It's the dawn of a new day

This was a level of venom seldom approached. Not even the Dark Night In Denver, or the Vince Kills Us As The Buzzer or How In The World Did They Blow A 17-Point Lead In Boston nights didn’t bring out this kind of anger.

The folks, folks, are riled.

But today’s a new day, the sun’s shining here, everyone’s well-rested and ready to tackle life’s challenges once again so let’s all take a deep breath and start over.

Or not.

Friday was, without question, the low point in a season that’s had far too many.

With so much at stake, on such a stage, rested and well aware of what was on the line, to come out and lose the game in the first seven minutes was shameful.

And, I fear, speaks to the mental makeup of most of the roster. When things are going good, they’re okay; when they go bad, they go south.

That’s the most troubling part of the whole thing, to me.

The playoffs? Pah! The playoffs are so far away they may as well be on Mars; the thing they’ve got to fix is there hearts. And their brains. Can they? Who knows. But they’ve got to try.

So …

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Action: What to do?

Reaction: Nothing.

This is it, people. No new players, no moves, no nothing.

For the next 25 games, this is the team, this is its coach, these are the circumstances and you’ve all got to get used to it.

But I will point out this: They will win some games, they will play much better every now and then, they may find some way to makes weeks quite interesting and you will cheer.

Every game won’t be like last night but then every game won’t be like the Spurs one either, which everyone has to admit was every bit as good as last night’s was bad.

It’s sports. And it’s why we love it.

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Been some kind of week, hasn’t it?

Q: What's the most significant injury for their respective team's right now? Garnett for a month? Stoudemire for the season? Nelson for the season? Manu for 3 weeks?

Rob M, Ottawa

A: That’s a tough one.

Personally? For legitimate contenders? I’d say Garnett, if indeed he’s out a month(although my man Marc says it’s more like two or three weeks). The Celtics won a pair of Game 7s on their home court, as much on emotion as anything, last year and if this injury causes them to fall to second or third in the East, I really think they’re championship hopes are dashed. Their schtick, all that punking and shouting and screaming and acting like mad men, doesn’t travel well, especially in the playoffs (see Atlanta, Cleveland and L.A. last year).

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Action: There was none

Reaction: I have none

You know, it’s fun to sit and try to dissect key moments in the game, momentum shifts and the like. Why’d the coach do this, why did that guy do that. Did you see this great play? How about that one?

Truth be told, I barely paid attention after the first nine minutes.

But I will say this, you could tell from about the fourth possession – since the first three were one-pass-jump-shot gems – that the Raptors effort wasn’t going to be there.

At least it allowed for a little more interaction than usual with the good folks at the live in-game blog.

No offence, though, I much prefer less interaction and a game that’s watchable.

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Seriously, if this keeps up, how badly do you think these guys will get drilled next Friday in Phoenix. Suns have put up 140, 142 and 140 in their last three. Can’t wait to see that one.

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I’m not sure what this means – questionable drafting, questionable drafts, bad something-or-other -- but more than half of the Raptors roster is guys who were picked in the top 16 of their drafts (and you can credit musicologist, former quasi-grunt and current politico A. Wherry for pointing it out):

Shawn Marion, No. 9, 1999

Chris Bosh, No. 4, 2003

Marcus Banks, No. 13, 2003

Kris Humphries, No. 14, 2004

Joey Graham, No. 16, 2005

Andrea Bargnani, No. 1, 2006

Patrick O’Bryant, No. 9, 2006

Seven of 13? Helluva squad

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Even the guys in New York are killing the Raptors.

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Arrrgggh

Q: I’m looking for your insight on why the Raps didn’t trade A.Parker (an expiring deal) for an asset (draft pick)?

I have to think that Parker would provide value for a playoff bound team looking for depth on the wing. Parker’s ability to play PG should also help his value. Once example could have been Parker and a 2nd rounder to Orlando for Brian Cook/Mike Wilks and a 1st rounder.

I can only think of two obvious reasons for not trading him: 1. The Raps think they can make the playoffs and need Parker to do this (seems short sighted) 2. Parker didn’t have trade value, or at least to make it worth the Raps while. I considered a third option, they want him back next year, but they could still do that even if they traded him. What are your thoughts?

