PJ's coming to join Jay's staff

Just headed out to the Mighty Yankees opener but wanted to get this up really quickly and fill in some details later.

The Raptors are adding P.J. Carlesimo to Jay Triano’s staff.

Carlesimo, a long-time assistant and former head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors, joins Marc Iavoroni, Alex English and Micah Nori on Triano’s staff.

A couple of sources confirmed it and the news is to be made official later this week.

We’ll have more on what it all means in a bit but right now it’s baseball time, if the thunderstorms hold off.

And so it begins, with the first Gang of Four

You wanted Raptors news? Well, how was that weekend?

But let’s put the Turkoglu saga aside for a second because – ta-da! – it’s draft preparation time in earnest.

Whoop!!!

And

Eeee!!!!

Seriously, kids start pouring in for individual workouts here in Toronto this week, although you never know who’s going to show up until you actually get in the gym, which is another delightful part of the whole process.

Anyway, the four kids who are in today are a couple of guards, 6-4 Willie Warren of Oklahoma and 6-3 Avery Bradley of Texas, and a couple of forwards, Gordon Hayward of Butler and Stanley Robinson of Connecticut.

Now, if you read some of the mock drafts out there – and I try to avoid them like the plague until about the second week of June – it’s a bit of a stretch to think any of these four would be the 13th pick, most of them are projected as late-teens or late-20s choices.

So, what’s that mean? Um, nothing at the moment. Except that the Raptors are doing the usual amount of due diligence. Which is prudent and gives you a lot to chatter about.

It also makes sense to bring in two guards and two forwards, rather than three of one and one of the other to give them a chance to run some legitimate two-man drills.

There are more workouts scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday but Wednesday’s up in the air, which brings us to another part of the problem with this time of year.

As the process unfolds and the draft draws closer, it gets harder and harder to get some kids in. They either think they will be drafted before, say, No. 13 and they don’t want to jeopardize their position by having a bad workout (and, trust me, team officials chatter back and forth a lot about who looks good where) or the players are broken down from the sheer volume of auditions they have to go on.

And that’s why you really don’t know until the night before precisely who’s going to work out the next morning.

I swear, there are more “flight delays” coming into Pearson this time than there is in an entire winter.

So, the short answer to ‘who’s coming in the rest of the week’ is we have no firm answer at the moment.

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Oh, you wonder how the day goes for us?

Let me tell you.

We show up around 11 a.m. (the workouts begin sometime after 9 a.m.) and we stand around the corridor outside the practice gym for 45 minutes or so before being shown in.

We see about 20 minutes of drills – if that – and then the interviewing process begins. Now, every now and then we get something marginally newsworthy but, over the decade and half I’ve been going to these things, I can close my eyes and here the conversation now:

Grunt: So, how was the workout?

Player (and it really doesn’t matter what his name is): It was hard, they really made us work, we ran a lot, did a lot drills but it was fun

.

Grunt: What would you bring to the Raptors?

Player: I just want to come in and work hard, do whatever the coach asks. I want to play defence and hustle, learn and do whatever the coach asks me to do.

Grunt: What do you know about the Raptors?

Player: I watched them a few times last season and I know they want a guy who’ll come in and work hard, do whatever the coach asks. I just want to play defence and hustle, learn and do whatever the coach asks me to do.

Oh, and then Team Official saunters over <p>Grunt: What’d you think of them?

Team Official: Good group, we had a good workout, they showed some hustle and defence.

Grunt: Anything specific?

Team official: Good workout. They’re projected to be draft picks and I can see them helping some team. They need to work on this and that but it was a good workout.

Grunt: Okay, we’re gone.

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With nothing really on TV last night (Twins-Rangers holds no allure for me; Super Wife playing DVDs – the new VCRs, I’m told – of True Blood wasn’t an option) clicking around landed me at a Saturday Night Life retrospective.

I’ll just say this: I (heart) Tina Fey.

And am pretty big on Amy Poehler, too.

Digression done, for now.

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I’ve got to get back to one little post-game moment from Game 6 of Lakers-Suns for a second.

And why I think Kobe Bryant is the kind of stone-cold hard-ass you’d want on your team.

He’s being interviewed and is asked about the Sasha Vujacic-Goran Dragic thingamabob that turned the momentum and Bryan.t’s asked: What did you think of Sasha’s, um, ill-advised move?

“I wanted to kill him."

And now?

“I still want to kill him.”

Later, Bryant’s at the podium and someone asks him about the threat?

“He’s still breathing.”

I don’t know why, but I found that entirely entertaining.

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Speaking of entertaining, what are you doing Tuesday at noon? Well, if you’re smart, you’ll stop by this neck of the woods for an hour-long question and answer session. We’ll do some Finals stuff, I’m sure we’ll touch on some Raptors stuff and it’ll be a hoot.

Honest, it will.

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Back to the draft for one quick minute, just to let you know what’s been gleaned in a couple of conversations I’ve had with bigwigs over in Raptorsville.

They think there’s a group of about nine players – and they haven’t divulged exactly what the names are but I’m some of you are capable of figuring them out – who are certain to be gone by the time No. 13 rolls around.

They also think there’s a group of eight or 10 guys they might have interest in and all could be available when it comes time to make the choice.

But it’s going to take some time – probably a couple of weeks or so – to whittle that group of eight or 10 guys down to about four or five to put in some kind of priority list.

They don’t know who will eventually make it to that last group and I certainly don’t, but that’s when the news and the chat should really start.

The process now is weeding and ranking a large number of possibilities, a number too great to really break down and prioritize at the moment. Some day, we’ll figure out who’s left but that day’s a while off.

