It should be a wild night in Ankara

I don’t think I’ve ever wished I was in Ankara, Turkey.

Until today.

At events like these, there’s always one game you can’t miss and tonight the one we’ve all been waiting for takes place.

Turkey vs. Greece and if you don’t think that’s going to be an emotional night, you’re not quite up on your history of these parts.

Short story: They fought a war right here in Izmir from 1919-1922 and to say there are some hard feelings to this day is a pretty large understatement.

No matter what anyone says publicly – and it’s all be sweetness and light in the days leading up to tonight’s game – there were be a level of intensity at that game likely unmatched in this tournament.

It what makes things like this so, so good and so hard to explain unless you’ve been to one. There’s almost a tension in the air that you can feel and I can only imagine what it’ll be like in that arena.

And given that Monday was Victory Day, a national holiday to commemorate the final battle in that Turkish War of Independence in 1922 just makes it more juicy.

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Big, big day here in Group D, that’s for sure.

As I kind of laid out in this piece, Canada not only has to win but has to get some help.

And the Spain-Lithuania game to end the day will be a good test for my tournament favourites. There’s no doubt they played with less than 100 per cent intensity against France the other day, but if they don’t go all out against Lithuania, they’ll lose for sure and that will get them a much tougher trip through the playoff round in all likelihood.

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Okay, we may as well start the whole process of gathering mail, although I have no idea what day on the weekend it’ll get up.

Click here and send away.

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If you wander the neighbourhood we live in here in Izmir, you can find all kinds of unique little places to eat.

 Why just down the street there’s a McDonald’s that will take your phone orders and deliver, I’m told (no, I have not stooped that low by any stretch of the imagination) and there’s Burger King a couple of doors away (no, haven’t been there, either).

And then there are the knock-offs. Like the one you see here.

(And you can only imagine how proud I am that I had the technological savvy to make this work).

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We’re sitting at some café on some street on a scorching afternoon (don’t think it’s been below 40 a day since I got here and the humidity’s about 150 per cent, it seems) and the TV’s on inside.

And what do the eyes behold:

Slovenia-Croatia in a humdinger of a game.

I think at one point the teams combined to make about six three-pointers on six straight possessions, it was wil

But it was also like a trip back in time.

There’s The Gangster (on the court, not stretching at the scorers table) and Uros Slokar for Slovenia and Roko Ukic for Croatia and the mind was racing with memories of guys who’ve sat the end of the Raptors bench.

But toss in Bostjan Nachbar and Goran Dragic with Slovenia and Zoran Planinic with Croatia and it was like some Baltic Balkan NBA showcase.

All we needed was Rasho and it would have been a dream game.

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Anyone catch USA-Brazil anywhere on TV yesterday?

Great game all around, the Americans win by two when Brazil’s Marcelo Huertas missed two free throws with three seconds left; the second one intentionally and Brazil got the rebound but Leandro Barbosa couldn’t convert a tough inside shot at the buzzer.

As My Man Sheridan points out in this piece a loss wouldn’t have been devastating to the Americans and he thinks maybe some good will come out of being tested so hard.

I wonder about that.

I think a lot of teams now – Spain, Greece, Argentina, Turkey and Brazil for sure – are gaining all kinds of confidence seeing the Americans being stretched out in games like the one against Brazil and the exhibition in Spain 10 days ago.

I know in the short-sighted North American view of things (or maybe it’s just the short-sighted United States view of things) there is some kind of awe associated with the spectre of some big, bad NBA star-laden roster.

But, trust me, that view is not held around the world a whole bunch of players and teams in this tournament see the United States as just another team that can lose at any time.

And that’s going to make the playoff round tremendous.

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Right, the Izmir International Fair?

Excellent.

Think the CNE without trash or tackiness.

A huge park in the middle of the city, palm tree-lined avenues, a man-made lake with paddle boats, exhibition halls filled with the stuff you’d see at any trade fair but also with historical displays of Turkey’s past.

Sure, there’s a midway with rides and such but it was kind of tranquil. No hawkers yelling, no stupid games of (no) chance, no overwhelming noise.