Rob F, Toronto

A: I’ll answer this now because there were more than a couple like it and the arrrggghh! at the top is not directed personally at you.

First off, you cannot trade a player for a draft pick unless you’re dealing with a team under the cap and none of those teams needs a short-term fix. So please, put that thought out of mind now and forever.

Second, the primary reason they didn’t deal Parker, or Graham for that matter is that it’s much more beneficial to have their money available in the summer either to sign them or someone else and to keep costs down. Unless there was a blow-me-away-deal (and no one in the NBA would offer blow-me-away-deals for Anthony Parker or Joey Graham) there was no way Colangelo would – or should – take back someone whose contract goes out past this summer.

It was a smart business move.

Third, why in the world would any team want Brian Cook or Mike Wilks?

Now, the key thing will be to see what he does with those two and the money he may save. But that’s a chat for another day.

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And, finally, Larry Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz died Friday.

I didn’t know him that well and there were times when he acted all Cuban-like, leaving his familiar baseline courtside seat to berate refs or join team huddles but the one thing he did that every single owner in every single professional sport should do more often was to let people do their jobs.

He had Frank Layden and Scott Layden and Jerry Sloan. He found great men and let them work.

Miller has his moments of buffoonery but he was the most successful and least intrusive owner in the things that matter – personnel and coaching – than I can think of.

The way he managed the Jazz should be the blueprint for how teams are managed throughout the league.

The Goods On The Game, Vol. 57, a bite at the (big) apple

Winners and losers and must-wins

How’s that post-deadline hangover? All out celebrating the flurry of activity? Dreaming of Patrick O’Bryant triumphantly riding down Bay Street holding aloft not only the Larry O’Brien Trophy but the Bill Russell Trophy as well?

Well, wake up!

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Some time over the next 24 hours, I know someone in New York is going to write the definitively spun story saying, breathlessly and without a doubt, Chris Bosh is going to play in New York in 2010.

I offer the following as a cautionary tale (and if I’ve told it before, I’m sorry to be repetitive, but it is a pretty good one):

We’re at the 2004 finals in Detroit on an off-day and Mehmet Okur is around and since he was to become a free agent that summer, there was some interest in talking to him.

A bloke from one of the New York tabs called the Post starts chatting up young Memo and the next day the blaring headline says Okur is going to New York and Isiah’s a genius and the Knicks are back and all is right in the world.

The Pistons PR staff, fresh from I believe their quiet time at a church social, heard about the story and saw fit to ask Mehmet about his apparent desire to flee Detroit at the first possible chance.

Said Okur:

“He asks me if I like New York. I say yes and he make me Knick.”

Take heed of this story when you read the dispatches from New York this week. And forever.

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Imagine how different life would have been had Rafer followed through on his suggestion that wintry night in Boston so long ago that he might retire because he and the NBA “weren’t made for each other.”

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They’ve got the practice gym in the Air Canada Centre and it’s been named after every shoe company except Buster Brown but after reading this gem from my man Perk, it shall forever now be known facetiously as the John Wallace Court.

I knew everything around that joint was for sale, I hadn’t had confirmed the fact guys back in the day had to bring in their own money to get things done.

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My, how times have changed.

Michael Jordan announces his un-retirement with a fax:

“I’m back.”

Chris Bosh announces his un-retirement, sort of, with a tweet.

“I’m back.”

(And that will be the last time I speak of Michael Jordan and Chris Bosh in the same item).

Speaking of Bosh, wasn’t it interesting timing? I guess I first heard about this tweet, or twit, or whatever it is (although I do see it in my future, I fear) sometime just after 9 a.m. yesterday.

Interesting in that Bosh has always said he needed a full practice to know for sure that he was ready to come back and had told us on Tuesday he would give it a run on Thursday before deciding about Friday.

Interesting in that the Raptors didn’t start practice yesterday until 10:30 a.m.

Or maybe it’s not interesting at all. You decide.

But if he knew Thursday at 9 a.m. he was going to play Friday, maybe he should have made same determination Wednesday at 5 p.m.

