Trade kickers and Avery wanted P.J. in Jersey

We’re a bit all over the map here today, hope you don’t mind.

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All right, everybody really needs to chill on this trade kicker thing with Hedo.

Yes, if he gets traded he gets a 15 per cent bump in his annual stipend, it’s a clause he negotiated into each of his last two deals and it seems to have become some huge issue with the e-mailers.

It’s not a big deal, it’s certainly not a deal-breaker and he’s one of about 35 or so guys in the league who have them.

Those guys range, by the salary spreadsheets that an NBA GM works off, from Kobe to Mo Pete to Roger Mason to Sam Dalembert.

A handful of guys that many e-mailers would like to see on the Raptors – Dalembert, Manu, Joel Przybilla, Chris Kaman, Jeff Foster – have them and Hedo even had one in the Orlando contract he had before he came to Toronto.

Oh, and Amir Johnson had one, too, when the Raptors obtained him.

It is no big deal, it not an issue in any trade and it’s really nothing worth getting worked up over.

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Mighty Yankees rained out, or at least postponed because I’m told no one wanted to play First Puddle or Third Puddle instead of first base or third base.

Too bad, for the kids and the coaches who missed the game for reasons of work or golf and who also missed the team meeting after.

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I know there are arguments pro and con out there about the use of instant replay in basketball and whether it should be extended or not.

We had one the other night at the end of Game 3 that was truly interesting and presents a big conundrum about the affair.

Remember the play? Shot’s missed, Lamar Odom goes to grab it on the defensive boards, Rajon Rondo obviously fouls him, the ball goes out of bounds. Now, that play happens at least once in every single game all year and the refs always make the same call: They give the ball to the team on defence, no foul is called, no one complains and the game goes on. Happens every single night.

Except, because there was less than two minutes to go, the refs decided they’d take advantage of the replay rule, look at it again at the urging of the Celtics and the ball was given to Boston.

Now, technically, they got the call right, Odom last touched the ball. But it was only because Rondo whacked him and the way the rules read now, the refs couldn’t review the non-call, only possession.

By the letter of the rulebook, they got it right. In reality, they got it dead wrong.

So do you expand replay to be able to decide whether or not it was a foul that caused the ball to go out of bounds? It’s a tough one.

I think you either have to or you have to take replay out in those situations.

Whatever happens, there has to be some fine-tuning.

Oh, and can I just add that three reviews in the final two minutes of a game that’s encroaching on a pretty tight deadline really, really bites.

Thank you.

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I don’t believe there was one unsubstantiated rumour about the Raptors flying around yesterday.

What a boring day, eh?

So, let’s start one: Bryan talked to other executives yesterday. About players. And transactions. And nothing of substance happened.

The thing is, I think we’re nearing the time of critical mass for Colangelo and the Raptors.

As you may know, we’re only 14 days away from the draft, which is historically the first off-season pressure point for moves; either to swap picks for players or picks and players for players and I imagine the chatter will be quite amped up.

I know there are a couple of dozen GMs and coaches gathered in New Jersey these days for some mass workout of so-so prospects and when those guys gather in one place, things generally start to percolate.

We should have fun in the next fortnight.

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Mail?

Love some.

Click here.

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There’s a big futbol thing starting tomorrow, I hear?

I’m torn, folks, really torn. Tough to find one team to root for so I’m thinking I have to find a couple of them and hope for good games the rest of the way.

(And, thankfully, I think there are enough ESPNs that I’ll be able to see a few on TV between tomorrow and Monday down here; it won’t be like at home but still, a good way to kill time)

Now, you know I have some allegiance to the Black Stars of Ghana, right? And even without Michael Essien, I’ve got to stick with them, thick and thin and all that.

But it certainly wouldn’t do my heart bad to see England not spit up a game at the worst possible time and since I can remember having some affinity for the Dutch way back in the day (Ruud Gullit was pretty cool) but they kept breaking my heart by losing in the finals.

So there you, Black Stars, Three Lions, Oranje, teams to watch for.

And since Super Son seems quite intent of backing the Azzurri, we might have some issues around Casa Doug.

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One World Cup question: How many fender benders do you think will occur over the next month because drivers are looking at other cars and trying to figure out what the hell the flag is that’s flying out of the window?

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Avery Johnson’s back in the league, eh?

Has a verbal agreement with the Nets and in Dave D’s story here, there’s one quite interesting nugget.

Avery, who’s been linked to about every vacant job in the last two years, really wanted P.J. Carlesimo to join him in Jersey but P.J. didn’t want to wait on the uncertainty, got a good offer from the Raptors and took the Toronto gig.

I’m not entirely sold on Avery, to tell you the truth. I’m told by people with good knowledge of the Dallas situation that he can grate on people rather quickly and the post-season flameouts of his Mavs (coughing up 2-0 lead in ’06 finals to Miami, being upset by Golden State a year later) stick in the craw.

