There may be change afoot and Andrea's summer plans

So much for drama in half the Western Conference first rounds, eh?

Well, at least it gives me the weekend to write about the Suns and Spurs after cleaning up the debris of the losing teams.

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So what now, Mr. Cuban?

Don’t you have to wonder what will happen with the Mavericks now that they’ve suffered another early playoff exit and the team built to contend for a championship suddenly looks old, unable to keep its composure and adrift?

The big question, of course, is whether or not Dirk Nowitzki decides to exercise his option to become a free agent in July and, let me tell you, if he does, it changes everything. All season long, no one expected him to ever consider it but after that loss to San Antonio, which marked the third time in four years the Mavs have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, it’s sounding like all bets are off from reading the Dirk quotes post-game:

"I wanted to obviously have a long playoff run here and go for my dream again. And now I'm just obviously too shocked and too disappointed.

“I haven't really thought anything about my future yet. I guess I've got some time now to think about some stuff, think about my options.”

Now, before anyone goes all crazy on us and starts the Bosh back home thoughts, consider this: The only time Bosh ever spoke openly about Dallas was with my man Eddie Sefko before the all-star break and Bosh’s point was that it’s tremendously hard, what will all the tugs on a guy’s time, to go play in your hometown.

So I’d scratch the Mavs off the list, at the moment.

But here’s something to ponder:

Not only have the Mavs lost in the first round three of the last four years, they are the only team since the league expanded the first round to a best-of-seven in 2003 to lose as a No. 1 seed (2007 to Golden State) and as a No. 2 seed (2010 to San Antonio).

There is no way Mark Cuban settles for that kind of dubious legacy so if you’re looking for a good team that might make substantial change this summer, the Mavs could very well be it.

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I’m going to point this out and take the hits.

Perhaps all you folks out there who bombard me with the “they have to get rid of the Euros” crap might have noticed: Milwaukee: Point guard learned to be a pro in Italy, Argentine small forward, Turkish power forward.

San Antonio: French point guard, Argentine shooting guard.

Phoenix: Brazilian backup guard, Slovenian backup guard.

(I know, I’m lumping South America with Europe but I trust you get my point).

Just sayin’.

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Speaking of international basketball, I’m told that today in Italy, Andrea’s going to let them know that, yes, he plans to play for the national team this summer.

But it’s not like he’s going to start today and end in early September and wear himself out.

Italy, which didn’t qualify for the worlds, has to take part in a qualification tournament just to get into next summer’s European championships and that’s why it’s not really a surprise that Bargnani will play. If they don’t get into the Euros, they can kiss any chance at the 2012 Olympics goodbye and it’d be a huge setback for the federation.

Now, I’m sure most of you are aware that I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with guys playing for their countries in the summer because of the prestige it brings and the patriotic obligation they feel.

And in Bargnani’s case, since the two things he has to work on more than anything else are rebounding and weak side defensive help, playing games and taking part in practice scrimmages are the absolute best things for him. Rebounding comes from working in games, so does help defence; it’s not something that can really be taught in too many drills so him getting scrimmages and games has to help.

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It truly was the glitterati at the Canada Basketball thing yesterday afternoon.

They had all the big shots there – Wayne Parrish, Maurizio, Leo, Rowan Barrett made an appearance, CB president Therese Quigley was there to show the flag – and it sure was nice of them to have it atop the CN Tower because that’s only about the third time I’ve ever been up there and the view is breathtaking.

Anyway, as I sat there, it struck me as there was one guy missing:

The dude with the top hat and white moustache who climbs out of a closet holding a satchel with a big red dollar sign on it and oodles of bills spilling out the top.

You know, like the guy from Monopoly, Rich Uncle Pennybags.

Because I get a feeling that’s what might turn the bid in Canada’s favour.

If you look at it from a logistical standpoint, it’s a no-brainer:

NBA-ready arena to host the event with all in the inherent amenities, including built-in security plans that are top-notch.

First-class hotels within walking distance of the arena.

Practice facilities a short drive away.

A fan base that would ensure support for every team, sometimes to the detriment of the Canadian team but that’s an issue for another day,

A chance to enhance the reputation, and the visibility, of FIBA Americas here.

A no-brainer.

But if Brazil or Argentina come rolling in at the last minute with a big cheque that enhances the profit, Canada’s toast.