This is what Chris said yesterday about the five games off:

“I’m trying to play at a high intensity. I’m trying to play my best basketball of the year right now. In order to do that, I have to be healthy. It does no good if I play a game and then I have to sit out four more because of the damage that I’ve done. I want to make sure that I’m fully recovered.” “I’m not scared. Even if I’m tired I’m still going to get back on defence. That’s how you get your legs back as quick as possible.”

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In that blockbuster Raptors-Kings-Celtics move yesterday, I got the money wrong. It goes from Boston to Sacramento, which I guess eases the Kings cost of taking on Will Solomon.

Doesn’t make a difference, I still say the Raptors won the deal.

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Speaking of winners and losers off the day:

WINNERS

Orlando

Rafer looks like he’s grown up (the fact that neither he nor Jeff Van Gundy are in jail for homicide after being player and coach tells me that) and if continues to act that way, he’s a huge boost for the Jameer Nelson-free Magic. Not enough to win the East, but certainly enough to give either Cleveland or Boston a tough run in the second round.

New York

Knicks got rid of four guys, only one of whom was even remotely a factor, and added two in Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox, who should at least provide depth.

LOSERS

San Antonio

Not so much because they didn’t do anything but because they didn’t do anything and then lost Manu Ginobili for three weeks, which might just be enough to keep them from finishing second overall in the conference and take away homecourt in the second round of the playoffs.

Memphis

So they facilitate a trade that makes Orlando better and probably helps Houston as much as it hurts them, take on Chris Mihm to show that whatever spell Mitch Kupchak holds over them from the Gasol trade remains and they pick up Orlando’s first-round pick in 2010, which figures to be somewhere in the mid- to late-20s. Yeah, they got it going on down there in Memphis.

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A sign? Maybe.

I’m finishing this up about 16 hours after the big Solomon-O’Bryant deal went down and in that time I haven’t had one request to find out what number the new guy is wearing. I’m presuming there wasn’t an extra overnight shift in some sweatshop stitching his name on replica jerseys.

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I’d tell you what they said about the trade in Sacramento and Boston but why in the world would any of you care.

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So, is tonight a must win?

Or a must, must win?

Or, heaven’s forbid, a must, must, must win?

I’m not sure where it fits on the continuum but seeing how the Raptors can ill afford to lose to any team immediately ahead of them in the standings, it’s pretty dang big.

Of course, I’ll be watching from the comfort of Casa Doug, it’s been a long week already, there’s Phoenix-Dallas-Houston coming up starting next Wednesday and it’s a welcome respite.

Still, we’ll be here with the usual antics if anyone wants to stop by.

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Besides ripping on them for losing to Cleveland and busting on Bryan for not turning his roster into a gaggle of Kobe Bryant’s at the trade deadline, I’m noticing the mail contributiosn are a bit lacking. And with Sunday being mail day this week, and me having no life, why not send one if you’ve got some time.

A look at the day's events

Some of these deals have yet to be approved by the league and, as we know from the Tyson Chandler mess nothing’s official until the doctors say so, but here’s a look at the transactions on a mildly eventful NBA trade deadline day:

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Toronto-Sacramento-Boston

Raptors get: Patrick O’Bryant

Kings get: Will Solomon

Celtics get: Cash, conditional second-round pick

What’s it mean: Toronto had too many points guards and not enough bigs so they at least addressed a need deep down the depth chart; Kings get someone they can either waive now or cut at the end of the season with no contractual obligations and the Celtics gave away some salary and got some money back.

Winner: Toronto. And Boston’s bank account.

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Orlando-Houston-Memphis

Magic get: Rafer Alston

Rockets get: Kyle Lowry, Brian Cook.

Grizzlies get:  Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks, future Orlando first-round pick. 

What’s it mean: Orlando greatly eased the pain of Jameer Nelson’s shoulder injury by picking up the mercurial Alston, who’s been on his best behaviour for months. The Rockets, who did nothing to replace Tracy McGrady, really, have seemingly waved the white flag on the season. If the Grizzlies get anything usuable out of hte guys they got for the buried Lowry, that’s all right.

