to another up and comming Rook and say.. hey, this stuff is all horse ****. I've got stuff back in the room for after dinner..
Sorry about the rant, maybe its just me, but I would have kept them in it, fined and suspended them, AND make them repeat it. (cause apparently they weren't listening the first time).
Anyways thanks for all your insight, and keep on with the great work.

Craig F, Mississauga

A: All good points and that certainly would have been a way to handle it.

But making them go home, fining them $20,000, making them issue apologies to their teams and fans and then forcing them to come back next year and be held up as examples of what happens when you blatantly violate the rules of the program works pretty well.

And I doubt they’ll doing anything stupid next year.

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Q: As you say the season is weeks away but was wondering what you think the biggest story going into training camp will be
- lack of any buzz
- lingering injuries
- will they stay healthy
- greatly improved play
- none of the above
So I guess you can let simmer for 3 weeks and let us know your thoughts.

John P, Fredericton

A: The biggest story, as I see it right now, is how Bosh and O’Neal interact on the court. I’m sure others (Bargnani and back-up point guard play chief among them) will emerge and are already on the list but Bosh-O’Neal tops it.

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Q: Can you provide an update on summer special coaching for 2 Raps. Bargs at the "big man" camp and Moon taking shooting lessons. Did they actually take the time and work on their weaknesses. Any chance of improvement?

JD A, Victoria

A: The update is, really, quite simple: They got coaching, on various aspects of the game, they worked on footwork and post moves, ball-handling and shooting. Just like about every single professional basketball player on the planet. They all work on their games in the summer. Are they better? Guess we’ll have to wait until October to find out.

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Q: Hey Doug, great job with the blog - it's my daily read now that the Chuckster doesn't check in anymore..
I had a question and a comment:
Q: About the National team - I'm not sure if you answered this before, but why did Dalembert get sent home from the qualifier earlier this summer?  He was struggling, but was he not their best big on the team?  I'm guessing it was attitude-related?
C: I want to see a retro Huskies jersey too, but I think a Toronto isn't eligible for a retro jersey because they haven't been around long enough.  I'm sure they're dying to cash in on those extra merchandise sales.

Bob D, Kitchener

A: Dalembert again? Well, according to the head coach, there were issues with his commitment to the team and his work ethic; according to the player, that’s not right. I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle and we may never find out exactly what it was.

Jerseys? Oh, they’re eligible. There’s no official time frame established by anyone. If they wanted to market and sell them, they could.

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Q: I've got a dilemma and would like your opinion. I recently won a Jose Calderon autographed Spain Olympic jersey off eBay.
Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=320291009398
After the auction, someone who had lost contacted me and asked if I would be willing to sell it to him because he wanted to give it to his son as a Christmas gift. Now this isn't Calderon's regular Raptors jersey. It's his SpainOlympic jersey and I'm sure this can't be found anywhere else. So what would you do? Sell it for say double the price? Or keep it? Thanks for your thoughts.
Ender W, Toronto

A: A moral dilemma and you come to me? Okay.

Well, if you believe in karma and doing the right thing, you’ve got to sell it to the guy for the same amount you paid for it and then hope someone does something nice and honourable for you in the future.

Now, I say that not knowing what your plans are for it, but a kid at Christmas is a pretty big thing.

First delivery of the week

I don’t know how you people do it. It’s the start of September, nothing of substance has happened with the Raptors since about the first week of July yet there are enough questions to fill this 3,000-word opus. And then there are a dozen or so more waiting to be answered for a mailbag I’ll put up sometime on the weekend.

Have a nice day.

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Q: I asked this once already, and if you answered it, I apologize -- I was away for part of the summer.
Who do you feel are the top five players who have influenced the style of play, and the game itself, in the NBA?  MJ may have been the greatest ever, but I don't feel that he really affected how the game is played.  Some contenders: Bob Cousy through defining the point guard role (I started my interest when Cousy was at his peak, so I'm not sure if this is true). Wilt Chamberlain (or George Mikan, but again before my time) by focusing play into and out of the low post, eventually leading to the three-point line. Oscar Robertson as the first 'big guard.’ Any number of people, apparently, including Bud Palmer, for 'inventing' the jump shot and transferring it to pro ball.  Thoughts?