And that sucks.

Now, before some of you go off half-cocked, or fully-cocked, about the government portion of this small budget (and $6 million’s really not that much) the money is already there in a set-aside for hosting this type of event and if basketball doesn’t spend it, someone else will.

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Last call for mail, folks.

Shoot it off here so we can put it together a weekend delivery.

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Oh yeah, another night off from in-game blogging stuff, I’m afraid. I’ve got some stuff to do that’s going to keep me away from the couch, sadly. Hopefully, it does allow me to find time on a stool, though.

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As much as I like Game 7s, I wonder if we’ll actually get one in this round of playoffs.

The three games tonight all seem to set up for the teams leading 3-2 to close things out, don’t they?

I guess the biggest chance for an upset would be in Oklahoma City, if the Thunder can ride the wave of emotion they get from their fans to one more win. But as I wrote today, that Kobe fella has a way of doing whatever it takes and he blankets Westbrook again, well, I have a feeling that one’s over.

I have absolutely no faith in the ability of the Atlanta Hawks to finally find some cohesion and win a big road game, despite a wide disparity in individual skill.

And to suggest the Utah Jazz won’t be ready to close out a series at home is probably folly.

Too bad, was shaping up to be a nice Sunday of Game 7s.

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Okay, I need to go figure out who I like in the Cavs-Celts and Suns-Spurs series because there’s space in the paper and on this site over the next couple of days.

And, to tell you the truth, as I wrap this up about 8:15 a.m. Friday, I really have no idea who’ll win or in how many games.

Guess I’ve got some thinking to do.

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That Carter fellow's impact and some visitors in town

From our usual diet of entirely disjointed thoughts, we give you another day of fun and frivolity.

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Someone was asking me the other day about Vince Carter and what I thought about how bad he’d been in Orlando’s sweep of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Whoa, big fella, I said. Au contraire.

(Well, I didn’t exactly say “whoa, big fella” or “au contraire” but you get my drift)

To me, Carter did exactly what’s needed in those four games and gets to the very essence of his game at this point in his career.

Whenever they really needed him to get involved and make plays, he did. I think it was late in Game 3, when Dwight Howard was once again sitting down because of foul trouble, the Vince and Jameer Nelson ran about four straight high screen and rolls that got the Magic huge baskets.

In Game 4 when Howard was once again sitting down because of fouls (sense a trend there?) it was the same thing, when they needed a bucket or a play, HWSNBN was heavily involved.

What we’re seeing is that, again, stats don’t tell the story because Vince’s numbers don’t look good but his impact has been significant.

And for him, that’s perfect.

I know him pretty well and I’m sure he’s quite content at this point to pick his spots, to be there when they need him for short spurts without having the total weight of carrying a team on his back for 48 minutes a night.

And, trust me, the kid still has the flair for the dramatic and the game to make a serious, serious impact. I said right from the day they traded for him that Orlando, stacked up front, with a demanding coach and talented teammates, was a perfect situation for Vince at this point in his career.

I imagine that’ll be borne out even more as the next series unfolds.

And I know a whole lot of you will hate it with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, as a charming learned colleague used to say.

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If there is one other good thing about the coming second-round series it’s this: No local broadcasts.

No slight intended to many of them, who are just guys trying to do the best they can, but they are all employees of the team and in that regard have to slant their descriptions, if not opinions, one way over the other.

Now, if I never have to listen to Tiresome Tommy Heinsohn again it’ll be too soon (that schtick wore off years ago) but turning over the better games to better broadcasters is never a bad thing.

Sure, there are some national network guys whose work I’m not a big fan of – I’m not all the comfortable listening the cadence of Dick Stockton’s delivery, for instance – but generally they are better.

And, generally, the analysts are most insightful, more detached and more consistently critical in their comments. Having to talk about a team you’ve seen for 90 or 95 games lends itself to too much “insider info” that doesn’t give a casual viewer much insight.

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Going to the post office today?

Forget about it. Just send your cards and letters here and you could get a reply on the weekend.

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How ‘bout them Bucks?

(As another aside, I think “Fear The Deer” is a tremendously cool slogan).

