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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Comments

[drew barton]

hey doug, thanks for your continued unrivaled coverage of our favourite team. as the clock winds down, we are all thinking of the best possible sign and trade scenarios and what BC might pull off in his surely career-defining summer. can you provide your insight on the following scenario, which would be awesome in my opinion.

Sign and trade with Bosh and add Turk to bring back Boozer and Korver??

Lastly, which of BC's 3 stated options do you think is the most likely at this point (Chalmers/Beasley, Gibson/Noah, Lee). and do you think there is any possibility Paul Pierce or Dirk Nowitzki would play in toronto?

Keep up the great work,

[Ray S]

Doug,

I know you've dealt with this ad nauseum, but hopefully you'll bear with me for a second:
After reading yesterday's comments, I did some digging on the Raptors' cap situation, and I have to disagree with you on our position. Given that Bosh will leave, the Raptors have seven players under contract for 45 million in salary (Belinelli and Sonny could come back for approx 2 mil combined) for 2010-11. Given that the cap last year was approx 57 million, and Stern has hinted at raising it, I don't understand how the Raptors could not have any cap room this summer... I'm sure there's a simple answer and I'm an idiot, but hopefully you can enlighten me.

Blogger's note: Cap holds and the cap's probably going to be about $56 million

[Juan]

Re the comment from Kevin A
To Chris Bosh's twat I say "who gives a flying frig"

[Baljit]

You are one of the best in your field of occupation and can choose where you want to go it's your choice Chris Bosh you are a "Free Agent" who has earned it. Bryan Colangelo you can gamble on giving Turk the "ball" as long as you take him with you when you are fired next year, let your record here speak for you as it should.... results count!

"In 2006, he had a newly signed Bosh, the first pick in the NBA draft, the runner-up for NBA rookie of the year (Charlie Villanueva) and loads of salary cap flexibility. Four years later, Bosh is as good as gone, the Raptors are capped out and the franchise has won three first-round playoff games during Colangelo’s tenure, none since 2008."

[DaveT]

I'm glad to hear you talk about the Bosh to San Antonio idea, Doug. This has been my water-cooler `prediction' for a while now. I think SA is a great fit for Bosh (probably costs Jarrett Jack as well), but in an ideal world I had Parker, Jefferson and Blair coming back. I don't actually like RJ that much, but I think he would bring the right mentality and expiring deal, AP is the starter in Toronto and Jose becomes maybe the best backup point in the league (but there would no longer be a controversy) and DaJuan Blair is on borrowed time with his knees, but he's good now. And he passes more than Reggie ;-)

Anyway, I think both teams benefit. Yes, it leaves SA with holes, but they have a great ability to draw in veterans, and I could definitely picture a Ray Allen-type try his hand there for the MLE and some quality veteran minimum contracts flesh out the roster. Is it a team in for a title run?? I guess that's why you play the games.

Sorry, I know you won't comment on specific transactions, so I'm just throwing this out there for the masses as a sort-of ideal situation for the Raps (and it would be a good one for Bosh as well, I think).

Cheers

[dribbles]

I don't see how a team fills out if all 3 of those guys want to play together. I can see Bosh and Lebron or Bosh and Wade but I can't see Wade and Lebron co-existing. This isn't the Olympics. Lebron is also consumed with his global brand and how much of the spotlight is he going to want to share? Is Bosh really going to be comfortable being the 3rd Amigo? I'd be shocked if this happens. Too much ego, not enough ball to share.

The sequencing thing is going to be interesting. Are Amar'e, Boozer, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce and other less touted FAs all going to wait to hear what the "big 3" are doing?

I'm guessing Lebron and Amar'e wind up in Chicago and Ray Allen tags along. Bosh goes to Miami to play with Wade and I don't know who else.

[Ryan]

I agree with the sentiment that it's not good for players to just join up to make an unbeatable team, since it's about the competition.. at the same time though, teams should always strive to be the best ever, shouldn't they?

It's an unprecedented time, though I would think that the opposing teams will always dislike these guys just a bit more than if they had simply been assembled together by a GM.

Every game with whichever team gets all three (if it happens) will be an event everywhere they go.

[greg]

Doug, since July 1 is the date that contract talks officially begin. How long do you think it will take before Lebron signs a new deal. I know it is a guess but seeing your experience, you might be able to make a pretty good one. Same question for Bosh.

Blogger's note: My guess is the middle of the month

[chris]

I think it will suck for fans, but i kind of respect that he's willing to give up salary and prominence as "the guy" on his team to win some titles. And, these 3 guys are presumably friends, not rivals a la bird and magic.

Oh, and calling Luis Scola is a "dream scenario" is all you need to know about the raptors situation.......pretty dire, pretty dire.