Maybe he’s mellowed, who knows.

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Yes, we will be here tonight just before 9 to go through one of those in-game blog things that are sweeping the nation. Love for you to join us.

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An out of character performance; and another day, another rumour

A fair bit of Game 3 stuff in here but that’s ‘cause we didn’t get a lot in the paper and, well, it’s kind of easy.

We’ll find some traditional stuff for tomorrow.

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They loafed.

On the biggest play of the biggest game, the Celtics loafed.

Shocking.

I don’t know if they hung their collective heads after Ray Allen missed the last of his last 13 straight misses with his team down four and about 50 seconds left but watching them slow to get back runs counter to everything the Celtics are allegedly about.

And, of course, as you know, Derek Fisher went coast-to-coast, finished a three-point play and the game.

Here’s how Doc Rivers put it:

“You know, I thought we lost our composure a little bit down the stretch. A four-point game, 47 seconds left, I'm not sure exact time. All you need is a stop. We let Derek Fisher dribble the ball all the way up the court, unattended, get a three-point play. If you get a stop there, we had two timeouts left, three timeouts at the time, we had plenty of time. But that's where we got the mental toughness part for us. We've got to hang in there.”

Indeed they do.

I’m not about to say this series is over (although you’ve got to admit Lakers in six is looking pretty good right about now) but if the Celtics don’t bring more effort on Thursday, this whole travelling circus may not have to traipse back to the left coast.

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Maybe it’s me?

I noted in a story yesterday that only five teams have swept the middle three games of a 2-3-2 NBA Finals series and, as it turns out, I’ve seen two of them.

That’d be the 2004 Pistons, who won three at home over the Lakers, and the 2006 Heat, who got the Mavs at home.

Been thinking a little bit about this format the past few days because lots of people have asked about it and I’m quite ambivalent about I it.

I’m not sure if “favours” one team over the other and I do think it sets so that things do move back to the homecourt city to end it in six or seven.

I know the original reason – travel grind – is much less a factor than it was back in 1985 when it was changed but, really, I don’t have a problem with it, it’s unique so they may as well leave it as it is.

One thing I do hate?

These 9 p.m. starts.

Let’s go through a Grunt Day, if you will.

Get to arena around 4:30 to schmooze and do some early notes work, watch interminable whistle-filled game, write quickly and file about 12:25 a.m.

Of course, there are more interviews to listen to in order to gather stuff that you’re reading here and then, with adrenaline still flowing, there’s no way sleep comes so more schmoozing and catching up with cronies is called for.

All of a sudden it’s about 3:20 a.m., the stupid alarm’s going to go at 6:30 a.m. because there’s this to do and then it’s back to a couple hours of practices around noon before writing.

But at least there’s a local down the street with a lot of TVs and wireless where a guy might do some work and watch some pucks later on.

You have a nice day, too.

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Hey, if anyone sees Paul Pierce, wanna tell him to show up Thursday? Because if he doesn’t, his whole “we’re not going back to L.A.” prophesy late in Game 2 is indeed going to come true.

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Here we go again.

Hedo to Sacto?

Why not?

I’m told by pretty reliable sources around that the Raptors haven’t talked to the Kings about The Disgruntled Turk but, come on, it makes entire sense that they would, right?

Just like, if they are serious about dealing him, they’ll call, oh, I dunno, 29 other teams?

One thing we’re not going to get is daily updates from Bryan Colangelo. He made it pretty clear yesterday that this is not an issue he’s going to discuss it publicly until something is, or isn’t, done.

Makes sense, doesn’t it? Taking the high road leaves all options open and if there’s a whiff anywhere in the organization that they think Turk could come back, there’s no reason to pollute the waters.

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In the early morning phone call, Super Son reports it’s pouring rain back home, putting Mighty Yankees in jeopardy tonight.

So all of you planning to take the game in send inning-by-inning reports might want to make alternate plans

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One of the first guys a fella runs into in a hallway outside the media room is an old familiar face from Indianapolis.

“You want T.J. back?”

Um, no, I don’t imagine they do

So a gaggle of talent scouts employed by the Raptors, along with all and sundry Henchmen, have descended on the Nets practice facility in New Jersey today through Friday for one of those gang workouts that are all in vogue.

But I got a look at the list of kids who’ll be there and even with my rudimentary (at the moment) knowledge of this draft, I can absolutely assure you the No. 13 pick is nowhere to be seen.

Maybe 23, or 33, or 43, or a bunch of kids who’ll get the full European experience but a lottery pick? Not on your life.

So I’m going to let that whole thing drop except to say that if they want to collect a late first- or early second-round pick, they might be watching them workout over the next three days.

