Bosh to Miami? So says one guy

Just filed a quick news story to my desk about the Bosh-to-Miami deal that's being reported off an ESPN fellow's tweet.

No one I talked to at the Raptors can confirm or will deny it; the free agency period hasn't even begun and they are not about to run afoul of the NBA's head off.

Look for the news item shortly and then let me spend a few hours trying to make sense of it. I will say it runs counter to what I've heard as the Raptors opinion of Mike Beasley for months.

But, as we know, strange things can happen this time of year; things aren't done until they're done; and one move may just be something to set up another.

Stay tuned.

A bit of a rant and a bit of Bosh as the storm clouds gather

Everybody ready?

Remember when the guy said "fasten your belts?" Well, the time has come to make sure they're done up.

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You know what?

I’ve been kind of hinting at this for the past little while but since the day’s here, I want to make this point:

This sucks.

This whole idea that two or three or four free agents can get together and conspire to become teammates, demand whatever they can get from their existing teams so they can go and play together violates much that is right with sports.

The heart of sports needs to be competition:

“I’m better than you, I make my team better than yours, we play hard, we play fair and may the best man win.”

The heart of sports should not be:

“I’m not quite as good without you, it’s easier to join you rather than try to beat you and, to hell with making my own way in this world, I’m taking the easiest possible way out.”

I guess it’s simply a sign of the times and I know it’s business first and all that blather. I understand that players have earned and negotiated this right to determine their future and all the power to them for having done that.

But, and this is the big but, this smacks of taking the easy way out and that’s not what I want from the highest-paid players on my team.

I want them to be leaders not followers, I want them to forge their own way, not sit around some posh hotel lounge and say, “hey, if you go here and I go here, we can win.” I want them to say: “I’m going here and my team’s going to beat your team.”

Way back in the day, there is no way in the world that two or three of the top players would ever, ever, ever consider going to join someone else. It wasn’t the way the very best did things.

Now, maybe LeBron goes to New Jersey, Bosh goes to Chicago and Wade stays in Miami and all this palaver of the past few months will have been nothing more than an exercise in futility and frustrating. But I doubt it.

I’m not going to get that, I don’t think.

And that’s too bad.

I think you’ll see at least two of ‘em conspire to join each other somewhere, maybe three, and we can all sit around hoping against hope that it doesn’t work out for some reason or another.

End o’ rant.

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Now, Chris Bosh.

I know the hype’s all about Miami and Chicago – people in each city are certain he’s going there, which will be quite the feat unless he’s sending that used car salesman alter ego somewhere while the newly-shorn dude goes to the other place – but I do think there are other teams he’ll listen to.

And should listen to and, who knows, he might even like what he hears.

If he’s looking purely for fit and to be one of the leaders, I think he’d have to listen quite seriously to the inevitable Houston pitch and I think if San Antonio called he’d be a fool not to take them seriously.

I know there are people in the Raptors organization who hope that, too, trying to pry one of Houston’s best assets (Luis Scola in a dream scenario for Toronto) or some key player in San Antonio (Tony Parker would be the priority target if the Spurs really are in love with George Hill) and that’s what the Raptors hopes happens.

The point is this: People I talk to in the Raptors organization think the list of suitors is far longer than just the three or four cap teams we’ve been hearing about for months.

It may indeed turn out that he decides on the Heat, Bulls, Knicks or even the Nets but don’t at all count out some other franchise getting into the fray and making things interesting.

Now, I’d love to tell you how many teams he’s planning to visit with or entertain but his agent hasn’t returned an e-mail in a week from up here. We’ll try again this afternoon but I don’t hold out much hope.

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Viva Espana!

Pretty good game, no?

That was like a game of keepaway for long parts of the second half, wasn’t it?

But two days off from play now until the Black Stars continue their inexorable march to destiny? What’s a guy to do?

Oh, wait. His job.

But first, there’s this.

As much as there is wrong with FIFA – and Calamity Kelly and C Young have been all over it all tournament – the thing that maybe irks me the most is the two-yellows-one-suspension thing.

Man, if you thought the seven-technicals-in-a-playoff-year NBA program was draconian, how about that soccer stuff?

There has to be a better way, no?

Maybe three? Or even four? Or the slate gets wiped clean every two games, meaning you get one in one game, none in the next and start over in the third? There you go, solving the world’s sporting problems one basketball blog digression at a time.

You’re welcome, Mr. Blatter. Tomorrow we’ll do video replay if you like.

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Oh, that Dastardly Doc Rivers Offspring got ‘em.

Check this one out to see the latest on the Canadian junior men down at the worlds qualifier in San Antonio.

Seems Austin Rivers lit the Canucks up big time in the semis; Canada’s already qualified for next year’s worlds and gets Argentina this afternoon for third place.

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Back to Bosh for a bit, we’re on Bosh, here’s one for you:

All we’ve heard for months is the Bosh-to-NY-for-David-Lee-sign-and-trade stuff, right?

