Good morning from Atlanta; where's Sam?

Are they done? Does is matter if they find a way to go 24-16 the rest of the way and sneak into seventh or eighth with 40 wins, which is what I think it will take?

RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

18 assists for Nash, including one of the all-time best passes.

I think squeezing into the final one or two playoff spots is not going to make this even a passably successful season, although it will be better than the alternative.

It’s always better to be in the playoffs rather than out of them, in my opinion; the draft is too much of a crapshoot, any player you get in the late stages of the lottery takes too long to develop before he makes a significant contribution.

But that’s just me.

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Action: AP as the point guard

Reaction: Another good day

I’d say 26 points and five assists is a pretty solid day for the newbie.

And I would fully expect him to start this afternoon here in Atlanta against the Hawks and Mike Bibby with Joey Graham guarding Joe Johnson. But as a long-term fix? I don’t see Parker getting all that much time at the point when Jose gets back, which should be sometime this week.

Parker’s stuff works against the likes of Steve Nash, who isn’t going to guard him full court, who isn’t particularly quick or, sometimes, all that interested in defence.

If teams start guarding Parker for 94 feet, like I expect Detroit will, and Atlanta might, I’m not sure AP has the ball-handling skills or quickness to get Toronto into its offence.

Maybe – maybe – he gets a very few minutes backing up Calderon but that’s it. They need him as the two-guard for his regular minutes when the regular point guard is available.

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I think it would be totally hilarious if Sam showed up here this afternoon wearing a fake beard and moustache and sat in the front row right across from the Toronto bench.

And it would be entirely cool if he then invited the grunts out for dinner.

Neither, I suspect, will happen.

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A question, which leads to a list.

Q: What have you learned that you hadn't expected to at this point of the season? That Dave D'Alessando, while a terrific b-ball writer, is lacking in his assessments of athletic shooting guards? That Jorge Garbajosa deserves even more credit for the season two years ago than anyone realized? That it is crucial to have at least one backup point guard with NBA experience? Or the slow unraveling this is the best thing that could have happened, in the long-run, since the Raps have assets - O Neal, Kapono and Parker - that teams (Orlando for instance) could use if they feel they need for a run at the title? If possible, I'd like to see your top 5 list. Many thanks.

Jason P, Nova Scotia

A: I’m giving Dave a pass on Hassan Adams ‘cause no one could have known a guy clinging to a pro basketball career would come in to camp in the same physical condition as me.

What have I learned? Not sure it’s learned as much as had confirmed:

You cannot win in this league without consistent, athletic play and scoring from twos and threes. It’s a simple fact that’s hammered home repeatedly in Toronto games.

There were two glaring holes on this team last summer – interior defence and athleticism on the wings. They addressed one with the O’Neal trade but didn’t take care of the other.

And that’s the reason they are where they are more than anything else.

The rest of the top five, in order

Andrea Bargnani should have been left as a five all season.

Jose Calderon’s health was the most vital thing to protect.

Firing a coach in the first week of December is using the big bullet way too early.

Fans are crazy. In a good way. Most of the time.

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I’ll tell you something, I’m watching the highlights of the Suns game here on ESPN at the moment and they just show the low, 45-foot bounce pass Nash threw to Barbosa for a layup and I will reiterate what I wrote in the in-game blog yesterday.

That was the best pass I can remember in any of the games I’ve been at this season. And it’s probably in the top five I can remember all-time.

Going at full speed and making any long pass is tough, going full speed, threading the needle between two defenders and hitting a teammate in full stride is magic.

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Action: Bench scoring discrepancy

Reaction: You expected otherwise?

Phoenix gets 33 points from its bench, Toronto gets 14 from its.

Duh! With no disrespect to the men, but a group of Roko Ukic, Will Solomon, Kris Humphries and Jake Voskuhl does not strike fear in the hearts of anyone.

The better question is probably: “How’d they get 14?”

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In Phoenix, after wading through all the Cardinal stuff, they read this today. Here in Atlanta, this is what we woke up tothanks to Cousin Sekou.

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Things you see in an airport in the wee, wee hours of the morning: A family – I presume Mom, Dad, a couple of urchins and a very yappy, very tiny dog on a leash – hanging out at the luggage carousel at 1:15 a.m. Sad, really.

