It's cool outside, but here are some hot questions

Morning, peoples.

Here’s the first of the weekend offerings (I expect to be back Sunday with the rest of ‘em) and you’ll notice that I’m not in Los Angeles with the fellas. It’s a rare weekend at home (I presume the family’s happy with that but I’m afraid to ask) where leaves of the tree nature need to be taken care of. So, there won’t be any in-game blogs from the games at the Staples Center, I’m afraid, but I’m thinking maybe we do one from Edmonton by watching the game on TV like a lot of you.

Sound like a good idea? Think about it, but while you do, get your coffee and check out some mail:

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Q: In a situation like that of Monta Ellis, where a player injures himself doing something expressly forbidden in his contract, how long does his team have to decide whether or not to void his contract?

It seems to me like Ellis put his team in a lose-lose situation with his immaturity. If they decide not to void the contract and Ellis never becomes the player they hopped because of the injury, they're stuck overpaying him for the next 5 years. On the other hand, had they decided to void the contract, they run the risk that Ellis makes a full recovery and they end up losing a future star.

In these kinds of situations, wouldn't it make more sense to let teams wait until the player has returned to in-game action for a few months before reaching a final decision on whether or not to void his contract?

That way a team would be able to better evaluate how well a guy has recovered before moving forward with or without him. Is this option actually available to teams or do they have a timeframe by which they must act or forever hold their peace?

Serge P, Ottawa

A: Not sure if there’s an actual statute of limitations in the standard players’ contract but it would make sense that a team could do whatever it wanted right up until the time the injured player gets back on the court.

And there have been suggestions out of Oakland that Golden State is still holding the opportunity to completely void Ellis’s contract over his head while he does his rehab from the injury.

Of course, that would lead invariably to an appeal from the player and some sort of mediation but there’s every indication Ellis is going to appeal this suspension anyway.

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Q: I was just looking over the schedule and noticed that the last game of the season against the Bulls is scheduled to be played at Conseco in Indy. Just wondering what’s up with that?

Sean G, Regina

A: I see it’s fixed now. Was just a glitch that got corrected.

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Q: Did you catch the coaching class of Ettore Messina? I'd like to know what your thoughts were.

Nicolas G, Toronto

A: I didn’t get to it, unfortunately, I was actually babysitting the Sixers at the Air Canada Centre for an absent friend. But I’m told it was excellent, very meticulous and quite informative. I talked to one guy who was there who said he couldn’t wait to get to his team’s practice to put things into work.

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Q: Hey Doug. Going WAY back now - what ever happened to the first Raptor of all time Vincenzo Esposito and why did he not get any playing time in that first season considering how awful they were?

Jamil B, Sydney, Australia

A: The last we saw Vincenzo was in Vegas at the summer league a couple of summers back. He was living out there but also was getting back to Italy every now and then. And considering he didn’t play on an awful team for a coach (Brendan Malone) who wanted to win and would do anything to help his team should speak to Vincenzo’s talent.

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Q: Doug:

1) Like others, I LOVE your in-game blogging - even though I read through it the next day. Are you really planning on keeping this up during the regular season?? If so, Doug's bosses, please take note - this guy is going WAY above the call of duty, and should receive some sort of compensation for doing so- not having to go to Cleveland to cover the Raps, perhaps?

2) You've made it abundantly clear that you don't think most stats are worth the paper they are written on. What stats DO you think are worthwhile? Or, is there a combination of stats you look to, for those games that you are not able to attend in person?

Love the blogs/mailbags/in-game reports -- and anything else you do -- Olympics included!

Tim H, Windsor

A: The one stat I check out is field goal percentage allowed, I think that’s a pretty good indication of how a team’s playing defensively. And I look at field goal percentage to see how the offence is going, along with free throws attempted. But there has to be a combination to take into consideration.

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Q: Are you aware of Raptors games being streamed live on the web, or at the least posted for later viewing. Subscription or free. I'm currently living in Malaysia and need my Raptor fix. Thanks for the great forum.

Patrick M, Kuala Lumpur

A: Go check out NBA.com, I know they do a league pass broadband that’s hooked up with their league pass broadcast plan.

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Q: Doug - what you do just keeps getting better. There's no limit to how much you can improve over last year!

Speaking of improving, how do you think Calderon is going to perform this year? How would you gauge the possibility of a "sophomore curse" given that he was a near all-star last year. What is the likelihood that he regresses now that he is the centre of attention in the back court?

Carlos M, Toronto

A: Since it’s his fourth year, maybe you mean “senior curse” but whichever phrase you use, I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think there’ll be any regression whatsoever in Jose.

Yes, his numbers did drop a bit at the end of last season after he logged all those minutes in T.J.’s absence but I think he learned from that. He knows now how to better pace himself in games and in practice and I’d expect the same kind of production he gave last season.

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Q: A major concern of mine in the off season was a lack of athleticism and general ability on the wing positions (2 and 3). So far in the pre season it appears that Jamario Moon did not improve his game at all in the off season, Hassan Adams looks like he works out with Chris Childs, Delfino is gone and now we are awaiting Joey Graham's return so he can continue to show that he is apparently smart enough to fly a plane, however not clever enough to know where he should be on the floor on most plays.