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Oh yeah, Mighty Yankees opener tonight, if the scheduled thunderstorms hold off. Don’t think any of the networks are carrying this one so you’ll have to check back in the morning to see how we fared.

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A break from Turk and tweets for a dip into the mail bag

Good day, everyone.

It’s almost time for The Three Stooges on TV, which is destination viewing for me and Super Son so we’ll get this up and out of the way.

Oh, there is nothing new with Turk, don’t imagine there will be for some time but check back periodically just in case. After the Mighty Yankees go through their final spring training session this morning, I’ll see if I can make some calls.

Until then, have it.

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Q: Dear Sir (aka Beat Grunt): I wanted you to know my Neo-Rap group is called The Beat Grunts.

The theme of the exit interviews given to the press by Raptors and management seemed to be, in my view, a couple of things didn't come together the way we envisioned, and we were close to being somebody's. Using that theory, do you think it could be sold to Chris Bosh as a key element to re-signing him? From that flows this: What do the Raptors need to take them to the next level with Chris Bosh? And, since the Legend of Hedo is now an emerging meme in this year's playoff coverage, what length of rope do they give Hedo before would be jettisoned in a trade?

TC W, North York

A: Given the drama that’s developed around Turk, there really isn’t an answer to your question. However, what self-respecting grunt wouldn’t want to help promote a Neo-Rap group.

Of course, I have no earthly idea what a Neo-Rap group does but I hope it’s good.

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Q: Hey Doug. Thanks for the excellent work as always. I was wondering about the Hedo thing. I wonder why this did not come out in 'exit interviews', because if I was the Raps front office I would be very, ummm, p- o'd about what may look like deceitful behaviour. Telling one thing but feeling another puts egg squarely on the face of BC, no? All in all I see this as a great opportunity to augment a strong core who was only a couple of missed buckets away from getting into the playoffs. So a couple of questions... what was the relationship like between Bosh and Turk/ Will subtraction of one possibly lead to the pacification of the other? Can moving Turk lead to acquiring the all star quality shooting guard CB4 spoke of desiring, and then moving DD and/ or Weems to more small forward time? Thoughts?

Randy M, Crystal Beach

A: As I mentioned in the original blog post yesterday morning, Turkoglu did say the day after the season that there has to be some shared responsibility for what transpired with him. But, again as I’ve mentioned, he did not come clean publicly with his specific points although I would presume he made them to his employers.

Now, as for the relationship? It was professional, like most in the locker room; I don’t think Bosh and Turkoglu were particularly close friends but also don’t think they need to be as long as they can co-exist well as teammates and they did.

Whether Bryan can trade Turkoglu for a piece that would give Bosh pause to seriously consider re-signing in Toronto is impossible to tell but if I know Mr. Colangelo, he’s thinking along those same lines.

But it’s a long, long way from thinking to doing.

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Q: Hi Doug. Long time reader but I never write in. the piece on the potential LeBron-Wade-Bosh-?? combo got me thinking. Hypothetically, would it be possible for each of those guys to sign a one year contract with a team, like, say, New Jersey in the quest of gong for the perfect season or at least a one year run to get a ring?

Kind of an out there question, but could something like that happen?

Thanks for all your great work covering my favorite team.

Mike E, Toronto

A: Sure, they can do that, as long as the contracts fit under the salary cap rules. That’s kind of what we saw when Karl Malone and Gary Payton teamed up with Kobe and Shaq with the Lakers, although they were far from in the prime of their careers.

The trouble would come when it was time to re-sign with whatever team they joined; one-year deals don’t carry Bird Rights so they’d continue to take a financial hit and none of them would want that.

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Q: Hey Doug. Earlier this week during a post-game presser (I think) Stan Van Gundy took a dig at Mike Wilbon, which Wilbon would go on to say was only fair as he takes digs at people all the time. As reporter-specific digs seem a bit odd to me, I was wondering if you've ever had a coach/player take one at you?

Ryan M, Ottawa

A: Oh, we take shots all the time from coaches and players. Most, in my case, quite good-natured and generally in conversations that take place after scrums are done, but we do.

I remember one day, after I had pointed out that Mo Pete, bless his soul, was mired in a slump and hadn’t made a jumper in about a week, he broke out with a pretty big game.

We talked to him after, as we always did, and just as we were breaking up, he turned and gave me one of those: “Not bad for a guy who can’t shoot, right Doug?” lines.

And I don’t remember anything too specific but, trust me, Sam could take a dig with the best of ‘em.

But it’s not generally mean-spirited and they don't linger; life's too short to hold grudges.

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Q: Hey Doug, with the evolution of the point forward, do you think thee will ever be a team that forgoes the point guard entirely? By that I mean a team that plays one point forward, three 6'7/6'9 wings and a center? I suppose that they might have problems rebounding.

David S, Toronto

A: I can’t, actually, and not for the rebounding situation you bring up. The way point guard play seems to be going, with lightning-quick little waterbug types, not sure teams can afford to try to stop them with bigger guys.

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Q: Hey Doug, Looking at the all time PPG leaders, 10 of the 30 players listed played this season. What would you say the main reasons are for players scoring more today than yester-year?

Is it because the rules are different (i.e. no hand checking) or is it because players today are simply more talented / athletic / bigger? Or would you say it's because talent is more diluted among teams today, and thus there's more scoring load on stars?

Bobby D, Kitchener

A: I’m not sure scoring is up all that much on average but I do think with the ban on old-fashioned hand-checking, the increased number of three-pointers taken and made, it’s far easier to score a lot today.

Plus, the depth of talent in the league is so watered down, good players can thrive far more often.