Oh, and we being wise, declining the offer from illegal cab drivers –- or drivers impersonating cabbies at 1:30 a.m. – was one of the smartest things we did.

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Action: Nash (hearts) Toronto

Reaction: Don’t order the jerseys yet

This from Captain Canada post-game

“To play in Toronto would be a dream come true in a lot of ways. I have spent my summers here playing for the national team for about a decade, since I was a teenager. I have tons of friends and a lot of people here that I care about and it is one of the world’s premier cities and that, coupled with the fact … that I love what the team has done here, it’s an understandable situation.

“But I love playing in Phoenix, I built a home and a career there .. The Phoenix Suns are playing well and that is probably going to be a No. 1 priority for me but, if not, Toronto would have been on top of the list as far as considering other markets.”

That’s as much a shot across the bow at the Suns management as anything.

My best guess, and that’s all it is (like everyone else) is that he ends up in New York with Mike D’Antoni. Toronto? A remote possibility. Very remote. But him using Toronto as a shining example of somewhere he’d like to go can’t hurt.

Just don’t order the jerseys yet.

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Hmm, an interesting query:

Q: Hi Doug, I was at the game (Sunday) and have a burning, trade-related question: when the lineup changes, what happens to the opening video?! Do they splice in some clips of Marion grooving to Flo Rida? Thanks, and great work as usual.

Kate D, Toronto

A: Ooh, maybe it’s a way they can change the whole thing. I imagine that’d make more than a few people happy.

A nice Motown tune, maybe?

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And, finally, I’m hearing whispers that Nathan Jawai may be on his way to the D League soon to get some game work in. I’m not sure how much it will improve him – the D League is much more a guard and wing league than it is a big man’s proving ground – but it will help his conditioning.

And it’s not like the Raptors, with the schedule the way it is in the next couple of weeks, are going to have a lot of practice time, which is where the rookie’s getting his work in up here.

And it just gets curiouser and curiouser

I wish I could tell you exactly what this means but everyone I'd want to talk to off the record is either in an airplane to Atlanta (like I should be, except for another Air Canada delay) or unavailable so I'll just put it out there and the conspiracy theorists can have a field day.

Shawn Marion's got the night off for the Miami Heat just like Jermaine O'Neal had the day off for the Raptors.

What's it mean?

Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.

I guess only Bryan Colangelo and Pat Riley know and neither of them are all that interested in sharing their innermost trade thoughts with me.

I do know the Raptors officials I traded emails with the minute the Marion news got to me still say O'Neal is listed as "probable" for Monday's game with the Hawks and he's on the plane to Atlanta with the rest of the team.

Down in Oklahoma City, the Heat say Marion was a late scratch because of groin injury he aggravated Saturday in Houston.

Now, all that is probably true and the various people I talked to today still say there is no imminent deal. But I figure this gives you something to think about for the next little while.

 Now, if only Air Canada would co-operate and let me get to Atlanta at a decent hour, I'll be able to get up bright and early tomorrow and start working on the trade talks again.

The Goods On The Game, Vol. 42, the Suns are shining

Forget the pre-amble stuff here, let's get right into the regular way:

The usual Sunday mail

You thought you’d get by with only reading one little post on a trade proposal on a lazy Sunday morning? Think again, my friends.

Here’s the usual and, if I didn’t screw up the melding of files like I did last week, there’s lots of good stuff in here.

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Q: Hey Doug, how good is Orlando? What a road trip they just had: A win in San Antonio, followed by a demolition of the Kings, a win in LA, and then in the 2nd night of a back-to-back a win in the thin Denver air over the Nuggets. It just doesn't get better than that. Impressive.

Lazaros O, Washington, D.C.

A: Good. Really, really good. I have to admit I never saw this coming, there were concerns about the bench, the backup point guard spot and what they had behind Howard in the frontcourt but, right now, they might be the hottest team in the East and I wouldn’t bet against them challenging Boston and Cleveland for first overall right until the end.

I do know this, finishing first is huge because that allows the winner to miss either of the other two teams in the second round of the playoffs.

