As much of the mail as I can find at the moment

Okay.

Big computer hiccup, I think.

I know there’s another 2,000 words or so of mail around here somewhere but I can’t quite find them at the moment. Maybe when I get into Control Central later this morning, I can figure out what went wrong.

Until then …. Have fun.

Q: Two questions, two topics.

Not sure if you need to pull out your stat book to do a comparison, but don't you think Jose is a better player when he plays basketball all year around (ie. worlds and NBA) than just the NBA season?

Why doesn't the Mothership report on OUA basketball? It would be nice just to see a small written blurb on local university basketball. (Sorry high school folks!)

Christine G, Toronto

A: I don’t really see a correlation with Jose; he had one of his best years coming off the 2006 world championships win with Spain but a bad one coming off the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I do think, however, that if he has a good worlds this year and stays healthy, he’ll be in great physical shape and should hit the ground running to start the season, wherever that may be.

And, yes, we need to boost up our OUA stuff and I know the tallest of foreheads around here has met with people in that organization trying to figure out how we might do that. I think it’s important and is one of my goals for the coming winter.

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Q: Hey Doug, you mentioned that the last time a preseason game was held in Montreal that it was cancelled due to lack of ticket sales. Is there any chance that this may happen for the October 22 game. I'm a student and don't want to buy a ticket right away because I may end up having a midterm that night and not be able to go. I could use some advice.

Jamie T, Montreal

A: No, I’m told no chance whatsoever. And what happened last time was that the team had planned a game there and after it gauged interest and found it lacking, it never actually go to the point of selling tickets. This one’s a go no matter what.

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Q: Regards, Doug: I feel compelled to contribute to the cause in getting us through the dog days. My dad used to say that advertising for the CNE was clear indication that summer was over, but summer seems to have just started at this extremity of the country. These times seem to have more to do with executive/management shuffles, ie, the business end rather than the real stuff, so it exposes the public nature of the sports-corporation beast. My question to you: is the sports corporate world more volatile than the rest of the business world, or does it just seem that way because we hear of it more?

Good work, Doug; looking forward to insightful reports from Turkey - how exciting!

Alfred D, St. John’s

A: I don’t have a lot of insight into the real business world – except for the dire predictions about the future of newspapers, of course – but I would suspect many are just as volatile, if not more, than sports and there just isn’t the intense, daily interest.

Here, for instance, we are cutting staff and offering buyouts and redistributing the remaining people to many different facets of the publishing business but not nearly as many care about that as they do about who gets the Denver GM job.

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Q: Enjoy your work. Question regarding the Raptors TV situation. When I am not following the Toronto sports teams I am a UFC fan. UFC president Dana White often lists the company's presence on "free/cable TV" (Spike) as a major reason why the sport grew to the extent it has and why boxing with it's PPV only model (for watchable live events) has faltered. Given that the internet era seems to demand free content (i.e. daily Raptor blogs), do you think that MLSE is making a mistake with their product (Raptors not Leafs) by decreasing their short-term visibility on the network sport channels for long term profitability on Raptors TV? I know that the landscape will change as the internet takes over television and that successful models like YES network and NESN suggest that people will pay for the Leafs....but I wonder if they will pay for the Raps if the team doesn't get better in a hurry.

Will C, Perth, Australia

A: I think they made a big mistake early in franchise history when they had up to 12 games, I believe it was, available only on Raptors TV. But they’ve cut that back now and think they saw the error of their ways and better keep it that way.

But it is also true that if you build a demand, people will find you and if the team has success, even a couple of games not readily available except on the highest tiers of cable won’t be that huge an issue.

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Q: Hi Doug. In reading your article about the Raps-Nets game in London UK and that you got this info from "a guy in Jersey", I find it odd that the Raps doesn't seem to want to share some snippets to you Doug who happens to be the regular columnist for the Raps. What gives? Can the Raps do a better job of sharing information?

V C, Markham

A: They didn’t share because I didn’t ask anyone. Really not that big a deal and we would have found out on Tuesday anyway. Seriously, they don’t “share” unless we try to dig stuff up; the fact is I didn’t really give the schedule much thought because of some other pressing matters.

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Q: Hi Doug

While you're doing "Best of..." lists/profiles and the mailbag is a little light, how about one or more of the following lists:

- All-time best Raptors listed on the roster at 268 pounds or more

- All-time best summer league rebounding performances by Raptors' players

- All-time best Raptors whose names rhyme(d) with "Horsey”

Cheers

Mike D, Toronto

A: One list covers it, no?

Pops Mensa-Bonsu?

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Q: Dear Mr. Smith,

What news of the Chicken? Does it train during the summer? Does it get sent to the D-League if it shows up at camp out of shape?

Best Regards.

Frank Z, Budapest

A: The Chicken rests his/her/its weary bones most of the summer and, I understand, takes money off friends on the golfing course. (Yes, The Chicken has some game). But rest assured, unlike high-priced free agents, the Chicken’s always in shape when camp rolls around.

