A far-from-earth-shattering trade, and they played a game

Hmm, been a week, I kind of forget what we do here.

It’ll come to me, I’m sure.

Oh, yeah. Right.

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THREE POINTERS

What was that?

So, I’m perched on one couch, Super Son’s over on the other one and I swear I looked up and saw Sonny Weems take – and make – a three-pointer.

I rubbed my eyes, shook my head, knocked the potato chip dust off my chest and watched the replay.

Yes, it was a three-pointer.

Considering it was his first make from distance in 14 games, you can see my surprise.

I don’t mean to single out Sonny because DeMar’s no better but when your starting wings are absolutely no threat to shoot three-pointers, that’s an issue.

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Is it his time?

Watched with interest when Jay gave Alexis Ajinca some extended minutes last night and went with a four-man bigs rotation, which is generally against form.

I haven’t seen enough of Ajinca to have much of an opinion of him but with the last 25 games of the season upon us, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jay ran out four big men more often than not to see what he’s got in the intriguing 7-footer.

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Big night, or not?

Yes, Jerryd Bayless had 10 assists against the Bobcats, first time he’s got to double figures in a game in 11 games, and that’s maybe a sign that his decision-making point guard skills are getting better.

Then you remember the four turnovers in a short run in the first half and, well, maybe not.

He is still a work in progress and I don’t think we know anything more about his long-term future today than the day the Raptors acquired him.

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Some other things?

A few.

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I love the people here.

(Some of them)

Raptors make a minor trade and everyone’s up in arms and people should be fired, and it’s impossible to believe they couldn’t have received more and we’re talking about a guy who might be a bit player on a 15-41 team, for goodness sakes.

But I will say this

I would much rather have a kid, James Johnson, with a year and half of NBA experience and a year and a year a bit left on his contract than the 28th pick in what might be a lockout-chilled bad draft that you’d have to give three guaranteed years to.

I have no idea if James Johnson can play, no one does because he’s barely been on the floor, and the folks who are excited are just as likely to be right as those who are disappointed.

It was a minor deal at basically no cost, why not make it?

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I hope we get a deadline day blockbuster here like we did Feb. 20, 1997.

That was the day they moved Acie Earl to Milwaukee for Shawn Respert, an earth-shattering move if ever there was one.

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One more on the Johnson deal.

If I’m Sonny Weems or Julian Wright, I’m not signing any long-term leases.

Not that I thought either would be back but Johnson doesn’t make much money ($1.8 million next season), you know Bryan sees the same issues at small forward as all of us do and Johnson’s a guy who probably vaults past Weems and Wright (both of whom have no contract guarantees for next year) right away.

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Oh, what’d they say in Charlotte about that rather boring and predictable game?

This is what they said.

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Did you hear?

Carmelo Anthony got traded!

Yeah. To New York!

And thus closes one of the more unseemly stretches in NBA Transaction History, thankfully.

But what’s it mean on the court?

Well, I guess there’s no question the Knicks are better and, eventually, they might be able to challenge Atlanta for fifth best in the East behind Boston, Chicago, Miami and Orlando.

They have star power now, and that seems to be what they love in New York more than anything else, and the Knicks may improve in the long run. But right now? Right now they have a bunch of defensively-average scorers who’ll have to learn to share the ball, run whatever system it is that Mike D’Antoni runs and hope that no one gets hurt because the bench is even worse than it was.

The Knicks, as a basketball-playing franchise, have been irrelevant for years. They are no longer as irrelevant as they were; I’m just not sure how much better they’ll be in the long run.

And the one thing we have learned more than anything else since this sorry saga began is this:

It’s all about the money for Carmelo Anthony. Forget winning in Denver or waiting until the summer to find a better place to make a championship run as a free agent.

This was about the $65 million extension and forcing a way to get it and move on.

He showed his true colours all the way: Pay me. Or else.

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KC Johnson on the Bulls and the trade and what’s going on with that club.

Read it all here.

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Oh yeah, as least the arrival of James keeps the Raptors’ Johnson quote at two since it means the end of Trey.