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Q: Maybe this has been covered in the comments section but I've stopped reading since it tends to be a lot of people screaming for panic trades. Any word from within the Raptors' organization about Printezis? I've looked up his stats a couple of times and they seem OK. Is he a possibility for next year?

Sam S, Toronto

A: Remote. Very remote. More than very remote. He’s doing all right in Europe but certainly not dominating, I’m not sure of his contractual obligations or buyout and I’d say the best thing he can hope for is a training camp invite – if he wants one – to force the Raptors to keep his rights or cut him loose.

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Q: (Tuesday) was the 10th anniversary of Jordan's first retirement. If he is in his 30s and still playing in NBA now, do you think he is as dominant as he was in the past with competitors like Kobe and Lebron?

Felix C, Markham

A: Yes. There were some pretty good players out there in Jordan’s heyday, too. And, yes, his will and his skill would make him stand out in his prime even against the Kobes and LeBrons of today, I believe.

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Q: Doug, how would you compare Dwight Howard to Shaq at the same age?

Brad T, Hamilton

A: That’s a good apples and oranges one, isn’t it?

I’d say Shaq’s teams had accomplished more, they probably had about the same offensive game (you could probably say Shaq had a wee bit more variety to his offence) and both were the most dominant physical forces in the game.

So, about equal, probably.

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Q: Having watched Basketball for over 50 years I am still not 100% sure as to what constitutes an assist or a turnover. Many times I have seen Jose feed Bosh who in turn will back down the defender in the post and score--assist or no assist? Jose feeds a player on the wing who takes 3 dribbles shoots and scores--assist or no assist? On Sunday I had Rondo committing at least 9-10 turnovers and yet the box showed only 4. Is a blocked shot that the other team gains possession on not a turnover for Rondo and a block for the Raptor player? Also if Rondo throws a bad pass that the other Boston player is only able to get a finger on before it goes out of bounds not a turnover against Rondo. The same if he fires a pass that hits his own player in the foot and goes out of bounds.

D Walker, Cameron

A: There’s an awful lot of subjectivity in some stats, like is a turnover charged to the guy making the pass or the guy fumbling it so I take all those numbers with a grain of salt.

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Q: My question/thought is about the San Antonio Spurs. Why are they the gold standard for successfully managed teams? I'm thinking they have more luck than the others. They tanked a season when David Robinson went down and ended up with Tim Duncan. They also lucked out with Parker and Ginobli in the draft. Surely it is easier to manage and coach a team with luck like that?

Greg W, Ancaster

A: Yes, they were lucky to win the lottery for Duncan.

They were astute, far more than lucky, drafting Parker and Ginobili, they’ve managed their salary obligations so that they’ve never had to pay more than $500,000 in tax, they win the championship just about every other year and are legitimate contenders when they don’t.

Gold standard? They’re above the gold standard.

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Q: With the 2008 Olympics just a memory, what are the plans for the various national basketball teams, and most notably Jose, Andrea and CB, for this coming summer? Are they committed to their national teams or is a summer of rest, such as it is, awaiting them?

Brian V, Toronto

A: Chris will have the summer off, the Americans don’t plan to run the same kind of senior program this year they did the last two; Jose has said he’ll make the call at the end of the year and Andrea missed last summer with the Italian team and I’d be surprised if he played in the world qualifier this year.

This is a relatively off-summer for FIBA, all that has to be done is find the 32-team field for the 2010 worlds in Turkey.

Some talk about the trade chatter

So what do we all make of this O’Neal-Marion proposal?

Good? Bad? Shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic?

Probably more good than bad but, again, a gamble like every significant transaction is.

But, before anyone rushes out to grab up black Marion Raptor jerseys, take heed of this paragraph in this morning’s story:

“O'Neal, according to sources and various Internet reports, has told friends and acquaintances that he expects to be dealt to Miami. League sources tell the Star that nothing is expected to happen in the next 24 or 48 hours and it could be more than a week before any deal is finalized.”

What I got in various conversations yesterday was that the parameters are in place but nothing is going to get signed off on today or tomorrow or the next day. Things might escalate now but things might also bog down. And like any story of this nature, there are still ways it could get messed up and fall apart.

From Toronto’s end, and this has very little to do with O’Neal as a player or a person, it’s hard not to like this trade.