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Q: This is a question about the rules of sign and trades rather than a what if:

If Chris Bosh wanted to go to team x (let’s say the Knicks because they are so far under the cap) and a max free agent like Amare wanted to go to Toronto (and Toronto wanted him), could the Knicks sign Amare to the max and then trade him to the Raptors for Chris Bosh?

Evan G, Thornhill

A: No. Sign and trade transactions can only occur with players and their existing team. The scenario you paint can’t occur.

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Q: Quick question, the Argentinean basketball association just posted the videos Manu Ginobili, Nocioni and others sent to help out Mar del Plata's candidacy for the pre-Olympic tournament. You mentioned that Nash sent a good one too. So I was just wondering if you know where/if that video is available online?

Tobias R, Thornhill

A: It isn’t, no. Am told by Canada Basketball officials that it was not done for public consumption, a deal they struck with the producers when it was being put together. They obviously made a different arrangement in Argentina.

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Q: Hi Doug. I think Scott Brooks might want to think about giving back his NBA coach of the year award. With Mike Brown getting the axe today, if you take a look at the previous 4 “Coach of the Year” winners you will see that Avery Johnson won the award in 2006 and was fired in early 2008. Sam Mitchell won the award in 2007 and was also fired in 2008. Byron Scott won the award in 2008 and was fired in 2009 and now Mike Brown was just fired in 2010 after winning the award in 2009. It seems quite strange that all these coaches would be fired within a year of winning the award! Any theories as to why this is happening? By the way, I love the blog and it is the first thing I read in the morning every day.

Thanks

Jason A, Toronto

A: It is an alarming trend, isn’t it.

But, generally, I think guys win Coach of the Year awards when their teams over-achieve at some significant level, that sets unrealistic expectations and when the inevitable bounce-back occurs, the easy thing to do is what the coach because impatience rules.

Sad, but true.

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Q: Hi Doug. I was wondering, having read a new piece about the Antoine Walker debt saga, if the NBA has ever thought about putting mandatory financial seminars in place. I was curious to know what teams offer, beyond just having an agent and 'advisors', to players in terms of helping them plan for the future? Also I was curious what you think about picking a date before training camps start and having all first year players attend a mandatory seminar conference somewhere to teach them the basics. A shocking amount of players who have made over $10 million in their careers go bankrupt within 10 years after stopping play.

Mr. C, Kingston

A: The league does, as a matter of fact, have a mandatory program for rookies that includes all manner of counseling and advice.

There are also programs in place through the players’ association and the league office to give veterans any help they need.

Sometimes, guys just can’t figure it out and that’s a shame. But, as they say, the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one and too many of these irresponsible young men don’t think there’s anything wrong with their lifestyle.

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Q: Hey Doug. Assuming Bosh will go to one of the four teams he's identified through a sign and trade, which team would have the most to offer the Raptors in a trade? It appears to be Chicago to me, with all of the quality young players on their roster. Los Angeles and Miami appear to have the least to offer. Would you agree that Toronto's strategy should be to start negotiating with Chicago, then move to New York, Miami, and Los Angeles (in that order), if nothing comes of their discussions with the Bulls?

Graham V, Vancouver

A: Here’s the thing, again: The Raptors are not driving this process. At all. If and when Bosh decides to go and where he’d like to land, only then can Colangelo et al start working seriously on some kind of sign-and-trade transaction.

I’m sure they’ve spent time already looking at some other rosters and seeing what they might want to talk about but they can’t “negotiate” until they get something more firm.

And, yes, I agree that Chicago, of those teams, would have the greatest number of parts that would intrigue Toronto.

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Q: Hi Doug. So let me see if I've got this right: (and do you think we're all going to wish at some point this summer we had a lawyer on retainer just to help us navigate through this post season?) a player may not discuss his future plans with the team with which he is presently under contract to up to and including June 30th, but is within his legal contractual rights to give his thoughts and opinions on the viability of his signing with any one of the other NBA teams? (And does that make sense to you???) Thanks.

Lorie P, London

A: Actually, in some instances, players can talk with their existing teams right up until they become free agents. But you’re right, in many instances that makes absolutely no sense.

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Q: Hi Doug: There has been a lot of grit in these NBA finals, with Nash fixing his own broken nose and Howard taking out the Celtics (and giving them a taste of their own medicine) one by one.

When I think about the Raps, I don't think grit. But when Oakley and Davis were here, Toronto had a tough team.

So in your opinion, who are the best "grit" players in the league today? Who would you want on your team to reliably knock an opponent on his butt when it's called for?

Andrew G, Toronto

A: Kenyon Martin would certainly be on that list, wouldn’t he? And I think a guy like Luis Scola in Houston kind of fits that bill; Kurt Thomas in Milwaukee does, too. If Kendrick Perkins could control his temper more often, I’d certainly have to include him and let’s round out a list of five with Derek Fisher to put a little guy on it.

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Q: Hi Doug. I recently read this article talking about the 10 best Raptors of all time. This person had TJ Ford in their top 10, which is a joke. If I had to put a list together it would be Bosh, Stoudemire, Carter (much hate though), A. Davis, D. Christie, Mo Pete, Alvin Williams, Dee Brown, McGrady, Calderon.

Who are your top 10 best Raptors of all time?

Jasper C, Toronto

A: I like your list a lot but the exclusion of Charles Oakley cannot be abided, he has to be on there, probably in place of Dee Brown. And, given what he actually did here, I wonder about Tracy.

Anyway, I think given the relative youth of the franchise as a whole, any Top Whatever list of Raptors can only be top five right now. Fifteen years of limited success isn’t enough time to make a Top 10.