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Q: Hi Doug. After reading that article on Pau Gasol - Have there been any Raptors with interesting passions and/or hobbies? (aside from the usual creating video's and social networking etc)

Mark L, Scarborough

A: You know, not really. Oak was a heckuva chef and I guess that’d be among the more interesting hobbies or passions that I know of. And Kevin Willis was something a clothes designer, which was pretty cool. Other than that, not much.

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Q: Hey Doug, two questions about two different topics. First, what 4 countries do you think will be in the final four in Turkey, and in what order do you think they will finish?

Second, there is still a lot of hate and hype about Miami this year. What do you think is their biggest weakness that other teams will try to exploit?

Have a great weekend!

Ange A, Toronto

A: Hmm, the Turkey one’s tough because I haven’t had time to sit down and see how all the groups might shake out but if I had to guess today, I’d go with Spain, U.S., Brazil and Greece.

Weaknesses in Miami? I don’t know how much good outside shooting they might have (I’m not a big Eddie House fan) and there will always be questions about their depth.

We'll start a weekend of mail right now

Yeah, I’m taking the easy way out this weekend, a couple of smaller mailbags instead of one great big one.

So, be sure to tune back in to this space Sunday ‘cause there’s a lot more to go. And if you’re not busy today and have something to ask, I’ll just be sitting at the desk hoping no fires break out so click here and send something in, give me something to do.

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Q: Hey Doug, do you think there is anyone in the Raptors organization that Bosh may still see socially? What about when he comes to town, do you think he'll be going out to dinner with anyone that's on the team at the moment?

David S, Toronto

A: He and Jarrett are pretty good friends and I imagine they’d see each other if it fits into the schedule. But it’s sometimes difficult if one or the other team is on a back-to-back; I think most of the “socializing” that happens in Toronto is done on Saturday nights before Sunday afternoon.

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Q: My friend, during the summer of TJ/Jose, maintained that the Raptors kept the wrong point guard. With Indy looking for a veteran point guard and TJ's contract wrapping up this season, is it time to give him another go?

Rob N, London

A: Um, no. First, if they move Jose for him, it puts TJ back with Jarrett Jack and I understand there were some issues when they were teammates in Indy; and if they move Jarrett back the Pacers, who didn’t really want him in the first place, it re-creates the TJ-Jose drama here.

A non-starter, or at least it should be in my opinion.

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Q: Hey Doug, as the basketball world turns to Turkey at the end of the month, are you hearing about any international players that B.C. may be looking at?

Ange A, Toronto

A: None, I think he’s done looking at that avenue; the roster is pretty full and if he’s got deals going for, say, Jose and Reggie and maybe Marcus Banks, they will be NBA transactions.

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Q: Do you see Jay Triano using Bargani at the 3 for some games? To match up against Gallinari, Turkoglu, Thadeus young, Dunleavy, Travis Outlaw.

Frank A, Rexdale

A: Nope. The ship on Andrea as a small forward sailed about the night of Game 2 in the Orlando series two seasons ago.

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Q: Hey Doug, I know you always say that recent comments by Colangelo, Turk and Bosh won't harm the Raps in the future to attract players because players care about Money, winning and more money. But don't you think the fact that the Raptors play in another country does hurt them to the extent that it makes it more difficult to attract (aside from the draft) AND keep high calibre players. They have a hard time being a winning/contending team because of this and also means they end up overpaying for role players (ie. Amir Johnson) which makes building a contending team even more difficult. So while I agree that winning and money is what motivates players the most, and not necessarily in that order, but the problem is that the Raptors have a difficult time achieving that because of their situation.

Jason B, Oshawa

A: Can we agree that three of the most significant players in franchise history were Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and Charles Oakley? And we agree that veterans like Dell Curry, Antonio Davis, Kevin Willis were pretty bright and accomplished NBAers?

Okay, if we can do that, can we remember that every single one of them – when they had the chance – CHOSE to sign in Toronto rather than leave.

So, no, I don’t think the fact the Raptors play in another country has very much to do with it all; I think the fact the Raptors haven’t won is the key. And if they win, players will come.

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Q: Hey Doug. Here are some random questions for you.

You mentioned in your blog and on the radio that there are "more moves to come". What do you believe is in the works right now?

I have a TV related question hoping you might be able to answer. If TSN is airing a game in Orlando they seem to get their own TV shots. So do they haul their own TV cameras down or does the local network/arena make these available? Do they have their own camera crew, etc? Do they have to rent equipment or drive/fly it around? Always wondered the logistics.

Thoughts. I also agree with you on this summer blowing over and winning/money being the big motivators. Look at the Jays. 2 championships almost 20 years ago plus a pretty good reputation within the baseball community (minus the years of J.P.) and they can still get decent talent to come when the wallet is opened up. Not many players looking at the clock to the end of their contract to bolt and rip the city.

A K, Toronto

A: I believe, as I have since May, that they’ll deal a point guard and try to move Reggie Evans and Marcus Banks.