It frees up a defined roll for Andrea Bargnani, who looks like he can handle it.

It improves the wing rebounding situation, even if Marion’s a terrible three-point shooter (a whopping 19 per cent this year).

It gives Bryan Colangelo more financial flexibility more quickly and that’s never a bad thing. And it’s not just to look for free agents this coming summer. By being so far under the cap (somewhere around $14 million by the rough, early math and rough, early math is all we’ve got right now) he could do things like acquire top talent in a trade as easily as signing some free agent to a new deal. And if he doesn’t, he’d still have all kinds of financial possibilities as he moves on towards 2010.

The Banks contract’s a bad one but not horrific. It tops out at $4.8 million in 2010-11, hardly an immovable number.

The downside? O’Neal, when he’s been healthy, has been as advertised. Imposing interior defensive presence and shot-blocker and his offence was getting into shape before the latest setback. No one can tell me that a frontcourt rotation of Bosh, Bargnani and one of Humphries or Jake Voskhuhl is as a good Bosh-Bargnani-O’Neal, it’s simply not true.

Marion’s a bit of a gamble, too. He thrived in the zany, no-conscience offence in Phoenix and struggled at times in Miami; you tell me which Toronto more closely resembles. But he is in a contract year and, at 30 years old, would hopefully be motivated to finish this season strongly.

Here’s my bottom line: Toronto’s 16-25 and freefalling and it’s obvious something has to be done to salvage as much of this season as possible.

This injects athleticism into the lineup and frees up the mind of the one guy (Bargnani) who’s is improving by leaps and bounds.

I'd sure make this deal. 

Imagine that, another bad game

So, is the season over? Well, no, it’s not.

It’s barely salvageable after that dog’s breakfast in Indianapolis on Friday night but with 41 left, it’s not over.

Besides, if it’s over, what do they do? Not play the games? Run Hump and Voskuhl and Joey and Roko out there for 35 a night? No, they keep playing, try to win as many as they can and see where it takes them.

And yes, they can try to make a trade to shake things up and the general manager is trying to do exactly that.

But tanking the season is not an option – you can never tell players to lose, it’s stupid and goes against all that sports is about and you’d lose everyone’s respect doing it at this point in any season. Not going to happen so don’t suggest it, don’t hope for it, put it out of your mind.

So …

(Oh yeah, you’re getting this early ‘cause I’ve got an early flight home, a feature on Wayne Embry to finish off and I can’t be worried about this in the morning. Don’t, however, get used to it)

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Action: Some comeback.

Reaction: So what?

If they had someone managed to steal that one, I would have been quite okay with the league reviewing the video and changing the outcome to a loss.

Never mind the last quarter, remember the first three. They were far more indicative of the game.

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Action: Halfway done.

Reaction: Time for action.

I know Bryan Colangelo is working on deals – that’s his job – but I would also hope he was on the phone about 10 o’clock last night with whoever he’s talking most seriously too.

I also wonder if there are teams out there interested in Jermaine O’Neal, and I am assured that there are, if they weren’t just waiting to see him in action before pulling the trigger on some transaction.

O’Neal didn’t look bad, just rusty, and I think maybe a couple more games to show there are no lingering problems with his knee might be the correct amount of time before something goes down.

If it’s earlier, great.

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There’s nothing like a 57-foul, 70-free throw, 2:280game to sap the energy out of everyone in the building.

Refs Bill Kennedy, Haywoode Workman and Scott Foster must have loved the sound of their whistles because that was one of the most over-officiated games of the year.

It’s not that they did a terrible job and blew all sorts of calls, they just didn’t let enough incidental stuff go that would have perhaps given the game some more flow.

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Action: Andrea’s “record”

Reaction: What a load of hooey.

Seriously, the longest streak of consecutive games with two or more three-pointers by a centre? Come on.

As Kevin O’Neill once said when a reporter asked him on opening day what his favourite Halloween memory was:

“Will the ridiculousness never end?”

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Action: AP the PG

Reaction: Don't get used to it.

Yes, for a lot of the fourth quarter, Parker did a pretty good job running the offence, he got the ball and went, fed Bosh more than either Solomon or Ukic did and didn't hurt them much defensively.

