Big deal and some big conflict coming this evening

Best.

Deadline Day.

Ever.

Really, how cool was it with all the stuff flying around Thursday afternoon?

I sure don’t remember one better.

-

There were a couple of big surprises around the league but none bigger than Boston moving Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green.

I’m a big Green fan but, for the life of me, I cannot imagine what Danny Ainge is thinking in Boston and I can also imagine there’s some angst over there among fans, and players.

If I’m going into the playoffs banking on Shaquille O’Neal to be healthy, I’m taking a huge, huge gamble and I know there was no indication that Perkins would re-sign in Boston this summer but aren’t the Celtics in a “win now” mode?

Of all the deals, that’s the one that’s going to have the greatest impact on who wins a title this year, I think.

And all of a sudden, the Thunder is a lot bigger and a lot tougher and they might have made the greatest strides toward immediate success of any team out there.

Thanks to that trade, I think both conferences got a little bit tougher to win.

And, to me, that’s what trades are all about.

-

I cannot wait for this to happen tonight.

Steve Nash is leading the break and the fans are waiting for something magical to happen.

He lofts a brilliant pass just over the out-stretched hand of a Raptor defender and the joint goes crazy with cheers.

Vince catches it, dunks and the fans stop mid-cheer to boo.

This has the makings of one of the most conflict-filled evenings in the arena I can remember.

-

Know what comes now?

The period when players who weren’t traded, or couldn’t be traded, and even some who were, are waived or bought out or told to go away and we start a whole new wave of roster changes.

And two of our old friends might be on the move, it appears.

Jason Kapono is sure to be bought out in Philly, and it’s equally sure some team will find a need for a guy who can still make a three-pointer (I’m looking at Boston and maybe Miami) and the word filtering out of Indy is that TJ Ford would welcome a departure if he knew he had somewhere to go.

Now we’re not talking about stars here but we are talking about guys who can help teams with specific needs and if you thought players engineering their own trades was an angst-causing issue, think about a guy getting paid and then waived so he can go where he wants.

-

All right. I’m standing there looking at this poster for Sportsnet’s stepsister network (the one a bunch of you can’t see at the moment) and there’s a picture of Andrea with the big, bold statement:

Intense One

And I’m thinking (besides “What kind of seizure did Danny Ainge suffer?):

Are there no truth in advertising standards or laws in this country?

-

Okay, not much time left because we have to get in touch with the winners this afternoon but there are still MGD Best Seats to be had for Sunday’s game against Dallas.

Three sets of four and entering is easy as clicking here and following the instructions. And the math question isn’t too hard. I couldn’t get it, but it’s not too hard.

Entries have to close at 10 a.m. so if you get here after that, sorry. But I know we’ll have at least one more night before the season ends.

-

What’s up with the Suns?

This is up with the Suns.

-

I was standing outside the locker room the other night after the Bulls game, chatting briefly with one of the Henchmen and, of course, the talk was of James Johnson and his somewhat impressive debut.

But the fellow looks over his shoulder as he walks and away and says,

“Give the other guy credit, he did a good job.”

And he’s right.

Lost amid the new-guy-starts-immediately scenario was how well Sonny took the news.

Kid was a pro about it; not that I expected him to sulk or anything (although that has indeed happened with others in the past) but he played hard and well and smart.

And people in the office noticed.

-

Let’s get a quick one out of mail.

Q: Hey Doug. Do you think that there will be anything in the new CBA that will make it easier for teams to keep their star players? It seems that the way players are orchestrating trades to teams of their choosing is bad for the league.

Jeffrey G, London

A: All I can say is they better.

The league’s reputation, which wasn’t stellar in some circles to begin with, has taken a hit with all the shenanigans about player movement of late and it has to be addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement.

It goes hand-in-hand with the need for a change in the economic landscape so that all teams can truly compete but some mechanism that makes it possible for teams to keep their players without paying through the nose is much needed.

The Decision and the free agent summer were bad enough, the six-month-long Anthony crap put it over the top.

-

Of course nothing happened with the HOTH at the deadline, just as we’d expected. Not only didn’t they have a lot to dangle (Reggie Evans hasn’t played in months, Leandro’s been banged up) but Bryan made it crystal clear the other night he’s not about to take on anything that would disrupt the long-term plan, which is to finish out the year with this young group, see if he can do something around the draft with the $9 million or so left from the Bosh trade exception and make a good pick.

