Feeling a wee bit better today?

Here we have it. The Raptors have won three of four, including two against teams that everyone would consider “good.” Their former No. 1 pick is playing better than he ever has. They are coming home for a day of rest and practice to play a Memphis team with a miserable record that’s lost eight of its last 10 and is 2-14 on the road this season.

How nervous is everyone about Friday’s game?

But, really, there’s not much to complain about of late, is there?

Yes, Milwaukee was a blip and a bad loss; yes, the Washington Wizards look at times more like the Washington Generals and,yes, the mail-in job by the Rockets just made their win in Boston last night even more shocking.

But if these guys keep playing like they have in the past week, it’s going to be a whole lot more fun around these parts. And I’m all for that.

AP PHOTO

Still want to trade Andrea Bargnani for Jack Spratt and Goldilocks?

Anyway, here are some goodies (good being the relative term):

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Yes, we all have noticed that Andrea Bargnani, as an individual, is more Neville Chamberlain than Wilt Chamberlain when it comes to rebounding a basketball.

But it is probably worth noting that, as bad as many think he is, in the five games he’s started over the last week or so, Toronto has out-rebounded the opponent on three occasions and never been beaten by more than six on the boards.

Bargnani’s occupying his man, boxing out better, taking his man away from the basket and while those things don’t show up in the boxscore, they help.

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Let’s say I’m talking to a GM or a scout or an assistant GM or an agent or even another writer in another city and he says, ‘hey, I hear there’s a blockbuster deal done with the team you cover.”

My ears perk up, of course.

And then I call a source at the team I cover to see if this is actually happening and say, “hey, I hear there’s a blockbuster deal done, any truth to it? Here’s what I’m hearing, it’s Joe Blow and Sam Jones and Bill Smith for Jack Spratt and Goldilocks.”

Now a source, because he trusts you and because you trust him, is going to steer you the right way. He’s going to say, “that’s total and utter nonsense, do you think we’ve lost our minds?” or he’s going to say, “yeah, I’d like to read that story.”

And then you write it.

But let’s say I’m talking to a GM or a scout or an assistant GM or an agent or even another writer in another city and he says, “hey, I hear there’s a blockbuster deal done with the team you cover.”

I do not – I repeat, I do not – write a word until I get a second source. And if it’s truly huge, sometimes a third.

It may mean a miss one every now and then but I’d rather err on the side of caution in those kinds of circumstances. That way I don’t get used and readers don’t misinformation.

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A wee bit of mail (and I’m trying to figure out what day to do the weekly mailbag this week, seems Sunday morning might be the most logical time.)

Q: Is Hump back to 100% health? Since his injury a while back, he has hardly played, despite the Raptors needing a big man. If he is healthy, is he in Triano's doghouse?

Joachim T, Richmond Hill

A: Yes, he’s healthy and no, he’s not in anyone’s doghouse. He has been supplanted in the rotation at the moment by a bigger guy who knows his offensive limitations and is more than willing to make the tough, rough play.

Hump got a few minutes against the Wizards and if JO can’t go Friday he might get a few minutes then.

It’s not anything he did, it’s that they like Voskuhl better right now. Is it permanent? Who knows.

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Action: Hassan’s gone

Reaction: Even from L.A.

So, why would the Clippers make that trade for Adams and then immediately waive him? Well, a couple of reasons.

One, they do get some “cash considerations” which I’m sure amount to the money still owed on Adams’s contract, a few hundred grand or so to sweeten the pot and, who knows, maybe the Raps now have to go to L.A. or some neutral site for a pre-season game against the Clippers.

And I’m virtually sure the “conditional” second round pick has so many “conditions” on it that Toronto may never see it. It could be that L.A. keeps it if it’s outside the top 58 this year, 57 next year, 56 the year after and so on. Or maybe the “cash considerations” are the amount of money it would take the Clippers to buy a second-round pick the year they have to give theirs to Toronto.

What it amounts to is whoever’s running the Clippers today – I presume it’s Mike Dunleavy but if money’s involved I suspect owner Donald Sterling was around – did the Raptors a bit of favour and also pocketed some cash.

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This is a bit topical, given recent events:

Q: Does the league punish players for DUIs or is that left to the judicial system and the player's team? Stern has always been image-conscious about his league - is there any chance that he makes a statement that this is unacceptable and levy a high penalty like 20 games and forcing players to donate their pay during the suspension to an organization like MADD. Does an innocent bystander or driver have to be injured or killed by an NBA player before these DUIs are taken more seriously by the league.