If we’re learning anything in that series with the Hawks it’s that a good team beats a bunch of good players a lot of the time and that’s what we saw in Game 5

Now, individual talent may ultimately win out and the Hawks are certainly not dead with the prospect of a Game 7 back at home, but Milwaukee’s willingness to play together, move the ball and play true team defence sets them apart.

I imagine some of it’s imparted from Scott Skiles, I imagine some of it’s simply the nature of the players but it’s been kind of cool to watch, hasn’t it?

If you look down the rosters, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find one spot at which the Bucks have a clear-cut advantage and they lead 3-2 only because they’re playing better team basketball.

And as we’ve been hammering home here forever, it’s always a team thing, it’s never one guy. If the Hawks figure that out, maybe they can steal the next two; I don’t know that they can.

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Oh yeah, lots on the plate this morning, this afternoon and this evening so I’m going to have to take the in-game blog thingy off tonight.

I know. You’re crushed, aren’t you?

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Big week for Canada Basketball. And it has nothing to with anything on the court.

The FIBA Americas evaluation commission is in town for meetings and inspections that will go a long way in determining whether Canada will host the 2011 Olympic qualification tournament.

There’s a little media soiree this afternoon atop the CN Tower (hope it’s a nice clear day) that’ll give us more details on the visit but what the good people of FIBA are looking at is no surprise.

Facilities. Accommodation.

Oh, and money.

Lots of money.

If there’s been one common thread through most of the dealings I’ve known about with FIBA Americas and COPABA before it, it’s that someone needs to guarantee no one takes a financial bath – and that the governing body gets some cash in its coffers – when they host these kinds of things.

If you talk about facilities and accommodations and the city itself, Toronto would be a no-brainer but I still think there’s going to have to be some sugar daddy to write a cheque to make things go truly smoothly for Canada Basketball.

The advantages to hosting are tremendous. Familiarity with the surroundings, not having to deal with the vagaries of travel and the intimidation factor that some officials feel are huge factors in international basketball tournaments.

Canada has never hosted an Olympic qualifier, and it’s part of the reason they’ve had such limited qualification success. That and talent, of course.

I know Wayne Parrish pretty well and I know he’ll have all the answers for all the questions and will put on a tremendous presentation.

I also know that it’d be far better if he had a guy standing behind him with a bag of cash.

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You know me and pucks and the tremendously marginal interest I have in the game, right? Well, even a guy like me has to be impressed with what Les Habitant did. And I know a family (hi, Pennys!) who might still be driving up and down Creditview honking the horn.

But it does show you that playoffs, in all sports, are great because you never, ever know for sure.

And that’s what makes this time of year pretty darn good.

That and the coming Mighty Yankees season, which should get underway as early as next week with our own version of teenage spring training.

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The Goods On The Game, Bucks at Hawks

Hey everybody.

What do you figure? A 20-point game? Twenty-five?

Would seem about par for our course, no?

Of all the over-rated things in sports, momentum is one

Okay, so, you’d hope sometime we’d get a good game for one of those in-game blogs, no?

A dog the other night with the Suns-Blazers that goes until 1:30 a.m. and a dog last night with Spurs-Mavs that goes about an hour earlier.

No wonder I’m worn out. And a little late.

Anyway, we’ll give Hawks-Bucks a shot tonight at, at the very least, it’s an 8 p.m. start here in the East so it won’t be a late night.

Until then …

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So much for momentum.

The San Antonio Spurs beat Dallas three straight times and lie down in Game 5.

The Oklahoma City Thunder run over and around the Lakers for two straight games and then run over and around when they get back to Los Angeles, drilled without putting up much resistance at all.

It just goes to show you, in one man’s opinion, that momentum game-to-game is one of the most over-rated aspects of playoff basketball.

There is very little, or no, carryover from one game to another because teams make adjustments, players who lose play with more intensity and the slate truly is wiped clean.

Take the Lakers, for instance.

They were run out of the gym in Oklahoma City and it looked after Game 4 that there was some confusion and, not fear, but concern throughout the team. They couldn’t corral Westbrook, they couldn’t match the Thunder’s athleticism and it seemed as if any momentum was on the side of a young team that was playing old.

Well, Kobe guards Westbrook, they finally decided to ride the strengths of their interior game and Ron Artest – thankfully shorn of that ridiculous hair-do – makes some shots and plays a role.

Presto, change-o, they’re up 3-2 and seemingly in command.