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First call for mail this week. Click here to send the questions along and I'll suss out some stool for later in this week to work on the answers.

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Guess that Darrell Walker dude was right, eh?

(Irregulars will remember, others may have to search it out somehow).

Derek Fisher’s a big time player.

And quite a guy, too. I didn’t see it, but I’m told he choked up a little bit during a television interview after Game 3, which I thought was kind of cool.

And then he explained it when asked to describe what it felt like after the game-sealing three-point play:

“To see Pau's reaction and my teammates' reactions, that's why those moments feel so good to me. Hitting the floor didn't feel that good to be honest, but Pau's reaction and Lamar and Kobe and what the guys were saying to me, that's why those things feel so good.”

I can’t think of a really good team that didn’t have a guy like Fisher on it; an old head who just does his job and makes big shots when he gets the chance and plays with what can only be called a calm about him.

I don’t imagine Fisher’s got many years left – he’s a 35-year-old free agent who’s played almost a decade and a half – so it kind of makes a guy feel good to see him on top maybe one last time.

The Goods On The Game, Laker at Celtics, Game 3

Hey everyone

Hi from Boston.

Pivotal game and all that jazz, let's get going.

A whole lot of this, and some of that

And the coaching carousel keeps turning and churning.

We’ve got Monty Williams in New Orleans (the official announcement landed in the in-box last night) and there are myriad reports that Tom Izzo has been offered an astronomical $6 million a year to coach Cleveland.

Izzo’s the interesting one to me.

I don’t know about this one, from either side.

Why would Izzo, a legend in the college ranks, want to take over Cleveland, a franchise in flux, to say the least. No idea about LeBron, not a very good supporting cast without him, a rather meddling owner who just got rid of a GM and more uncertainty than you can possibly imagine.

Sure, the money’s stupid but, trust me, Izzo makes about $3 million at Michigan State, you know they’ll kick him up a bit if he turns down the Cavs to stay and there are ways – clinics, camps, speaking engagements – to make up any huge difference.

The challenge? Yeah, that might be the only reason and I’m not sure it’s good enough; maybe Izzo should do what he’s doing, which is making almost annual trips to the Final Four, which means he’ll be thought to be smarter and, eventually, an NBA challenge that’s less, um, challenging will present itself.

Now, I have no idea what the wacky Cavs are thinking, to tell you the truth.

Why don’t I think it works from that side?

Mike Montgomery, Leonard Hamilton, Tim Floyd, Lon Kruger, John Calipari, Jerry Tarkanian and, here’s one you might want to look up, Roy Rubin.

Yes, I left Rick Pitino off that list of failures, simply by dint of his New York years, which preceded the mess he made in Boston.

College coaches do not historically work out.

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Monty Williams? I’ll tell you who’ll be over-the-moon happy with that one.

That’s Jarrett Jack.

If Williams had a bigger cheerleader last season than Jack, I sure didn’t meet him.

Anyway, I’ll say this for that hiring: Unlike Chicago, which has so much riding on the next couple of seasons and a very good chance to move up in its conference, New Orleans is probably a better place for a guy to cut his coaching teeth.

Low expectations, a roster that’s pretty much set and no one expected them to make a huge splash with the new coach.

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As you know, I’m in Boston, which is in New England and what’s the first thing you think of when you think of New England?

No, not Suzanne Pleshette, silly.

(Now, there’s one for you. Esoteric enough?)

You think of Matt Bonner, and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats t-shirt that’s along on the trip only hammers it home.

What’s up with Matt, you ask? Well, I’m told his application for a Canadian passport, which will allow him to play for Canada at the world basketball championships in August, is moving along at the expected pace but it’s not done yet.

No telling if it will be although Canada Basketball folks told me last week that they remain hopeful. But, as we know, sometimes our government agencies move at a pace that’s somewhat slower than the speed of light.

Again, though, I will caution you. Matt Bonner or no Matt Bonner, a realistic goal for Canada is to simply get out of its first round group at the worlds and build from there.

I’ve said all along, and will continue to say until the sojourn to Turkey is over, this tournament is all about gaining experience for the next six or eight years.

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How good is a city when you can have a Sam Adams summer beer, walk out for some fresh air and see his grave?

Cool.

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And this is cool, very cool.

Tomorrow is Global Village Basketball day and you should click here to get all the details. And if you get a chance, you really should take part.

The premise is simple, play your regular game with your regular girls or guys, record the score and know that you’re somehow connected to players all over the world.

Neat.

Wouldn’t it be kind of cool to feel connected to other players all over world, if only through the wonders of the interweb? Kind of interesting to know that the game can bring like-minded people from around the world together, isn’t it?

And I’ll see if I can get Doc and Phil to sign up this afternoon.

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Yes, we will be here tonight just before 9 for the traditional in-game blog thingy. You should show up, it’s fun.