Winner:  Magic.

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New York-Chicago

Knicks get: Larry Hughes

Bulls get: Tim Thomas, Jerome James, Anthony Roberson

What’s it mean: The Knicks love to score and that’s what Hughes does best but where he fits on the New York roster is going to be interesting to watch. He's a two-guard on a roster without a two-guard, really, and the Knicks don't pass a lot so his lack of passing acumen shouldn't kill them. He's a suspect shooter who likes to; that might hurt. Bulls had no use for Hughes, to whom they owed $13.6 million next year, and they get back players they probably won’t use.

Winner: New York.

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New York-Oklahoma City

Knicks get: Chris Wilcox

Thunder gets: Malik Rose, cash.

What’s it mean: Wilcox is a good floor-running big who should fit well into Mike D’Antoni’s system. He’s like an older, not-as-skilled David Lee. Thunder were looking for front court help, Rose probably isn’t the answer but the cash, whatever it is, will come in handy.

Winner: New York.

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Oklahoma City-Chicago

Thunder gets: Thabo Sefolosha

Bulls get: First-round draft pick

What’s it mean: Sefolosha, a former lottery pick, was a washout with the Bulls, who don’t have room for him to get on the court. Thunder had stockpiled four extra first-round picks so giving one up for someone who might crack the rotation probably a bad idea.

Winner: Jury is out until the pick’s value is determined.

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Minnesota-Sacramento

Timberwolves get: Shelden Williams, Bobby Brown

Kings get: Rashard McCants, Calvin Booth.

What’s it mean: Tough to say, either way. Under-achieving former top picks McCants and Williams have been busts, maybe a change of scenery will spark one of them to show something. Brown? Booth? Next time they have a lasting impact in an NBA season will be the first.

Winner: Safe to say no one.

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Memphis-L.A. Lakers

Grizzlies: Chris Mihm

Lakers get: Conditional second round pick.

What’s it mean: Guy who wasn’t playing in one city probably won’t in another.

Winner: You’re kidding, right?

What if they had a trade deadline and nothing really happened?

Hang on folks, a blockbuster (I keed, I keed)

Told you the Bulls weren't done.

Apparently they're moving Larry Hughes to the Knicks for Tim Thomas and Jerome James!!!!

Snore.

Put that up there with Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth from MInnesota to Sacramento for Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown (whoever he is) and this is rivetting stuff. Seriously.

Who wins in the Knicks-Bulls deal? Can't say no one, right? Well, New York gets another guy who loves to shoot (they don't have nearly enough of them) and they get rid of James' contract ($6.6 million next year) so I guess that makes 'em the winner.

Minnestoa-Sacramento?: I guess I'll declare Minnesota the winner so AP doesn't get mad at me. At least Candace is closer to home now (she's married to WIlliams, in case you missed it).

Now, more nap time.

Man, how boring has this been?

We're what? Just over two hours to the buzzer and all that's out there is the spectre of Shaq and LeBron joining forces, a chat that's now been downgraded to highly unlikely.

Would have been cool, though. The Big Cactus becoming, what, The Big Lake On Fire?

Anyway, Bryan Colangelo was not at practice, he was somewhere in the inner sanctum with, I believe, a phone in each ear, a Blackberry in each hand and a tweet, or a twitter or whatever the heck it is over there. But despite all his talk, and there's plenty of it, I'm still hearing 10-90 as the chances.

(That would be a 10 per cent chance something happens, a 90 per cent chance something doesn't).

Oh, and Bosh did indeed confirm he'll play tomorrow in New York, he got through a full practice unscathed.

"I'm back. Did you miss me?"

That's more than can probably said about him trying to get through tomorrow morning,. I know the New York writers and the New York writers are going to be killing him with questions about his 2010 intentions when they get him at shootaround.

But, because I know some of the New York writers and their stunning ability at spin, please do not get all angst-filled when someone writes "Bosh is coming." Please. I beseech you.

That's it from the media room at the ACC, where a couple of pucks guys are hanging out (apparently it's Leaves-Coats tonight) and E. Koreen and I are trying to stay awake until 3 p.m.