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And since the guy’s coming here this week and it’s trade time, too, let’s do this:

Q: The question and response in today's mailbag about Steve Nash spurred me on to another question regarding him. Numerous times this year, I've read that he should be given an opportunity to play for a ring by getting traded to a contender. My question is, would he even accept such a trade? He seems very happy playing in Phoenix, where he's a god. In addition to other factors, I get the impression Grant Hill chose to stay there because of Steve. Do you think he's the least bit interested in being traded? If not, do you think he'd retire if he was?

D M, Calgary

A: I don’t think, at the moment, that Nash has any interest whatsoever in being dealt, I think he enjoys his teammates, his city, his challenge and at no time in the 20 years or so that I’ve known and covered him did I think he was a guy who’d throw up his arms and bail on a situation.

Now, this summer might be a different story, but that’s a long time and a collective bargaining agreement away.

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Yes, we’re here tonight at 7 for an IGBT; please join us, it’ll be fun. Honest.

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And if you’ve got mail …. Well, you know what to do.

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Comments

[kelsey]

Ive been saying it all year TRIANO is not a good all around coach, it cant be the players, they have had 20+ in last couple years!!! Its the system and players..Can anyone truly say that Triano has made this team better defensively? @Kent Ok, now for the Bargnani appoligist's if this the teams best player and 5th best scorer in Feb, why doesnt it transfer into wins? because his defense and teams defense is terrible!!! I dont want to hear about points Bargnani scores unless its for Fantasy Basketball!!

Wake up Raptor Nation, We Need to Move Bargnani and Calderon, because they could actually get us players back due to contracts(DeRozan rookie contract, Weems minimal pay, Davis Rookie Contract and has a future, Klezia a dud,Barbosa a has been on and on)

Im tired of hearing that players just want money. I believe many of these players have made enough money and are tired of being teased by collegues and other NBA legends that they have no rings.

So when these players go where they want and think they can win there, commend them. At least you know they will be trying hard to win.

[kelsey]

Forgot to mention Colangelo has always put together teams with coaches that have NO DEFENSE!!!!

Im sure most of you are tired of hearing Triano excuses, "The guys gave effort" every damn game he says that.. Nice guy fine, but nice does translate into wins!!!

This team needs new regime with Young Ones ( Amir, Davis and Derozan, leave out Weems)

Bargnani very talented, not for this team, Calderon talented but not for this team..Also where has Calderon's shot going, cant have a point guard who only gets like 6-8pts a night.. Ast high yes, but its bad right now!!!

Blogger's note: Please, take a deep breath, count to 10. Okay?

[Jack]

@doug (the poster)
Your argument for Bargnani is that he's the team's leading scorer. True. But that's his only "asset" to the team. He's an atrocious defender. Yes, he scores 25 points a game but he gives up 28 points a game. Case in point. LaMarcus Aldridge. 38 points when he played against the Raptors. Bargnani was guarding him most of the time. Ben Wallace, a notorious non-scorer. 20 points when Bargnani guarded him. Yes, Bargnani is the leading scorer, but when he makes 25-30 attempts per game, some of them might fall in. When he's out of his funk, when he's shooting 5-for-28 and he offers no defense, what good is he? Do you think teams like Chicago, who has one serviceable center in Noah would want him? What would Tom Thibodeau do with him? That guy preaches defense. Would Charlotte want him? Oak would go crazy.
Look at his overall game, not just his scoring. Because sometimes, his scoring disappears.

[Eddy]

Kelsey you just have to relax, like the wise masters, and then learn to see the master plan that is at work and in motion. One that will have the rest of the league, stupid enough to load up on expensive super stars, begging Toronto for mercy in two years when all these young guys are stars.

Have faith.

[doug]

@kelsey well your taking that much needed deep breath....and you say your tired of these Barg's apologists, ..and that he plays no defense, blah,blah,blah....what puzzles me is this, many of these Barg bashers are also upset that we have fallen further behind in the east now that the Knicks have Melo...well what confuses me is this, it hasn't happened too often where I have heard the words Melo and "good defense" in the same sentence..if at all...just saying...he averages around 3 points more a game and just over 1 rebound more then Barg's...again just a observation...