Well, how about this?

If Lee doesn’t want to come to Toronto, it isn’t going to happen.

Lee, who made $7 million last season, is an unrestricted free agent and is sure to be pursued by any one of 10 teams who would be able to offer him a raise. Or he could ask for a sign-and-trade deal to any team he wants.

The Knicks really have no control over him whatsoever after midnight tonight; that he’d be included in any Bosh deal with New York – if there is one – is far from a slam dunk.

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Mail? Pretty full yesterday but a whole lot of fancy-schmancy free agent questions about specific players that could very well be moot before I get around to finishing off the weekend file.

Take another shot by clicking here if you like.

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One word of caution as we get into the meat of this free-agent frenzy and it’s as much a defence of this space as anything.

If we learned one thing last summer, it’s that nothing is done until it’s done. You will hear reports trickle out that this is a done deal or that’s a done deal, according to various sources and many of them will be absolutely correct.

But some won’t be and it’s a difficult time for all concerned. It’s hard to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong; I can’t do it with 100 per cent accuracy and I don’t think too many of us can.

Here? Here we will use an appropriate measure of checks and counterchecks.

I’ll say this now so it’s out there: We in this business should be far, far, far more concerned with getting stuff right than we are with getting it first.

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Now, in the first football-free day in I don’t know how long, there’s stuff to do that may keep me away from here for chunks of the morning and early afternoon. It will, in some way, keep me sane because it won’t be another eight hours of incessant comments but I will get to them. Promise.

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Preparing for a Bosh-free future

Okay, what am I missing here?

Last week, the night of the draft, Bryan Colangelo sat at the podium discussing Ed Davis and whatever else was on his mind and said, and I quote:

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m confident Chris is coming back.”

Last night, I understand he went on the radio and said it’s not likely that Chris is coming back and all heck breaks loose?

Semantics, people. Old news.

Here’s the deal: Barring some seismic shift in the NBA landscape, Chris Bosh is not returning to Toronto. He’s gone. Out of here. Entirely by his choice, mind you. But it’s bye-bye. Finished. So long. See ya.

The radio revelation was nothing, I have the feeling the Raptor hierarchy has felt for weeks that they’d better start hoping Bosh wants to go somewhere there’s a really good sign-and-trade deal possible because the “coming back” ship has sailed.

So, what next?

Well, I can assure you the front office is doing its due diligence on a handful of places he might land – nothing official, mind you; but checking contracts and fits and what have you – because the time has come to get ready to move.

Trouble is, I don’t see fits in either of the top two destinations, Miami and Chicago.

There is zero interest in Michael Beasley, there is no way in the world the Bulls are giving up Joakim Noah (although I hear Kirk Hinrich might have been a person of interest) and you’re looking at bits and pieces and trade exceptions if either of those franchises are the Bosh landing spot, I can imagine.

But the thing is: They are prepared to move on and everyone else should be, too.

I guess the door isn’t absolutely closed on a Bosh return but I’ve got it at 1-99 at the moment.

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So, what of Bosh?

Let me say this: Not only won’t he be The Man if he goes to the Heat or the Bulls, if he goes to either city with LeBron, as some reports indicate, he’s won’t even be second fiddle.

He’ll be the third guy on a three-man team and that runs counter to everything he’s said and, to me, says something about him.

And maybe he realizes it as the free agent season opens, maybe he says, “hey, wait, I’m me, I cannot thrive in the shadow of LeBron and Dwyane or LeBron and Rose” and decides one of the five or six other suitors are a better fit.

I can imagine the Raptors are hoping that, too, because there are far better sign-and-trades out there elsewhere than there are with the Heat and Bulls.

We’ll get into them tomorrow because I need to figure out what those other teams are.

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Now, this was a classic moment in sports bar history.

Post-grad (yes, Super Son got the piece of paper and got out of there before they’d realized what he did, taking with him the Music Award in what was a first in the history of Clan Smith) I drop Super Uncle off home and decide to wander into this Real Sports place down by the arena.

Good spot, bazillions of TVs, exceptional wait staff, and as Pucks-centric a moment as I’ve ever experienced.

They’ve got this ginormous TV above the back bar (I prefer the quieter front one, actually) and about 10 p.m. on Monday, after the Jays game as over, what was it showing? NCAA hockey.

Taped, old, who-gives-a-rat’s-bum NCAA hockey.

Air Force vs. Connecticut, I believe.

Surely in the name of all that is good in world someone just momentarily lost the clicker, I’m hoping.

Unreal.

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To get ready for the summer league, the Heroes Of The Harcourt are holding a mini-camp here for whatever team they put together starting about July 6 at the Air Canada Centre, I think it is.

It’ll be the usual suspects – DeRozan, Weems, Davis, Alabi, Dorsey and whatever other free agents they’ve plucked out of the ether – and one other guy.

Jarrett Jack.

Yeah, I’m told, as of now, Jack not only plans to come back to take part in the two-day practice session but that he’s probably going out to Vegas, too, just to hang around with the guys who are there.

