The dog days aren't here quite yet

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it’s that NBA teams like their Augusts to chill and do nothing. That’s executives and players and, yes, beat grunts, who try to catch a breath.

What’s the context? The context is that Bryan did not come back from Vegas with a new player or two and it’s July 19 so he’s got about 10 days to work his magic on the point guard, small forward, backup big things he has to deal with.

Here’s hoping sooner rather than later.

(Of course, national team stuff and a trip to Turkey kind of eat up some of August but what’s a fella to do?)

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One guy who isn’t coming back – maybe to clean out a condo but that’ll be it – is Marc Iavaroni, as I’m sure you all read in this piece that came up late Saturday night.

Now, if I believe head coaches get too much credit and take too much blame, you can imagine what I think of assistants.

And while there seems to be a lot of slagging of Marc out there, mostly from people who’ve seen him interact with players or colleagues, it’s pretty baseless.

Yes, he’s a quirky guy, no question. Yes, the team’s defence was subpar all season.

But to think he single-handedly decided what they’d do, or single-handedly turned perimeter defenders into statues is folly.

He worked hard on skill development with the bigs – he spent every pre-game period and a lot of post-practice time working with Andrea on the block – and he suggested some defensive systems that didn’t work.

And then they changed some things, as all smart staffs do when things weren’t going well and they didn’t work, either.

Coaching is very much a collaborative effort, discussion and suggestions and debate until the man in charge – Jay – makes the final call and says, ‘yes, we’ll do it this way.’

Marc was brought in a year ago to provide some fresh ideas, on both sides of the ball with a focus on defence, and they didn’t really work out all that well.

So you move on. Try something new. See how that goes.

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The word I got from a couple of People Who Count when I asked if they’d replace Marc was: “Perhaps.”

If they do, I’d expect it be someone young to focus on skill development as much as in-game strategy.

I think PJ will help Jay a lot in that regard, Alex showed last season with his work with Amir Johnson that he’s good at developing players and I know Micah’s going to have the staff prepared for whatever opponent is up next.

So if they do hire someone, I don’t think it’s going to be a “name.”

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I know there are some asking about news conference thingies with the new dudes, Linas Kleiza and Leandro Barbosa.

Not going to happen.

We got all the time we’re going to get with Kleiza when we ran into him – nudge, nudge, wink, wink – the day he signed his offer sheet. (And here’s the result of that conversation).

And Barbosa, I’m told is back in Brazil and they aren’t going to bring him up.

So it’ll be training camp, or maybe in Turkey late next month, when we next get words.

Oh, and it’s not a given that Kleiza will be playing for Lithuania at the worlds, funnily enough in the same group with Canada. When I asked him about it that day, he was kind of ambivalent and suggested Lithuania may send a young team to the worlds as the vets take the summer off before the country hosts the European championships in 2011.

Not sure what that might mean for Canada but having an inexperienced team in their group can’t hurt, can it?

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This might rankle some but over the weekend the realization hit me – again – that if they ran a car race on my crescent, I’d go sit on the back deck.

Really, I don’t get it. Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that I don’t see the allure.

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Hey, you’ve read about the Canadian teen girls, I presume (if you haven’t, it won’t take long to get through this) but I don’t know if many of you know about the Canadian women.

The senior national team began its preparation for the worlds later this summer out in Vancouver over the weekend, beating Chile on Saturday night. The details are here and I see they go again tonight in Richmond and if you’re out that way, you might want to take it in.

I know the men are going to get the bulk of the attention in the next little while (they’re starting pretty soon as we turn our attention to the world rather than the NBA) but the women’s team is pretty darn good and might surprise one or two of you later this year.

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Ken Berger’s got a nice piece here on Michael Jordan and the whole LeBron James thingy and, not surprisingly, he makes a lot of the same points a lot of us made about what would have happened in the olden days.

(Of course, Ken didn’t ask Jordan why he screwed over the Raptors but that’s not his gig).

Anyway, James, far more than Bosh or Wade, is getting hammered these days, isn’t he? I was wondering what the fallout from his whole summer of tomfoolery would be and it’s been a bit more drastic than even I had thought.

For a guy who handled himself pretty well at the start of the process, I’m not sure he’ll ever totally be able to make up the way he screwed up the finish.

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Okay, here’s the deal. Wee family issue popped up over the weekend so I’m not Golfing Boy today, not sure when I’ll get to all the comments but I will.

It’s not personal if they don’t get up right away.