As for the TV stuff, they hire local technicians, camera people, floor directors and they like. They also rent a “truck” that has all the necessary ingredients for a good show. The basic travelling crew for a TV production is the talent, a producer, a director and the guy who works the magic with the graphics and such. It’s a small but mighty crew.

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Q: How seriously is Jay Triano taken as an NBA head coach by players other coaches etc.? Part two how seriously are the Toronto-Italia Raptors being taken when it appears the first choice of players is for European as opposed to (and I'll be generous) North American players? When will Colangelo finally decide that he is a head coach at heart and not a GM and do away with the charade? Last but not least why aren't these questions being asked?

Kojn H, Toronto

A: I won’t go into why these rather broad-brush questions (rants disguised as questions) aren’t being asked and undoubtedly not satisfy you’re obviously made-up mind.

Jay’s taken quite seriously, as a matter of fact, given that he’s been in the NBA for almost a decade and holds one of the 30 similar jobs on the planet. I presume you won’t believe me but perhaps you should realize that if you’re one of 30 men on Earth to have a certain job, you have respect. And if you’re considered good enough to have spent three summers with one of the best American teams ever assembled, you’re pretty well respected.

Maybe not by you but …

I’m not going to get into the thinly-disguised racist comments you’re otherwise making except to say this: Last I looked the free agents like, well, Jarrett Jack and Amir Johnson and the North American-educated and trained Linas Kleiza all decided to, you know, come play here.

Ciao.

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A new guy on staff and, finally, a home game for a Canuck

In the absence of big things, a few more little ones before I have to head down to the Mother Ship and start three days of being the Big Kahuna for some reason known only to those who do the scheduling and don’t, apparently, care what goes on in there.

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I knew this to be the case given the circumstances of basketball in this country so it wasn’t surprising but when I was talking to Levon Kendall of the national team Thursday morning, one thing he said really hit home.

The conversation had circled around to Canada’s schedule and how busy it’s going to be. With the game Tuesday in Vancouver and ones Thursday and Friday in Toronto against France and then tournaments in Greece and Turkey before the worlds, it’s a grind.

But, as I mentioned to Levon, he must be a bit pumped about playing at home in Vancouver.

“I’ve played in Toronto a few times but I haven’t played in Vancouver since high school eight years ago. I’m pretty excited, I think there might be a 100 people or so out there with painted faces and screaming away.

“I’m very excited, I’m trying to not think about it too much, again, because I get a little bit too pumped up.”

Eight years without playing one single game in his home town? Man, how tough must that be on family and friends?

I don’t know that there’s an answer to that situation, it’s been forever thus with the national team. It’s expensive to host games, tough to find teams to come to Canada to play and it’s not like there are sponsors tossing baskets of money at the program so it can run a series of summer games all across Canada to promote the team and the sport.

I knew that and know that but, still, when he said he hadn’t played at home since he was a high schooler, that really made the point.

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Hey, there is a wee bit of Raptors news, not hugely significant but what the heck.

Scott Roth, who a lot of you have probably never heard of, is joining Jay’s staff as an assistant.

I had his title wrong when I replied to someone in the comments yesterday, I had been told he’d probably be on the development side but he’s going to have the “assistants” title, which isn’t a huge thing, either.

I’m also told he’ll work a lot with the team’s bigs, as Marc Iavaroni did last season but he’ll be involved in the whole shebang as well.

Dude’s been around a while, too. Was an assistant at Golden State last year, was the head coach of Bakersfield in the D League, coached the national teams of Turkey (yes, with our friend) and the Dominican Republic and has been on the bench in Dallas, Vancouver-Memphis and worked for the Bucks.

Anyway, he’ll be here soon and his addition will end up being the final coaching staff move of the off-season, I’m told.

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Okay Montrealers, here’s the gig.

It’s Oct. 22 (I feared the information yesterday wasn’t entirely on the button) and it’s the last game of the pre-season and it’s against the Knicks.

No word on tickets, they won’t be available for a while but the last of eight exhibitions means it’s probably going to have a wee bit more intensity than the others.

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Speaking of Canada, this was in the mail:

Q: Hello Mr. Smith - hope you're enjoying the summer. With the Team Canada men’s team about to play in one of the more important tournaments this country has been involved in, I'd like to get on the bandwagon before a surprise upset puts this team on the radar. Who would be the three best players on this squad, or, is there one player that is head and shoulders better than the next best player? Seeing as international basketball is more of a team game, where does our top 7 stand against the rest of the competition? As well, how does the coaching staff compare, does Mr. Rautins have enough experience that he isn't in over his head, so to speak?

Shawn L, Bowmanville

A: That’s thing about this team that’s a bit troubling. I’m not sure they have a “go-to” guy and while that’s not a terrible thing because it promotes team play, it could hurt in a one-possession situation. I think the names you’ll hear most often are Andy Rautins, Jermaine Anderson and Denham Brown but there really aren’t any “standouts.”

As for the top 7, Canada is smallish, not all that athletic and young. Not the Holy Trinity of Desired Team Attributes.