Manny W, Toronto

A: Yes, once the legal system has run its course, fines and suspensions are handed out. They may not harsh enough to satisfy you, but they are there.

And if a player is suspended, he loses his pay, it goes into the league’s charitable fund and is dispersed from there.

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Action: CB’s 3s

Reaction: Too many

Okay, with the two misses last night, Bosh is now 9-for-29 from three-point range this season. In his first five seasons, he never averaged 20 a year. He is not Reggie Miller nor Jason Kapono.

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What they had to say about the game in Washington this morning.

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Oh, yeah. More on the Adams deal.

Yes, it gets them below the tax level but, no, it does not get them far enough below to sign a guy like Carlos Delfino, if he can finagle his way out of his contract in Russia.

Yes, it cuts the roster by one but there are now 13 players under contract, exactly the same number as the start of the season.

No, it does not mean that another deal is imminent just because Adams is gone. Another deal is going to happen – and it could come out of the blue and happen this week – but if it does, it’s because it’s been worked on for a while, not because the 14th man on a 14-man roster was given away.

Comments

[James]

Hi Doug, I know when they say that attendance at the game was 13500 or so, that's the number of sold tickets right? Is there ever a way to know what the "turnstyle" attendance was? Verizon Centre looked like Lincoln's Tomb.

PS. I was dissapointed you didnt go on the Washington trip, I was hoping to see a blog title of "Mr. Smith goes to Washington".

Blogger's note: There have been nights in Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington where we probably could have sat there and acutally counted the people in the stands but that's the only way.

[Chris M]

What was the point of trading Hassan Adam’s to the LA Clippers? The Toronto wanted to be under that Luxury Tax Threshold. But Toronto had to give LA cash anyways. So how much money is Toronto saving anyways? Doesn’t really seem like much and now it seems like Toronto owes LA a favour.

[Eddy]

Doug, what do you think is happening out in Boston? I know that in the long run they'll be fine, but can you shed some light as to why they can start the season in a record breaking manner, and than lay an egg going 4-6 in their last 10.

Blogger's note: A typical lull in a season, happens to every team

[Jamie Buckingham]

Yesterday I called you out Doug Smith, and your response to it all.....well, it was very classy. Good job, great attitude when your back was up against the wall. I will continue to read and appreciate your articles and blog (so now, you can sleep at night knowing I am aboard!)I still think J-Kay is horriable - absolutley horriable. That 5.5 million or so would look great on a bench player that brings defense, scores roughly 9 or so a game with the addition of 4-5 rebounds and lots of hostle! Oh wait, he's in Russia, his name is Delfino!

[Alan Crook]

Doug, I still don't get the arcane workings of the cap/tax. Would the Raps have still been on the hook for Adams' salary if they had waived him instead of the Clippers? That's the only way it seems to make sense.

Blogger's note: Exactly. See, you know more than you think you do :)

[RapsGirl]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Chris taking random 3's either. But just in case you haven't noticed, Jason Kapono isn't Jason Kapono either.

[Aaron Campbell]

Moon should stay with his wife for the rest of the season. Unless he comes back and miraculously decides to drive to the basket consistently, he should be nailed to the end of the bench.

[Tree]

Doug - with Bargnani finally showing consistency as a reliable player during O'Neals absence, how can they possibly justify changing his role once again when Jermaine's back? As you, and countless others, have noted, the best thing for him is a consistent role and not being jerked around in terms of PT and at what position he plays - yet it seems likely that this will happen once again, and it seems reasonable to believe his recent progess will regress as a result. This guy will never be the player he was envisioned to be (or have the opportunity to be that player) until he's given a steady role for more than 5-10 games. Your thoughts?

Blogger's note: I'm not a big proponent of a guy losing his job just because he got hurt and it wasn't like O'Neal was playing horribly, either. But they do have to find a way to give Bargnani 36-38 minutes out there.

[David]

I thought that this bit from "The Wages of Wins" that evaluates LaMarcus Aldridge would be of interest to all those who question the 2006 selection of Andrea Bargnani over Aldridge.
http://dberri.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/repeating-history-in-portland/

LaMarcus Aldridge was selected with the second choice of the 2006 draft. Thus far Aldridge has yet to produce wins at an above average level.