Alan C, Kawartha Lakes

A: Wow, good question.

Knowing that these will undoubtedly bring about criticism and comment and discussion, here we go.

I think you have to put Jordan on there because he played the game in the air better than almost anyone.

I’d say Oscar Robertson’s a great choice and I’d add Bill Russell, Doctor J and Magic Johnson for certain.

A fifth? I think you could make a case for Mikan, just as you could for Bill Walton as a passing big man. But if Russell’s gonna be on the list, shouldn’t Wilt be, too?

And if you’re not limiting it to just NBA players, I think you would have to include Red Auerbach and John Wooden on that list.

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Q: What, exactly, happens during a "review game tape" session?  Do they watch the entire tape and have a running commentary or do the coaches pre-select a couple of minutes that demonstrate something they want to work on or reinforce?  Does it vary according to the coach's style, and if so, what would you say is Sam's style?
As if that's not enough questions, I'm also curious if the players or coaches every listen to the play-by-play or colour commentator's comments?  It seemed that when VC was trying to get his ticket out of town punched Chuck and whoever was with him were constantly saying that he was settling for bad jumpers and needed to take the ball to the rim more.  Seemed pretty obvious, but it also seemed like nobody paid them any attention.

Chris C, Toronto

A: Generally, tape sessions use edited versions of the last game, to specific incidents – good and bad – that need to be worked on. And it does vary from coach to coach, Sam uses more positive reinforcement than a lot, or so I’m told, not being privy to many of the sessions here or with other teams.

And very, very, very seldom to players or coaches listen to broadcasts. What happens more than you might think is that a family member or friend of a player or a coach might be listening and pass on anything they think the player or coach should know about.

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Q: Hey Doug, hope you've stopped having nightmares about that "draggon" Scorpion fish. Anyways on to the question: (Now I know that all the roster moves are complete and there will be no additions but just bare with me). There has been speculation that Rasho might be bought out by the pacers midway through the season, now I was wondering would the raptors be able to sign him for the veterans minimum? Because i believe its like $650 000 which comes out of MLSE's pocket and the rest is thrown in from the NBA. I think we would still be able to stay under the cap if this is correct.

Saad H, Toronto

A: I’ve never heard a whisper about the Pacers thinking anything like buying out Rasho, who showed last season he’s still got plenty of game left as a serviceable big man in the NBA.

But even if they do, I cannot envision a scenario that has him back here, unless about three Toronto bigs suffer serious injuries at the same time.

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Q: I apologize if you've already answered this question but it just occurred to me that Nathan "Baby Shaq" Jawai did not play for Australia in the Olympics. How come? I would have thought the Aussie MVP of the Australia League All-Star Game would have made the cut? Just interested as I'm excited about the prospect of a new big body coming off the bench.

Stephen D, Toronto

A: According to some Aussie friends I talked to around the Beijing gym, Jawai was neither experienced, nor good enough, to make what was a very veteran-laden Australian Olympic team. He’s never played for the national senior team before and they weren’t about to let him make his debut at the Olympics.

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Q: Welcome back. Figured I'd re-ask a question that didn't make the cut last time but hopefully will this time ‘cause I really am quite curious. What do our 7-foot friends do for sleeping arrangements while on the road? Do certain hotels have extra jumbo beds or do these guys just have to curl up in the fetal position all night?  Plus, what were their accommodations like in Beijing? Thanks Doug!

Jon S, Toronto

A: All the hotels teams use on the road –- and they are pretty much the same in each city for each visiting team –- add either extra boxsprings or mattresses or have extra long beds for the players to use.

The USA team at Beijing stayed in a luxury hotel, as well appointed as any you’d find in North America, I’m told.

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Q: Hey Doug, wanted to get your thoughts. I read an article not to long ago (not sure when it was actually written though) about Hassan Adams in a Jersey paper that got me pretty excited about the signing but I haven’t heard very many positive things about him from you. It was from the perspective of an ex new jersey scout who was part of the process of scouting/drafting him in 2006 when he went 54th overall. He goes on to bash Rod Thorn the nets president for cutting Adams, saying that the talent is there and it was way too early to give up on him and that without a doubt an NBA team will pick him up and be really happy with what he brings. So, I was wondering, have you heard anything about that recently or in the past or is it just some bitter scout who probably isn’t with the team anymore?