My five:

Bosh, Carter, Stoudamire, Oak, Davis.

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Q: Eh Doug, I totally enjoy your religious following of all things basketball and life as if they were one and the same. Seeing free agent additions of Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter excel on their new teams by making the playoffs and winning in the first round it made me realize how great Paul Pierce is so far in his career. He has won a title and is making a run for a second title. All three of these players are similar they all have the ability to handle, slash, and create their own shot which makes them unique. Does PP34 have a contract next year and what kind of team would benefit the most by having his talents? He could set himself up to be a champion on many NBA rosters for years to come.

C K, Mississauga

A: Pierce has a players option for next year, at something astronomical like $21 million. And while he hasn’t said 100 per cent whether he’ll exercise it or not, I can’t see a day when he’s not a Celtic. He’s kind of become the face of that franchise over the last decade or so, he appreciates the tradition of starting and finishing a career there and even if he opts out, I imagine it’ll only be so he can sign a longer-term deal there.

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Q: With all the fines being made lately for "tampering" (and i use this word loosely) with the upcoming free agents (Cuban saying every team would be interested in LeBron and Kerr jokingly saying they could afford the mid level for LeBron) could a case not be made that in a Jay Z song Empire State of mind with the lyrics

"Me, I gotta plug, Special Ed, "I got it made" If Jesus is payin' Lebron I'm payin Dwayne Wade" not also be considered tampering seeing how he is a part owner of the Nets and possible stating if he can't get LebBron James than the Nets will attempt to get Dwayne Wade which is more blunt than what Cuban or Kerr ever said?

Barry F, Lindsay

A: Since the warbler you’re talking about has a minority share in a team, I’m stunned the overseers haven’t levied retroactive fines or figured out a way to garnishee royalties. Stunning.

That said, the lyric aren’t quite “Imagine” but …

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Q: Hey Doug. After watching Boston's strategy to "Hack-a-Howard,” I was wondering why teams don't always do stuff like that in late game situations. Why can't they just hack the worst ft-shooting player even before the inbounds; why do they have to wait for the ball to be in-bounded and then foul whoever has the ball?

Kevin H, Richmond Hill

A: If a team commits an intentional foul away from the ball in the final two minutes, the team being fouled gets two shots and the ball. If a team commits a foul before a ball is in-bounded, the fouled team gets two shots and the ball.

It’s a good rule. I heartily endorse it.

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Q: When a person, like Davis in Boston, is injured and cannot get up like he didn't, did Boston call a time out, or do the refs have the discretion to call the play and charge Boston with the time out or no time out is charged at all? It seemed it took a while for them to stop the play and Davis could have fallen on his face.

Henry W, Toronto

A: The refs have some discretion to blow the whistle. But, for instance, if there’s a player bleeding, after 30 seconds the team has to either replace him or call a timeout.

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Q: Hey Doug, love the blog.

Are there any plans for Georgios Printezis making his way over the pond? May he be one of the five new faces?

Thanks

Mike B, Newmarket

A: The word I’m getting is “no.” Not only has it not been thought of seriously, there’s been no indication whatsoever that the former second-round is near ready to even make an NBA team, let alone contribute to it.

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Q: Hey Doug, Question about free agency - It's been said that the Raptors can't sign two max free agents. Is it because the nature of the salary cap explicitly prevents it or is it the luxury tax just becomes a big deterrent?

I just don’t understand how teams like LA are able to work their way to a roster whose salary is almost double the cap while even *if* Toronto wanted to over spend and pay the tax to keep Bosh by getting another max contract player, their options are limited.

Thanks!

Drew M, Willowdale

A: When teams get to the salary level of, say, Boston or the Lakers, Knicks or Mavs it’s not usually because they’ve “signed” high priced players; it’s because they’ve obtained them in trades and then re-signed them using the Bird Rights exception.

And there’s no reason the Raptors can’t eventually do that, if they can find the high-priced guys to get in the first place in some transaction.

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Q: Hi Doug, I've been invited to the MLSE President's breakfast next week with BB and BC and am wondering what to expect and whether I should spend the time to get down to the arena.

Will there be any privileged information shared or is it more of a boondoggle?

Lyndon L, Toronto

A: Now? I’d say go for sure; who knows what might have transpired between now and then. If you get any snippets of news, feel free to pass ‘em along.

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Q: Hi Doug. I read your article on Tuesday about the work BC was doing preparing for the draft. I confess I was quite taken aback by your comment regarding Triano's input. Specifically, "The coaching staff plays a relatively minor role in the process. " Now I know you went on to say they would be consulted, and be at the individual workouts (and maybe some road ones), but isn't the Head Coach the one who is entrusted to develop the talent chosen. If so, he should be part of the "gang of six",.....er gang of seven shouldn't he? Does not including Triano as much not send a message his basketball views are not as appreciated as others?

Sohail G, Collingwood

A: I don’t think so at all. It’s rather commonplace in the NBA, as a matter of fact. The coaches will see individual workout but most of the work would have already been done by scouts compiling dossiers in the winter.

I didn’t say a coach would have no input but it won’t be as large as those who’ve seen the kids more often.

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Q: It is the best Toronto basketball read of the day.

In my opinion, in terms of Toronto's place within the NBA marketplace, the one area that Toronto must be significantly above average is, drafting and developing of players. Accordingly, when you review the Raps drafts since 2000, not one Raps pick since Mo Pete in 2000, would have been drafted higher if a 'redraft' would have occurred 2 years later. The best pick since Mo Pete, would have been Bosh, who would still be 4th in that draft after - LeBron, Melo & Wade (picked after Bosh).