Momentum, especially in the playoffs, goes as far as your last shot or your last quarter, certainly not your last game and it absolutely does not carry from road games back to home.

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I know this runs counter to what a lot of people thought 24 hours ago, but is there a sense that maybe the Dallas Mavericks lead their series with the Spurs 2-3?

Probably not, given that San Antonio plays pretty well at home and the Mavs seem to struggle with their emotions in the face of a hostile environment but that series might still have some legs.

Unlike Tim Duncan, though. Four points the other night at home, a non-factor last night in Dallas. The dude is aging right before our very eyes and if he doesn’t have even a good game in Game 6, I can see that one being back in Dallas for a deciding Game 7.

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Let’s get the housekeeping out of the way for the first time this week.

Send off the mail bag queries here and we’ll start the weakly, er, weekly, process.

Have fun.

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So, what of the Heat?

If you read my man Sheridan here, the suggestion he’s giving is that Dwyane Wade will be back, which would come as no surprise to me at all since I’d figured he was the last of the big name free agents who’d go looking for a new home.

But what about the rest of them?

I found it interesting that Michael Beasley was benched for the entire second half of Game 5 in Boston, replaced by an injured veteran, Udonis Haslem, who is just the kind of hard-nosed, defensive-minded guy a team like, oh, Toronto could use.

Here’s the trouble, though, if you’re Toronto and Chris Bosh comes to you and says, ‘you know, I think Miami’s a nice place and I think I’d like to go play there.’

What do you want in a sign-and-trade?

Nothing, really, in my opinion.

I’m not sure Beasley’s ever going to get it, I’m not even sure what position he’s going to end up playing and if it’s power forward, well, he’s going to be a backup here.

Jermaine O’Neal is not the answer, he’s too old, too beaten up and I’m pretty sure he’s not taking any kind of backup role in Toronto if he comes back. And if I’m the Raptors and can get Amir Johnson back under contract, my starting frontcourt is filled with him and Bargnani.

Point guard? Yeah, right. For all of you out there who think Jose and Jarrett might have issues, I absolutely guarantee you they would start in Miami and to think of taking one of those Heat guards back is silly.

So I’m thinking if Bosh does want the Heat – and there’s no indication he does – it’s going to take some Steve Fruitman-Bryan Colangelo multi-team sign-and-trade to make that happen and my head hurts even thinking about that possibility.

Either that or settle for something silly like a trade exception, which sounds a whole lot more sexier than it is because that’s usually a euphemism for “let’s save some money under the guise of spending in the future.”

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You don’t think professional, um, athletes taking losing hard?

Jake cried, for goodness sake, when the people spoke and the DWTS dream died.

Cried!

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Speaking of something that has absolutely nothing to do with this stuff, how do you think Shawn Marcum feels?

Dude’s been the best pitcher on the staff for nearly a month and doesn’t have a win?

Long, long season ahead.

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You know what I think I’d like?

I think I’d like the Chicago Bulls to change GMs and re-up coach Vinny Del Negro.

Now, I’m not close enough to the situation often enough to really have an informed opinion but what if all the shenanigans that have gone on with the Bulls are not coaching issues but management issues?

What if Vinny, who has somehow coached that team into the playoffs the last two years without either a low post offensive presence or a consistent three-point shooter, can coach?

What if John Paxson, who got rid of guys who can play to save money to make a run at someone this summer, isn’t the be-all and end-all as a GM?

That’d be cool, wouldn’t it?

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Oh, great.

Cavs-Celtics doesn’t start until Saturday which means three days of exhaustive coverage of – ta-da! – LeBron’s elbow.

I swear, listening to a bit of their game against the Bulls on Wednesday that he was dragging the elbow around with it bent the wrong way, bones protruding and in agony.

Guess what? Dude’s got a sore elbow. Had an MRI, no structural damage and his joint’s been sore for a while.

Big whoop.

You need to find me an NBA player still playing who isn’t banged up at least a little; then we’ll have ourselves a story.

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The Goods On The Game, Spurs at Mavs

Hello, everyone

A little earlier than last night at least, isn't it?

Some teams with some work to do

Late night. Early morning. At least there wasn’t some stupid-early wakeup call to catch some delayed flight.