Peter T, Toronto

A: It is a well-documented fact that the Nets released Adams because of tax considerations when they added Jamaal Magloire and from people I’ve spoken to, and with the way Magloire’s New Jersey career unfolded, that was a ridiculously bad move.

All I’ve heard from Raptor types is that he’s a hard-nosed competitor with great athletic ability who will challenge for playing time this season.

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Q: Hey Doug! Can't wait for the NBA season to start! I was doing wishful thinking the other day and did some trades on my NBA live 2008 game, now my Raptors starting lineup has JO, CB, Maggette, AP and Jose! That would have been an awesome starting 5 in real life....
Do you think the day will come when the Euro-leagues (Maccabi, Moscow, Greece) will merge with the NBA so we'll be able to watch Euro players and Europe would be able to see the NBA players?
Also, how is Jamario progressing right now? What superstar would you compare his status in training camp right now? A potential VC? TMac? or Boykins? I think every raptor fan is eager to see how the summer has shaped Jamario, and what he can do potentially.

Tobi B, Toronto

A: I don’t know if a merger is in the future, but there will be a time, likely in the next decade, where there’s a European division of the NBA. Whether that’s new teams or old ones is up for debate.

Jamario? I haven’t seen him to know first-hand how he’s progressing and there is no superstar I would compare him to, and nor should you.

He is a 28-year-old second-year player who is in the rotation but hardly a focal point of what his team does. He is a role player, not a star and that’s what he’s going to be for his entire career.

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Q: I understand your point about training camp, but does that mean that there won't be anything planned for Ottawa fans?  What's the point of coming to a different location then?

Alex R, Ottawa

A: There may be some things planned, but it isn’t going to be a lot, with two-a-day workouts, there really isn’t a lot of time for public appearances. If history holds, they’ll be in the gym from about 9 a.m. to noon and back again from about 6-8 p.m.

The point? A little team bonding for a week, a chance to spread the team name around a bit and a chance to pay back fans with that intrasquad game they’ll hold on the Saturday.

Of Thunder, Dopey dopers and starters

Guess no one’s surprised by the Thunder being the new Oklahoma City nickname, it’s been out there for a few weeks, I believe. But how’s everyone feel about it?

AP PHOTO

Personally, I’m dead against single-identity names like Thunder, Heat, Magic, etc., so this isn’t a huge hit over here.

Mildly disappointed in the logo, too. It looks pretty lame and uninspiring but I’m sure the saps – um, spendthrift Okies – will snap up merchandise like it’s going out of style. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Guess the one issue with Thunder is that it’s also the nickname of the Golden State chicken and there was some angst in chicken-land about a team stealing the name of a stuffed animal that entertains the throngs at games.

Me? I couldn’t care less about that. The Chickens I know and love are far more mature than to get riled up about a team having the same name. It’s certainly not going to cut into the stuff the Warrior mascot does. And why wouldn’t a Warrior mascot be named, you know, Warrior, or something like that? What’s Thunder got to do with Warriors, or the Bay Area?

Chickens! We’ll never entirely figure ‘em out.

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From the Knuckleheaded Nincompoop department, we bring you these two dopes.

Seriously, smoking or having dope at the NBA’s rookie transition program? What’s that say about the (a) intelligence level, (b) maturity level and (c) common sense level of the two rooks?

No one’s naïve enough to think that no NBA players enjoy a smoke every now and then but there’s a time and a place for everything and you’re room at the resort where they’re teaching you how to be a professional and conduct yourself accordingly is not it.

I don’t know what the “sanctions” will ultimately be, but a one- or two-game suspension would be a good bet.

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Here’s a throwback question, sort of:

Q: So, it's back in mid-August, and you've had a very reasonable rant about softball players in the Olympics high-fiving far too much, where a friend of yours explained it as, "... team building and supporting each other and all that kumbaya-ish psychobabble."
A few days later I see all of Kobe's teammates giving him a supporting tap after he missed a free throw and wondered how many of these his Lakers teammates give him in a game, or on the year.
My question is how do you view this form of support that all NBA players show?  I mean, there's rarely a specific set of high-fives for a clutch 3 pointer or crazy dunk that happens midplay (for good reason)... couldn't the constant free throw support slaps be seen as somewhat "kumbaya-ish", just like those softball high-fives?