Very, very cool and a perfect way to kill a couple of hours of an off-day.

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Here’s a little tit-for-tat.

And some NBA news, such that it is.

I notice the Phoenix Suns have signed none other than Dwayne Jones, the guy they traded to Toronto in the Leandro Barbosa-Hedo Turkoglu transaction.

The Raptors waived him, of course, in part because they didn’t want to guarantee his contract and mostly because there was no room for him on the roster.

But by taking him in the trade, it allowed the Raps to have a big bigger trade exception that they ultimately used to get David Andersen from Houston. And now Phoenix gets a guy back they never really wanted to lose anyway.

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Hey, don’t forget to check back here about 11:30 eastern time for Canada-France and the in-game blog thingy.

Might be a good one.

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Comments

[Jean-Marie]

Mister, your not well informed.
Apart from what they try to sell you down in Izmir, there wasn't any Turkish Independence War in the Twenties, since the Turks were ruling all over the place for centuries in Anatolia, Middle East, the Egean islands and even in Greece, so they didn't have anything or anyone to get freed by.
It was the Greeks who, since the beginning of 1800 (have you ever heard of Lord Byron and the likes?) had to fight to try and regain an independence lost by 1400-1500 a.D.
The ottoman empire, having lost the WW1, gave up to the Greeks - by a treaty - this very ancient greek colony, at those time counting some 250.000 people, 2/3 of those Greeks. In a subsequent war the city was re-conquered by the new Turkish Repubblican Army of Atatürk (in 1922), when the oldest town was set on fire and the surviving christian Greeks and Armenians embarked quickly on the Western Allies ships to escape the massacre and sail away. That's what really happened (and written on the books) but obviously, in the suks, they tell you a different story.
For the chronicle, the last fights between the two nations is just some 30 years old (in Cyprus). Nationalism and tensions never disappear, in that area. They’re cats and dogs.

[Jean-Marie]

Oh, and maybe, being a game with Croatia and Slovenja, it's most a matter of balcanic than baltic NBA shoecase.

[avi nash]

Great update Doug! Many thanks - love the pic! :)

[sam]

Jean Marie - thanks for the history and grammar lesson - yeesh

[DanH]

"But by taking him in the trade, it allowed the Raps to have a big bigger trade exception that they ultimately used to get David Andersen from Houston. And now Phoenix gets a guy back they never really wanted to lose anyway."

Wrongo, Dougie. By taking him in the trade, they got a SMALLER trade exception. Turk (10.5M) - Barbosa (7M) = 3.5M. Turk (10.5M) - Barbosa (7M) - Jones (1M) = 2.5M. So if Phoenix never wanted to lose him, and the Raps never wanted him - and actually wanted a larger trade exception, why was he included?

Got any other theories as to why they did it? Cause your current one is all full o' holes.

[avi nash]

Did you see the nba.com video article on DeMar & Sonny? More entertaining than watching the pick up game, was hearing the rapping. Very entertaining! Wonderful to see our Raps in the community.

http://www.nba.com/raptors/video/2010/08/21/RWEB100820OPENRUN1-1397422?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[Pat]

It's pretty ridiculous for emotions to be carried over from a war that took place almost a hundred years ago. It's even more ridiculous that those emotions reach a boiling point over a game of basketball.

[RK]

@Sam- it's not matter of grammar, it's a matter of geography. Slovenia and Croatia (and Serbia and Bosnia and Macedonia for that matter) are part of the Balkan peninsula, whereas the Baltic is a part of northeastern Europe, next to the Baltic sea, with countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia etc. Don't chide Jean-Marie for setting the record straight.
Go Slovenia

[Lorie]

Morning Doug,
Oh to be in Ankara tonight! And, is Greece playing with a full roster? Suspended players back in time for this olossal match?

Blogger's note: They are, each got two games. Well-timed by FIBA

[pk]

Doug, I know a little bit of what it's like to be in a sporting event like Turkey vs Greece. As a South Koreans my self, I've been to national soccer matches of S.Korea vs Japan a few times...
For those who don't know, Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945.
Unreal atmosphere... some unforgettable moments in sporting events like that.
Hope you have a blast!

