What to write about when nothing's going on

You know how we talk about the dog days of a sports season? Like January in the NBA, August in baseball, whenever it is in the pucks? Well, we’re officially in the dog days of the basketball writing season.

If the only thing we’re on the edge of our seats about here is whether or not Carlos Delfino signs a one-year deal to be a backup or whether they’re thinking about trading a third-string point guard, that’s dog days for sure.

Which leads us to some scheduling stuff. I’m allegedly on vacation this week, have to work a couple of days next week and then take a couple more weeks off and it’s going to be virtually impossible to make this little space relevant or interesting every day. After all, there’s no Olympics, no Argos, no golf in my future, it would appear.

So here’s what we’re gonna do:

Remember the good old days of Nothin’ But (Inter) Net at the first of the week and a mailbag late in the week? How about we take a trip down memory lane and revisit that?

Think that’s what we’ll do starting the end of this week. Maybe find some wildly entertaining nuggets for this space tomorrow and Friday, do a weekend mailbag and then coast.

That’ll give you good folks something to do, give me a few days to hopefully go hang out with people I’ve never met and, perchance, to recharge a battery that’s pretty low.

Of course, if crap happens, we’ll jump in. But the crap isn’t likely to be big.

Okay?

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One word of reminder as they go about filling that final roster spot (and with impending vacations for just about everybody involved in basketball around the ACC, it might be sooner rather than later):

Please remember that if they do not re-sign Carlos Delfino, the most they can pay a player to fill that last spot is whatever his minimum value contract calls for.

So when you’re sending in the: ‘Do they have any interest in this guy?’ questions, before you hit send, please ask yourself if a one-year (Bryan’s preference), minimum value contract is viable for whoever you’re asking about.

It’ll save us all a lot of wasted time.

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Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that the only – only – reason the Charlotte Bobacats would deal Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler is money and this cements even more the fact the owner Robert Johnson is – as been repeatedly reported – almost desperate to sell his team.

Other than that, this deal’s a couple of recognizable names who’ll do little to improve the teams they’re going to.

Now, I like Chandler a little bit but the only reason I think I like him is that he played with Chris Paul and could score a little bit rolling down the lane (his shooting range makes Pops Mensah-Bonsu look like Reggie Miller). And there is no Chris Paul on the Bobcats.

Sure, Chandler defends the rim pretty well but I’m not sure he defends it any better than Okafor, who’s pretty solid back there.

And the Hornets?

Well, they take on a lot of money in the longer term, going against the grain of every other move in the league, it seems, and what do they get?

A guy whose offensive range makes, well, makes Chandler look like Reggie Miller and a guy who might be as good defensively as the guy they lost.

Really, the first reaction to this trade was probably, “wow! A big one!” Upon further review it’s not such a significant move either way, I don’t think.

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By the way (and I’m sure you all want to know) The Mighty Yankees finished the regular season last night with a big 11-6 triumph and we end the year at 10-5-1 and in third place in the league.

Next up: The double-knockout playoffs.

Oh yeah, four urchins combined to toss a no-hitter in that win and The Mighty Yankees didn’t make an error in the field. Crisp, baby; it was crisp.

(And if you can’t quite wrap your head around a six-run no-hitter with no errors, you don’t quite understand the intricacies of the walk, steal, steal, RBI groundout, lather, rinse, repeat world of peewee house league baseball).

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Hey, the kids won!

The women’s under-19 team, needing a victory to have any chance at the quarter-finals in the world championships, dumped China by eight while you were sleeping.

Pretty significant win, although it gets them a date with unbeaten Australia in Friday’s quarter-finals. But, still …

I know you don’t know too many – if any – of these girls but two names to watch out for in the future, according to Peopl.e Who Know.

That’d be Natalie Achonwa of Guelph, a mere 16 years old and apparently headed for the national senior team later on this summer and Kayla Alexander of Milton.

A woman whose opinion I quite respect in matters of this sort says they’re “two of the brightest stars in Canadian women’s basketball.”

Again, no clue, really, on what it’d take the girls to beat Australia tomorrow but, combined with the seventh place finish of the men at the junior worlds and the fact that the cadet teams (under-16) both qualified for the worlds next summer shows that the development of talent is headed in the right direction.

Now, about those senior teams …

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About the only thing better than a triple vente non-fat latte from The Lovely Ladies of Starbucks Hurontario-QEW is a quad vente non-fat latte.

Yes, the mornings need a bit of a jolt these days.

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Comments

[Matt]

Doug,

I was thinking of a deal like Banks+George for Mo-Pete but do the raptors have any interest in him, would BC think of bringing him back id love to know thanks.

[Graham]

Sorry if this isn't up your alley, but any word on if there will be bobble-head giveaways this year, and if so, who they might be?

Blogger's note: No clue. Not mine, is all I know

[chili]

There's nothing going on... and will be like this for a little while.
So, let's have a poll.
What's the best basketball movie ever made?
I'd say The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.
Any movie with Doctor J is a good movie.