Charlie D, Montreal

A: Yes, they could absolutely be seen as ‘kumbaya-ish psychobabble’ no question about it. They aren’t nearly as intrusive, or as frequent, as I saw at the kabillion softball games I had the pleasure of covering in Beijing (they did it after every inning, before every inning, after every out, far, far too often). But, the NBA taps are rather ridiculous, I think.

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Lots of questions lately about who might start for the locals this year and while it’s foolish to try and guess since camp hasn’t even started, we do some foolish around here so why not.

Without having spoken about it at length with Sam, or any member of the coaching staff for that matter, the feeling I got from brief conversations is that they’ll take a very long look at Kapono at the small forward rather than Moon.

The thinking, as far as I can tell, is that Kapono’s play in the playoffs – where the three-point ace actually took three-pointers – was exactly the kind of shooting they’ll need with both Bosh and O’Neal commanding so much attention inside.

Of course, this could all go out the window when they start pre-season games but that seems to be the rationale at the moment.

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More from the mail, and judging by the inbox, I’ve got some work ahead of me today answering all your queries for Friday’s mailbag:

Q: Hey Doug, love the blog and what you're doing with the place.
My question is a 'what if' question.
What if Roko is not ready for the NBA, do the Raptors let him take his lumps or if he isn't working out and not ready for the NBA, do they slide him to third string and bring a vet in to play the point for 10 minutes a night? If so who?

David G, Wallaceburg

A: If he’s horrible, or just can’t do the job, they’ll look to Will Solomon first and foremost. They don’t have the money to go get some veteran (unless they make some mid-season trade) so it’ll be Solomon’s job if Ukic can’t do it.

But, despite a rather so-so Olmypics, they are going to give the kid every chance to play himself into that role.

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So, Manu Ginobili had reportedly successful surgery on his left ankle this week and will miss more than a few weeks. It’s doubtful he’ll be anywhere near ready to even start practicing all out before the start of the regular season (he’ll be on crutches for the next three weeks and then has to rehab during the pre-season portion of the schedule) and I’m wondering what this all means to the Spurs.

You know what? Probably nothing. And, in some ways, if this clears up Manu’s ankle woes forever, it might even be considered a good thing.

Giving a tired veteran some rest, even if it is after an operation, can’t be a bad thing. The Spurs aren’t going to win the NBA championship, or even contend for it, in October and November. Everything they’ll do is to be ready for April and the playoffs and if that means missing Manu for two months and he’s fresher at the end of the year, so be it.

I don’t for a second think a team with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker and the rest of ‘em is in any danger of even falling out of the playoffs in the first month or so of the season, either.

So, sure, it sucks that he’s hurt, and it’ll raise all kinds of questions about players spending the summers playing for their countries but this isn’t that much to get worked up about.

Ottawa's the centre of the (basketball) universe, it seems

I believe as I type this, Mats Sundin has not made a decision on his future. In case you were wondering, that is.

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We’ve got some restless people up in the nation’s capital, and not just the folks who’ll have to go out on the hustings later this week to get someone elected.

Seems a raft of you Raptor fans are pretty excited and anxious about the impending training camp.

Not much I can tell you, at the moment, but stand by.

I’m told we should hear this week – and this being Wednesday there isn’t much left of this week – about such things as the intrasquad scrimmage that I believe is going to be the afternoon of Oct. 4 and other camp gems.

As far as I can discern right now, they’ll do a media day here in Toronto on Sept. 29, head to Ottawa that night and practice at Carleton for five days before the scrimmage brings an end to the festivities.

A word of warning, though:

If this camp is like any of the other 13 or 14 I’ve been at, there will be very little interaction between the players and fans during the workout days. Nothing will be open, and there’s not likely to be anything scheduled.

Now, if you want to run into a beat grunt or two, I’m sure there are a couple of locals that we’ll turn into locals.