Kind of impressive, no?

Now, I still think there’s a possibility he’s somewhere else when training camp starts but it seems as long as he’s a Raptor, he’s really a Raptor.

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Spain-Portugal? Could be epic.

Hope the writing’s mostly done by then because if it is, I think there might be a chance to sneak away and check out the last – and possibly best – game of the round of 16.

Who do we like?

I’m big on Spain for the usual vacuous reasons, I’ve been there, love Madrid, love Barcelona and a nice glass of Sangria never hurt. Not to mention the food.

Yep, I choose my sides carefully and after much deliberation.

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Ryan Gomes.

Like him?

Not sure how many of you have been following what’s going on with him but the serviceable backup (who I quite like as a player, by the by) was traded from Minnesota to Portland and will either be traded or waived by 3 p.m. Tuesday to save the Blazers some money because his contract is not fully guaranteed if he’s released by that time.

I will tell you this: I know from league sources that the Raptors have made a call to see if there’s a trade fit and while it’s doubtful that gets done (it’s in Portland’s best interest, really, to waive him) I know Toronto will see if it can get something done with him in free agency.

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What the heck, let’s get this started early this week because I’ll have some down time waiting for calls to returned and comments to be posted.

If you want to get into the mailbag, click here. But I caution you, by the time it gets up Sunday morning, free agency will be underway so maybe that’s not a topic for questions right now.

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Time to separate the wheat from the chaff, if it's possible

This is absolutely classic.

I sat down at this machine Sunday night for a minute before an entire evening of mindless television to check if anything was up.

Well, I was told in no uncertain terms that LeBron James and Chris Bosh were going to Chicago as a package deal and the whole dog and pony show was over before it started.

About a click later, I saw an unnamed NBA executive quoted as saying Bosh in headed to Miami and it’s been resolved that way for a very long time.

Classic.

Now, I’m not for a second suggesting any self-respecting reporter would write something knowingly wrong but the point right now is that no one knows anything for sure.

It’s extrapolation and guesswork and trying to make sense of one of the most non-sensible times in NBA history.

There will be all kinds of stuff written and said over the next fortnight or so and eventually, some people will be right and some people will be wrong.

But to sit here today and say unequivocally that this or that is going to happen once July 1 hits cannot be done.

It’s a difficult time for us in this business. We have to figure out whether sources we know are telling us what they know or what they think before we impart anything to you.

What do I think is going to happen?

Well, to tell you the truth I’m not entirely sure at the moment. I think there still some machinations being conducted behind the scenes and to come up with some bold pronouncement right now would be somewhat irresponsible, wouldn’t it?

That’s for later in the week, after all the front office people and agents have had a chance to decompress after last week and really get ready for Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

But I will say this, I’m sure this summer will make last summer look like a picnic as far as the league is concerned. I’d love to say it’s going to be busier than last summer for The Heroes Of The Hardcourt but I think it’ll be about the same. The only difference will be the significance of the players involved.

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And, with that, here’s this that I kind of hung on to from the weekend:

Q: Hey Doug, with all this talk of "World Wide Wes", what kind of damage will this due for the league? Will people be able to take it as seriously when you have these outside sources dictating who plays where? For example, Wes is now telling people that their chances of signing LeBron increases if their team were to trade for Chris Paul.

Thanks

Nick S, Ottawa

A: It will do damage if you truly believe that one man can influence so many decisions and I don’t think he can. I don’t know this Wes fellow at all, I was with a group at the NBA Finals in San Antonio one year when he bought a round of drinks for our table and said thanks, but I will say this:

I don’t for a second believe that he can wield as much influence as some suggest for the very reason that the players are men of some substance and won’t be led around by the nose.

And GMs that I know don’t take very well to threats veiled or otherwise and won’t be held hostage by one man.

That said, there is always some give-and-take in situations like this, some scratching of your back while you scratch mine but to think someone’s sitting behind the curtain engineering what goes on throughout the league is silly.

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So, as Germany scores its third goal – or maybe the fourth, I kind of lost track – Super Son turns to me in the booth and says:

“Hey Dad, the England defence is slow; it can’t catch up.”

I’m thinking ‘this kid’s got a chance’ and when I relay the insight to Calamity Kelly over in South Africa I get this response:

“Get that kid a kooky pair of glasses.”

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Okay, I’ve been remiss.

Sorry.

While we were so tied up with Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi and the stuff around this week, we’ve missed some somewhat significant Canada Basketball news.

And you know me and Canada Basketball, I like to stay in touch.

Well, the junior women ran through the FIBA Americas qualification tournament in Colorado Springs with a 4-1 record and have qualified for the Under-19 world championships in Chile next year.

They finished third overall in the eight-team event, beating Chile twice, Mexico and Costa Rica and losing by a point to Brazil.

Now, that’s not beating the Lakers, Celtics and Cavs but it’s doing what you have to do and it continues somewhat impressive streak of success for Canadian teams in international competitions and does show the depth of talent is improving.