But I warn you, I’m going to have to have a game story ready for the paper and the web right at the buzzer so my attention may be divided.

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List time

(Remember those?) As I was sitting and sipping last night, I was trying to come up with the five best NBA Finals games I’ve seen in person. Now, I’m not nearly the veteran of it as many are but I’ve seen a few and figured this would be my top five.

Game 6, Chicago at Utah, 1998

Jordan’s last game (well, the last one that really mattered; his Willie Mays Goes Back To New York years shouldn’t count) and, yeah, he pushed off on Bryon Russell but what the heck, he’s Michael Freaking Jordan.

Game 7, Pistons at Spurs, 2005

There’ve only been 16 Game 7s ever, it was pretty cool to be at one. Memorable moment, that came out later: Last minutes, tight game, timeout just about over, Larry Brown to team as they break huddle: “I love you guys.”

Game 2, Magic at Lakers, 2009

Less than a second to go, game tied, Magic ball. Stan Van Gundy draws up an excellent play for an unexpected lob to Courtney Lee, who is open, gets his hands on the ball but can’t finish at the rim. Great play, great execution until the finish and Lakers go on to win in OT and go up 2-0 in the series.

The guy who threw the near-perfect pass?

Dude named Turkoglu.

Game 4, Celtics at Lakers, 2008

Greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Celtics are down 24 in the second quarter and 20 in the third and rally to win. It gives them a 3-1 series lead and all that all of us can hope for is a Boston win in Game 5 to bring a merciful end to a series that was all but over.

But, noooooo. Lakers win Game 5 at home and the circus spends a couple of extra days on the road.

Game 6, Mavericks at Heat, 2006

Nothing to truly remember but, I tell ya, just to see the joy on Alonzo Mourning’s face when his long journey to a championship was complete still brings a tear to my eye.

(I keed, I keed; just wanted to see if you were still paying attention)

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Oh yeah, for the dude who said I had to mention the Raptors every time?

Raptors.

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Hey, how about that!

The national senior women’s team is going to play games on home soil, out in Vancouver against Chile and Sweden.

Yes, the men are out there, too, as we all knew but the chance to see the women is rare and should be taken advantage of.

Like the men, I think a successful world championships for the women will be getting out of the first round group (they’re with Australia, China and Belarus) but this is a group of young women worth watching closely.

It’s probably the best group Canada’s had in some years and, if it stays together and develops, very good things can happen.

All the details of the games are here.

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Odds and ends and a bit of Canada for good measure

Well, looks like the final has some juice, no? Might make for a good three games I’ll be at and it’s nice to know for certain when I’ll be back home.

More on the series tomorrow, some odds and ends to clear up today.

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I guess one of the more interesting off-the-court storylines of the final (Lakers in six!) is the fact Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau is bolting right after to be the head coach in Chicago.

Now, Thibodeau, generally credited for making the Celtics a defensive power (not coincidentally it happened with the arrival of Kevin Garnett) has been the flavour of the month among assistants for a couple years, even if he didn’t get many head coaching interviews.

And, he’s certainly got some high-powered supporters out there; listening to Jeff Van Gundy gush about him was a bit too much.

Still, from afar this seems to be a hire fraught with peril for a team that really can’t afford a step back.

It is a huge, huge step from lead assistant to head coach, there is a ton more responsibility with being the man in charge than there is being the chief adviser to man in charge. Media duties, massaging egos, handling personalities, the whole gamut.

And Thibodeau has never done any of that.

The Bulls are an intriguing team, one with some nice pieces and lots of money to spend this summer and entrusting the roster to a first-time head coach seems to be quite a gamble to me.

I don’t know Thibodeau all that well but I saw him as a head coach in a game here that Doc had to miss when his father passed away and Thibodeau was far too animated, excitable and over the top. That was one game, I can only imagine the strain he’ll feel over 82.

Now, this may turn out to be one of those inspired hires that works wonders; the Bulls may turn into an Eastern Conference power in a year or two.

Or they may not.

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This story kind of got lost on the weekend on our website and in our paper but I really thought you should see it to understand what kind of good things athletes do in their communities.

Now, I don’t know what you people all think of Jamaal Malgoire, I like the guy even though I wish he’d played for Canada sometime in the last eight or nine years.

But no matter, I don’t think you can find fault with his off-court actions and it’s been pretty much a constant.

I remember dragging my sorry butt out to some news conference in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to hear Jamaal’s impassioned plea for donations to what was then his professional hometown.

There’s the sponsorship of one of the biggest mas bands and floats in the annual Caribana festivities; kids basketball leagues, his own foundation.

Yes, it’s a bit over the top flattery but we don’t often get to celebrate the good that gets done by athletes in the community and I’m thinking we should.

When I was talking to Jamaal for the story on Saturday evening, I got a sense that what he’d done he’d rather have kept private at the moment.