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Speaking of training camp, here’s a Bottom Three list of the worst we’ve had so far:

Barrie, 1996: Maybe it had something to do with keeping The VR New (it’s got to be old by now, right?), but we ended up at a then-dreary Holiday Inn off Hwy. 400, they practiced in the mausoleum-like arena there and workouts went for about an hour a day under stern taskmaster Darrell Walker. Suffice it say, fun was not an option.

Buffalo, 2000: Got back from the buzz of the Sydney Olympics on, I believe, a Tuesday and was in Buffalo the next day to watch Vince Carter show off his gold medal. That would have been the highlight because downtown Buffalo in late September is not quite Mardi Gras. Did bring back some nifty red shoes from Sydney that were a hit, and a curiosity to the Buffalonians.

Toronto, 2003: Whoever thought being at home for camp was a good idea was sadly mistaken. Facing 120 days and nights a season in the ACC, the last thing anyone really wanted was another week in the practice gym.

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An old friend checks back in with the mail:

Q: Hope the dog days are treating you well. I really enjoyed your Olympics coverage! My question is, out of my three options listed below, which one do you feel is most imperative to the Raptor's success for this season? (I'm not even listing O'Neal, because that's too obvious).
A) Bargs progressing rather than regressing.
B) Calderon being able to play at the same level as last year without having T.J. to back him up.
C) Getting someone other than AP to play decent perimeter defence. (I hear there's a chance that could be Hassan Adams?)

Amanda F, Barrie

A: Dog days indeed. But it’s nice to have a week or two of down time before the carnage hits again.

Of those three, I’d say Bargnani’s play is most important. He can’t afford another bad season because he’s going to be too important to the second unit, which may struggle to score at times.

The other two are significant, especially Calderon’s play, but they need the big guy to be even better than he was in his rookie season if they are going to improve much over last year.

Lots of pressure on the kid, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles it.

And, no, I haven’t heard too many specifics about his workouts this summer and, even if I had, it wouldn’t matter a lick because it’s how he performs in games that matters most.

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Lots of cards and letters from folks in Ottawa (haven’t you got an election to worry about or something?) concerning Carleton’s excellent weekend adventure against NCAA schools.

In case you missed it, and many did, the Ravens beat Buffalo, Northeastern and South Alabama and took Kansas to the buzzer in a one-point game.

Helluva good accomplishment. Hardly wins over powerhouses and Kansas isn’t the Kansas of a year ago but still … It does speak highly of CIS basketball and, like I’ve been saying for years, more kids should stay home and play at Canadian schools because they’ll get good competition, a chance to play instead of sitting on the end of the bench regressing at some mid-major school and it’ll develop the game even more in this country.

Sure, there’ll always be the odd Canadian gem who can go to a big-time program and get some minutes but the woods are littered with tales of guys from here who are blinded by the bright lights of the NCAA only to find out they don’t play, don’t fit, don’t like it and don’t get any better whatsoever.

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Another dip in the mail:

Q: Hope you enjoyed the long weekend.
Now for a NBA 101 question.  How many draft picks for the 2009 draft do the Raptor's have left?
It seems they are always trading away the #1 pick and using their #2 picks to find undiscovered talent.

John P, Fredericton

A: They’ve got their own first-rounder next year but don’t currently have a second-round pick, it went to Detroit in the Carlos Delfino transaction. But, considering how easy it is to add second-round selections, I don’t think that’s a major concern.

And, the fact is, they don’t “always” trade away the No. 1 pick. They did last year, of course, but hadn’t dealt their first-round selection in any of the four previous drafts.

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See ya tomorrow. Remember, Friday’s a mail day and we could use some questions.

Now we can get back to normal

Good long weekend everyone? Pretty quiet around these parts, a barbecue, a ball practice and still trying to get back to normal after China. It’s taken almost a week, which is the longest time-zone travel recovery ever.

Luckily, though, it’s been pretty quiet around the world of basketball, too. Imagine it’ll stay that way for the next couple of weeks so not sure what we’ll have to fill this little space every morning but we’ll give it a shot.

And on with the show.

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Action: Heat sign Jamaal Magloire.