The junior men are in the middle of their qualification event down in San Antonio – I’m hoping Maurizio and the lads have taken the suggestion to hit the Quarry Market area because it’s far less touristy than the Riverwalk although I don’t think they’re Bar America types (and Texans may get that) – and they’ve already secured a berth in the worlds next year in Latvia.

They hammered Uruguay to start and drilled Peru on Sunday and all that’s left now in Brazil and the playoff round to determine what seed they’ll get in the worlds next year.

Toss in the fact the men and women are in this year’s worlds, as are the cadet boys and girls, and you can see some momentum building within the programs.

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A wistful day around Casa Doug.

Super Son wraps up Grade 8 tomorrow and the big graduation ceremony is tonight and, I have to tell you, after nine years at the same school, it’s gonna take some getting used to. I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for a high schooler.

Aging bites.

And we have to miss the Mighty Yankees trying to get off the schneid tonight and that’s tough to take, as well.

What a day.

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I would also be remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to the Black Stars one more time and with news that C. Young and Calamity Kelly are searching out suitable Ghana souvenirs for a bloke back home, all’s good in that end of the world.

I know little about Uruguay except that they are going down to ignominious defeat later this week, and if there’s anything cooler than Spain-Portugal coming up, I can’t think what it is.

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Plenty here to digest, have fun with it

While basking in the glory that is the Black Stars, I still managed to get this done and if you can drag yourselves away from Germany-England (if you don’t get through this earlier in the morning), have at it:

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Q: A question about the comments to your blogs: Is there a specific reason (other than you post all comments) why you post comments that are direct questions? Posting "Doug, how would you compare Ed Davis to Chris Bosh at the same stage of their development?" without an answer, adds nothing to the blog/comments? I'm not be critical here, but is there a reason?

Thanks!

Tim H, Windsor

A: There is a reason, actually. And I’m not sure it’s going to satisfy a lot of people.

Sometimes, to tell you the truth, the sheer volume of comments I have to deal with is overwhelming and direct questions slip by because I either don’t have the time, the inclination or the ability to answer them at length in that forum.

The whole “comments” thing tends to get out of hand some days, and while I don’t usually mind the interaction or the workload, some days I don’t feel like, or physically can’t be, tethered to the computer all day.

I try to do my best with them most days, sometimes things just get past me that probably shouldn’t.

I’m not sure the comments section was ever meant to be a conversation tool; it’s kind of become that some days, though, and while I try to do as good a job as I can, I can’t – and won’t – offer replies to every one of them.

I do a pretty good job of engaging readers, I think, but I have other things on the plate as well and it can’t be a 24-7 endeavour.

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Q: I've read lots of comments lately about how things were harder in Jordan's day because hand-checking was allowed. But I remember in the early 1980s, a friend of mine who had watched long before that said the same thing, that it used to be harder because they used to be allowed to hand-check. When did hand-checking really stop, and was it outlawed in increments?

Guy M, Vancouver

A: There was actually a rule change implemented – the NBA says “tightened” but it’s open to interpretation -- that made it illegal for a defender to use an extended arm to “guard” an offensive player who was facing the basket. That meant defensive players couldn’t “steer” offensive players the direction they wanted them to go with a hand placed on the hip and it did make for a more free-flowing offence.

It took a little while for it all to sink in so I guess you could say it came in increments in that regard.

But, yes, there are specific rules about using a fully extended arm on an offensive player with his face to the basket and you’re also only supposed to guard players in the post with a bent arm and not with two, although that sometimes goes uncalled.

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Q: Hi Doug. In your opinion, how much does a young player's environment affect the player they eventually become?

For example, had Rajon Rondo been drafted by a team that had different expectations than the veteran laden, title contending Celtics, would he be the player he is today? Had Kobe played for the Hornets (the team that originally drafted him, and presumably had lower expectations than the Lakers) would he still gone on to become the best player in basketball? If Bargnani was drafted to another team with a different coach, could he be an all star right now? The list of examples could go on and on, but my question essentially is this: when it comes to players becoming who they are, is it nature or nurture?

Thanks for your time.

Michael K, Toronto

A: I think it’s far more nature than nurture. Talent prevails regardless of the situation for the top calibre players. Of course, there are exceptions where a guy ends up somewhere that carries unfair expectations and they perhaps develop more slowly but if you’re a good player, you’re going to adapt and be a good player wherever you are.

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Q: Hello Doug. True confession time! Over the years, to help Raptors' fans avoid serious levels of angst, you have suggested that we might try to do as you do and keep "an even keel": that is to say that we avoid getting too high after a series of wins (or even a single one), or conversely too low after a string of losses. But I wonder, in your younger, less-sensible, before-reporting-on-the-franchise days, did you ever paint your face, wear outrageous headgear (those New Zealand Kiwi hats were wonderful), streaked across a playing field (and much more safely done before the introduction of Tasers), or otherwise embarrass yourself in support of a team or player? Thank you.