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Comments

[Jeff]

Doug,

Salary Question:

Could a team resign and trade it's own free agent (think: Antoine Wright), to a non-guaranteed contract, like a 1year $10mm deal with a $1mm guarantee if waived before August 15. Trade said player to team B for a player with a $10mm salary, and team B then waives Wright and pays him $1mm.

Blogger's note: This is far more for the mailbag, don't have the time, nor the inclination to read the CBA right now. If you want to send it there, great. Thanks
Team B is 'dumping' $9mm in salary, and Antoine makes $1mm for helping out.

Is the type of transaction allowed?

[Peter]

I want to agree with what Jordan said about never teaming up with other great players like Magic and Bird, but I think things are a little different today. First of all, it's easy for MJ to say today that he never would have teamed up with those guys because he's sitting on his six rings. Bosh had no chance of a ring anytime soon here, Same for Wade seeing a ring in the near future with the Heat. Many writers, including yourself openly speculated about James' chances in Cleveland given that there wasn't a whole lot that they could do with that roster if James re-signed there.
I think sometimes people forget that a few things happened in the current situation that never presented themselves in MJ's career. Three players all at the peak of their career had the opportunity to become free agents together, but the key piece also involves the Heat. Those three players were very heavily recruited to play together by several teams. Cleveland wanted Lebron AND Bosh, Chicago wanted at least two of them, New Jersey and New York always talked about signing two max players. The 3 free agents were bombarded with options that consistently suggested that they team up. The Heat were the only team where 3 of them could team up, and it became an option that fulfilled what every other GM was telling them. "You're great on your own, but you'll win championships if you team up with another big name." Those options were never presented to MJ so naturally, the only thought that he would have is that he would want to beat Magic and Bird, and not team up with them. If those three players were ever all in their prime at the same time, (which was impossible due to the age difference) and given the opportunity to play for a big name team, and encouraged to team up with another player the way the current big 3 free agents were, I think it could have been a different situation.

[Mike kovacs]

I think that the Miami trio should be called 'The 3 Divas!'

[MKut]

If I were on the board of the MLSE I would tell Bryan to eat the Trade exception because unless they are making a trade for Lebron they are not going to be making the playoffs anyways. Why not let the young kids grow, and save the money. Your thoughts?

Blogger's note: I always think you should strive to make a team better

[John]

Here's a "name" for the assistant coach hunt: Charles Oakley. C'mon Doug. You know you want this to happen.

[Boko]

I'd like to nominate Rasho for player-coach with the Raptors.

I still think that we need a starter at C (to make Davis a sub), and a starter at PG (to make Jack a sub). I also think we can get them with Calderon, Evans, Banks, Belinelli, the $14.5 million TPE & future drafts picks to offer.

My current starters are Bargnani at PF, (BC's) Kleiza at SF, & Barbosa at SG.
Three additional subs are Johnson, DeRozan, & Weems.

Alabi is the long-term project at C.

[LeeZ]

"And while there seems to be a lot of slagging of Marc out there, mostly from people who’ve seen him interact with players or colleagues, it’s pretty baseless." Doug, I'm guessing you meant to say "people who've NEVER seen him interact...".

Blogger's note: Good guess

[CA1]

Couldn't agree more about the car racing.

[Mike D.]

Doug, I notice from the box score of the Raps' last summer league game that Sonny and DeMar were NWT and Joey Dorsey was a DNP - coach's decision. I assume this arose from the Raps deciding they had seen everything they needed to see from the three of them, but can your sources confirm or deny?

Also, Hoopsworld did a nifty mini-article over the weekend on Solomon Alabi and Joey Dorsey: see link at http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=16840.

Blogger's note: Both DeRozan and Weems excused for family reasons; Dorsey I'm not sure about

[Young James]

"I think that the Miami trio should be called 'The 3 Divas!"....If they are as dominate and almost unbeatable as the seem to be I'mma gonna call them the HEATLES!

[nate]

Anybody else notice at the ESPY awards this weekend how all the skits were making fun of Lebron while 5 or 6 years ago he was staring in them? I wonder if Nike or Gatorade noticed.

[Mike D.]

@Mike kovacs:

"The Three Divas" is good, but (courtesy of a Bill Simmons mailbag) I prefer "The Sisterhood of the Travelling That Isn't Called". That one focuses on a long-time pet peeve...LeBron dunking from the FT line on a fast break is less impressive when you realize he hasn't dribbled since the opposite FT line.