[galen]

Usually don't post but if a) Bosh holds to following LeBron and b) he wants the max to work a sign and trade the best scenario of the double max teams would be the Nets. (Bulls / Heat would suck.)

Say LeBron leaves and CLE refuses to do the sign-and-trade. They sign him outright and then Bosh would come via sign-and-trade. NJN could offer their recent #3 pick Favours (they consider him a chip to be in play).

Hopefully, the Russian can convince LeBron that they can form a lifelong partnership to pave LeBron becoming a billionaire athlete.

[Jean-Marie]

- “All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki has sent in official notification to the Dallas Mavericks that he is opting out of the final year of his current contract … In addition to faxing the official opt-out letter, Nowitzki had to mail a signed copy Monday from Germany to ensure its arrival at the Mavericks' offices before Wednesday's opt-out deadline in his current deal.” Try and compare this type of bearing with the one that Chris Bosh used. It’s just a matter of education!
- Hedo Turkoglu: you all maybe remember just a year ago - when Hedo received the magnificent offer from the Raptors, that he readily accepted – how he said something like: I’m very glad to come, and my wife all the more, to the cosmopolitan Toronto. Hopefully, we’ll a have a welcome relationship with people from your Turkish community, a kind of opportunity who just doesn’t exist in Orlando. Well, one year later, I just discover that Hedo’s wife and family simply never, in the past 12 months, moved out of the Orlando area!
- Solomon Alabi: always glad to welcome a poor guy from Africa with health problems, and a classic “ambassador of the game overseas”, and the splendid legacy with Masai Uijri, and bla bla bla. But the Toronto Raptors are not, as I know, an international non-governative organization. They are a professional sport franchise, and the players are supposed to perform. If anybody of you just think that we spent money and a future second round pick to get a – how they say – prospect, well forget it. In the real world, Alabi will be, at the very most, a Manute Bol wannabe. Slightly less than a circus’s phenomenon.
Cheers

Blogger's note: Before you go killing Bosh, consider this: He had to inform the Raptors that he was exercising his option to STAY IN his deal and didn't because he wasn't; Nowitzki had to inform the Mavs that he was OPTING out and did because he had to. Entirely apples and oranges.

[alan]

personally, i have more of an issue with the teams who have for the past two years done nothing but position themselves for this offseason. while i agree - the idea of the "big 3" playing together, coupled with all of the supposed "summits", etc does nothing but detract from the legitimacy of the sport, the same could be said for the teams who have made move after move with nothing but creating cap space in 2010. wonder how much fun its been to be a knick fan over the past couple of seasons? my personal hope is that NONE of these teams (new york, miami, chicago, new jersey, etc) land a SINGLE one of the big name free agents in 2010, or 2011 for that matter. its one thing to hit rock bottom and rebuild an exciting young team that is fun to watch (portland, okc), quite another to gut teams that should be better - especially in the case of the knicks, with only one thought in mind - 2010.

[Anson]

You are just so right this morning! All the stars palying together, will it be a auto win every time? Well, not counting 2008 olympic, see how many times the USA dream team turns in to a nightmare. I will tell you this, a James and bosh together, will no better then what Vince did in the past. A kid/carter/richardson.
A good them? Yes. A championship team? Don't think so. You will see.

[Jim K]

Here here Doug. Bravo.

[sam]

The Heat, Bulls and Knicks seem like the sexy pick for Bosh - All Big Markets with strong traditions,and right smack in the glare of the media - All along I think that what the guy wants -

I hope Bosh keeps an open mind and picks susbstance and stability over the high profile destinations - I'd still like him to re up with Toronto - but alas, it seems that ship has sailed -

[Tabber]

Oh my! So it's fine for leagues and owners to collude and get away with it for decades (with MLB the one exception), but not for the actual talent? Nice! Doug, you might want to be careful with this. I've generally liked your writing, opinions and snark, I'm even the one who offered $500 (or was it $1000?) to the charity of your choice to watch a Raptors game with you (no response from you on that, BTW), but this no player collusion act could make you sound like a corporate stooge. With the HST supported by your paper, maybe this is a mandate from upstairs? Guess I was fooled into thinking the Star was more on the people's side than business's side. Now I'm beginning to think I should have joined in the Black Block tactics on the weekend. PEOPLE MATTER MORE THAN BUSINESS - no people with money, no businesses - QED.

[Scott C]

Canada's Lukusa Kabongo scored 32 points in the game and added 9 assists and 7 boards. Looks like he could be a good one for us.

[SeanG]

Well said Doug. Great blog this-morning, as always. Have you considered opting out? I hear the Washington post, new york times, chicago tribune, houston chronicle & Miami Herald have been trying to clear space to bring in a max money top notch grunt like yourself. No?

and on a related note. Did you all know Doug Smith was actually "selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 expansion draft, but was released by them before he played in any games" it's true, I swear!! Look it up if you dont believe me.