Lorie P, London

A: You know what? I never really did. Never had that kind of passion for a franchise. Closest I came, I guess, was running out on the street to celebrate with buddies when Henderson scored. (I know, pucks; don’t tell anyone).

I do remember sitting in a bar in Fonthill, I believe, on my way home from a day at college ready to celebrate before Bucky Bleeping Dent hit his homer and I was in my house, a celebratory bottle at the ready, when Bill Buckner let the ball go through his legs.

And that’s about it. I know, abnormal.

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Q: Hi Doug. Aside from the usual lure of 1st money and 2nd winning, I assume the city itself has something to do with attracting talent. Given that we are the only team not in the USA and it can get rather cold here during the NBA season, is there any reason to believe that players who are not European of origin would list the Raptors as a preferred destination?

Really the question is, what is the general view that American NBA players hold towards playing in Toronto?

Thanks.

Andrew G, Toronto

A: I think it’s more near the top than the bottom but here’s the deal: It’s not really a big deal since scant few NBAers actually spend any more time in the city in which they play than is absolutely necessary. They get back to their hometowns the first chance they get each summer.

Now, we all know Toronto has its charms – great neighbourhoods, fine restaurants and, I’m told, very good clubs – so most young players don’t mind it at all.

But, truth be told, geographical location is a distant third after, first, money; and, second, winning.

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Q: Hey Doug, If Phil Jackson retires, where does the Lakers' gig rank in terms of coaching openings? Seems to me like it could be really good or really bad: having a great cast and a strong system is good, but there'll be lots of expectations and I wonder how open the players will be to listening to a less storied coach.

Savid V, Toronto

A: I think it’ll be a tremendously difficult job, actually. Two-time defending champions, roster of unique personalities, lots of expectations. Which is why I fully expect that they’ll either promote Brian Shaw or bring in Byron Scott, who has history with Kobe and the franchise.

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Q: Hi Doug, just a quick question about Nate Robinson. I had honestly written him off when he was in NY but his play with the Celtics showed me that, when he accepts his role, he can really be a positive addition to a team with a great team attitude and excellent play. Where do you think his stock is at the moment and what do you imagine is in store for him?

As always, thanks, and keep up the tremendous work!

Lorne D, Tokyo

A: I think his stock is average at best. Yes, he showed that in a very limited role on a team full of very strong personalities and with the knowledge that his career may have been on its last legs, he was pretty good in a handful of playoff games.

I believe there are still lots of “hey, look at me” tendencies that would make any team thinking of signing him wary of giving anything more than a slightly-more-than-minimum deal not fully guaranteed after next year – when a new CBA will come into effect.

A good job opens to start a, hopefully, quiet weekend

Time to take a breath, right?

Uneventful weekend hopefully ahead, time to sit back and relax, gird those loins because it’s going to get crazy around the league mid week.

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Rod Thorn is going to retire president or poobah or whatever his actual title is with the New Jersey Nets in a little while (here’s Dave’s story) and that’s going to open the floodgates to all kinds of speculation.

You’re going to hear Kevin Pritchard because he’s the flavour of the month, you’ll probably hear Danny Ferry because he’s out of work and you’re going to hear a lot of relatively anonymous front-office types who could make the step up.

And you’re going to hear Maurizio Gherardini. In fact, if you read Dave’s piece already you’ve already heard it.

No question about it, there will be some interest from Jersey in Bryan’s right-hand man because of his long connection with new Nets owner The Oligarch (it’s about time the NBA got an oligarch, I say).

Will Maurizio listen?

I fully expect he will. And he probably should.

Look, the chance to really run a franchise from the top has to be alluring, to be the guy with the final say in matters personnel is much preferable, in my opinion, to being a guy in a group who offers advice.

It would probably be a stretch for a guy like The Oligarch to reach out to someone relatively anonymous – he strikes me as a big splash kind of guy – but with Maurizio’s connections and background and familiarity, he should be on the list.

And I would fully expect that if the Nets call Bryan to ask permission to talk to Maurizio, it will be given. No way Bryan holds a guy back from being interviewed for a position that’s a promotion.

Now, before the e-mails and comments start rolling in, I’m not saying Maurizio is going to get the job; I do expect he’ll be considered and I think he should go and listen if he is.

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Glad you asked:

Q: Did any NBA team do better than the Grizzlies & the Clippers in (Thursday) night's draft?

Bo K, Mississauga

A: Oh yeah, I think you have to put Sacramento in that category for sure. I don’t know if DeMarcus Cousins will find the maturity necessary to thrive right way (that’s the biggest concern about him because his physical tools are immense) but to get him and then Hassan Whiteside was a home run.

The Clippers – yes, the Clippers – would probably be second on my list because Al-Farouq Aminu fills a glaring need at small forward, they managed to procure Eric Bledsoe (not his brother Derrick) to fill in for the 41 games that Baron Davis misses with injury or disinterest and got an Oklahoma stable pony for Blake Griffin in Willie Warren).