A so-so Raptor debut and wondering what lies ahead today

Happy Trade Deadline Day!

Everyone all nervous and a’twitter?

TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR

Strange, new, wonderful things happened at small forward for the Raptors last night.

No idea what’s going to happen, I remember sitting around one day waiting for an expected flurry of activity here and league wide and the whole sum of the day’s action was Anthony Johnson going to Orlando from Atlanta in 2000 for a conditional second round draft pick. Yawn. But I also remember standing in a crowded waiting area outside the Raptors offices and getting a call from a guy inside telling me Toronto had done not one, but two substantial deals involving Jerome Williams, Eric Montross and Chris Childs. That was sort of a busy day.

What do I expect today? Far busier than not. I think economics will drive most deals, I think you’ll see at least one significant move by a team with legitimate playoff hopes (Boston with Tony Allen out eight weeks and Orlando with a question mark over Jameer Nelson might be prodded to do something) and it might be a fun day.

Here? Well, it’s really hard to say. Bryan’s got a few things going (“three or four, but nothing close to getting done,” I was told late last night) but watching the energy-free final three quarters of a game in which his team shot a miserable 37 per cent from the field darkened his mood enough to send him right to the phones, I’d imagine.

So keep checking here for updates and news, we’ve got a team of editors (well, one, actually) ready to post ‘em, I’m ready to dissect ‘em the best I can and we’ll do one of those live chats starting about 2 p.m. so we can all be together for the final countdown. Won’t that be sweet?

On to the fun and frivolity:

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Action: Marion’s debut

Reaction: Not a bad one. Not great, either.

There were flashes, especially in the first seven or eight minutes, when it looked like this deal was going to be a big win.

One play in particular: About three minutes in, Marion grabs a rebound, leads a break and hits Parker with a lob pass for a dunk. Haven’t seen a Raptor small forward do that in years and years.

But another one later underscored the issue on the night: A play across from the Raptor bench, not sure what quarter, and Marion goes across the top to set a screen for Jose, I believe it was. Just before he gets to set it, he slips it, cuts to the basket with pretty much an unimpeded pass but Jose, if it was him, didn’t see the slip coming and didn’t deliver the ball.

Quite understandable since Jamario or Jason or Joey or whoever’s been playing the three slips more on the ice than they ever did on screens but precisely the kind of play teammates with familiarity with each other make.

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We witnessed history and can be thankful for that.

By tipping a miss and keeping the ball alive, Nate Jawai got his first NBA rebound (an offensive one at that) and then a basket. Two points, one board, 5 1-2 minutes and something to write home about. Priceless.

As one of us beat grunts said, it was the world’s most significant double-single.

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That being said, we did witness a game in which Jake Voskuhl and Nate Jawai played in the first half of a relatively close game for a team purporting to make a playoff run.

‘Nuff said.

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Action: Integrating Marion into the flow

Reaction: Another job lies ahead.

Sure, it’s going to take a while for Marion to learn all the intricacies of his new teammates but, conversely, how long is it going to take for Bosh, whenever he comes back, to get used to playing with Marion.

I know Bosh is hurt and I know I’m no doctor and I don’t know his pain threshold but every game that he doesn’t play is one giant step backwards in what has to be a rapid development.

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What’s Ira up to? Was a pretty big night on his beat, too.

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This will get the masses chattering, I bet.

Is there a chance the Raptors could make a pitch for Steve Nash this summer? Oh yeah.

According to a nice little NBA salary thing I found in this computer, there is a chance Nash could become a free agent this July. The final year of his deal is not fully guaranteed – if the Suns waive him before July 1 this year they only owe him $7 million – and if money’s so tight and things continue to deteriorate on the court, maybe that’s a way for zany owner Robert Sarver to save some cash.

Now, I’m not suggesting that is going to happen, nor am I suggesting the Raptors would go out and pursue him vigorously if it did, I’m just saying I’m tired of reading about how bad the Raptors are and how dopey I am and this maybe is an alternative “talking point.”