And I think Leo and his staff are fine; remember, I’m of the opinion that coaching can be a tad over-rated.

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Oops, forgot to get a full roster of the 15 guys in the Canada camp last night for those who are wondering. They’ve got some big introductory news conference thingy this afternoon and I’ll grab one then.

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Speaking of mail, we’re going to try for one weekend mailbag this weekend as we wrap up Super Son Birth Week and I’m not entirely sure what day it’ll be.

So you know the drill if you want to send along regards. And I love regards.

Here’s the link.

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Oh, one more Raptors nugget then I’m gone to steer the ship on to the rocks.

The Denver Nuggets have called to ask permission to interview Masai Ujiri for their vacant general manager’s job.

The permission must have been given because I can’t imagine there’s a way Bryan would hold back a guy looking for a promotion.

Anyway, it doesn’t mean he’s going to get the job but it’s a pretty impressive thing to get that far in the process and, I guess, shows that other teams do find some value in the operations here.

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A bunch of little things, including some news for Montreal

Okay, a tad tardy again today, life gets in the way.

But, did get to see some basketball and some Raptors types for a nice chat yesterday, and while there may not be anything big there are all kinds of little things you might like.

To wit:

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First impressions of the Canadian team?

Relatively young, kind of raw, maybe lacking a wee bit on the athletic side and I really think getting out of the first round at the worlds should be considered a benchmark of success.

There are 15 kids in camp, the most notable absence is veteran big man Jesse Young, who’s hurt, and there are still a couple of cuts to go.

As Leo told us a few days ago, there’s not an awful lot of time to get ready and they’ll use most exhibition games for practice as much as anything but I was impressed with the work ethic and amount of stuff they got in during the hour or so I was there.

There are an awful lot of coaches around, though, and that has to help.

Leo’s staff includes The One And Only Jim Todd, Wayne Yearwood of Montreal (a guy who’s been around the program for eons and is one of the top coaches in the country) and Renato Pasquali, who has extensive international experience in Italy.

They had Greg Francis in the gym, and Roy Rana, who coach the junior and cadet teams, respectively, along with Dave D’Aveiro of Ottawa.

Oh, and one other guy some of you old timers might remember.

Steve Mix, a guy who could play a little bit, is in camp for a week or so to work with the team’s big men and he lends a bit of expertise that’s needed.

As for the style this team may play, it’s really early to tell but it looks at first blush that there are all kinds of different options.

They have some versatile bigs, which are much needed in the international game to stretch the floor and to be able to defend other bigs who play on the perimeter.

They may lack some wing creativity but I think they should be able to shoot the ball well enough to stay in a lot of games.

It’s still very much early days for this group but I’m kind of looking forward to seeing where they are when they get France at the Air Canada Centre next week.

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Hey, Montreal, guess what?

The Raptors are coming.

For a pre-season game.

Don’t have the exact date, believe I heard Oct. 7, and there is nothing on tickets right now but they’ll definitely be in town.

Which is more than I can say for the last time they tried to get there.

It was way back in the day, maybe the second pre-season, and they tried to get a game down there. Couldn’t sell a ticket to save their souls and abandoned the idea before it got embarrassing.

I have no idea where basketball fits in the sporting landscape in the city – I know about the Habs being even more Leaf-like than the Leafs are here – so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of exhibition game crowd they’ll get in the Forum, or the Bell Centre or the Molson Centre or whatever it is they call that shrine these days.

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Ran into Amir Johnson in the gym yesterday. Nothing really new except he’s the only guy in town – no coaches, no teammates, no nothing – and he was up in the weight room getting a lift in before doing some light shooting.

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Since we’ve got some national team stuff here, why not pluck this one out of the early mail.

Q: Hey Doug. August is here which means the Trip to Turkey is very soon! So, how do you prepare for your visits to foreign countries? Are you one of those uber-prepared types who studies up on all the foods (try the gozleme) and beverages (raki for sure, and of course the coffee), customs and must-see historical sights, or do you usually "wing it"; preferring to fly by the seat of your pants, hoping to get by with a genuine smile, descriptive hand gestures and the anticipated good will of all you meet? Any useful Turkish phrases you have committed to memory? Eglenmek!

Lorie P, London

A: Heck, no. I show up, hope Customs and Immigration is easy and hit the ground to find either a local who’ll take pity on a foreigner or a nice local haunt. And, now, I have the breadth of knowledge that this little space gives me because I think if I were to ask, I’d find some very useful information.

In fact, a gaggle of us had a dinner in Rome – tiny fish place just outside the Vatican walls on a dead-end street at a place you can’t find with a search warrant – that was in the list of top five meals ever on the road and came from the recommendation of a reader to me and M. Grange ™.

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Which brings me to …

Click here, send mail, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

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Oh, and Matt Bonner is not going to get the requisite paperwork done in time to get a Canadian passport and play for Canada in the world championships.

Maybe next year, he tells me, because it’s still something he very much wants to do.