Too bad, it’s a story that needed to be told.

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Wondered this last night during the game, sorry for the repeat.

Hey, do you think eight three-pointers in an NBA Finals game is enough to get Ray Allen invited to The Summit?

That was a pretty impressive game by an old guy, made an old guy’s heart proud.

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Getting back to the national team for a second, you Irregulars out in Vancouver might want to pay attention today.

Apparently, a gaggle of Canada Basketball big shots are headed your way to officially announce the Canada-China game (Aug. 10, I believe) that starts a rather ambitious summer for the national team.

With a couple of games a couple of days later against France here in Toronto, it’s the biggest series of games on home turf in quite some time. (Yes, the played Lebanon and New Zealand here a couple of years ago, but that’s Lebanon and New Zealand, this is China and France).

Now, it’s not like France and China are coming to North America to simply play Canada – there’s a little event in New York right after that’s the prime reason for the trip – but it does speak to a growing reputation of the national team program that the other countries are going to stop here on their way to New York.

The credit should be widespread but it really stops and starts with Maurizio Gherardini, whose reputation in Europe and FIBA circles is the most significant thing Canada has going for it these days.

I know it’s still quite far off but if I were you and I could make it happen, I’d find a way to get to one of these games simply to show some support for a program trying to be on the rise.

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Mighty Yankees practice tonight and game on Wednesday and sometimes this whole work-for-a-living thing truly gets in the way.

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Hands up anyone who was surprised Danny Ferry walked away from the Cleveland Cavaliers last week without even thinking about a new contract when his present deal expires in a month or so.

With the heavy involvement of owner Dan Gilbert – reports are Gilbert and Ferry were at odds over the fate of coach Mike Brown – and the owner’s intention to do everything in his power to be involved in the LeBron thing, it was apparent that Ferry’s power was being diminished.

And when that happens? You have to leave.

I haven’t followed the Cavs closely enough to know whether Ferry is a good GM or a bad one, I suspect like so many others he’s had lots of hits and misses over the years, but when owners start getting truly hands-on, it’s time to go.

While it’s all well and good that the Mark Cubans or Dan Gilberts or Michael Jordans of the world are out front and cheering and making news, I’m not sure any of them truly have the expertise to run franchises on the basketball side of things.

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That rather muddled Cavs thing has an impact up here, too.

While Mike Brown was let go as head coach, his assistants kept their jobs and the uncertainty about who might take over and who he might keep on staff may cost Leo the services of Michael Malone as an assistant this summer.

It’s still up in the air but until things get set in Cleveland, Mike can’t 100 per cent commit to his gig with the Canadian national team.

Luckily, there’s enough time before things start to get entirely serious up here for the situation to be resolved.

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Raptors news?

Sorry.

Fresh out.

Yes, there was a rumour of some Jose Calderon-Mo Williams swap but, yawn, if we react to every rumour out there, that’s all we’ll do.

When there’s something up legitimately, you’ll read about it here.

Word I got on this one was: Forget it, put it out of your mind. So I will.

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Okay, long travel day ahead, not sure when I’ll get to the inevitable comments but I will eventually so don’t despair.

Talk to you from Beantown.

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The Goods On The Game, Celtics at Lakers, Game 2

Hey everyone

How's things for a Sunday night

Hope we get a good one

We're all over the map in this mailbag

It’s pouring rain, about 12 C with a cold wind and ugly skies. Yeah, Mighty Yankees practice is in doubt for sure. Too bad. We could use it.

Anyway, you take a look through this and be sure to be back here tonight just before 8 for Game 2, okay? It should be fun, it always is.

Honest.

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Q: Hi Doug. It now seems that most, if not all, decisions revolve around money in the NBA and other professional leagues. For instance, networks deciding game days, players with large contracts playing more than those with smaller contracts even if their play doesn't justify it, etc. In what areas do you see money not being the primary factor or criteria for making decisions? I'm having a difficult time coming up with any. Thanks.

Dominique K, Ottawa

A: I’m having a difficult time coming up with any as well, and I don’t know if there is one, actually.

There have been a couple of specific instances where players have chosen lifestyle over money but they are so few and far between they’re more like exceptions that prove the rule.

But should we really be surprised? The NBA is a multi-billion dollar global business and money trumps all. We don’t have to like it – and many don’t – but I’m afraid we have to accept it.

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Q: I know you're a big baseball fan. Will the blown call (on the non-perfect game) be the final straw in allowing some sort of video replay into the league?

Peter L, Toronto

A: Some sort of expanded replay, perhaps. They already have it in some form for home runs, I’m sure they’ll look to add different applications. But, truth be told, I kind of agree with the decision not to overturn in after the fact.

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Q: I have a question about the PJ Carlesimo hiring.