But it was simply a case of desperate times calling for desperate measures and while we may see it for a couple of minutes every now and then, it's not something that's going to be permanent.

 

Speaking of Bargnani and threes.

Q: Doug, is there any way to petition the league to get Bargnani into the three point shootout? I'd love to contribute to this effort if something exists, and sure many others would too

Forest K, Toronto

A: Nah, there really isn’t and while he’s shooting the lights in the last eight games and would draw some TV interest and sell some t-shirts back home, Jason’s going to be back and there’s no way in the world they take two from the Raptors.

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How’d my man Mike Wells write it? Like this.

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Mail time (and there’ll be a full Sunday mailbag in the morning, I hope):

Q: Hi Doug

You mentioned that you think Bargnani is now the second best player on the Raptors (just behind Bosh). Do you think at any point that the coaching staff would/should make Bargnani the primary option on offence? As good as Bosh has been over the years, his repertoire seems to be somewhat limited compared to Bargnani's. It would be interesting to see how Bargnani fares in a late-game isolation vs. KG or Noah, no?

Nilanka L, Oakville

A: I don’t think Bargnani has the ball-handling skills or quickness to be put in isolation in any game-winning situation but I’d like to see them maybe run him off a couple of screens or put him on the block a time or two for the biggest play of the night.

I’m not sure how he’d handle it but they should find out because the more options you have, the better.

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Action: JO’s return

Reaction: As expected

Seventeen minutes, some offensive rust, seven rebounds, no damage to any of his joints or body parts and, all in all, pretty much what everyone expected.

Even him.

“I don’t even know how many minutes I played tonight but I feel pretty good. I told the guys when I came out at the end of the third quarter that I’d give myself a passing grade.”

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In 5:24 seconds, Josh McRoberts of Indiana managed to:

Miss two shots.

Commit two turnovers.

Get assessed a technical foul.

AND COMMIT SIX PERSONAL FOULS!

I’m not saying that’s the worst single-game performance of all-time but when they get around to making that list, McRoberts has to be on it.

Astonishing. Simply astonishing.

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Action: Three bigs together.

Reaction: Please! No more.

Bosh, Bargnani and O’Neal played about three minutes together in the second quarter and the Pacers got, as I recall, four wide open perimeter shots and made two of them.

And when they were on the court, the three bigs scored exactly two points – a couple of free throws by Bargnani.

It doesn’t work. It never has. It never will.

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Here’s a stat you probably didn’t hear last night: Toronto did not block a single shot in the game. It was the first time this season the Raptors haven’t had at least one.

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A Nate question, and he missed attending Friday’s game because he had an intestinal issue and stayed back in Toronto.

Q: Just curious as I haven't heard much about Nathan Jawai since he was cleared to start playing. Any insight as to when or if we might see him dress for a game?

Derek B, Ottawa

A: He’s working on getting in shape, he did have almost three months of virtual inactivity to overcome and he did put on a pound or two in that time. Dress for a game? That’s weeks away, barring a rash of injuries to the five big men – Bosh, Bargnani, O’Neal, Voskuhl, Humphries – who are ahead of him.

Will they send him to the D League? I don’t know. Might be a good idea just to get him some game time but I also think he’d get better practicing at full speed against NBA players than playing against minor leaguers.

But he’s nowhere near playing in the NBA and some game action is better than none.

The Goods On The Game, Vol. 41, we're halfway there

Hey everyone.

No big preamble here tonight, we'll get it in the live blog, which is here

Hard news? Not here, but at least an update

Say this for Jermaine O'Neal.

He sure can attract a crowd

Six television outlets, at least one radio station, two freezing Toronto beat grunts, the local Indiana paper and the Pacer website were all hanging around Raptors shootaround in Indy this morning for some pearls from the big man.

What did we get?

Nothing of substance. But he'll lead the 6 p.m. news here, I imagine.

O'Neal's knee came through Thursday's practice and the short flight here quite well, he was going to give it another shot at shootaround (we get media availability before they work out now) and all signs point to a return tonight.

Off the bench, of course.

In other (non) news, it'll take some amazing act of some higher diety for Jose Calderon to play tonight. He's here but wasn't planning to take part in the full shootaround so it'll be Will Solomon as the starting point guard again.