Anyway …

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Watching the Blazers capitulate to the Suns with alarming ease, one thing was hammered home: Portland has no one who commands even a consistent double-team and if you don’t have that, it’s virtually impossible to get really flowing offensively and win games.

I like a lot about the Blazers – a healthy Brandon Roy is a joy to watch control a game and the wings are okay in an up-tempo game – but there is some work to do before they can take that proverbial “next step.”

LaMarcus Aldridge is a pretty good player but the Suns got away with playing him straight up for most of the night – as most teams do – and that allowed Phoenix to stay home on the rest of the Blazers, and not have their defence scrambling all the time.

Marcus Camby and Juwan Howard are vets who know how to play but they are hardly over-powering offensive forces and, for some reason, Rudy Fernandez has turned into Marco Belinelli – an exciting player with multiple skills who simply cannot get untracked for any length of time – and that’s been killing Portland.

I think the series could well be over in Game 6, even the raucous crowd at the Rose Garden may not be enough to salvage a game for the Blazers and then there has to be some moves made in the Pacific Northwest for Portland to maintain its place in the pecking order, let alone move up.

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What a disappointing end in Charlotte, wasn’t it?

First, there are all kinds of questions about the future of peripatetic coach Larry Brown, who may be eyeing are a return to Philly – where his wife and young family have lived all along. Forget all the denials floating around, there’s some substance to the chatter and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he leaves.

And then they go out with a whimper against the Magic, swept away and with many questions to be answered.

They have no low post presence whatsoever, with all due respect to Theo Ratliff, Tyson Chandler and Nazr Muhammed, and their point guard issues are serious with Ray Felton an unrestricted free agent and not all that good in the series, anyway.

And while it’s all nice and good to see Michael Jordan sitting next to the bench alternating between cheering and wearing a chagrined expression, you wonder how that team’s going to improve over the course of the summer.

After all, MJ’s track record as an NBA exec is, in a word, brutal.

Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison, Leonard Hamilton. That, my friends, is a litany of disaster that makes Rob Babcock look like Red Auerbach.

I don’t know what exactly is going to transpire in Charlotte but I don’t think there’s reason for any Bobcats fan to be brimming with optimism.

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We’ve been through a lot of the surprises in this year’s NBA playoffs talking about individual players and the Oklahoma City Thunder but, I have to tell you, nothing has really surprised me more than the Utah Jazz.

They don’t have the injured Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur blows out an Achilles and still they lead the Denver Nuggets 3-1.

They start a handful of guys relatively unheard of – I don’t imagine there are a lot of Kyrylo Fesenko fans among us – and Carlos Boozer has been banged up with some rib issues almost the entire series.

They get a tough, tough out in Denver in the first round and I’m sure a lot of people thought that series would be the most one-sided in West when Okur went out.

But, Deron Williams has been other-worldly so far and if there’s a better, all-around point guard in the NBA today, I’m going to have to be pretty heavily swayed.

The thing about Williams is that he’s almost a mirror image of his coach in that all he does is compete hard and get the job done. There’s not a whole lot of style but an immense about of substance to his game and he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

But he wins. A lot.

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We got through the in-game blog thing last night with no issues and I’m glad to report there were about 500 hearty souls who checked in for the late game. Way to go.

And we’ll give it another shot tonight for the Spurs-Mavs at 9:30 p.m., and hopefully we get a good game.

See you then, right?

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When someone asked me last night during the game whether I could see a resemblance between Andre Miller and Richard Pryor and it brought memories flooding back.

Way back in 1999, when I was still in the “oh, boy, it’s the run-up to the NBA draft” stage of my career, when Miller came in for his workout, the first thing I thought – and so did Danny Devito of the Sun -- was he had to be related to one of the unsung great stand-ups of his generation.

But then it got weirder because a few days later, or sometime in that same process, the Raptors had in Jason Terry and a young Jason Terry bore a striking resemblance to Jerry Rice.

Neither of them looked enough like an NBA player, however, as the Raptors made their boldest draft-day move that year, swapping No. 5 for Antonio Davis and taking Alexander Radojevic with the No. 11 selection.

Wonder what would have happened had Miller not gone No. 8 and Terry No. 10 in that draft, though.

The No. 9 pick? Why, none other than Shawn Marion.