Given the size of his glasses, do you think that the Raptors will have a glasses giveaway night similar to the night when they handed out Chuck Swirsky bobbleheads?

My kids have already been asking me about his glasses.

Thanks Doug

Delores R, St. Catherines

A: I sure hope so, I’d want a pair, that’s for sure. I’m just waiting for them to do bobbleheads of us, perhaps to celebrate the milestone 16th year of the franchise.

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Q: Hi Doug, Long time reader and frequent participant in your Cover It Live shenanigans. When we look at the history of the Raptors roster, we all know that the team has had a tendency to regularly (every couple of years) make significant changes, ie, blowing things up. How much is that fact alone a detriment to the Raptors being able to attract free agent talent?

Thanks.

Matt G, Toronto

A: They haven’t attracted big name free agents for one simple reason: They’ve never had the money to do it. The one year they had significant cap space in a summer was Bryan’s first year here and there were no huge free agents who could have helped a franchise that was really, really bad.

The fluctuation in the roster is one tiny, tiny piece; the big issue has always been money and cap space.

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Q: Since you mentioned Jose and the Spanish national team this week I thought I'd ask, with the emergence of Ricky Rubio since Jose last played for Spain, does he now start ahead of Calderon? While we're on the subject, what's the deal with Rubio coming to the NBA? It seems he wants to avoid 1) getting paid on the rookie scale and/or 2) playing for Minnesota. Is there any way he can avoid either of those two things or is he stuck now that he has been drafted?

Andre C, Toronto

A: Rubio’s not coming until at least 2011-12; he will make the rookie scale on the year he was drafted no matter when he comes and his rights are held in perpetuity by Minnesota unless they trade him.

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Q: Hi Doug, first time writer, long time reader, love the blogs and mail. We know that Mr. Colangelo use to get Bosh's opinion on trades or other players he was thinking about; do you think with Bosh's uncertain free agency, will he keep him in the loop of what's going on or just keep it in house.

J S, Cape Breton

A: I think Bryan will – and should – operate on the assumption that Bosh will be playing elsewhere and should make deals regardless of what any player or agent thinks of it.

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Q: Hi Doug, been thinking about the whole concept of trade value, and I was wondering how much stock GMs actually put in it. To illustrate, when Hedo said what he said, everyone started talking about how it was a shame because he had reduced his trade value yet again. But if you are a GM you know that this doesn't effect what he can do on the court. So how much low balling can you really get away with if you're looking to pick Hedo up at a dime on the dollar? And if the answer is 'a lot', then it must make Arenas look very intriguing, due to his equally (if not more) tainted trade value.

If you are a GM, which situation would you rather deal with. Gilbert's gun fiasco in Washington, or Hedo's unappreciated candidness in Toronto? And do there respective problems give them comparable trade value?

Keep up the good work.

Nick H, Toronto

A: I don’t know precisely how to define “trade value” except to say all it really takes is one GM to think “hey, that guy can still play, that’s a gamble worth taking” and you can make a deal for almost anyone.

So I don’t think there’d be a lot of “low-balling” that would work; I’m some teams would like to give 10 cents on the dollar but some team might give 70 and that’s where the deal would be struck.

Look at the list of players with “issues” and black marks on their past who have been traded – Ron Artest, the brawl; Stephen Jackson, gun play outside a strip club, come quickly to mind – and you get my drift.

As for the specifics of Hedo and Gilbert? I think if Bryan or Ernie Grunfeld want to trade them, they’ll find a willing partner somewhere.

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Q: Doug. There will be a lot of free cap space out in the league this summer. If you evaluate the number of free agents out there, there will be a lot of teams that will be left out of the free agent square dance in July. Would you hold on to Turk until the free agents have all landed and see if a team that got shut out is looking to add Turk for next to nothing?

Brian M, Barrie

A: No, not on purpose at all. I think if Bryan finds a deal he likes well enough in the next three weeks he should make it rather than hang on in the hopes that something better might come down the line.

And I’m not entirely sure how cap space will figure into it; unless a team wants to give something back of lesser contractual value and I wouldn’t bank on that.

Besides, there isn’t all that much cap space out there, in truth. It’s pretty much centred on the handful of teams we all know about.

An icon is lost; and a long process continues to unfold

We’ll journey from the sublime to the ridiculous this morning. It is quite a trek.

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I never had the pleasure of meeting John Wooden, the iconic coach who passed away Friday; it is one of the true regrets of my professional basketball writing life.

But I know enough people who have shared time with him and know enough about him anecdotally to say that the game and the world has lost a man who was a treasure, a man whose impact on the athletes went far beyond the edges of the court and a man like whom we may never, ever see again.

His three tenets – no vulgarity, be on time, respect and never publicly criticize a teammate – are brilliant in their simplicity and the standards that they set.