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Here’s a bit of a digression unless you know a lot about the inner workings of the NBA.

There’s a fellow named Brian McIntyre, who I am lucky enough to call a friend, who has worked for more than 30 years as the chief media relations maven for the league.

Remember last week when I eulogized Perk as being one of the last greats in his business? Well, Brian’s the media relations equivalent, a man who was fair in his dealings with us, tried to protect the interest of “the beats” as he called us old-time newspaper dudes and was held in such high regard throughout the injury that the Professional Basketball Writers Association named the award we give each year to the top team PR staff in the league after him.

Anyway, Brian’s hanging them up from his current gig and will now work exclusively as the communications consultant to David Stern.

If the newspaper business is worse off with Perk’s departure, the communications world at the NBA is equally worse off with Brian leaving the day-to-day gig.

Just wanted you to know about him because he’s one of the guys who’s tried to make my life easier and the lives of beat grunts all over easier and you should know about him.

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Even in the dog days we've got stuff

Quiet still, isn’t it?

I know Bryan’s on a wee bit of a break after some league meetings in New York the end of last week, some much-needed down time, but I’ll say again, he is not finished by any stretch of the imagination.

But until something breaks, it’s a tad slow around here

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Oh, blimey.

We’re headed to Old Blighty!

Yep, March 4 and 5, Raptors-Nets at the O2 Arena in London, first time the NBA’s ever played regular season games in Europe.

Very cool, indeed, and about the only snippet of the schedule that I’ve heard about that’s marginally interesting and it was a guy in Jersey who actually got it.

Not sure right now what that means for season ticket holders – I’m presuming they whack the price of a ticket to one game off your tab – but it’s going to be pretty neat for those who go (hi, boss!).

It also becomes, automatically, the best place they’ve ever played a regular season game and I figure it’ll have to get into the top three places they’ve ever played before.

That, of course, would be Madrid, Rome and I actually can’t think of a third because they’ve only been to dowdy lowspots for most neutral site games.

Anyway, the only other thing I know about their schedule – which comes out next Tuesday unless someone gives me a copy earlier – is that we’re home for Christmas (not with a game, but with one just before and nothing on Dec. 24, 25, 26) and we’re away somewhere the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

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This came in the mail yesterday and I was wondering what you think of it?

Worth doing?

Q: Know what I am missing, Doug's lists

Lists are meaningless and subjective but I love them and in the dog days of summer, waiting for BC to trade Jose for NY's Curry (joke, um, I hope), let's bring them back.

I am still waiting for the top three Raps at each position (so 15 for 15 years.)

Best one liners from players.

Even some that you have done before. I would like some Toronto lists (best places to watch an away game) for those who are Raps fans around the country and world.

Just some fun, light summer reading.

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: Okay, I’ll try to help you out over the next little while because, yes, it will be slow for a couple of weeks ‘til we head to Turkey and then September should be really slow.

Now, I just plucked this question out of the in-box this morning so don’t have a lot of time for a lot of thought so I will give you this one off the top of my head.

Three Worst, Three Best Arenas For Guys Like Me

Bad

Sacramento

A pit, pure and simple. Small concourses, cramped seating, very few amenities. The work room is about a five-minute walk from the locker room, which doesn’t sound like much unless you’re, you know, on deadline for a West Coast game.

Dallas

The worst seats in the league, benches with no backs and no room on the table for a notebook along with a computer and the work room has rickety old tables. Truly not good.

Madison Square Garden

I know, I know, probably an odd choice but World’s Greatest Arena? My butt. Cramped on the concourses, it’s got a rather unique, um, odour and the visiting locker room might be the smallest in the NBA.

Good

Conseco Fieldhouse

Great baseline seats right by the bench, huge work room, locker room’s big and close. And you can walk to the gym from any downtown hotel.

Houston

Under-rated, big time. Work area’s big and close, seating’s good and it’s a big building without being imposing. Unlike, say, the United Center or Staples, which are huge, too huge.

Portland

Except for the seats, which are in a corner halfway up the stands and necessitates fighting crowds walking up while we want down, the work room’s great and it’s about five steps to the locker room.

Where does the Air Canada Centre fit?

It’d probably be in the bottom half. The work room is tiny and cramped, we’re stuck like cattle in a tiny hallway after the game waiting for the locker room to open and, as some Irregulars may recall, there are often issues with the courtside wireless.

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No truth to the rumour the Raptors had a trade for Brett Favre that fell through, causing him to retire.

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Speaking of mail, got some done yesterday so I’m a bit ahead of the game. That means click here, send some in and we’ll get along just fine.

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I seem to have been able to miss the silly hour-long TV special to go over a dozen or so regular season games.

I could myself lucky in that regard.

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So, another day, another Raptor dude linked to another job, I’m hearing.

This time it’s Masai Ujiri, whose ties with Denver from years ago have his name on the list of possible GMs for the Nuggets.

I’m told there is legitimate interest both ways and I’d bet at long odds that Masai at least gets to the interview stage when he gets back from Basketball Without Borders in Senegal.