When we look at the individual stats we see where Aldridge succeeds and fails. Aldridge is very good at taking shots from the field. As a consequence, he’s an above producer of points. He is also good at blocking shots and he avoids turnovers. But he’s below average on the boards, he doesn’t get many assists, and he can’t get to the free throw line. And when we look at the total package, as noted, he’s a below average performer.

[Felix]

...sigh, and this is the reason i was apprehensive when i read in your very own blog a few seasons ago that bosh was working on a 3-pt shot. Not because I didn't think he was capable, or wouldn't hit some big shots, but because he would become reliant on it or use it as an 'out'... this has sadly become the case it seems (half his attempts are in the 4th quarter alone!)... perhaps this is a lot of worry for nothing, but i think 29 3PA in 36 games (27 3PA in his last 25g) is probably too much for a team that has enough outside shooters... as much as i like versatility in a player, i'd be much happier if he attacked the basket and used his high FT% to our team's advantage or at least used his presence to create shots for players that shoot a slightly higher % from behind the arc.

agree or disagree, doug?

Blogger's note: Yes, it is too much. I don't think anyone would disagree. Even his coaches.

[sean]

In response to some of the inquiries to Boston Celtics, I believe that losing free agent James Posey hurt Boston to the most underestimated level. Here's a guy, who's 6-8 with long wingspan, goes off Boston's bench and guards the most athletic and talented 2,3 in the games. Rebounds well for a guard, assumes some leadership role, and most importantly, spreads the floor for Pierce and Garnett with his lethal range. Just my ten-cents.

Here's my second point: I understand that many of us hardcore Raptors fan misses Delfino, as a matter of fact, I am one of his fan (I fell into that category when I saw Delfino was guarding Howard in the playoff last yr down a stretch because so much Raptors got into foul trouble). He's a nice player to have on your roster, but again, the signing of Delfino won't instantly make the Raps contenders for first place finish. As for Kapono, why is everyone ripping him? The reason why he doesn't get this three pointers' because teams have scouting reports: Guard Kapono for Threes. Just to have team's defender's mind on Kapono every second of the game is worth his signing. And if I'm not mistaking Kapono is hitting over 42% of his three pointers this year (albeit I do agree with all the fans that he should shoot more). Basketball is team game, if the fans are to blame, they should blame the lack of team chemistry and communication in the first 30 games of the season.

My final point of the day: I really want to see Toronto play Boston with it's current roster, i.e. without ONeal and Calderon. Fans might think this is a crazy idea, since Toronto is marginally competitive even with those two studs in the lineup. But checking out the pass few games; who would have thought Ukic could get us 10 pts a game? Solomon ditching out 11 assist in the Buck's losing effort? Voshkul's aggresiveness and interior presence? Parker's recent emergence? And most importantly, Bargnani's improve plays of late (They are not all three pointers either, did you guys see the impressive cut and receiving the rock and cram it two hands from Bosh last night?)?

That's the end of my rant.

[Philippe Appolon]

What will happen to Bargnani once O'Neal is ready to play? You've probably answered this a couple of times but I haven't read the blog in a while due to the start of school. Bargnani is playing so well that I would not want to see anyone change anything and let him keep starting.

Also Memphis is not an easy win. If Mayo and Gay light it up, in which they have proven to be able to do, it will be a difficult game. The Raptors have to contain those two players and if they succeed in doing so, it should result in a W.

[Jason]

"What was the point of trading Hassan Adam’s to the LA Clippers? The Toronto wanted to be under that Luxury Tax Threshold. But Toronto had to give LA cash anyways. So how much money is Toronto saving anyways? Doesn’t really seem like much and now it seems like Toronto owes LA a favour."

Last year, the payout was around 1.9 million each team that was under the tax.
Here is a rough idea of the math based on last years tax, money saved versus money would have owed.

Would have lost
1.9 million in tax benefit Raps don't recieve if they stayed over
.5 million in salary lost as dollar for dollar over amount(approx the over tax based on 771,000 contract)
.5 million salary still owed to Adams

Total ballpark of 3 mill we would have lost

Gains made
1.9 million tax benefit for staying under
.5 million in dollar for dollar tax penalty that is not required to be paid
.5 million in salary still owed now paid by Clips

Total is 3 million is gained

Based on these numbers, the Raptors have a total difference of 6 million for wanting to make this deal. I would suspect that the Raptors "Cash considerations" would be in the 4 million region they sent to the Clippers. This means the Clippers sold their second rounder and did the favour for around 3.5 million after they paid Adams his balance of .5 million.
If these numbers are close, the bottom line is the Raps are 2 million ahead (6 million minus 4 sent to Clips) plus a second rounder and the Clips are 3.5 million ahead and everyone is happy.