His on-court accomplishments are too many to list; the 10 NCAA championships, the 88-game winning streak (I absolutely remember sitting in my house, stunned, when Notre Dame ended it, one of the basketball moments that sticks with me to this day), more great players graduated than can almost be counted.

But is was the manner in which he conducted himself, and the manner in which he demanded his athletes conduct themselves on and off the court – humbly, with class, no boasting, no showboating, grow to be good men more than good athletes – that will be his ever-lasting legacy.

Of course, times have changed since the Wooden era, people have changed, the demands of society of have changed and I cannot imagine another like him coming down the pike for the rest of time.

Too bad.

The sports world could use more dignity, it could use more attention to detail, it could use more men who are concerned about people rather than results, people who conduct themselves not as if they are above the game but as if they want to improve it.

The sports world could use more John Woodens.

Sadly, it doesn’t have enough.

I don’t think I can quite capture the impact Wooden had on the game and the people here. As I said, I have no first-hand recollections of the man but I do know what his impact was.

I will point you to the obituary from the Los Angeles Times and, because it is one giant of my business writing about a giant of the game, you should probably read this from Jim Murray, too.

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Raptors news?

Sorry. None.

Which, in a lot of ways, is good for guys like me.

Calm before the storm and all that.

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There seems to be a lot of mail hanging around the remains unanswered (it’ll give me something to do when it rains all afternoon, you get one more kick at the submission can by clicking here) but here’s a snippet of what’s to come, having to do with the finals and The Heroes Of The Hardcourt.

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Q: I wondered whether you would care to discuss the mistake the Lakers made in signing Ron Artest. I recall you had some strong opinions about how his character problems would be a distraction for any team that was stupid enough to hire him. I also wondered if you had any thoughts about how the Raptors might deal with their manifold problems in the defensive end and what Toronto should do now that Hedo wants out.

Peter I, London

A: You’re right, I didn’t think Artest could go a whole season without being some kind of major disruption. Shockingly, for what I believe was the first time ever, I was wrong. Oh, wait, I thought I was wrong once before, but I was wrong. Does that count?

Manifold problems? Try harder, play better, devise a more simple system that plays to their strengths and get some more effective defenders on the court.

What should they do now that Hedo wants out? I’d suggest comply with his wishes and trade him for a good defender. Or Ron Artest, Model Citizen.

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Q: Hi Doug. Do you have any further insight on the rumours that Raptors are trying to pick up another 1st round draft pick? (Due to the recent prospect workouts of players beyond that of the 13th pick range)

Or is that just the way the Raptors go about drafting normally?

Jasper C, Toronto

A: Just due diligence, as about 29 other teams are doing.

I’ll let Jim Kelly, the senior director of player personnel, explain it in recycled quote from earlier this week.

“There is always the possibility of picking up another pick. Especially as we get into the workouts here, when you get attracted to one player who came in and personality-wise and basketball-wise, you said, ‘man, this is a guy we should try to get on our team’ but maybe he’s not a 13th pick, maybe he’s a bit deeper than that.”

It is the norm around the league.

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So, we did the sublime up top; let’s get to the ridiculous before I go off to clean the house, cut the grass and answer the mail (yes, a truly fun day awaits).

I am getting entirely bored with LeBron James, aren’t you?

I watched a bit of that stultifying interview with Larry King on Friday night (I actually dozed off a couple of times near its end) and if there was ever more anticipation over something that fell short, I can’t imagine what it was.

The New Coke maybe? Y2K?

Seriously, a snorefest from start to finish (at least from start to when I finished).

(As an aside: How does Larry King have this rep as some giant of the industry? That was an almost fawning interview, no followup questions, not anything you’d consider remotely “hard.”)

Anyway, two more points on King James.

First, if this story is true, about Nike making shoes specific to the cities he’s going to “visit” during the summer, I truly hope not a single pair gets sold. That’s ghastly.

Second, while there is no doubt that LeBron James is a singular talent, he has more basketball ability that almost anyone on the planet but I honestly feel he’s somehow diminishing himself in this whole process.

Yes, his future is a hugely significant thing for a few NBA franchises and for the game itself. But the way it’s being played out in public, as if it’s some kind of auction for the right to cheer for an athlete, kind of sickens me in some way. It’s a public tease meant to elevate Q ratings and line pockets; it is just too much.

And it can’t end soon enough for me.

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Anyway, there are a couple of rants and a couple of questions and if I ever thought there’d be a truly slow day with little to talk or write about, I’m finding that to be absolutely false.

Wonder what’s on Turkish TV today?

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See ya.

Narrowing the list and the forgotten free agent

Hmm, Lakers in six, you say?

Pretty impressive performance last night, no?

Anyway, that’ll be dissected six ways ‘til Sunday elsewhere so let’s concentrate mainly on the local heroes of the hardcourt, shall we?