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The NFL draft is over, right? Must be since on the TV last night I saw an ad for the CFL draft sometime soon and if they drag out a red carpet and do 500 hours of TV coverage I may lose it.

And I wonder just who Canada’s version of Mel Kiper is? Do we have one?

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Hey, remember last week when one of the Irregulars brought it to our attention that the one and only Oliver Miller was playing in the PBL Finals for something called the Lawton Fort Sill Cavalry against the Rochester something-or-others in the championship series.

Well, check this official league release to find out just what Oliver was up to. Yep, suspended for the rest of the season for a contretemps with some fans in Rochester.

Go figure.

Anyway, it’s not only Miller (and if anyone here calls him The Big O they shall forever go on the poop list since it’s sacrilege) who’d be familiar to old-time NBA fans.

Yep, that’s the legendary Michael Ray Richardson who’s coaching the Cavalry, too.

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The Goods On The Game, Blazers at Suns

Good (late) evening everyone.

Let's see if this system will let us get through a night, shall we?

Welcome back to the usual fun and frivolity

Everyone have a good weekend?

Lots of family time and game-watching? Well, forget that. We’re back to the usual routine here, folks, with some idle ramblings from a mixed up mind.

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Happened to catch an awful lot of basketball over the last 48 hours – on the gardening breaks as the legs stiffened up – and I have to tell you, there was nothing more compelling than that Spurs-Mavs game on Sunday night.

That’s the kind of playoff basketball I love, tough, hard-fought, great performances from unheralded players and if there was any doubt the Spurs are for real, they should have been dashed after watching them play defence like in the olden days.

Aside from the punk move by Eddie Najera – and the horse-collar hit on Manu was as bush league as any I’ve seen this post-season – the game had everything.

But, two questions did emerge:

Do you think they’ll trade Tony Parker since, as has been pointed out to me numerous times, it’s stupid to have something like $13 million tied up in a backup point guard?

And how ugly does Manu look with that contraption on his face? Anyway, that game underscored one clear fact about playoff basketball: You never know who’s going to step up and win a game for you out of nowhere.

George Hill, who’s good but not great, makes every shot he looks at – and scorches Jason Kidd and Jason Terry like I’ve seldom seen – and DeJuan Blair comes out of nowhere to provide about 14 minutes of exceptional energy that keys a huge run.

That’s what’s so cool about the playoffs, kids coming out of nowhere. And it doesn’t matter now if Hill or Blair disappear completely for the rest of the year, they’ve won one game for their team and that’s about all that can be expected.

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How much money do you think Raymond Felton’s costing himself in the Bobcats-Magic series?

He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer and I’m sure teams are watching closely as he’s continually burned by Jameer Nelson, who is becoming a very good big-game player.

So, you’d think the Bobcats might in the market for a point guard this summer, wouldn’t you?

Know any teams with an extra one?

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Speaking of point guards being abused, what Russell Westbrook is doing to Derek Fisher should probably be illegal.

And it’s really turned that series into something a lot more than I thought it would be.

I still think the Lakers win it because Kobe’s eventually going to go off and they’ll also figure out a way for Pau and Bynum to dominate as they should but Westbrook is emerging as the story of the series, isn’t he?

I remember last year, when the Thunder were still very much a work in progress, discussing that team and how Durant was going to be a star.

The guy I was talking to was quite impressed with Durant, as we all were, but he kept going back to the same point: That Westbrook had the chance to be really, really, really good.

He kept hammering the point home before each of the times the Raptors played Oklahoma City and any time mention was made of that team.

The guy?

Raptors assistant Gord Herbert, who seems a pretty astute judge of talent, even from a distance.

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Going to be a late night, I hope and expect.

Because of few of you have asked – and I generally tend to listen – we’ll try to do one of those in-game blog thingies off the Suns-Blazers, which doesn’t start until 10:30 eastern time.

Sooooo, maybe nap time this afternoon but we’ll give it a shot and see how many are around. And, I’m told the system should work just fine for me to see the insightful comments you send so all should be good.

We’ll figure out today how we handle the rest of the week, okay?

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Speaking of the Blazers, not sure if I’ve mentioned the tremendously cool thing they do before a game at the Rose Garden, which is one of my favourite arenas in the whole league.