[Mr. Cook]

Doug, I try and stay away from free agent rumor talk about as much as you do, but somebody mentioned to me that with the Orlando financial situation what it is, that they might look to move Marcin Gortat (this was from ESPN's twitter-running thing. Despite being 26 I willfully don't understand twitter, so I do not know who it was from or who it was directed toward). First, I was wondering if you have heard from league sources anywhere that Gortat would be available and if so, would you want him as the C the Raptors have been seeking? Finally, would my favourite Marcin get too old, too fast if he played here?

[AT]

Doug,
Can you remind some people that this is YOUR blog, not theirs?
Geez! It says "post a comment" not a book!!

Have you heard recent news or rumblings from Philly about the possibility trading Iguadala? and would we have anything worth sending in return?

[Thane]

Thanks for all the info, and good luck with the family issues, Doug.

[GM]

I still don't understand this fake deadline to make a move. Why only ten more days even if he takes all of August off? What about September? What about early October? There's no rush.

Peter, Jordan didn't win his first championship until he was 28 years old. That's why it's so ridiculous LeBron and Bosh are panicking at this stage of their careers and trying desperately to manufacture one. Yes, it's easy for Jordan to say that sitting on six rings, but you have to remember he was 28 with zero rings at one point and didn't demand a trade or sign somewhere else when he became a free agent. Sure, Magic won when he was a rookie, but he also signed a 25-year contract with the Lakers not knowing they'd always be so good.

[JT]

Doug,
Do you think BC will add a proven scorer to this team? At this point, there is no "go to guy" and I'm not sure the scoring by committee type of situation would work here. I personally don't think they have a consistent secondary scorer on this team, maybe Barbosa but that's not a guarantee and Bargs is more of a 3rd scorer on a team.

[mike]

David Aldridge wrote today that Toronto was one of the teams interested in Matt Barnes. Thoughts on whether or not it would be a wise move to bring him in?

Blogger's note: I think it would

[Aditya]

not sure when I’ll get to all the comments but I will.

It’s not personal if they don’t get up right away.
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Well, I guess it is personal Mr. Smithy.... you don't seem to post my comments and you let people post comments (insulting) me ....so how does that work? am i insulting anyone? have you read "Integrity" by Stephen L. Carter? You ought to, because its tailor-made for you....

Blogger's note: Actually, I just got done dealing with a rather serious family issue. Hope you don't mind.

[pk]

6 comments only today?
I understand that nothing has happened over the weekend but really?
or is it simply Doug catching his breathe..

Blogger's note: Family issue kept me away a while

[ME]

Feeling the Monday blues?
Check this hilarious video about LeDecision and the Cavs situation....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7xlzLOZH5c&feature=player_embedded

[Mark L]

A lot of ex-Raptors in NJ's coaching staff - Sam Mitchell and Popeye Jones. Was Popeye ever in the Raptors radar?

[Steph]

Would it be safe to say that the talent pool was better back when MJ played? The players back then knew their craft before entering the NBA, as opposed to today's players that are under-developed and come to the NBA to learn the game. One year in College and before you've grown into you body, learned the game you're in the big league.
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Super Stars, or divas if you will, join forces like at no other time in history. Stockton & Malone would never leave Utah despite not being able to win alone. But they were always contenders and to their fans they were and always will be winners with legacies that will remain untarnished.
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I for one don't like what took place. The idea behind a league is providing some parity. It is what any professional sports league strives for. It's what keeps fans interested, it's what gets fans interested. The three stars joining forces puts in place an opportunity for this kind of amalgamation to continue and turn the NBA a two tiered league of haves, and have nots.
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As a Raptor fan I don't see a future that will allow us to draw enough Super Stars to ever be in contention for anything other then 7 or 8 seed and one playoff round. The big American markets and those in climate friendly areas will always have a significant edge. Yes we can draft well and make appropriate trades but the unification of Super Stars at any opportunity leaves most teams simply as breeding grounds for better markets. OKC and the Blazers were well on there way to becoming contenders, smart drafting, some luck, and great young cores of players learning together. But after the big moves this off season they are much farther away today from contending then they were after the playoffs. How are fans in those markets supposed to remain optimistic?
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So LeBron, Wade and Bosh did what was best for them, at least in the short term, and who knows if this will ever work out the way they hope it does. But what it did do without a doubt is alter the course of the league and likely the legacy those three leave behind.

[CA1]

No comments since 9 am? I hope this family matter is nothing serious.

[Jim Rootham]

The measure of the Three will be how much they win. If they get 73 wins and 6 out of the next 10 championships I think they will be just about universally considered successful. 65 wins and no championships will be equally clearly a bust.

Given that they have stacked the deck here the standards for success go up.