[Tabber]

So, James, is horriable good or bad? Looks like your class is on par with your spelling, good job! Please correct the statement that you'll continue to read Doug, you obviously know far more than him and have no need to waste your time here.

[Robert S]

RE: Hassan - Small detail, but why couldn't the Raptors just waive him themselves? Or did he have to be traded so that his full yearly salary wasn't counted against the cap?

RE: Last night's live blog - I read it after the fact, but I liked the format. Noticed that Cover It Live is a Toronto company. Nice to see The Star using local technology.

Blogger's note: Precisely the reason they had to trade Adams, not waive him

[Adil]

With the Raptors and Celtics streaking in opposite directions, here's hoping that we can at least split the upcoming home-and-home. I think if the Raps beat Boston, the confidence boost will carry them back into the playoff picture. I have tickets for Sunday's game and I'll be doing my part for the cause.

[James]

Waving Adams should save some money because everything over the cap is 2$ for 1$. So even if Raps had to pay the rest of his salary (they were going to anyways) plus some cash they will still save at the end of the year. And we have a pick, which like Doug said either cost the Raps some extra cash or a favor down the road. If its seems like nickel and diming it is but this is MLSE and those rich guys like to pinch every penny, those Cartier watches are not cheap ya know!

So Doug I guess clubs are the only ones who know the true attendance figures for a game but they keep this secret? I guess you weren't there last night to see but what the least amount of people you have seen at a 20000 seat stadium...like 3000? It's sad that something like 8000 people with tickets chose not to up up last night when those tickets could go to youth clubs or such (at least some of them).

[Andrew Sharp]

TSN2-Rogers: when are the 2 _itches goint to sort this mess out and let Toronto fans see the games? I'm not sure who I hate more!

[mike kovacs]

Doug you are showing tremendous restraint. You could have jumped all over that 'horriable - absolutley horriable.... hostle' and you didn't!

[kb]

Great blog today Doug! Thanks for your thoughts regarding the goofy trade rumour ... to me it just seems obvious that a true professional reporter would follow up on a "lead" before going public. The weird part for me is that other more respected sports sites jumped on board giving the story some legs. I will take your cautious approach any day.

[Chris]

so BC says he won't go over the tax level. He said in an interview that he'd likely match any offer for Delfino. What happens if he signs an offer sheet with a team, let say tomorrow? what would happen in that scenario?

Blogger's note: He's so far away from signing an offer sheet that it's not really worth talking about. But, if he did, I presume Bryan would do as he's said all along he'd do, go to the board and make his case or find some other way

[RC]

Doug
Getting the bird's eye view that I got yesterday evening of you doing the in-game blog from the watering hole, I'd like to know if you get much of a chance to watch and cheer as a fan of the game. Seemed like work takes away a lot of the "watch, appreciate, digest" form of viewing that the rest of us are used to.

Blogger's note: No, there's no fan time, that's for sure. It's the job and you have to try to do it well.

[WSG]

Hey Doug. Maybe a good time to put the word out to Raps fans that, if anyone knows ANYONE who has seats in the lower bowl (ACC), tell them that they have a responsibility (sort of) to not let the upper bowls make all the noise. Seriously. The current crop of top-price ticket-holders may not know yet, that they don’t have to ‘rock the house’ necessarily, at least to start. Just ‘talk’ to the players (upbeat) from the beginning and clap your hands. Others will catch on and from there … it won't take much for the house to start jumping. Gonna need the fans this weekend.

[John]

If the comments to this blog have taught me anything it's that it is now time for Boston to fire the coach, trade Rajon Rondo(young developing first round pick) for a slashing wing player who can defend and trade their all-stars for prospects and picks before they leave the team for nothing in free agency.

[Tudor]

Hi Doug,
If they will never get the pick and the money paid is the same as the balance, why Raptors didn't just waived HA themselves?

Blogger's note: They would have been on the hook for all his money and therefore over the tax level.