Agree or disagree?

Bo C, Toronto

A: I have to pretty much agree.

But I also don’t have the time or inclination go through 29 other teams and see which ones would be in precisely the same situation.

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Q: Hey Doug, I was watching PTI last night and during a segment about whether Mike Brown would have a coaching job in the NBA next year, Mike Wilbon listed off a bunch of team that have or will have, coaching vacancies for next season. Needless to say, he mentioned Toronto in that group. I'm biased towards Wilbon, especially when he's talking NBA as he clearly has his ear on the pulse of the league and knows what's going on generally.

Wondering if you could provide any insight on this beyond the accepted belief that any coach who leads his team to a losing record should be worried about their job security?

Lorne S, Toronto

A: I know for a fact Jay has nothing to worry about at the moment; I’m not willing to say the same thing if the team’s in the toilet halfway through next season.

And I presume you could say the same for a lot of coaches of teams that don’t win. It’s a results-based industry and if you don’t win, you could very well lose a job.

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Q: Doug, where do you see the Raptors team in 5 years/10 years down the road. Upper echelon of the NBA (ie Lakers), perennial playoff team (ie Jazz), struggling to make the playoffs (ie current Raptors), or cellar dweller (ie Timberwolves)? any why?

Thanks as always.

Jamie M, Winnipeg

A: I can’t envision where I’ll be in five or 10 years, I can barely envision where I’ll be tomorrow. As for the basketball team I cover? Who knows.

But I can say with 1,000 per cent certainty that wherever The Heroes Of The Hardcourt are, there will be a large number of angst-filled fans regaradless of how good or bad it is.

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Q: Hi Doug. My question is with respect to NBA Playoff officiating. Do you not feel that the veteran crew officials who are paired together for playoff games (ie: JCrawford & ERush for game 5 in Orl) struggle with their officiating roles if they are not the crew chief and alpha-whistle-blowing-dog on the floor? There were some very curious sequences in game 5 where it seemed like Rush and Crawford were overly asserting their whistle into the game in response to their partner's calls. While I do think Eddie Rush is one of the best in the biz, I feel that Joe Crawford's eccentric personality is not what this stage of the playoff needs.

Jordan E, Toronto

A: Seeing how refs don’t work as a “crew” at any time in the regular season, I don’t see a problem with having a couple of veterans, or three of the best, doing the same game.

Now, I love Joe Crawford but you’re right, his personality is somewhat “eccentric” but it’s got nothing to do with who he’s working a game with and he is one of the very best officials in the league.

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The Goods On The Game, Lakers at Suns

Well, well, well.

Sure hope tonight's a little less busy than today was.

And Hedo's still making news. And making waves

Yeah, sorry I’m a bit late. Life and all.

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Hmm.

Turk.

As I’m sure many are aware, Hedo Turkoglu went on TV back home in Turkey and said he’d like to get out of Toronto, management did him wrong after the now-infamous “he’s out after a missing a game” incident that landed him a de-facto one-game suspension from the team and he’s entirely unhappy.

Now, I didn’t see the interview but it’s pretty clear there some deep issues there.

So, what’s real? Well, there’s no denying he said it but if it caught you and I unawares, it did the same to the Raptors management and it’s all quiet on the record over there.

At least it was Friday night in some brief conversations I had.

(And, as an aside, can’t a guy get a night off around here? I guess not)

Anyway, since no one I talked to is saying anything for public consumption until they get more information, there’s not a whole lot of hard news.

I will tell you this, though, from some other chats I’ve had over the past little while:

If Hedo wants out, they’ll try to move him.

And it might not be as hard as you think.

I’m sure there are teams out there who are interested in his skill set and if anyone thinks the contract is unmovable, they best think again. A lot worse contracts have been traded over the years and that’s not going to be a huge impediment.

But let’s also consider this: Maybe things get lost in translation a bit, maybe Hedo’s “demand” is more of him venting as he did the day after the season ended, when he offered an apology for the way he handled things during the season but also said it wasn’t entirely his fault.

Here’s part of that transcript:

“I came here with a big contract, free agency and people expect a lot of stuff from you and if you don’t do it, it’s normal to get the blame. I’ll take the blame on my side for what I did bad, you guys (the reporters) have to look for both sides and judge it.

“For my side, I took the blame but, like you said, it wasn’t just me. I won’t show any excuses and I’ll just leave to you guys.”

There was obviously a big disconnect between Turk and his bosses that began when the Raptors coddled him for the pre-season and he responded by playing most of the season like an out-of-shape pooch.

But these are grown men we’re talking about and maybe differences can be put aside.

This latest episode – and it truly did catch a lot of people in the Raptors front office totally by surprise – just adds another thing to Bryan Colangelo’s to-do list for the summer.

Should he try to trade him?

Probably, yes; if there’s a deal to be made it’d be foolish not to try and make it work if it brings back something solid in return.

But, first, they need to sit down and talk face-to-face and see if this is salvageable. It’s one thing to be talking to a reporter back home, maybe the words are different sitting across from one another in a boardroom.

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I was pretty sure, as I sat on a stool next to Stumpy and a couple of other Mighty Yankee coaches last night, that I looked up at the TV and saw Nate Robinson on the court and the Celtics-Magic game was nowhere near garbage time.

And sure enough, reports this morning indicate I wasn’t hallucinating.

Now, as odd as it was that a Kobe Bryant airball decided Game 5 of the Western Conference final, the fact that “Look At Me” Nate played a role in Boston’s Game 6 clincher over Orlando was even more unexpected.

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What now, Magic?