I know they didn’t draft Bledsoe but his acquisition makes them the hands-down winners in my books.

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So we’re down to the round of 16, are we?

I gotta say, lots of angst building around here for the Black Stars and the Yanks this afternoon; it’s a tough out for the young Ghanas, who’ve got a bit skittish as the tournament’s worn on. But a fella can hope, no?

I do know that a Super Family outing to Niagara Falls to see relatives today comes at the worst possible moment; I wonder if I can find a stool down there for a couple of hours?

There are only two others in this round that I And I find hugely compelling.

How about Germany-England tomorrow morning? What a perfect Sunday brunch kind of thing, no? This should be hugely passionate but I have to say I have little faith in the Three Lions because they’ve looked so utterly shaky for three games.

I will say this: I’ve seen a whole bunch of games at the same spot so far in this tournament (hi, BP Square 1, see ya Sunday!) and nothing so far has matched the atmosphere of Spain-Chile yesterday. It was very cool and exactly why I love this tournament more than any other in the world.

I can only imagine what it’ll be like Tuesday for Spain-Portugal which has to be the game of the mundial so far. I’m all over Spain seeing as it’s probably tied with Italy as the favourite country not called Canada.

Should be a great week and the big games hopefully won’t get in the way of that pesky free agency stuff in the NBA.

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Oh, mail. Right, one more shot.

Click here and we’ll see what we can do after the visit to the Honeymoon City is over and I’m ensconced at the desk killing a quiet Saturday night.

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Speaking of free agency, I am quite glad to read this story by ESPN’s Chris Broussard about LeBron James and his plans for the start of the wooing period.

As you know, I always thought traipsing around the continent in some elaborate tour was somewhat unseemly and teams planning huge dog and pony shows was even moreso.

I half expected to read that the Knicks planned not only to fete James at some Manhattan penthouse but also to superimpose a James face (ala Superman) on the night sky.

Sitting back, letting teams make their pitches in one fell swoop and getting on with the business of making a decision just seems more grown up and professional to me and I’m glad that’s the way James is going to go.

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Anyway, sorry I’m a tad tardy today, the events of the last couple of weeks and dearth of rest kind of caught up to an oldster. And given what’s going to go on in the next couple of weeks, stockpiling sleep isn’t a bad idea.

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Oh yeah, there’s this:

Word from the Raptors cave late Friday was that nothing is going to transpire this weekend, no trades, no moves, nothing too big.

So I’m coasting a little bit. And you should, too.

A couple of bigs is just a first step on an okay night

So, everyone okay with Ed Davis?

I’m not going to say Bryan hit a home run by taking a 6-10 lefty power forward who dropped maybe four spots because it's ridiculously early to make any pronouncements but I do think Davis was the best player on the board at the time and seeing how that’s what the GM said he’d take, it makes sense that he did.

Now, I only saw Davis play a few minutes the entire season – and seeing how his season ended in February with a wrist injury, I’m not sure there are a lot of experts on his playing ability out there in this readership area – but he does look like a solid defender who can rebound and block shots.

At least in college.

They say he’s a competitor – a friend in the ACC area disputed that in an overnight e-mail – but the one thing he is, is a big man and given we’re probably running 95-5 that Bosh is leaving, getting a big man can’t be a bad thing at all.

And when people out there wonder why Davis “fell” all the way to No. 13, it’s probably worth mentioning that more than a few people had him at No. 9 to Utah so it’s not like he freefell down the draft ladder.

But overall, was it a good night?

I’d say good, with gusts to pretty good.

I like the fact they did what they said they’d do and buy a second-round pick and Solomon Alabi, the Nigerian kid we wrote about in this tome last week, was a pretty good pickup.

A project, to be sure, but a tall project who’s familiar with some of the folks in the organization. One guy I know who’s seen him play, the inimitable M. Grange ™ , says the kid has some game and that’s good enough for me right now.

All in all, I’d say getting a first round kid who comes with a reputation as someone who can defend and a promising big man to sit on the bench and learn has to be considered at least a partial success.

But it is only the first step.

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Now, was there more they could have done?

As it turns out, no. Aside from the public declarations that they tried to make a move up by contacting a couple of teams and that they tried to get into a late-first round slot, the word I got privately was with the way things were unfolding, they were content to hang where they were.

There were picks in play – this roundup of the night’s activities lays it out as well as I could and is much easier for me to link to that write – but nothing Toronto had to offer interested anyone dealing away selections.

Too bad. But not surprising, I guess.

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So, whither Bosh in all of this?

Well, the most interesting thing of the night was that Chicago will divest itself of Kirk Hinrich after the July signing moratorium is over and they’ll join Miami as two more teams likely with enough cap room to sign two maximum-contract players.

(I say likely because the cap numbers aren’t official yet and won’t be until early July).

That makes another team even more of a player in what I think is going to be a summer we’ll never forget. And, sadly, one that will make for lots of work for moi.