Also got a chance to catch up with T.J. Ford, who is battling a bad back (got some spasms a week or so ago and they still bother him) and he'll come off the bench tonight, too.

I'm pretty sure neither Bryan Colangelo nor Larry Bird thought they'd be trading backups when they made that summer time deal.

Rasho? He's doing just fine, had a nice night out for dinner with some old Toronto friends last night and sort of shook his head ruefully when the current state of the big trade was mentioned in casual conversation.

Anyway, that's it for now. Will be back with the usual pre-game blather on the live blog sometime about 6:45 or so. I'd try to get there earlier but for some reason the folks who broadcast Pacer games on TV want to have me on their show. Another station needs a ratings boost, I guess.

Another night, another celebrity

Good morning, all.

Not a whole lot to report from here in Indy, except that it’s colder here than it is in Toronto (got down to about minus-35 with the wind chill overnight) and this whole winter thing can be over any time if anyone who controls such things is reading this.

Oh, and the JAMFest Cheer Super Nationals begin here today, which is why hotel rooms were at such a premium I guess. Not to mention the fact it’s probably going to get very noisy around these parts.

One other thing: I want the dude who was flying that USAir jet that crashed yesterday flying every single plane I’m on the rest of my career. It was pretty odd, and a tad disconcerting, to be sitting in the Pearson lounge waiting to fly here and watching the aftermath of a plane crashing into the Hudson River.

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The decision to leave Andrea Bargnani in the starting lineup for now, proposed by Jermaine O’Neal but I’m sure fully endorsed and hinted at by Jay Triano, is the only thing that makes sense.

If O’Neal goes tonight against the Pacers – and that’s no sure thing until he sees how the knee feels later today – he’ll be the first big off the bench. But for how long? Even yesterday when he was talking to us, O’Neal said he wasn’t about to press for, or deserve, a start right now. But at no time did he suggest this whole backup thing would be something he’d like permanently.

And eventually, it’s going to come to a head unless Bryan Colangelo finds a way to move O’Neal.

Speaking of, here’s how Jermaine described his injury to us yesterday:

“The guy Azubuike in Golden State ran into my knee and most of the time when you get a contusion the last thing you want to do is get on an airplane for four hours. The problem was when we landed back in Toronto – after the air and the altitude – the knee swelled up on me.

“That was one of the toughest things to get going again, to get the swelling out of it and it just took quite a while to get out. We just finally got to a point where we tried a couple of different things and finally got a medication that was actually working.

“It was kind of sitting there waiting for the knee to calm down.

“There was so much swelling, I couldn’t bend the knee or move. It was quite a process but I feel like I’m better.”

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The other big starting question for many of you is point guard, where Will Solomon will be back there again tonight, I presume.

It’s another tough one, leaving him starting and bringing Roko Ukic off the bench because Ukic seems to run the offence more smoothly and he has a much brighter future, especially with Toronto. But coaching is as much about massaging egos and handling personalities and the thought coursing through the minds of the coaching staff is that if they’re going to get the most out of Solomon, it has to be as a starter because they’re not sure how he’d react to backing up a rookie.

It’s probably wrong and speaks volumes to the wacky, out-of-order world that pro sports is sometimes but it’s also a fact and one staffs everywhere have to deal with.

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Things you see in a restaurant bar, Vol. I’m not sure

So I’m sitting there Thursday night enjoying the greatest and hottest shrimp cocktail known to man at the world-famous St. Elmo’s steakhouse and there’s a bit of stir at table behind me.

I turn around and who do I see?

Donny Osmond.

For real. He’s a wee little fella in real life but seems a likable sort. Didn’t mind stopping to have a cellphone picture taken with the woman sitting a couple stools down from me before blasting off into the night.

I tell ya, Julianne Hough one night and Donny Osmond the next? This has been a big week.

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Keeping with our Bargnani stuff:

Q: Hi Doug, were you just in the "moment", when you said that Bargnani is the Raps’ second best defender behind JO, or you really mean it? If so, where do you think he stands as an offensive player and what is the sum of it all? My take is that he can't be ahead of CB and JO, because unlike those two, as he is learning to attack the basket in traffic, he is missing too many finishes at the rim.