Reaction: Are they now Canada’s team? Does the front line of Mark Bloutn and Montreal's Joel Anthony strike fear in the hearts of the East? How long until we see the first “should the Raptors trade for Magloire” suggestion? How good does Michael Beasley have to be to make sure the Heat have even a snowball’s chance of competing for the playoffs?

One of the biggest stories out of the Olympics was the resurgent play of Miami's Dwyane Wade, who looked like The Flash of old at times.

But I’m wondering how he holds up over 82 games, having to carry that team once again.

The Magloire signing, while good for a local guy ‘cause it’s always nice to have a local guy earn an NBA paycheque, shouldn’t be seen as any panacea for what ails the Heat.

He’s going to be a bit player on a so-so team.

But good for him.

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I’m pretty sure you all saw the Knicks traded for Patrick Ewing Jr., dealing Frederic Weis to Houston for the son of the New York legend.

A bit on Ewing in a moment but first a Weis story.

We all know who he his, the 7-2 French centre that Vince Carter jumped over at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in what remains one of the greatest of many dunks I saw Carter throw down over the years.

But it also caused one good friend – who shall go nameless at the moment – to change forever how he watched games.

Some of us like to scribble down play-by-play during games, just in case we need to check something while we’re writing and the running copy sheet they provide us doesn’t have all the information.

Well, my buddy’s doing that, has his head buried in his notepad writing “Antonio McDyess, 15-foot jumper” when he hears a roar like he’s never heard, looks up and sees Carter finishing off the dunk over Weis.

Hasn’t done running play-by-play since.

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Now, on to Ewing.

It’s a nice little story and everything, kid goes to team his father dominated for all those years, a cute feel-good story.

But, really, how fair is it to put the kid in that spot? He’s a rookie, which is always tough, and although he comes out of an excellent program, he’s going to be life and death just to make the team.

Seems to me he’s set up to fail.

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Some topical mail:

Q: Not a single line regarding the Iranians and Hamed Hadadi, who is now a Memphis player?
C'mon man, we got enough Iranians/Persians in Toronto to at least get a mention in the blog.
Can you also comment on how initially NBA didn't allow the teams to negotiate with him and other Iranians, then working out the political kinks to get him a NBA jersey?
Anyway, what are your thoughts on him and the Iranian team? He played really well against Argentina and in my opinion, he is the only Iranian who has a chance to make it in the NBA.
Also, I think most of the Iranian players played for a contract during these Olympics rather playing for a win.

Rasam T, Toronto

A: If I thought for a second Hadadi was going to have any impact whatsoever on Memphis, or the NBA, there probably would have been some comment before now but the fact is, I don’t. And I can’t imagine he will.

He’s big, no question, and looks strong around the basket. But the game, even in Beijing looked almost too fast for him and I can see him struggling to get up to NBA speed.

He may stick, but I can’t imagine he’ll become a member of any team’s regular rotation.

I’m not entirely sure of the political machinations the Grizzlies or the NBA had to go through but it’s good that they did. The dude, no matter his playing shortcomings, shouldn’t be held back simply because of his nationality. His skill level will determine whether he’ll play or not.

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So Donyell Marshall’s a Sixer.

And that’s good for only one reason: He’s a lot closer to his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

Never saw a guy so wrapped up in the NFL than the ex-Raptor, I can imagine he’ll get all the Steeler news he needs being in Pennsylvania now.

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More mail:

Q: Since the non roster players that will be invited to the Raptor camp will just be fodder, could BC invite one or two of the young Canadians who still have time to improve, to camp? Unless they are not under contract in Europe, every little bit of NBA coaching would benefit Olu or Levon or ??? to help them and advance another step. This could trickle down to the next wave of players. Since BC is part of the National team brain trust, it would seem to be a win-win situation.

William S, Milton

A: I guess he could, but any Canadian worth his salt already has a contract and to marginalize them by inviting them to camp with absolutely no chance to make the team may not be doing the best for them.

The coaching they’d get would be okay, I guess, but, really, coaching in a camp like this one is going to be is going to be aimed at integrating Jermaine O’Neal, putting in systems to work with two equally-talented bigs and not worrying about what the 16^th or 17^th man on a 16- or 17-man camp roster is learning.

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Happy First Day Of School, everyone. Watch out for the kiddies on the street.