[Peter G]

I believe the "Baltics" are Lithuania, Latvia , and Estonia. What you are probably referring to is the "Balkans".

And Jean Marie, it is "you're" , not "your".

[Stavros]

Hi Doug,

Ask someone there if they have a copy of the critically acclaimed book by Marjorie Housepian Dobkinis "Smyrna 1922, The Destruction of a City." It may give you a bit more background on their independence celebration.

[TJ]

Hey Doug, hope you're having a great time.
In regards to the TPE, I'm not a expert but it seems that a straight up Turk for LB would not of work due to the difference in contract amounts? Maybe the Suns didn't have a larger amount of cash for the TPE? So is it possible that DJ had to thrown in to make it work? And therefore we were able to get the TPE from the Suns?

[ANM]

Once again people don't understand their history.
That war was of Western and British influence. A long story, but to cut it short.....the Greeks were promised land if they helped. The Turks DID fight for their land and though they were slaughtering groups within and close to their land and homes before 1919, they were being exterminated.
Just remember, most wars are about Land and Religion, and in this case it was both (like today).
It was all about Christian /Muslim occupation/domination brought on by the West(USA), as usual, and the Pawns they used (Greeks)
In the end, the Turks Did fight for their independants.

They will never agree and I don't think they will ever really get along, even though the only difference between them is Religion. YES I said it.....you ARE the same, like it or not, and even though you are of different Religions, you pray to the same God. (not Zeus)? Ha!

[Young James]

"Jean Marie - thanks for the history and grammar lesson - yeesh"...Typical! I mean why learn something for goodness sake, right Sam!!?! I enjoyed that brief interlude into the relationships between the two - I learned something interesteing, and I thank you for that Jean Marie and the others who participated in thier responses. BUT, it's just about time for the Raptors, wouldn't you all agree? lol

[M]

I believe the "Baltics" are Lithuania, Latvia , and Estonia. What you are probably referring to is the "Balkans".
And Jean Marie, it is "you're" , not "your".
And, Aegean, not Egean.

[The J]

DanH - I would imagine that Jones was in there to make the salaries balance. With Jones, they are within 25% of Turks salary, without him it's more like 70%. Though I am just guessing.

[DanH]

The J: "DanH - I would imagine that Jones was in there to make the salaries balance. With Jones, they are within 25% of Turks salary, without him it's more like 70%. Though I am just guessing."

Alright... Time for another salary cap lesson. PHX used the Stoudamire TPE to absorb the extra salary in this trade - if they didn't (since they were over the cap) no TPE would have been generated for the Raptors. The transaction happened as follows: Turk for TPE (10.5M), then the Raptors used their new 10.5M TPE to absorb Barbosa (7.1M) and Jones (0.9M) bringing the remaining value of the Raptors' new TPE to 2.5M. In a trade involving a TPE, the concept of matching within 25% is completely, totally irrelevent. Completely. And totally.

So... if you are right - and they wanted to match salaries - the trade would have been a straight-up Turk for Barbosa+Jones. No TPE is created, and David Andersen is not a Raptor.

[TJ]

Doug, night night btw:
quick confirmation. We still have CB's TPE correct?

Blogger's note: Correct. And still two stories to do, night night not quite yet.

[Lorie]

@Young James:
Don't be too hasty to state you've "learned something" based only by reading commenters' remarks that make up our daily "discussion" here. Sure, the contributor's tone can sound authoritative, and the thoughts, opinions and ideas might seem plausible if not downright brilliant to you, but for goodness sake - try taking what you read as a place to start "learning". Do your own research. Read as much as you can from as many sources as you can. And develop your own opinions. Don't be too quick to give equal merit to all that you read here (except for Doug's stuff of course, because unlike the rest of us, only Doug has to take responsibility for what he writes in his blog) - be wary of "opinions" masquerading as knowledge and filtered through the lens of preconception. Nurture and grow your own thoughts - and try to never stop doing it. (Sorry for the rant, Doug.)