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Anyway, there’s a Canada Basketball practice in an hour or so that’ll hopefully provide fodder for a story and some notes.

See ya.

A quiet day? Yay!

No one bashed anyone yesterday.

What a lovely day.

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Anyway, I continue to be amazed at the fallout from all of this stuff in recent days and feel compelled to bring up one quite salient point:

NBA players, agents, managers, coaches and everyone have quite short memories and I can say with a lot of confidence that what’s transpired here will not have any lingering impact whatsoever.

What attracts players is the chance to win, money, money and the chance to win and if this team ever gets to that level, nothing abut Hedo Turkoglu or Chris Bosh or Bryan Colangelo or a foreign country is going to matter a lick.

There is no question these are not good times for the Raptors but it’s not like they’re going to fold up and move or win five games next season and become the worst franchise in the history of professional sports.

They are going to move forward, a sense of calm and normalcy will eventually shroud the team and you’ll sit back some day and say, “hey, remember the summer of ’10? Wasn’t that a wild time.”

That is until Hedo, who stole money for a year, decides again to level a broadside from the comfort of his homeland. Maybe the next time, he’ll take some responsibility for his actions.

Yeah. Right.

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Here’s a really interesting snippet from Marc Stein, who has sources that Jay Triano could very well wind up on the bench with the United States at the world championships later this month in Turkey.

Seems, according to Marc, who always seems to have impeccable sources, that Mike D’Antoni may have to take the tournament off to deal with a wonky back.

Makes sense that USA Basketball would turn to Jay, who has almost a decade of NBA coaching experience, six years of international coaching experience and has been involved with the United States team for three or four summers now.

He does still sit on Canada Basketball’s advisory council, which acts as kind of a Group of Sober Second Thought and he’s quite capable of doing both.

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Remember on the weekend when the guy asked about all-time great threesomes on teams and I gave him two quickies off the top of my head with Bird, McHale, Parish and then Magic, Kareem and Worthy?

Well, I do think those are the best two ever – although if the group down in Miami multiple championships they’d maybe crack the list – but here are some others you might want to consider.

How about Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor?

Or how about Moses Malone, Dr. J and Maurice Cheeks?

That’s two that would have to be in the top five, no? Or at least in the conversation.

Not sure where I’d put Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, actually; most likely in the second tier. And that’s maybe where I’d go with Olajuwon, Barkley and Clyde Drexler.

I have no real idea where James, Wade and Bosh will eventually end up but seeing how they’ve got one championship between them in 21 combined seasons, I’d say they have a way to go.

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Mail?

Sure, it’s a slow week and you know how I love mail.

Do the usual, click here and Bob’s Your Uncle, whatever the heck that means.

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Don’t imagine this is the thin edge of the wedge but some D League teams are going all European football and WNBA on us and going with company names on the jerseys instead of team names.

The Erie Bayhawks, Toronto’s affiliate even if the Raptors have never sent a player there, are now the Erie LECOMS after – get this – the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Not a bank or a multinational company any of you have heard of. No, a clinic.

Anyway, as I said, I’m not sure we’re going to see this happening any time soon in the NBA, the league has too much invested in its branding of team names but as a quick cash grab in the D League – or the WNBA where my beloved Seattle Storm are actually the Seattle “Bings” – it might have some merit.

After all, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a Bayhawks jersey. Hmm, now that I think of it, I don’t know that I will ever seen a Lecom jersey, either.

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Drat.

Seems by this little item that this whole ‘twitterization’ of the world I sometimes inhabit isn’t going to go away.

Sadly, I hoped it was a fad like the interweb or TV or one of those other flash-in-the-pan things that come and go.

Now I fear I may have to actually get involved sometime.

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Turk talks and a TV special shows there are indeed too many channels

Okay, except for the tardiness of this one, I think we might be getting back to some semblance of normalcy around these parts.

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I see Hedo’s weighing in from afar again, this time ripping the organization and Bryan in the wake of the Bosh stuff last week, which I still contend is little more than a titillating recap of opinions oft stated.

I’m not sure this isn’t a case of the pot calling the kettle black because I do think Turk spent a huge part of the season taking advantage of an organization that mis-handled him from the start and except for one little half-baked apology on the day after the season ended, I don’t think he took enough responsibility for how things turned out.

(Of course, I also think the organization coddled him too much from the start so there’s enough blame to go around)

Anyway, to Turk’s points:

Yes, Bryan may have been intemperate in putting all his thoughts (again, stuff he’d said for months) into one broadcast interview but that’s hardly reason to suggest the organization is fatally flawed or that people are never going to come and play for the Raptors.

Are there things that can be done better? Sure.

They can get a group of guys that like each other and who all play hard and let them go play and grow together.

They can – and should – abandon the theory of “one star and bit pieces” and let a team grow.

This has – so far – been one of the worst summers the franchise has had to deal with. The departure of the team’s best player, the two failed trades, the bickering that’s been going on here and there have done nothing to enhance the team’s reputation around the league.