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Speaking of, the more I talk to more people in the Raptors organization, the more overwhelming the feeling is that Bosh is gone and they are absolutely looking at sign-and-trade transactions.

The trouble is, there has been no hint whatsoever from Bosh or his people of where he’d like to go, which kind of hamstrings Bryan at the moment.

I’ve said this all along:

I think Bosh wants to be wooed, he wants to be wined and dined and told how important he is to this or that franchise and won’t make a decision on where he’d like to go until that process is complete.

So I don’t think there’s a list and if there is even in the dark recesses of his mind, it’s a lot longer than just the teams with cap room to sign him outright.

Some day early next week we’ll sit down and go over the league and try to find 10 or 12 franchises that may have a legitimate shot at getting him.

But don’t for a second think the list is small or even finite.

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As we were anticipating the drama of Thursday night, there were moments of reflection, as there always are on Draft Night.

And got to thinking about the worst ever.

And 2007 won hands down in my mind.

That was the first time we sat around all night waiting for something to happen and it never did.

So, as is tradition, a Gaggle of Grunts retires to a post-draft cocktail and we’re all sitting around bemoaning the boredom we’d just been forced to endure when the e-mail hits with the breaking news.

Raptors acquire some dude named Giorgos Printezis – the 58th pick in a 60-pick draft – and it sends shockwaves through us.

(By shockwaves I mean the rolling of eyes, general disgust and thoughts of, “man, Bryan just cannot help himself, can he?”)

Out come the computers – thank goodness for wireless capability at our favourite watering hole – we all type about two paragraphs while asking each other: “How do you spell this cat’s name? Where’d he play last year?”

And then we go back to bemoaning the boredom we’d been forced to endure.

Fun times.

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Okay, okay, okay.

An earthquake is a geological event, not a meteorological one.

Point taken.

Still, it was pretty cool, no?

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Why didn’t Turk get traded Thursday night?

Well, one theory espoused in the last couple of days by people who chatter is that because of the Bosh uncertainty, Bryan wants to wait to see what happens there before divesting himself of another talent and leaving his cupboard even more bare.

I guess I can see the logic in that – see what he can get for Bosh before seeing what he needs to get for Turkoglu – but I believe that if there’s a deal out there for Turk right now, he’s got to do it and worry about the consequences of the Bosh thing later.

I am told there are “a handful of teams” out there looking for Turk possibilities (one of them to kick the tires was Orlando, according to this story from my man Brian) and I think Bryan needs to be more active in getting a deal done sooner rather than later.

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So, I’m still all over the Black Stars – and Super Son was in mourning when the Azzurri went out (not to mention my pal sitting on the next stool) – but if there’s a better team nickname than Blue Samurai, I haven’t heard it.

That’s very cool.

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You know, I’m sure every draft pick was pretty darn happy to hear his name called Thursday night but I am virtually certain no one was happier than Andy Rautins.

And good on him, really.

When I talked to him on the phone for this tiny piece, he was elated and for good reason.

The Knicks are maybe the best place he could have landed and it’ll be interesting to see if his shooting abilities (it is a “very defineable NBA skill,” was how Bryan put it earlier this week) are good enough to land him a gig with a team that loves to shoot.

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If you promise not to send diatribes that say: “I wanted them to take so-and-so and how in the world could they screw the draft up so badly? Your thoughts?” questions, you’re welcome to click here to get into the super secret mailbox.

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This just in, a deal is done

It's not a biggie and we don't have all the details, but the Raptors have acquired Solomon Alabi, who was chosen 50th overall by the Dallas Mavericks.

I'm in the middle of writing a second edition story for the web and the newspaper so that's all I've got for you now.

What you need to know of Ed Davis, and a bit of an update

The Raptors have stuck to their script and taken the player they deemed best at any position when they drafted Ed Davis with the 13th pick in Thursday's NBA draft.

The word on the 6-10 North Carolina power forward is long, athletic rebounder; coming off wrist injury but the Raptors aren't worried about that

Looks like a solid if unspectacular pick who was projected to go quite higher than No. 13.

Son of Terry Davis, who played 10 years in the NBA. Said his favourite player is Chris Bosh, too bad he was drafted to replace him.

We'll be back with more later on.

Well, here's the more:

The word I got from someone who I trust when I asked whether Davis was picked to be traded was:

"He's not going anywhere."

The interesting thing is the Raptors did not have him in for a workout; they asked but he thought he'd be gone by No. 13 and didn't accept the invitation. Toronto did interview him and see him work out at the Chicago pre-draft camp.

The time has come for something to happen

Happy Draft Day everyone.

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One of my big mantras is that I don’t think teams should ever make moves simply to make moves and shuffle the deck chairs. Doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, does it? Well, maybe today’s different around this neck of the woods.

Maybe today Bryan Colangelo has to do something – anything – to show that he’s being proactive in trying to make improvements to his roster and set the stage for what I feel is the inevitable departure of both Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu.