[J]

@DanH:

Might want to leave the salary cap lessons to those who actually understand it reasonably well.

1. "Alright... Time for another salary cap lesson. PHX used the Stoudamire TPE to absorb the extra salary in this trade - if they didn't (since they were over the cap) no TPE would have been generated for the Raptors."

Incorrect. Generation of TPE credit is a one-sided computation. Whenever an over-the-cap Team X trades a single player away for any number of players from Team Y, where the return salary is less than the salary of the single outgoing player, a TPE credit is generated for Team X to maintain its cap flexibility. Whether or not Team Y possesses or chooses to use an outstanding TPE credit is irrelevant.

2. "The transaction happened as follows: Turk for TPE (10.5M), then the Raptors used their new 10.5M TPE to absorb Barbosa (7.1M) and Jones (0.9M) bringing the remaining value of the Raptors' new TPE to 2.5M."

Incorrect. Turkoglu ($9.8 mil) was indeed traded straight-up for Barbosa ($7.1 mil) and Jones (2-year vet minimum). I don't know where you came up with $10.5 mil (except out of your arse to support your incorrect theory) because had Turkoglu been traded straight-up for nothing, he would not have been able to waive his 15% trade kicker. As such, $10.5 mil is neither his salary before or after the trade kicker, and is merely a figure chosen to support your claims. Here's what actually happened:

a) Toronto sends $9.8 mil in salary, and receives $7.1 mil in salary (when dealing minimum-salary players, the receiving team excludes their salary from the calculation). Because $7.1 mil is less than 125% of $9.8 mil (+$100k), Toronto's side of the transaction succeeds, and Toronto receives a $2.7 mil TPE credit for the difference in salary.

b) Phoenix sends about $8 mil in salary (the outgoing team DOES count an amount equal to what the league doesn't pay, which is the 2-year vet's minimum salary in this case), and receives $9.8 mil in salary. Because 125% of ~$8 mil + $100k is ~$10.1 mil, and $9.8 mil is less than ~$10.1 mil, this transaction works for Phoenix ONLY IF Turkoglu waives most of his trade kicker, which he did.

3. "So... if you are right - and they wanted to match salaries - the trade would have been a straight-up Turk for Barbosa+Jones. No TPE is created, and David Andersen is not a Raptor."

So, the people before you were indeed correct, a TPE credit was generated for the difference in salaries, and David Andersen was absorbed with that TPE credit. What Doug said was incorrect because there would have been no Turkoglu trade without Jones, but then he's at least correct that Jones' inclusion was responsible for us acquiring Andersen.

[DanH]

J: Thanks for the clarification - I would have used this explanation, but didn't realize Jones was a 5-year vet. I knew I was missing something, as the numbers didn't quite match, but I was using rough numbers off the top of my head, so I thought it might be an error there.

Always good to clear these things up.

[J]

@DanH:

Yeah; also don't forget that Jones' 5-year vet status only applies to what he brings home. The receiving team excludes the salary entirely, while the sending team applies the 2-year vet minimum (the league pays the difference).

Also, obviously Phoenix *could* have done the trade your way, but it would have unnecessarily broken their Amare TPE into tinier, less useful chunks, and would have required the firing of their GM.

[George]

@Pat It's a bit more than "a war that took place almost a hundred years ago." Greece and Turkey have a history going back to the Middle Ages, when the Turks originally conquered what is now Izmir, all of Greece, and Constantinople. After a few hundred years of Turkish occupation, the Greeks revolted and won their independence. Then they fought a few more wars from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, including the one where Smyrna was destroyed and turned into Izmir. Since then, there was the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, and countless other skirmishes and disagreements that nearly led to all out war. To this day Greek and Turkish fighters engage in dogfights over the Aegean, although usually without any weapons fired.

As far as the emotions reaching a boiling point over a game of basketball, every Greece vs Turkey game in any sport is like USA vs USSR at the height of the Cold War.