Luckily for them, though, the summer is not over, there will be more done and eventually things will calm down, they will throw the ball up and then, and only then, can anyone assess what’s transpired.

And then we’ll be able to better judge if there’s any lingering problems from these trying times.

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So the e-mail drops early Monday morning from the good folks at Turner and NBA TV to say there’s one-hour special Tuesday night to announce the opening night games, the Christmas Day games and the Martin Luther King Day games for this coming season.

As the one and only Kevin O’Neill once said:

“Will the ridiculousness never end?”

Seriously, I know it’s all about the hype and there are lots of hours to fill on a television network but this might be the most silly thing I’ve ever heard of.

An hour?

For five or six days of games?

Unreal.

They should get LeBron to host it.

I’m betting the words “Toronto Raptors” are not spoken once during the hour unless they’re a visiting team for some MLK Day game.

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Hey, real basketball starts this week.

Well, real in the sense that the national men’s team starts working out Wednesday for what’s going to be a very full month for them.

I’m still not sure exactly who will be in camp, or how many, but they do have to hit the ground running so I don’t imagine there’ll be too many superfluous players.

They’ve got the game against China in Vancouver on the 10th, the two here against France on the 12th and 13th and then it’s off to tournaments in Greece and Turkey before the worlds.

That’s a pretty ambitious schedule but that’s a good thing. They need to find out pretty quickly how they stack up against good competition and we’ll have a good idea of what they are by the time the worlds begin.

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I know you’ve been dying to know that the Mighty Yankees have a couple of rainouts to make up this week before the regular season comes to an end and if we’ve learned anything this year, it’s how to deal with adversity.

A couple of wins, a tie and more losses than I care to remember but we’re having fun, the kids really are better ballplayers today than they were at the first practice and that’s about all that matters, right?

Okay, end of digressions. For now.

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I read somewhere this week that among the candidates for the Phoenix GM job is Tommy Sheppard, who’s an assistant in Washington right now.

Goes to show you that you can climb a ladder because when I first started this gig, Tommy was a PR guy in Denver.

Maybe one day I can be on short list for a GM job. That’d be pretty cool, no?

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We may as well start this now because I’m going to need stuff to fill up this week, I think.

So click here, send mail, tell me a story or whatever you like. It does help pass the day.

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All right, there’s a house to clean and grass to cut and today starts Super Son’s Birth Week so we’ll check back a little later.

Happy Simcoe Day.

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Better late than never; here's the weekly mail

Miss me?

Sorry for the delay, had some things to do over Friday and Saturday, I’ll fill you in later.

Figured I’d better get this huge mailbag up to at least feel like I’ve done something over the weekend.

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Q: Hi Doug, who do you believe are the all time "blog favourite" Raptor players.

The defintion of "blog favourite" can be described as a player who has or will have little impact on the team's success and his playing time is inversely proportional to the number of mentions and words devoted to them in this particular forum.

Thanks for accepting this indulgence.

Jamil B, Sydney, Australia

A: It starts and stops with Pops Mensah-Bonsu. He’s so far ahead it’s not even funny.

I think Pop Sow and Mamadou N’Diaye would be on the list, as would any player who’s ever had one good stretch of one game and thus becomes “the guy they cannot do without and how in the world does Jay or Sam or whoever not play him more; that’s just stupid coaching.”

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Q: Hi, Doug. With the addition of former Raps assistant Jim Todd on Leo's Canada Basketball staff it got me thinking about how many NBA coaches/assistants moonlight with national programs. I know Jay has had his gig with USA Basketball over the years. Is this a common practice? Also could you give us a list of your top five favorite assistant coaches in Raps history?

Darren A, Weyburn, Sask.

A: Not really common, no. The Americans, as you know, have some NBA talent on Coach K’s staff but for the most part, it’s retired guys who work with other national teams. Donnie Nelson did some work with Lithuanian one time, Del Harris was the head coach of China for a while but there really aren’t a lot.

My top five:

Stan Albeck is No. 1, Jim would be on the list, I got along really well with Butch Carter when he was an assistant, Brian James was a hard worker and a good guy and I’d put Alex English on my list, too.

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Q: Hi Doug. With the big three aging in Boston and the new big three teaming up in Miami, it got me thinking of a list topic.

Best 3somes in NBA history. And I don't mean from Wilt Chamberlain's autobiography.

Geoff R, London

A: Bird, McHale and Parish; Magic, Kareem and Worthy and I’ll save five older-time threesomes for a day in the regular blog because it’s a fun list.

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Q: Hi Doug. I have been wondering about that for quite sometime so why not ask the question even if it is naive. Thinking about Steve Nash back problems and thinking more generally of the physical abuses taken during a 10-12 year career in the NBA (including also all the years of training before that), what are the main and most common physical problems incurred by professional players. To put it in a nutshell, can these guys still run and jump a bit at 40?