After carving up the league for most of the regular season and laying waste to two far inferior playoff opponents, the Magic bowed relatively weakly to the Celtics, despite those two wins that gave the series an unexpected jolt.

It’s not hard to figure out what Orlando needs: They need another big who can score and take some pressure off Dwight Howard, who was good for parts of the Celtic series but far from great.

Rashard Lewis was MIA for most of the series, Vince Carter was a complete non-factor and you have to know that GM Otis Smith and ownership – which is on the hook for about $12 million in luxury tax payments this year – is going to try to do something significant.

What do they have? Well, they seem to have no need for Brandon Bass since they never played him, you’d think My Favourite Marcin could attract some interest in trades and JJ Redick’s a restricted free agent who could be dangled in a sign-and-trade deal.

There are definitely pieces they can turn into something (and, no, there is no chance they take Hedo back so, please, for the love of all that’s good in the world put that out of your mind) and I fully expect something of substance to happen down there.

The regular season was great, they got to the conference final a year after playing for the championship but the over-riding feeling is that they didn’t have a very good year and the sense I get is that change is afoot down there.

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Okay, you know me and tweets, right?

Silly overshares most of the time and entirely yawn-inducing for the most part.

Except, not always.

Henry Abbott, who does tremendous work over at ESPN.com’s Truehoop blog – it has to be a must-read a couple of times a day for anyone – has unearthed this little gem that kind of puts a new spin on this whole twittering thing for me.

I am an Office fan, not the biggest one but Super Son and I make it destination viewing most night around dinner time and, thanks to Henry, I’m now paying far more attention to Kelly Kapoor. And her alter ego Mindy Kaling.

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Yes, we will be around tonight to dissect and discuss Game 6 of the Lakers-Suns series. See you about 8? Should be fun.

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I’m not going to tell you who said it and I’m not really going to give you much information or context.

But if you want to get excited about what’s coming in the next couple of months for the Raptors, I feel I can share this verbatim quote I got:

“Fasten your belt.”

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All right, folks. A long day of sussing out Hedo news, answering mail, figuring out the Celtics, perhaps stopping by the Hawthorne fun fair and glowering at the growing dandelions on the Back 40 awaits. Wish me luck.

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Best miss ever? And a summit with a twist

So Kobe Bryant, the greatest closer in the game today, fires up an airball at the buzzer and it’s the biggest shot of the season so far for the Lakers?

Yeah, I can see how people on Planet Orange might feel the Basketball Gods are conspiring against them. Again.

That was some wacky finish to what was an outstanding game and I fully expect Phoenix to win back at home Saturday and give us some Monday night drama.

At least a fella can hope, right?

Anyway, on to “the play” where Ron Artest, who took perhaps the stupidest shot of the playoffs with a missed three-pointer when he could have practically run out the clock, rebounded Kobe’s heave at the buzzer for the winner.

Forget for a second how well the Suns defended the ball on the play and think for a minute how much of a brain cramp was going on on the weak side of the floor.

Everyone in the free world – not to mention whatever communists remain and those incarcerated – knew Bryant was going to take the shot. Heck, even I knew that.

But what everyone not directly involved with guarding him had to do was simply make sure their guy didn’t get a chance at a tip of a miss. Forget everything else, get a body on your guy and keep him off the glass when Bryant’s shot went up. Don’t watch the play, do your job.

And they didn’t.

I think it was Jason Richardson who somehow let Artest get free enough that he could catch the ball and take a shot and that’s the kind of inattention to detail the drives coaches and fans – and teammates – right around the bend.

Now, I have no idea what might have transpired in overtime but with the way the game had been going, there’s no reason to think anything but that the Suns were rolling and could have stolen one.

But, noooooo.

Now they have to go home facing elimination and with a sick feeling in their collective gut.

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Last call for mail, which can be sent by clicking here. There’s a Canada Basketball thing late this morning but then there’s the traditional sit-on-a-stool-do-mail late afternoon pre-coaches meeting answering session and I need some stuff to do.

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This, folks, is getting a tad ridiculous and I guess it’s a tad Raptors related.

As you can read in this story half-penned by My May Ira down in South Florida, there either will or won’t be some huge “summit” of the top free agents before July 1.

That’d include your own C. Bosh, by the way.

Now, I think this is kind of reverse-tampering and I’m pretty sure Mr. Stern won’t be too impressed by the thought of four guys sitting in a room trying to determine who gets what cut of what pie. But there seems to be no speciflc “rule” against it, according to a couple of people I talked to yesterday; it’s just unseemly.

And, in my mind, unworkable.

I know it sounds all well and good that two or three or four of them will decide they want to play together and how sweet that would be to roll to an 82-0 record and become the story of all time.

But when push comes to shove, I don’t think anyone of them is really going to want to take less money or a smaller role just because it sounds good.

I’d hope, eventually, the competitive nature that drives these guys would kick and they’d think, ‘hey, I’m good; I’m going to do this.’

This is just another layer of stuff we’re going to have deal with over the next couple of months, breathless reports and analysis of stuff that may or may not happen.

But I have to tell you, Henry Thomas seems to be spending an awful lot of time denying stuff, doesn’t he?

First the “list” and now the “summit” and you wonder what’s next.

And on that that James-Wade-Bosh-Johnson-Whoever Else They Can Drag Away From Summer “summit” I’d presume the security costs wouldn’t approach $1 billion.

Cristal costs, maybe. Security? Not so much.

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Speaking of a tad ridiculous, I’m sure some of you heard about one of the Atlanta Hawks owners being fined $25,000 yesterday for violating the tampering rules by speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution a week ago.