Please Doug explain to me how the Raptors can win a playoff series being below average in the talent department at the 2-3 position?

Mike F, Cambridge

A: Maybe they can’t win a playoff series. But I think if Bosh, O’Neal and Calderon have monster games it’ll offset the athletic deficiencies on the perimeter. And, don’t forget, this isn’t necessarily the same team you’ll see at the end of the regular season.

Q: Didn't you mention when we signed Adams he would be getting 2spot minutes and would before year's end replace A.P. as starting shooting guard? I didn't bother to argue at the time, but now you can see case in point. I like him, great guy hard nose, but is not going to be getting 2spot minutes or any minutes, other than high pressure full court.

Steve M, Toronto

A: I thought Adams would be given a chance to earn minutes and based on reports I had from other general managers and people who’d seen him play in New Jersey, I thought he’d have a shot to steal some minutes from AP. I, and everyone connected with the team, are a bit surprised at his ineffectiveness so far.

And I would presume he’s 12^th or 13^th on the roster right now.

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Q: Dougie Doug!!  Love reading about the boys, but can we get on with the season already?
After a few meaningless games, how do you see this team matching up with Boston or Philly?  Is J.O. going to be the piece that we need to play with the elite teams in the East?

Brian B, Austin, Tex.

A: I don’t think they’re as good as Boston, that’s for sure, but I think they have a better balance of shooting and inside play to beat the more athletic Sixers in a seven-game series. And if O’Neal’s healthy all season, let’s say he plays 70 games, these guys got as good a shot as anyone to play deep into the playoffs, like conference final deep.

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Q: Hi Doug, I'm a daily reader of your blog because I love basketball and the Raptors but I'm a first time writer.
Los Angeles on Saturday and I hear the Raptors are playing the Clippers on Saturday afternoon and the Lakers are playing FC Barcelona and on Sunday the 2 winners will play and the 2 losers will play. Will I catch a glimpse of you at the game? I want to support my team down in L.A even though it's preseason. Any advice you can give me on where to go what to do in L.A since you've probably been there a ton of times.
Also our depth on the team this year looks to be lacking. Do you think the Raptors can really do damage this year if the starters have to play extended minutes for a lot of the games. Come playoff time there might be a lot of wear and tear on our starters. I'm starting to worry about our depth this year which was our big strength the past 2 seasons.

Arshad M, Toronto

A: You won’t catch a glimpse of me, unless you’re in my backyard raking leaves, I’m afraid. As for what to do in LA? I’d see Santa Monica pier, probably stop by Hollywood for a bit but go hang out around Westwood Village, the UCLA campus is very nice.

Depth? Sure, there aren’t as mnay players vying for playing time this year but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of the likes of Kapono, Delfino, Joey, and even Juan Dixon expecting time on the court, Sam’s going to be forced to use Kapono and probably Joey more often, which may allow them the freedom to make mistakes without getting the quick hook. And, up front, if Hump ever figures it out, you’ll have a four-man bigs rotation that should ease time on O’Neal and Bosh, not add to it.

Depth, and the performance of the second unit, is going to be something that bears intense scrutiny this season.

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Q: Okay, I just read that LeBron's contract is up in 2010. That's the same time O'Neal's 2 year contract expires.  You have to tell me, is there any way the Raps could afford to have LeBron on the roster in 2010? I'm looking forward to seeing O'Neal and Bosh as much as anyone but having a core of Bosh, Lebron and Calderon...c'mon!

Ian A, Vancouver

A: They’ll be able to afford to make him a maximum value contract offer. I doubt he takes it, though.

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Q: Doug, we are hearing very little about Nathan Jawai and his possible heart problems. Very secretive. Any news about the seriousness of his condition?

Ralph N, Fenelon Falls

A: There are several issues at play with Jawai. We ask all the time how he’s doing but citing medical confidentiality issues and the fact that there are still test results to be sliced and diced and interpreted, no one can tell us, on the record or even off, precisely when, or if, he’ll be back on the court.

Judging from the conversations I’m having, though, the secretiveness you speak of is not nefarious, it’s born in confidentiality issues.

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Q: I don't know how you find the energy to keep answering all the questions you do. Isn't the carpal tunnel syndrome getting to you?
On to my query. I read in one of the other local online news sources the comment that Bryan Colangelo's job was very safe because MLSEL was "afraid" and that firing him would make David Stern very unhappy.  Seems like a silly comment to me, as the reason his job is safe is because he has done a very good job (IMHO). Any grumbings/whispers you have heard that might shed light on this "afraid" comment or the reference to Stern?  Or should I take said news source and use it to line the litterbox?

Sohail G, Collingwood

A: Extraordinarily silly, as a matter of fact. Make Stern unhappy? Who is he? The Wizard of Oz? Yes, extraordinarily silly, as a matter of fact.

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Q: Hi Doug, how do the Raptors compare with other teams attendance for pre-season games? I'm starting to believe that Toronto can appreciate and support a team other then the Losing Leaves.