Blogger's note: Forget Dr. J, how about Alex English in the same flick

[Alex]

i love that idea Abdul, mopete would bring some leadership at the 3 and a fan favorite that should boost MLSE ticket and jersey sales. Banks is useless but George duplicates Mopetes production it clears a PG glut and gives us a 3rd string SF that can battle Wright for minutes. Hes a good locker room guy and a great guy to have around the team IMO. Question is Doug are they interested in bringing peterson over? Banks+George is the perfect deal IMO.

Calderon/Jack/Ukic
Derozan/Delfino/Douby
Hedo/Wright/Peterson
Bosh/Evans
Bargnani/Rasho/O'Byrant

Love the looks of that lineup.

[Michael S]

A thought for all the "Trade Banks" questions:

See how much Banks is ruining our ability to make any more moves and how much the Raps (and all of you) desperately want to get rid of him?

Well that is how desperately other GMs don't want him. Get it?

[Carlton]

What do the coaches think Derozan can improve on the most during the summer? His defense?

Blogger's note: That, and his offence.

[GM]

I was/am a huge MoPete fan, but we have to face facts: Mo's days as a useful, or even semi-useful, NBA player are over. Sad to say.

[doug]

I totally get the Okafor trade from a New orleans perspective, they just got more athletic and have a guy with a lot of upside...Okafor did average over 13 points a game and over 10 boards not numbers to sneeze at....he will excel with Paul and they are that much more athletic, Chandler has peaked his upside is minimal...Okafor is the exact type of center Raptors need he pounds the boards, great pick-up for New Orleans now with signing of Diogu another useful part....they will have a quick,athletic team...

[Cogitate Always]

Robert Johnson apparently has found out that running a sports franchise isn't as lucrative an enterprise as a video channel such as BET (especially when it occupied a somewhat unique niche corner in that particular market).

Looks like another case of ego being dented by the financial reality as well as the implications of a small fiscal market such as Charlotte - being a hotbed of hoops such as Carolina is no guarantee that the fervor emblematic throughout the state at the high school and college level translates into the professional arena: see Indiana for another example.

May be time for some of these operations to close up shop permanently, thereby concentrating the degree of talent thus ensuring a better overall game. Hopefully before these so-called "green shoots" of recovery convince some of these embattled owners to hold on and try to ride out this downturn...

[DavideRossi]

About the recurring questions on Delfino's situation...
I think Carlos made it clear himself: things are on the slow side because he still has a contract with his Russian team. If he signs for the Raps before buying out his current contract, he can easily kiss goodbye the $3 millions or so they still have to pay him for last season. Of course this is a mutual holding position with the Russian team just wanting to make the most out of the buyout. Be sure this is going to be solved sooner or later since it looks quite clear that they don't want him (and his huge contract) back next year, they are just looking at a way to maximize their pocket money.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hey Doug:

Nice to see mention of blossoming players from Guelph and Milton. I grew up between those two towns and the region has always been a basketball hotbed. Some high schools might not have had soccer or football, but they all had basketball. You should have seen the old 70s cage matches between the Acton High Redmen and the Milton Mustangs.

Actually, you didn't miss much. But there was some good players in those days...

AG, Toronto

[J]

Daniel K:

You have the right idea. There are generally a few ways for teams to get deep into the luxury tax level. Here's a few examples:

1) Keep using the MLE every year while resigning your own players.
2) Re-sign your player to a huge deal via Bird rights, like how the Knicks did with Allan Houston a while back.
3) Trade expiring bad contracts for even bigger, longer contracts (see Knicks, again).

[aditya]

watched nj nets vs raptors game in an hour....new jersey scored 10 straight points on which player....

the answer is.....

kapono -- for everything that kapono knows about which player goes right or left and not letting that player go that way, kapono is a poor on the ball defender, he is asking for help way too often, and when he has to help in a certain play, he is not there for help....

i am so freakin` happy BC traded kapono...

[aditya]

is marvin williams worth the same as charlie v.

[Mitchell Benvie]

check out my blog on why the Raptors have recently ruined their future

www.talkingbball.blogspot.com

[Raps Fan]

Mo Pete you got to be kidding me!

Doug real question!

Who would you rather have Bosh or Amare?
Any time soon you will have a gig on the Fan590? Or any radio station?
Why are Doug and the word Smith are popular names?

Blogger's note:
Bosh
I don't know, no one's called me lately
You'd have to ask some wordsmith

[Ed]

Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting Belinelli for George...how good is BC? Wow, just wow.

[RAPS]

Marco Belinelli WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Alex]

YAHOO IS SAYING WE GOT BELINELLI FOR DEVAN GEORGE IS THIS TRUE DOUG.

PS TELL BC I LOVE HIM

[Tim W.]

Doug (the other one): "I totally get the Okafor trade from a New orleans perspective, they just got more athletic and have a guy with a lot of upside"

Okafor isn't as athletic as Chandler, and I don't think you'd say either one has any upside. They are what they are (which is 5 days apart in age, by the way). Okafor has been in the league five years and will be 27 when the season starts. The ONLY thing that has improved since his rookie season is his shooting percentage. His scoring actually peaked in his rookie season, his BPG peaked in his third season, and his rebounding has remained consistent from day one. What makes you think Okafor has any upside left?