What he said:

“If somebody came to us tomorrow and said you can have LeBron for max money and it puts you in the luxury tax, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But am I going to do that for (Zydrunas) Ilgauskas ? Am I going to do it for Jermaine O’Neal? I don’t think so.”

Oooh!!! Inflammatory or what?

Duh!

Apparently the league is clamping down on owners speaking common sense, too.

This really is getting out of hand, isn’t it?

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Oh yeah.

Can’t remember who, but someone suggested yesterday that I need to mention the Raptors every day just to feed the insatiable hunger for no news.

Nothing of interest happened with the team.

There.

I guess if you want something – anything – it’s that individual workouts here should start next week and we might be seeing something of a schedule in the next couple of days.

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So, I’ve got the possibility of a Mighty Yankees coaches meeting after work, I think I’ve been going strong all week and have a Canada Basketball thing to go to this morning to figure out what’s up with the Under-17 teams headed to the world championships.

Time for a little selfishness so I’m thinking a Friday night off might be in order. Sorry to disappoint the tens of you looking for in-game blog thingies but let’s have a dark night and come back tomorrow for the series we care more about.

See you Saturday at 8 for Suns-Lakers.

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The Goods On The Game, Suns at Lakers

Man, another scorcher here today.

Am glad the AC's working; won't be when the bill arrives but, still ...

Anyway, let's settle in and have fun.

Time for Stu to leap in to action -- and here's the update

This is going to be a big day for Stu Jackson.

The NBA’s vice-president of discipline could very well determine the winner of the Eastern Conference final when he clicks on the DVD player (which is apparently an upgrade on a VCR) to review last night’s Boston-Orlando game.

Specifically, he’s going to have to look at the two technicals Boston’s Kendrick Perkins got and figure out whether one needs to be rescinded to allow Perkins to play in Game 6.

The two techs Perkins got – one for elbowing My Favourite Marcin, one for whining – were his sixth and seventh of the post-season and carry an automatic suspension.

Now, the second one might have been a bit dubious but there’s no way Jackson can pull it back, I don’t think.

Not only would it undermine the game officials who made the call (I know that happens every now and then but I think it’s pretty much wrong all the time) but it would smack of the league office exerting too much influence.

(Conspiracy theorists take that for what it’s worth)

This just in:

I know nothing.

Well, I do know this because the NBA just me an e-mail to tell me:

They have rescinded the second technical foul on Perkins so he's able to play in Game 6; and they've upgraded a fourth quarter personal on Pierce to a Flagrant 1.

We now return you to you regularly-scheduled reading.

Of course, there’d be no issue if Perkins was able to control his temper but that’s not going to happen and, as I’ve mention, his anger-control problems have long been an issue. I don’t specifically remember a lot of his earlier techs but I’d venture to say a couple of them were for little more than excessive whining over correct calls.

And now he’s really going to hurt his team.

How much, you ask?

Well, I’m not about to say the Magic are in control of this series, that’d be silly, but if Perkins doesn’t play and Glen Davis is still banged up from a concussion, I’d say Orlando has a better than average chance to get the series to a seventh game at home.

The one thing the Celtics have been able to do is guard Dwight Howard with one guy, allowing the wings to stay home on Orlando’s shooters. Without Perkins or Davis, they cannot do that or Howard will go off for 40 or something like that and if they have to double all the time, even a guy like the guy who used to play here is going to knock down wide open looks.

One of the things about the Celtics was that they seem to play right on the edge of losing control. Perkins, Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Davis, all seem to be on the verge of exploding at any minute. It’s nice to play with some aggression; it’s not nice to play without thinking and that’s what Perkins did last night. The first one he got was a double technical for a brouhaha with Gortat and as soon as he got it, he had to know to be on his best behaviour. He had to know he was one more tech for a) getting thrown out of the game and b) getting suspended for the next game and that he couldn’t control his temper is a huge character flaw.

And one that could prove hugely costly to his team.

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You know, Kids Say The Darndest Things.

(You got that, right?)

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Back to Stu for a minute, we all know he’s not above making tough calls that turn series.

Back in ’07, it was his decision to follow the letter of the law and suspend Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for a pivotal game against the Spurs (it’s mentioned in here) that could have shifted the momentum in that series.

And way, way back in ’01, he hit Milwaukee’s Scott Williams well after the fact with a one-game suspension for a hit Williams laid on Allen Iverson that took the Bucks big man out of Game 7 of that Eastern Conference final. I remember being at that game in Philly and there were a couple of plays down the stretch of a close game where the Bucks could have used a rebounder of Williams’ ability.

So there is some history that shows Stu will do what’s right rather than what’s easy.

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Yes, we will be here tonight at 9 for the Suns-Lakers and I hope it’s a doozy. Stop by, it’s a lot of fun. Really.

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You know who’s a good role player?

Jason Williams of the Magic.

Seems to me he’s exactly the kind of backup point guard a team needs, someone who isn’t going to worry about playing excess minutes, someone who can make a shot and defend a little bit and someone who goes about his business in a calm, professional manner.

He’s come a long, long way from those White Chocolate days of yore but he’s really settled into quite a niche with the Magic.

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Mail? Gladly accepted if you click here to send it along. We’ll get this one taken care of right now:

Q: Quick question for you, watching the veteran ref's work the playoff games (I find them to be very good) I was wondering why Steve Javie who in my mind is an excellent ref is not working the games.

Kevin V, Waterloo

A: He is an excellent referee, probably in the top three or four in the league, and he should be working. But he’s injured and unavailable. Too bad, though.

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Any bets on how many times Steve Nash gets knocked down and bopped on the nose tonight?

I’ll put the over and under at 1.5.