Maybe he has to deal one of his point guards, maybe he has to get another first-round pick somehow, maybe he needs to package his pick with some contracts and make some kind of big splash.

There is no question that the next month or so will be the defining period of Colangelo’s tenure as the Raptors general manager. He’s got a star to make something of in a sign-and-trade transaction, he’s got Turkoglu who still has value around the league whether you believe it or not. He’s got bits and pieces and a team that was not successful at all and the fans, and even some people in the organization, think he has to start making moves right away.

We’ve heard for weeks about the willingness to buy a pick or make a move or acquire some piece for the future.

The talk is cheap, it’s time for action. I’m not proposing some significant giveaway of talent but if this day ends with Toronto simply making the 13th pick in a so-so draft, people will feel it’s been a failure.

Me included.

I know, from talking to all kinds of people here and there, that the Raptors are working hard to get something done so there is no question that the effort is there.

But it needs to be turned in concrete action or we wake up tomorrow thinking, here we go again.

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Here’s one of the things about rumours and leaks and stuff that gets out in the day or two leading up to the draft.

Most of it’s true – but only at some level. There was one making the rounds last night about the No. 13 pick to Portland for No. 22 and Rudy Fernandez. Got wind of the report too late to check with the people I check with to find out its truthfulness.

But here’s the thing. In about five minutes this morning, I was able to deduce from sources that No. 22 and Rudy are being shopped all over the league – Portland wants to move up – and, yes, Toronto is one of a handful of teams the Blazers have checked with.

It’s not Raptors-specific, it’s not just Houston and them, which is also out there on the internets. It’s a handful of teams being asked about the possibility and it doesn’t mean anything’s close to being done.

Now if last night’s story had said: The Blazers are pushing their pick and Rudy Fernandez to anyone with a higher pick who’ll listen, it wouldn’t have caused nearly as much a stir but it would have been far more accurate.

And that’s the trouble with this time of year, and it’s going to be the trouble with the free agency period: Just because one snippet of information gets out doesn’t mean that’s all there is to a story.

Frustrating at this end? No doubt.

Fun for you? I hope so.

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An earthquake? How about that?

And then a tornado touches down up in Midland north of here?

I blame G20 for what has to be the wildest weather day in some time.

Casa Doug was unaffected by either but, as I was prone on the couch getting ready to watch the beloved Black Stars, something did stir me.

It wasn’t until Super Son called from the bowling alley (yeah, Grade 8 kids sure have it tough at the end of the school year) to report the quake did I know what was going on.

Yeah, I’m the alert type.

Only other really minor quake I’ve ever felt was at the Nagano Olympics and I recall that one being way more cool.

There you have it, today’s meteorological update.

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Remember last week when it was mentioned that perhaps Dwyane Wade was driving the whole free agent thing because he could actually recruit a guy to join him rather than, say, convince someone to go somewhere in tandem, like LeBron would have to do?

Well, Wade got a spiffy new car yesterday it seems and now he’s really driving.

The Heat swapping Daequan Cook at the No. 18 pick to Oklahoma City for No. 32 clears up something in the neighbourhood of $3 million more in cap space for Miami.

It should give them enough to sign a player to a maximum-value contract and still have something like $10 million left and the presence of Wade.

The Heat are now officially the biggest players. Forget the Knicks, who are a crappy team, and the Bulls, who aren’t bad but not as wealthy as the Heat. Miami’s in charge.

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I have a feeling the in-box will be full of “why did they draft that guy?” and “how could they have not made a trade?” queries in the morning but if you’ve got something you want to get off your chest now, just click here and send it along.

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I don’t want to say it’s the greatest lede to a sports story ever written but it might be the most memorable.

And as soon as I heard it would be Germany-England in the round of 16 at the World Cup it came racing back to mind.

So apropos of nothing, this is how British journalist Frank McGhee set up the 1966 World Cup final between the sides.

“If, on the morrow, the Germans beat us at our national game, we’d do well to remember that, twice this century, we have beaten that at theirs.”

Cold.

But memorable and certainly not something you could write with seriousness today.

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There were a couple of questions Wednesday about what Thursday would be like for a guy who covers a team and who tries to at least keep tabs on what else is going on around the league.

Well, it’s pretty much the same, only longer.

You put out the calls and e-mails and texts to the people you talk to on a regular basis, trying to figure what’s up. Some will return them, some will ignore them, some will dutifully report that there are “things” happening but nothing too serious or nothing firm enough that would warrant reporting.

And you wait. Maybe you put in another e-mail or phone call just to check but, believe me, there isn’t a lot of information – true information – being offered. Seldom is.

At least on a day like today, you can find a comfortable spot for coffee, a bagel and the Azzurri. And it’s got wireless, too. Just in case.

But here’s the real pain for us: Because there is so much stuff going on, we’re not likely to get a media session with Bryan until the entire draft is over, which is change because in the past he’s come out after the first round to give us some time.

So it’s going to be a long, long night.

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