Tino A, Waterloo

A: No, I meant it. I think you can make the argument for blocking shots on the ball and off, defending his own guy without help and being in the right place, Bargnani’s defensive improvement has been shocking. And the most impressive part of his evolution.

Offensively? Yes, he could finish better and be smoother on his drives but his mid-range game, the fact he’s shooting something stupid like 60 per cent from three-point range in his last eight games would put him, probably, right behind the other two bigs as Toronto’s best offensive weapons. You can certainly say he’s been more consistent than anyone but Bosh since he became a starter.

There is lots of room for improvement, no question, but considering where he was in November and where he is now, you can sure make the argument he’s the second best player on the team. Now, he’s got to do it for the final 43 games but I’m starting to think he can.

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And in Indy, the folks reading the paper read this when they got up to turn on the heat this morning.

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This stat came courtesy of the folks at TNT last night so if it’s wrong, put it on them (although I presume they check these things):

They said LeBron James, after missing a game-winner at the buzzer in Chicago, is 3-22 over his career on shots win or tie in the final five seconds of a game.

Wonder if the people in Cleveland are dogging for that under-performance? Somehow I doubt it.

Which brings us to …

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This fits in quite well:

Q: Hi Doug. LeBron vs. Bird. A few nights ago, Jack and I can remember, mentioned that Jeff Van Gundy said that LeBron is a better small forward than Bird, which Jack responded with something like "being on TV has made JVG stupid". At first I thought LeBron hands down. Hey, if he's being called the next "Mike", and also is compared to Magic, he's got to be a better player than Bird. However, looking over the stats, they are very comparable. LeBron beats Bird in PPG, while Bird beats LeBron in RPG. Steals, Blocks and Turnovers are similar. LeBron has had only one season (his first) where he shot less than 30% from behind the arc, while Bird shot under 30% in four of his first eight seasons. Yes, Bird won Championships. LeBron still has quite a few years left in him to do it, which I'm sure that he'll win at least 1. What do you think? Is LeBron a better Forward than Bird? If he isn't right now, do you think that chances are that he will be at the end of his career.

Carl L, Barrie

A: Until LeBron wins one, he’s not in Bird’s class. He’s more explosive, an exponentially better athlete but he’s not as crafty, nor as good a clutch jump shooter (no matter what the stats say).

But LeBron can play more positions and probably defends better. When their careers are over and LeBron joins Bird in the Hall of Fame, you can debate their relative merits.

Right now? I like Bird better. For the rings.

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Half a season remains. Is that good or bad?

That sucked, didn’t it? And it’s going to get pretty lonely around these parts as we move forward because another handful of the folks have left. Well, at least they say they’ve left, I surmise five wins in six games might entice them back but I also surmise that’s not something that’s going to happen any time soon.

We’re a game away from the halfway point and, yes, it looks horribly bleak at the moment. The playoffs are a faint hope today, there seems to be no immediate answer and now the pressure has to increase on the general manager to pull off some deal to perhaps salvage the season.

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

17 points in the fourth quarter from Derek Rose. Ouch.

But the fact remains there are 42 games left on this journey so there’s be plenty to talk about no matter what happens.

Like …

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Action: The shot.

Reaction: A bad one.

Even Chris Bosh knew that was the wrong decision with the game on the line and no one had any argument to the contrary.

“I made a mistake. Joakim Noah played good defence and I need to keep my dribble next time. It won’t be the last time that we’re in a situation like that or I’m in a situation like that. You learn from it and keep going.

“You just know it (the clock) is ticking and you want to get a shot off. When (Noah) came out, I should have just shot the ball. Instead, I pump-fake, hesitated just a little bit and I let him get back in the play.”

Admitting it’s one thing (the first step of the 12-step take-a-better-shot program, I believe) but it’s not good enough in this situation.

It was a bad play by a guy who knows better.

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Action: The shot redux

Reaction: Who else?

Go try to find another NBA team that, with the game in the balance and a basket a must, that would ask its power forward to create a play. Can’t find one in my feeble mind because it’s always, always, always a guard or a small forward. Would Boston put the ball in Garnett’s hands? No way. San Antonio for Duncan? I don’t even think he was on the court when Roger Mason beat the Lakers last night. Utah and a healthy Boozer? Not a chance. Any team? Anyone? Nope.