[Sean P]

I see what everyone is saying about the Big joining together. BUT they have the choice to do what they want, and I have zero problem with them exercising that choice.

If they want to create a great team and perhaps a legacy that will last a long time then more power to them.

We saw something very similar happen in Boston when Pierce, Allen and Garnett got together, so there is precedent for this. And look at the Yankees they do this every year =)

Cheers!

Blogger's note: No, the Boston situation in no way parallels this one. Two of those players were obtained in trades.

[Gary]

Thanks for the rant, Doug. Your rant summed up what I think and I am glad you said it!!

[LeeZ]

Not only has Kabongo played really well (he's rated the number one U18 point guard in "America", btw), but this Canadian kid from India (forget his name) is putting up crazy numbers in limited playing time (e.g. 17 minutes, 14 points, 4 offensive boards and 3 blocks yesterday). Oh and he's 7'4" and in Grade 10.

[doug]

don't forget 2 of the best of all-time played together Jerry West and Elgin Baylor without winning a championship together...so if these guys want to go together and play let them i say and watch the rest of the league be up to the challenge of meeting and beating them, there will be huge incentive to do so from a personal front for a lot of players and teams....so this dream scenario for these players may in fact blow up in their faces....I'd like to see Wade and LeBron handle adversity and thats when we'll see how well they mesh...can you imagine how motivated Kobe and the Lakers would be to beat those guys, might even make phil want to come back...so its not all bad for the competition level in the NBA...

and to the poster that posted Scola wouldn't get much on the trade market, are you kidding me, are you entirely serious do you know anything about b-ball, if BC could have traded Bosh one for one for Scola he'd have done it in a heartbeat last summer, at the trade deadline as would many other GM'S in the league...the guy is good, tough and skilled ...he would be the dream scenario by far...if we ever managed to get Scola to me it would be Chris who?...the guy is good, dam good...

[kelsie]

Morning Doug,

A few comments and a question for you today.

I'm hoping that some of the recent developments spurns our management to consider a rebuild of this team. I agree with you that it maybe cannot get to ground zero, but I believe it's necessary to try and take it there if possible.

I am extremely dissapointed that BC mentioned that Turk might be a player to keep around now that Chris is likely leaving, when less than a month ago the same player was dying to leave and bad mouthing you. It also doesn't help Turks cause that he was completely uncommitted to playing good basketball last year and is not a good example of a veteran player.

I am also extremely displeased with the "getting something back is out of our control" comments from BC, regarding Boshes likely departure. From the start of the year that scenario never existed and he never addressed this, but now it's in play? Now this is a vaible option?lol. Not cool, and another example of the mismangement of this team and it's future.

I'm waiting for your colleague Mr. Feschuck to write an article about the mismangement of this team but he's nowhere to be found. What's up Dave? I read your critical articles about Bosh, Hedo, and others all year long, yet nothing at all about the failures of the GM? Where's one of his patented 'call it like it is' pieces? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

As for the current roster. Have you heard anything about who the team prefers to keep between Calderon and Jack?

Also will all the talk of PF's on this team what is going to happen to Reggie Evans this year? Management "constantly reminded" fans of his toughness while he was hurt but I had truly forgotten he was still on the roster. Is he still in the mix?

Blogger's note: He's under contact for another year

[LeeZ]

A lot is being made of LBJ's and Wade's potential inability to co-exist. Most are saying it's an ego-driven thing. Well, it's not. I think each would be totally fine with checking his ego at the door and being unselfish. The real problem is that each needs the ball in his hands to generate offence, not only for himself but for his teammates. Turning one of them into essentially a spot-up shooter would be a tremendous waste of talent and would yield only lukewarm results. But one way it could work, and this strikes me as an intriguing idea, is for each to play only 30 minutes (if Bosh is added to the mix, that's all they'll have to play, because they'll be blowing out most teams anyway) and keep to an absolute minimum the time they're both on the court at the same time (i.e. 12 minutes). That way, you have one of James and Wade on the court ALL THE TIME, usually alongside Bosh, leaving the opposition with zero chance.

[J.R.]

Do you think Bosh is considering OKC? If not, don't you think he would be crazy not to? It seems like a perfect fit for all parties. OKC could use Green in a sign and trade, which would give OKC a true PF and help them get past the Lakers next year and would also allow OKC to avoid overpaying Green. Bosh gets to play for a winner and gets to play with one of the top players in the league and would be "Co-Batman" as opposed to Robin (if he teamed with Lebron and/or Wade). Toronto get a good young small forward to go with their other youngsters.