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Kind of an interesting day around the old practice gym on Thursday because there’s a chance the guy they end up eventually drafting might have been there; for sure a couple of the big who worked out are going to be on whatever short list they eventually come up with.

From talking to a couple of people after the fact, it’s for certain that they are quite enamoured of Cole Aldrich of Kansas, despite a somewhat zany shot (more on that later), and the Ekpe Udoh of Baylor (who has by far the best name of any kid who’s been) also turned a head or two.

Not so much Daniel Orton of Kentucky, who didn’t seem to be in the greatest of physical condition. With him having only played about 13 minutes a year last year and having missed his final high school season with a knee injury, he’s too much of a long-term prospect to be anything but third on that list of three.

Now, there is still plenty of work to do before any group of five or six finally emerges in the week before the draft but the group that was in Thursday was by far the most intriguing.

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And, while we’re on the topic, the group Thursday is going to be the last in these parts for a little while.

A trio of Henchmen (Maurizio, Masai Ujiri and assistant coach Eric Hughes) are off to Italy this weekend for the annual European prospects camp in Treviso (and, man, a wesekend in Treviso sure sounds good, doesn’t it?), a camp that used to be a regular stop on the summer tour of Jay and Marc Iavaroni.

And, next week, there aren’t expected to be any kids in here, a bunch of the staff is headed to New Jersey for one of those big group workouts that are primarily for late-first or early second-round picks. Not sure what they’ll get out of that but it’s just a little bit more due diligence.

For a guy headed to Boston on Monday for a week, having no workouts here to worry about is quite welcome.

Thanks, Bryan.

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You know who’s kind of been forgotten in all this hullabaloo over Bosh’s impending free agency and Hedo’s appearance on Turkish TV and the addition of P.J. Carlesimo to the coaching staff?

Antoine Wright.

Now, I firmly believe that on a team with DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems on it there probably isn’t room for Wright and, as a free agent, I expect him to leave. (Although, with what I believe is an impending Turkoglu trade may cloud that issue).

Now, I do know this is you’re thinking sign-and-trade.

I’m told Minnesota had some interest very early last season; and I know there was some chatter with Cleveland around the trade deadline.

Is this one of those situations where earlier conversations that bore no fruit are re-visited in the summer?

Not sure but when you’re going over roster changes coming this summer, don’t forget to include Wright in the conversation.

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Okay, more on these workout kids from Thursday.

The Aldrich guy has what we can only call a rather “unorthodox” shot. It’s kind of hard to explain but imagine a cross between Juwan Howard and Marcus Camby except that Aldrich unfurls it after taking it back behind his head and below his neck.

Very, very odd and while M. Grange ™ and I are watching it, our retinas start to burn.

Anyway, here are a couple of descriptions of it.

Aldrich, when asked if people, um, mention it:

“Oh yeah, quite a few people. It’s a little un-normal.”

Jim Kelly, when it’s mentioned that it’s kind of, um, weird.

“I call it unique, let’s not call it strange. It’s a unique follow through.

"We were talking on the bench about who that reminds you of and there really isn’t an

ybody.”

Hmm. Un-normal and unique bordering on strange.

Nice.

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Self-deprecation is one of the traits I quite admire in people, especially athletes and their coaches, who tend to be a tad full of themselves far too often.

And I tell you, that P.J. Carlesimo does self-deprecation with the best of ‘em.

A chatty fellow (he would have stood in the gym and talked for hours Thursday, methinks, he dropped a couple of good lines during the discussion.

“I think players know when the person’s talking to them whether they truly understand the game and I think Jay does.

“He also has the ability to be demanding yet at the same time not aggravate guys which is something I was never particularly good at.”

Then the conversation goes to the topic that we explored in the story that ended up being written (click here, please, to read it) and he’s at it again.

“I really think that’s a player trait to be honest with you. Clearly, not being nice is one of my strengths.”

Frankly, if we keep getting quotes like that, I don’t care whether the dude can coach a lick or not.

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What am I up to this weekend around here, you ask?

Probably not much, unless, you know, someone says something inflammatory in some other language on some other continent.

The plan is to maybe do the usual here tomorrow if there’s stuff worth typing or maybe just put up a mailbag and let you digest it until Sunday’s in-game blog thingy at 8 p.m.

That’s a long way of saying this is probably the last call for mail this week, which you can submit by clicking here. It’ll give me something to do during stool time.

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Can someone, again, please explain this whole “Pau Gasol is soft” theory?

That was something of a clinic on frontcourt play in Game 1, wasn’t it? He dominated the paint at both ends, took the hits and gave some out and if he continues to play like that, the whole Lakers in 6 thing looks even better.

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The Goods On The Game, Celtics at Lakers, Game 1

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to the start of what I hope is memorable final.