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Action: Bulls-Kings trade

Reaction: Muted

If you go by the theory the team that "wins" the trade is the one that gets the best player (and I’m not sure you always can), tell me with 100 per cent certainty who is the best player in the trade that sent John Salmons and Brad Miller to Chicago and Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni and Cedric Simmons to Sacramento (pardon me for leaving out Ike Diogu and Michael Ruffin but they’re Ike Diogu and Michael Ruffin).

Salmons? High volume shooter now has to share shots and minutes with Hinrich, Rose and Gordon

Miller? Aging but okay and doesn't address Chicago's needs for a post scorer

Gooden? What's he done, really?

Nocioni? I wouldn’t ever say he’s a high impact player, a good one in the Garbo kind of way but high impact? Not so much.

I guess you could say Bulls won on talent, Kings won on money.

And in this day and age, money probably counts more.

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Know what I want? A Tyson Chandler replica Oklahoma City Thunder jersey.

Wasn’t that an odd one. We got a news release from the Hornets about 11 last night saying they were welcoming him back “with open arms.”

Yeah, right.

Imagine how that little dynamic’s gonna play out. Team makes obvious salary dump, gets rid of the one player with the best on-court relationship with the superstar point guard and now has to “welcome him back with open arms” because he was deemed unfit to play for the Thunder?

Glad I’m not Byron Scott having to deal with that mess.

And it’s different from the one time it happened here, too. That was back in February, 2000, when the Celtics said Alvin Williams flunked a physical after they tried to make a deal for Gary Trent. Danny Fortson (how could I have been that stupid).

Of course, that rang a wee bit hollow when Williams went on to play 82 games a year for the next two seasons and 78 the year after that. The thought then, and the thought now, is that Rick Pitino was getting hammered so badly in the media for what everyone thought was a horrible deal for the Celts that they made the physical virtually unpassable.

Now, my bias towards Alvin is very well known but you ask me, who had a better career: Alvin Williams or Gary Trent. Danny Fortson?

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You’ve got to take the good with the bad, I guess.

The (not so for a day) Mighty Hawthorn Hawks went down to ignominious defeat, I’d sad to report. Whacked 38-15 by the Queenstons yesterday in a game I’m sure was much, much, much than the score would indicate. Or maybe not, I was in the bowels of the Air Canada Centre when it began and no enterprising seventh grader was live-blogging it.

Super Son missed his only field goal attempt with I chalk up to the fact the rims in the road gym were too tight.

But, in the wacky world of elementary school sports, not only do the Hawks make the post-season with a 2-2 record, they host a game against the fourth-place team in a battle for third.

Oh, and then there’s the junior team’s day-long tourney the next day. Guess I do have some good hoops to watch coming up.

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The Goods On The Game, Vol. 56, the "second half" begins

It's official, Raptors are a Bosh-free team Wednesday

It’s hardly a surprise – a wise man said it was 10-90 that it would happen – but we just got official word the Chris Bosh will once again be on the sidelines when the Raptors play tonight.

A balky knee, he called a bit of a sprain, a bit of a bone bruise on Tuesday, means Bosh will sit his fifth straight game when the Raptors play Cleveland tonight.

A good thing? No way. Something they’ve dealt with before? Sure and coach Jay Triano knows what has to happen.

“It’s not anything he wants, it’s not anything I want or the organization wants, he’s just not 100 per cent. It makes it difficult for us but we’ve played without him before and we’re going to hopefully not have to do it much longer.”

The thought is Bosh practices Thursday and tries to go Friday in New York; it’ll be Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker, Shawn Marion, Joey Graham and Andrea Bargnani in a relatively small Toronto starting lineup.

But one it will do is allow Toronto to have two guys on the court – Marion and Graham – they feel comfortable using on that LeBron James fellow.

Jay again:

“If we have to switch for nay reason or if one guy’s slow getting back in transition and (the other guy) has to take LeBron, the other guy will just pick up his man. Those are the two guys we planned on using against him anyway, they’re just going to be on the floor a lot of the same time.”

Ben Wallace is here with the Cavs but with a 14-stitch cut on his right forearm, it’s highly doubtful he’ll play.