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Perhaps a boring post-season is being salvaged?

Finally, a series we can get pumped about.

Thanks, Los Suns.

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I don’t know how it’s all going to play out but what we’re seeing with the Suns these days in quite interesting on a lot of angles, isn’t it?

As everyone will fully admit – chief among them Mr. Nash – the Lakers are bigger, stronger, more accomplished and I think most rational people would expect them to win this series, and some might think they’d do it handily.

But now it’s a best-of-three and Phoenix has at least a puncher’s chance of pulling off a monumental upset.

Why?

Two reasons, both counter-intuitive to commonly held playoff logic, which makes me believe even more firmly that you coach your team and play your game and don’t be concerned about conventional, um, wisdom.

First, they are relying almost solely a zone defence, which most good teams shred with ball movement, good passing and the ability to knock down mid-range shot.

The Lakers, most of them anyway, aren’t doing that. They’ve been tricked into a shooting contest with the Suns for long stretches of the game and with the exception of that wonderful second quarter on Tuesday where no one could miss a shot, the Lakers don’t have the horses to play that game.

Los Angeles’s strength is Kobe Bryant and their bigs, that Bryant hardly shot the ball in the fourth quarter of Game 4 and that Pau Gasol simply could not get himself involved in the offence was a killing blow.

Now, you’d think the Lakers would figure this out, wouldn’t you? Flash Gasol to the middle of the lane at the free throw line and let him find shooters in the corner; space Kobe around the perimeter and set screens to get him open looks. Simple? Rather. But they haven’t done it nearly enough.

The second point is truly off-the-charts, strategy-wise.

Playing 10 deep? So much for shortening rotations in the cauldron of the post-season, right?

You could probably make the case that the game turned last night at the start of the second and fourth quarters, when the Suns had five backups on the court.

That game-brreaking sequence of the fourth – when Frye, Barbosa and Dudley all his threes in rapid-fire succession – might not have happened had Alvin Gentry done what so many other coaches to – panic and rely on starters to log heavier than usual minutes when the game is on the line.

Steve Nash is getting his regular rest in each game – and that’s going to be huge as Games 5, 6, and maybe 7 unfold – and it also imbues the subs with a true sense of confidence.

Now, it’ll be interesting to see if either of those things work on the road though. I think it’s more likely the defensive system works better than the use of such a long bench because the Lakers have looked befuddled at times in two straight games.

The backups? Well, they were virtually invisible in Games 1 and 2 at Staples Center and it’s definitely easier for secondary players to play at home – with energy from a crowd and familiarity with the surroundings – than it is on the road.

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You know what I like most about this gang of Suns backups?

No nickname.

No Bench Mob, or Energizer Bunnies or Motley Crew (not be mistaken with Motley Crue ‘cause that’d be cool) or anything cutesy like that.

But I’d presume after their collective performance in Game 4 – which might be the game that saved the entire NBA post-season -- someone’s trying to come up with something.

Frye’s Cooks?

Dudley’s Do-Rights?

Dragan’s Lairs?

I dunno, there might be something here to think about.

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As a way to get into a point a lot have been asking about, let’s dip into the mail bag early.

And if you’d like to get something on the record, or off your chest, click here to send ‘em along. No idea how the weekend timing’s going to work out with games and the like but there will be mail.

Q: Hi Doug: Many TV commentators describe the Magic as missing Turk in this year's playoffs. They contrast his play, size, abilities with Jameer Nelson. We saw Turk play so well in playoffs last year for Orlando and we saw how he played for Raps this season. Your thoughts?

How do you at this point account for:

Whether commentators are right about difference between Turk and Jameer in playoff situation?

What might it mean for the future of Turk with Raps?

Courses for horses?

How does it play out in the case of Turk a year ago and this past season?

Charles N, Toronto

A: This is quite an interesting thing, isn’t it?

I think Orlando misses him only because of the somewhat desultory play they’ve been getting from his replacement more than anything, if the guy we all know and love was putting up 15 points and five assists a night, we’d hear nary a word, I think.

And yes, Turkoglu was excellent in last year’s playoffs because of the matchup problems he presented, which would be pretty much the same this time around seeing how the Magic are playing exactly the same way.

And while I contend Toronto gave Turk the ball quite enough – I’d guess he touched on about 80 per cent of the possessions he played – I do think they could have given him it earlier some times to allow him more time to make plays.

But who’s to say – with Nelson on the court in these playoffs and doing a pretty good job most nights – that Turk would have had precisely the same role with this Magic team as he did last year?

I think a lot of the Pining For Hedo has to do with The Absence Of Vince as much as anything.

Now, what’s Toronto do next year? As most know, I don’t think they can afford to coddle him again as they did last fall and I think if they try to exploit more mismatches – perhaps use him at the four every now and then, or the two, as they did in a couple of small-ball instances last season – you’ll see a greater contribution.

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Quick scheduling note:

We’re losing some top-notch veterans in our department due to the economics of times, what with buyouts and all. One of the good ones is done today and there’s a soiree at a little post-work bistro near the office we call home so I’m thinking stool rather than couch for Celtics-Magic.

So no in-game blog thingy tonight (I can hear the collective groans) but we will re-surface Thursday for the compelling series.

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Wanna know what’s really hard to do?

It’s hard to energize a dozen or so 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds to work hard at a baseball practice in 30 C heat.

I fear a slow start to the Mighty Yankees season – we open next Monday – is coming.

And I know you’re all excited to hear that.

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The Goods On The Game, Lakers at Suns

Hot enough for ya?

Topped 30 C here today so my answer is a resounding "yes."

Probably like that out in Phoenix, too.