[doug]

@Jack it's been mentioned many times before on here, Barg's isn't a center and is out of position on many nights...so those comparisons are moot in my eyes, i just posted a rebuttal to @kelsey, do any of you guys watch any other games in the league??, the big deal of the week has been Melo and that has put raps nation into a state of angst...well as i pointed out Melo plays little defense, and averages 3 pts more a game and 1 rebound more then Barg's.....so come on if you want to be serious or be taken serious look around the league and take off your blinders...there's many examples of players not "playing defense"...and please don't use numbers on head to head match-ups to base any argument on, if you watch and know b-ball it's a fool's game, ...

[GM]

@ kelsey, you can't have it both ways. On the one hand, you seem to say Triano can't teach defense. On the other hand, you say Bargnani can't play defense. If the former is true, we can't know if the latter is true. If the latter is true, maybe the former isn't true. Maybe under a defensive-minded coach, Bargnani would be a much better defensive player. Maybe with defensive-minded players, Triano would be a much better defensive coach.

[JW]

Doug, was there ever any interest on Oakley's part to become a coach with Toronto? I seem to remember something to that effect but I'm not sure. Also, considering his ties to Toronto, if there was interest on his part do you have any insight as to why the raps didn't bite?

[doug]

it's going to be so much fun on this blog the day after the draft when people react to who the Raptors take...draft express for once is dead-on...can anyone say hello to another Euro player...be the perfect fit for this team, this dude will be in a raps uni...http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jonas-Valanciunas-5622/

[Zombywoof]

Hey, I hear the Raptors games are being moved to the new rotisserie channel! Dead ducks twisting on a spit!

Blogger's note: Then go waste someone's time over there instead of making me kill precious seconds reading this stuff. Thanks

[Ian Murray]

I've been following this blog since it started and have always liked your coverage since you've been following this team, but it really seems like you're letting this stuff get to you. I realize you want to defend yourself, but talking down to your readers (and actually insulting some of them) seems like the wrong way to go. Anytime you put something on the internet you open yourself to anyone reading and commenting on it. For every loyal reader who enjoys what you do and thanks you there are going to be 2 who like to nitpick, point out faults and be complete a**hole. Why do you respond to it? Putting a Blogger's Note under a comment just to slam someone or tell them you know more about basketball then they do seems petty and sinking down to their level. I understand this is a gnarly market and fans get overly passionate for some reason, but they are fans. And these fans are the ones that make this probably the most read Raptors blog in Toronto (maybe Canada). Enjoy the ride and if you don't like a comment just post it and ignore it. Cheers!

[Zombywoof]

Very snarky all day and in the IGBT too. You need a libation. Anyway, I think I just saw a couple of those birds flap their wings. Hee!

[J]

So much angst. Wow. Some people need to really lighten up.

@John: With that snark and wit, you really ought to start your own blog.

@Jack: I love when people say "case in point", quote two examples and pretend it verifies the initial point. Anecdotal much? If you're going to quote stats, at least use those readily available to you. As of January 19th (alas, that is the last 82games.com update), Bargnani scores at a rate of 29.2 points per 48 minutes and gives up 22.2 points per 48 minutes. The kicker, of course, is that the 22.2 points are scored at a more efficient clip than the 29.2. Use that if you want, but don't make up crap like "he scores 25 points a game but he gives up 28 points a game"; just makes you look bad.

[frankyD]

look at the past and discover the future
this is going hard to hear my toronto's friend but if you onestly look at the past
of the basket organization in toronto you can understand that
your/our onkly chance to keep good players here is to get them
form europe, so they will less likely tempted to go back to
us home, as all the very good player that were in toronto did
i can already tell you not to built and trust to much in DeMar
he just cant wait to go back to LA
and onestly gainin the same amount of money where wd you play guys?
in the hot and cool cali or here in the cold canada?
live quality does it matter and sorry 4 u but have the possibility to live
under the sun for 12 months every year ds it count, not to speak about be closer to your friend and family, gain US and not canadian $
maybe its time to b realistic and prey that bargs develop to a REAL player
and keep him, and hope that DD will not improove to much or he is gone as every other us player that drove trough toronto
PS its an italian point of view so its prolly wrong but... just look at the past
from vince to bosh ciao guys