Best wishes,

Michel C, Toronto

A: Not nearly as well at 40 as they could at 30. Most retired players I talk to tell me the big complaint, physically, is the toll that the game exacts on knees and ankles and backs. They really do take a pounding.

Oh and if you see an ex-player some time, check out his fingers. They’ve generally been broken or dislocated or banged up and are often quite ugly.

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Q: I hope you and your good friend, Stella, have found your way to a few patios this summer to enjoy the amazing weather we've been getting.

I just have a quick question that I'm hoping you would be able to answer. When a general manager is shopping a player and, let's say, Team X and Team Y are legitimately interested. After a few days of negotiating, Team X provides a better offer than Team Y. Would the general manager be inclined to call up Team Y and tell them that the player is headed to Team X? Or does Team Y hear the news the same way we all do?

I would think general managers would make a few courtesy calls, just to tell the other GM "sorry for taking your time, but the player's going to another team".

Thanks for answering my question. Enjoy the summer!

Dave R, Markham

A: I think most, if not all, general managers are honourable men and would have the courtesy to call and say, ‘you know, I liked what we had but I have a better deal that will help my team more so I’m going to take it.’ It’s the proper way to do business and since what goes around comes around, I think not ticking off a colleague is the best way to go and believe the vast majority of GMs would feel the same.

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Q: I have never really had the opportunity to watch an International basketball game. What are the key differences between an NBA game and an International game, and why does someone having international basketball experience help over someone that does not? I would think that if a team was stacked with NBA all-stars that they would typically roll over all the other teams, but that doesn't seem to always happen.

S S, Newmarket

A: There are a lot of differences, really. I’d say the biggest is that North Americans tend to play a more individual style, with lots of isolation and one-on-one play; European teams tend to have more ball and player movement.

And it has been shown that the very best NBA players on a team would win; but that a second-tier group will have trouble because there are some very good teams around the world who’ve had groups playing together for years.

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Q: This is a two parter - 1. How long is our TPE good for? Can we hold it for as long as we want say 1 - 5 years? And second is the 2011 going to be deep enough that if the Raptors do end in the basement, we can expect to see the possibility of a new franchise player coming to Toronto? And who are those people - Sorry 3 questions.

Greg A, London

A: A trade exception is good for one calendar year from the date on which it was created; I have no clue about the 2011 draft and it won’t cross my mind until at least next April, or even June, and I don’t know that you’ll ever see a “franchise player” because it seems they’ve been there, done that and had little success. I’d prefer they try to build, you know, a team.

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Q: Hey Doug. A non sports related question/comment. My wife and I do a lot traveling and we began to collect Starbucks global city mugs. It started on our honeymoon with Madrid, Barcelona and Paris. Ever since then we have been slowly adding to our collection. As I read your blog I realize you enjoy an adult beverage but also enjoy Starbucks. My question is do you collect city mugs to the NBA cities you visit?

Wesley C, Toronto

A: Nah, I’m not a collecting kind of guy. I do save credentials from various events that I’ll end up putting behind the bar in the house when it gets finished but as for knick-knacks, I don’t really do it. I prefer the memories kept in my mind.

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Q: Why are the Raptors holding onto Marcus Banks

Jason S, Atl

A: Um, two reasons: He’s an asset and there’s not a lot of GMs out there beating down the doors trying to obtain him. And I’m not sure what you’d like them to do with him? Let him go and still have to pay him?

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Q: Hi Doug,

Are you still cheering for the Storm? Haven't Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird and their teammates been great fun to watch? What an absolutely outstanding season they're having, and I hope word of their success has attracted new fans to the women's league. Now, last year the WNBA championship wasn't decided until nearly the last day of September, and if that's the case this year, (I tried, but couldn't find the WNBA 2010 playoff schedule online) it'll coincide with the preliminary round play of the FIBA womens tournament, which begin September 23. Do you happen to know if the WNBA has taken this into consideration? And if not, wouldn't this seriously affect the roster of the US team? Also, do you know if Lauren Jackson has committed to playing for Australia? Or Tammy Sutton-Brown for Canada?

Lorie P, London

A: I am still cheering for the Storm, just haven’t had a chance to see much of them lately for a few reasons. And I believe they’ve slightly altered the WNBA schedule so it won’t bother the worlds, given that so many of the women will go right from their North American season to their national teams.

Also haven’t had a chance to check with Tammy but I know the Canada Basketball people sure hope she does. But, she played in Turkey last winter, went from there to Indy and after a long WNBA season, she might need a break.

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Q: Hi Doug. I am going to be in town next week for the U15 & U19 Girls Nationals for basketball (I have a daughter on each team) and I was wondering if there is anything going on with the Raptors or the national team that would be open to the public? Hopefully we will have some time to see something (but hopefully not to much free time).

Thank you.

Dale L, Saskatoon

A: Ah, up at Humber College, are you? Just got the schedule.

There will be nothing with the Raptors, I’m afraid, but the national senior men’s team will be working out here at least some of the time, down at the ACC, and I imagine if you spoke to someone from Ontario Basketball they might be able to help you out.

Good luck.