Steph R, Glencoe

A: It’s about the same as most NBA cities I’ve been. And look at all this mail, read all the posts, check out the other on-line stuff that’s out there: Toronto can appreciate and support a team other than the Losing Leaves no doubt.

In fact, I’d be surprised if the Raptors have success this season that they don’t sell out 37-39 of their 41 home games.

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Q: Hi Doug, you've probably already answered this but I missed it if you did. How is it that BC missed out on the Rodney Carney deal? He's still on his rookie contract and Philly gave him, his "freakish" athleticism, and a future 1st round pick to Minny in a cost cutting move. Given Toronto's lack of a slashing athletic swing man and despite cap space constraints, wouldn't there be room for RC here?

J Sinclair, Toronto

A: For one, I don’t think the Sixers (who dealt Carney for nothing because they needed to clear money to sign Brand) were going to offer him around to Atlantic Division opponents at that bargain-basement price. And given the financial constraints here, I don’t think the Raptors would have been able, or willing, to take on even that kind of small money.

But the first issue was probably much more in play.

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Q: Good day sir, it’s a pleasure to read your blog every day. Two quick questions.

How do you think Stephen Curry is going to fare in the NBA? I was watching some highlights from him on youtube and that jumper looks so good!

ESPN had players that could be on the move and he who shall not be named was on that list, they said the Lakers would really like him as a small forward there but his contract does not fit. C’mon that`s gotta be a joke right?

JF P, Trois-Rivieres Que.

A: I think Dell’s kid is going to get every chance to make it in the NBA if he has a good season at Davidson. Not sure what position he plays in the league but anyone who can shoot like that is going to get a chance to make it. Is he a first-round draft pick who gets the benefit of a guaranteed deal? Right now I think he is, but it’s a long college season.

He Who Shall Not Be Named will be the subject of trade speculation right up until February because the Nets are in a full-on rebuilding mode and may want to divest themselves of his contract. The Lakers? I don’t see a fit there, financially. But let’s say you could start Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, the other fellow, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and have Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Vlad Radmanovic and Jordan Farmar come off the bench? How good is that team?

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Q: Hi Doug, thanks for taking my last question. Now that Eddie Jones has been released from Indy is there a chance we could pick him up? After all no one appears to be overwhelmed by Hassan Adams. Might E.J. be a better shot? Thanks

Douglas L, Toronto

A: They are not going to cut anyone with a guaranteed contract and go over the tax threshold to sign Eddie Jones, whose best days are far behind him. Jones would not make a significant difference on this team.

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Q: Went to last night's thriller against the T-Wolves. The level of energy from the players and fans was, um, less than playoff-like.
The excitement on the court did give me a chance to check out the new scoreboard. Have to admit, the HD is amazing. It was almost like being at the game itself. However, no game stats to be found anywhere on this thing? Someone chucked an airball here. Your thoughts?

Phil S, Thornhill

A: Perhaps you haven’t read any of the in-game notes or this space often enough. There is a problem in the software linking the scoring computers to the scoreboard that they assure me will be worked out before opening night, when the stats should once again be available.

The scoreboard, right now, is a great television set. That’s all.

Comments

[TPH]

"Q: Doug - what you do just keeps getting better. There's no limit to how much you can improve over last year!"

I'm pretty sure the writer didn't mean what he/she/it wrote! Perhaps next season, we can say that, for the Detroit Lions, there's no limit to how much they can improve, but I don't think it applies to you.

Although you DO continually impress us fans, as each year you seem to come up with something new/exciting. Thanks!

[Bo Klymkiw]

I'd extend your shortlist from Bosh, O'Neal & Calderon to include Parker, Bargnani & Kapono. If Calderon stays healthy, either Bosh or O'Neal are on the floor at all times & any two of Parker, Bargnani & Kapono are on the floor at all times, I think this Raptor team is going to scare everybody except the Celtics & the Lakers, period. That substitute PG and either Graham or Moon are now our X-factors.

[matt]

Doug, Im pretty sure if the Lakers are going to get VC they would have to give one of those big contracts, i.e. Fisher, Odom, Radmonovic. But as you see them keeping all those guys, no wonder you dont think the deal is likely. Odoms got an 11 million contract expiring this year, and Jackson has been riding him for years. A VC-Odom based deal (throw in Mihm and Ariza) works, both fiscally and philosphy wise. Now lets just hope it never, ever happens.

[Sivart]

Hey Doug, if "He who shall not be named" was traded to the lakers, wouldn't Lamar Odom be one of the players heading the nets way. He has one of those super valuable expiring contracts which all re-building teams crave, and he really doesn't seem to have a fit with the lakers right now. Plus as you know well when teams are over the salary cap the salaries of the players traded have to essentially match, so Lamar Odom is the big contract the lakers have and would be willing to move (I assume) to get the deal done.

[t]

http://www.nba.com/broadband/league_pass_faq.html#onlineonly

NBA League Pass Broadband is not offered as a standalone product from NBA.com.You need to sign up for NBA League Pass through a cable or satellite provider to get the broadband part... which isn't possible for fans abroad.

I would also love to know how to watch the raps overseas.