Just before they get thing started, they started passing a game ball down through the stands, from the upper deck to the lower deck to the top seats along the sidelines and finally to midcourt and to the players.

The arena is dark-ish, there’s a spotlight following the ball and the fans really get themselves worked up as the whole thing is shown on the TV screen on the scoreboard.

Now, it’s not a real game ball but the thought is there and it’s cool to see and sure beats, in my opinion, some waif no one’s paying attention to walking shyly out to midcourt to hand a game ball to an official.

I’m sure there are people at the highest level of Raptordom reading this and it’s an idea they should steal.

Oh, and don’t forget the Karaoke Cam we’re stealing from the Pistons, either.

I tell ya, I may single-handedly improve the “entertainment” experience at Raptors games.

And we haven’t even started about ways to improve the whole pizza ridiculousness.

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So, when did Michael Jordan start channeling is inner Mark Cuban?

Watching the Bobcats for the two home games, it became apparent that Jordan’s really trying to become a hands-on owner, sitting at the end of the bench – it looked like he was just another injured Bobcat – and dispensing advice while cheering his head off.

I’m not sure owners should ever be that involved in a game, to tell you the truth; I admire enthusiasm but I think there needs to be some separation between ownership and the people who coach and play the game.

In the heat of the moment, I think there’s too much of a chance for an owner, or a coach, to say something they might regret.

But it does give the TV directors a closeup they can bore us with repeatedly.

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Here’s one left over from the mail that’s kind of pertinent to what’s going on these days:

Q: Hey Doug. I am a big fan, I was just wondering if you think there is any chance the Raptors get Jermaine O'neal back this off-season. I am sure it’s a long shot but I feel like depending on what happens with Bosh he could bring a lot to the table with a smaller contract this time.

Scott C, Ottawa

A: Having watched Jermaine in this series against Boston only re-affirms the somewhat emphatic “no” I would have given anyway. The last – very last – thing the Raptors would need in the event of a Bosh departure is an aging big on his last legs. Not a chance in the world I could endorse even a sniff of that idea.

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Speaking of Miami, how good was Wade on Sunday? I have no idea what his future plans are but I tell yu, if Pat Riley isn’t working back channels today to get rid of about five of Wade’s supporting cast and surround him with even average NBA players, he’s going to lose him.

And if I’m Miami, I try to find someone – anyone – to take Michael Beasley and give back someone who cares on every possession. That kid’s lack of engagement is shocking.

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I hate weeds, but I love the mail

I tell you, if any of you need dandelions or weeds grown, just give Green Thumb Doug a call because I seem to be a champion at it. And looking at the scratches on the arms and blisters on the hands and feeling the ache in the lower back, I need some work on the whole “getting the garden ready” part of my life.

Anyway, more to do today while you read this and relax. This might not be the longest mail bag ever, but it might contain some of the longest questions. You folks were in full throat this week and there are still some I got late Friday and Saturday that I’ll parcel out during the week.

Have a nice day.

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Q: Hey Doug. I know you grunts appreciate it when players give you good quotes. What would be your all-time Raptor best-quote team? I think you'd have to have Oak as the captain, with Mike James running the point, and Jalen Rose somewhere in the mix too. Also, who coaches that team, KO or the Smitch?

Anthony D, Toronto

A: Oh, Sam would be the coach, for sure. Although Darrell Walker would be his lead assistant.

As for the players, sure Oak, Jalen and Mike James would be starters but, back in the day, Carlos Rogers was always good for a quote and I’d have to find a place in the lineup for Jason Kapono.

Matt Bonner and Mo Pete would be my guys off the bench.

And, now that I think of it, maybe one day the first of the week, when I’m looking for things to fill out a morning thing, I should come up with an all-non-interview team. Am sure there are five or six guys who could make that squad.

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Q: Hi Doug. I think a great use of your free time would be profiling one of the newer Raptors (say, Joey Dorsey), but that seems unlikely so could you please humour me while I get my head around the Bosh free agency scenario? Do I understand correctly that if Bosh just signs with another team, without a sign-and-trade, the Raps have zero ability to sign a big-name free agent because they're already over the cap? I ask because there seems to be little on the roster of, say, Miami that we would want in return. Thanks.