And that’s the fatal flaw of this roster.

Maybe – maybe – they would run a screen and roll with Jose if he’s in the game but even then I doubt it.

There are simply no creators on that roster and the GM has to address that need.

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A trade question that’s not a trade question:

Q: As the Raptors kept on losing, does the "trading" power of Bryan becomes weak? And the more Bryan waits (and Raps keep on losing) the lesser value he will get from the other team?

Paul M, Toronto

A: Probably both, to a degree. In fact, I bet more teams come calling because they smell blood in the water. Of course, the come calling with crap offers and the one thing Colangelo can’t do is make a panic move but the calls will be increasing.

But nothing’s really changed no matter what the team’s record is. He doesn’t have many great assets to dangle.

There’s no way he trades Bosh, Bargnani or Calderon. O’Neal? Maybe. Parker’s expiring contract? That’s his one bargaining chip left. Trust me, I might not be an NBA GM but I guarantee you no one is salivating at the chance of obtaining Jason Kapono or Jamario Moon or Joey Graham or Kris Humphries or Will Solomon or Roko Ukic.

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Here’s how my boyK.C. Johnson chronicled it in Chicago.

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The Noah story.

I’ve only covered two Final Fours, in Minneapolis in Mo’s final year, and Indiana when Florida beat UCLA.

And I saw the coolest guy maybe I’ve ever seen: Noah’s dad, Yannick.

Quag and I had great seats for the final game, first row of media seating right behind the Gator bench and right across from Yannick, who is now some kind of huge rock star in France or something.

For the entire game, a rather close one I recall, Yannick sat there being Yannick, cool, unperturbed by what was going on around him and, as befits his place in the world, seemingly surrounded by a bevy of beauties.

I really expected him to sit back, light a Gitane and blow smoke rings.

Coolest guy ever.

And it was, without question, the first time I’ve seen a dad upstage a son after the son has won a significant championship.

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Action: Bargnani’s best night

Reaction: What about the finish?

So Bargnani goes for 31 and at times it looked like he was toying with anyone who was guarding him. He shot, he drove, he hit pullup jumpers.

And yes, he should have had the ball at least a couple of times down the stretch. Not sure who to blame – the point guards, the coaches, the other teammate – but if a guy’s going that well, they at least have to try to find him.

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Action: The JO saga

Reaction: Maybe ending soon?

No, not his future, just his knee. I’m told he’s planning to practice full out today and if there’s no serious swelling tomorrow, he could very well play in Indy.

And if he does play against his old team – and probably whenever he returns if it’s not Friday – I’m betting he comes off the bench for at least a while.

No way he’s in game shape or has his game timing and limiting his minutes against backups is okay with him, I’m sure, and his team.

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I believe I’ve seen them all this season at least once and if I had to vote for the rookie of the year today I’d take Derrick Rose and maybe leave the other two slots blank.

That kid’s going to be special. Very special.

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Let’s get this one done because there a few like in the mailbox:

Q: Hi Doug, big fan of the blog. Tonight's game certainly wasn't our finest, but what is even worse in my mind was the handling of Chuck's return. I know you mentioned that you wanted the tribute to be "understated" out of respect to Devlin, and I agree, but MLSE or whoever makes these decisions completely dropped the ball on this one. To hold a ceremony during HALFTIME when most of the fans weren't even in their seats turned what should have been a very special moment into a very ho-hum affair. In the words of Chuck, "Are you kidding me?!" To do that not only did great disservice to Chuck, but also to all those who came out to the game to support him. I was lucky enough to have gotten back to my seat in time for the last half of the ceremony, but I cannot believe that MLSE so completely botched what should have been a great moment for one of the most beloved people in Raptors history.

Grant T, Toronto

A: In my opinion, they did it perfectly. They gave him a fine honour without turning it into a circus. When should they have done it? Before the game when no one was in their seats? During some timeout to detract from the game?

As much as you and others lionize the guy, and he did a great job for the team and the fans when he was here, last night was not about him, it was about the game. And the players.

I’m glad they did something for him. Something relatively under-stated.

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