Mike D, Toronto

A: As it stands right now, they would not have any money to sign a “big name” free agent at all if Bosh leaves. Forgetting for a minute such esoteric things as cap holds, etc., and using raw numbers, the Raptors have committed about $64 million in salary for next year. Take away Bosh’s $17 million and that leaves, what, $47 million. Given the estimated cap at about $55 million – and not taking into consideration re-signing Amir Johnson – they are not going to be players at the upper end of the market if Bosh simply walks.

The Joey Dorsey Story, alas, needs lots of time to develop. I'll get at it sometime.

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Q: Is there an opportunity to sign Bosh to the max contract for the maximum length but give him a player option to leave after one or two years. This would give the Raptors one last kick at the can to show him they can win 50 or more games and still give Bosh an out if nothing changes.

Tom D, Toronto

A: No, a team at the maximum value for maximum years, can’t have an Early Termination Option under after four years. He could, conceivably, sign for three with an opt-out after two but I think that’s a long shot; I think any free agent this summer is going to want to maximize years and dollars with a new CBA coming after next season.

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Q: Quick basketball 101 question: When a team is trailing in a close game, they will foul to stop the clock, giving them a better chance of possession and scoring. The team that is leading will of course do everything they can to get the ball inbounded to their top free throw guy on the floor. Is there a reason why the ball carrier is always fouled, as opposed to fouling off of the ball with a player who is less capable of hitting the free throws?

Alan C, Halifax

A: There is. An intentional foul off the ball in the final two minutes gives the team being fouled two shots and the ball back. It’s why you don’t see teams fouling, say, Shaq or Dwight Howard in those circumstances.

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Q Hi Doug. Watching the playoffs I noticed some familiar Raptor faces playing more than contributing roles on playoff teams (e.g. Bonner in San Antonio, Arroyo and JO in Miami, AP and Jamario in Cleveland, to name a few). In most cases these players have elevated their status on playoff teams, from their limited role as a Raptor. I was curious what you thought were the contributing factors for their improved performance? It seems to me that many of the current Raptors (Wright, Amir, Jose, JJ among them) could fall into this category of improved performers (if they were to move on); and understanding what it would take, whether it be team philosophy, player chemistry, to develop the Raptor assets will be among the most important components for improving the team next year. Any thoughts on what plays into this? Keep up the good work.

Mark P, Burlington

A: As trite as it sounds, it’s just a “horses for courses” kind of thing. In the case of Parker and Moon, for instance, both are thrust in roles more suited their abilities, role players asked to be supporting cast members more than stars. Same with Matt, who is not being asked to do as much in San Antonio as he was in Toronto. The same could really be said for Arroyo and JO, too, much more helpers to Wade rather than guys who are needed to carry a heavy load, although in Carlos’s case, he wasn’t ready to be a prime time player when he was here.

Sometimes, it really is that simple. With the way the Toronto roster was constructed, they were being asked to assume responsibility that was too great for their talents.

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Q: Hi Doug, With the Raptors having made another early exit from play this season I guess this might present something of a challenge for you as far as what to write about in your blog. And, I must tell you, that after this past sorry season in particular, I'm really enjoying your recent anecdotes, yarns and amusing moments gleaned from the years that you've been covering this team. (And would you agree they were once again this year a far better story than a team?) So I wonder, after 15 seasons of chronicling the exploits of this franchise, do you have a comprehensive system for filing, storing, cross-referencing and sub-categorizing all your Raptor notes? Do you organize by season, or by player, or topic? And is the info mainly online or on paper? Thank you, and please keep those stories coming!

Lorie P, London

A: I only wish I had some big, detailed filing system but I am not capable of that level of organization, I’m afraid. I do have some but not nearly enough. What usually happens is I probe the dark recesses of my mind for anecdotes and then either remember specifics enough or go to some computerized search system, either or on the web or through the Star, to confirm what I think to be true.

Have yourselves a nice sunny day

It’s not exactly a Gone Fishin’ day (I don’t really fish) but instead of trying to make chicken salad out of chicken droppings just for the sake of having something here, I think a day of rest is in order.

Well, rest in the whole “my goodness; a fair number of weeds seem to have sprouted up in my garden and they need to be pulled” way. But you get my drift, right?

So, short story: Didn’t see much of any games Friday night, don’t have a lot to talk about today so you, and I, get a day off.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a somewhat hefty mailbag.

Happy gardening.