Might make the final 24 games like the first 58 but that’s how it’s going to be.

-

Just when I though there were some athletes who were nuts, Charlie Sheen helps me cast an eye to Hollywood and think: “Some of those people are certifiable.”

-

Mail? Here. Doesn’t seem like there’s much over there.

-

Okay, how many of you giggled at the Bosh 1-for-18 night against the Heat Bulls? Be honest. Almost all of you, I bet.

Oh yeah, there’s this, too: Bosh misses 17 of 18 shots, his team loses and he finishes plus-2. Guess he had a good game?

-

 

 

Comments

[DMcCalgary]

@kelsey and all others who are incessant Bargnani bashers.
Isn't kind of ironic that you all shout about his defensive failings as reasoning why he isn't a legit #1 option, an exclusively offensive designation. Would you consider Carmelo Anthony a #1 option? Amare Stoudemire ?, Allen Iverson in his hayday leading the Sixers to the finals? Steve Nash? None will ever be named to an all defensive team.
-
In an ideal world, every athlete would be well balanced. That world exists in another universe though. Basketball is a team game, and it takes an often elusive blend of talent, focus and systems to produce a winner. I can't say whether or not Bargnani will ultimately be a piece of the puzzle that the Raptors find results in success, but he's a somewhat unique talent that keeps improving each year, and still presents the potential to be a major contributor to a winning formula. There's no question the Raps have a ways to go before they contend, but surely nobody thought this year was going to be anything other than developing and rebuilding post-Bosh. At the moment, Bargnani is part of that rebuilding, so I suggest that you find a way to focus a little more on the positives this current team presents, or find another team that you can cheer for. Maybe you prefer your daily dose of demonstrating superior managing than BC, superior coaching than JT, and superior writing than DS. I for one, enjoy a dissenting voice in the mix, but the same thing every day....

[kathyt]

"... Bosh missed so many wide open jumpers, he was terrible last night, but did play good defense and rebound...."

Huh? Seriously, played good defense? Were you at all watching the game last night?

[kelsey]

Go ahead kill me My mistake with comment about Bosh it was to read "didnt play defense but did rebound the ball" I will not defend
Bosh game play last nite at all.

It is purely opinion on different basketball minds.
I guess Boozer was on Chicago last year when they made playoffs or the year before as well?
Remember they have only played total of 9 games with Boozer, Rose and Noah all together. Remember how people said after 17 games that Bosh, James and Wade couldnt work?

Bargnani would get benched so fast by Chicago's coach as he cant manage defensive rotations!

@ CC I dont watch that neanderthal like sport of hockey
(So you know Im male, but only interested in females)

My opinion, I would take a guy who can get 10pts 15rbs and plays defense any day than a guy who can score 30pts and 2rbs with no defense. Not sure last NBA champ to have a skill set like Bargnani or a contender to say the least

[Jeff]

I think the Perkins for Green trade is actually good for both teams. Boston needs to inject some youth the in the lineup and Green at 6'9 is a versatile forward, a growing star. Considering Perkins may have been asking for too much cash, perhaps Green will be a better financial fit. Also take note for this year hasn't Perkins missed most of the season? Boston seemed to be fine. Shaq and O'neal will be rested until playoff time.

[Richard]

Doug,

I agree that it's hard to buy into the Danny Ainge rationale for the Perkins trade, given the rapidly closing window on a Celtic championship run with this group. But the first thing I thought when I heard about the trade was that somehow, some way, Shaq was behind it. I wonder if the peaceful co-existence of Shaq and Perk was about to be compromised by both being healthy and Shaq's ego being put to the ultimate test. All season Perk has expected to return to his starting role once he returned to the court. Shaq has been very convincingly saying all the right things about being a role player. But anyone who has been following NBA B-ball for the last 15 or so years will be familiar with Shaq's DQ... and I'm not talking ice cream, I'm talking Diva Quotient.
Pardon the conspiracy theorist in me but something smelled fishy when as soon as Perkins was ready to start, Shaq went down with minor injuries, rather than assuming the role of back-up to Perkins. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall Shaq coming off the bench for any extended period of time this season.
My theory is, a combination of Perkins' pending free agency, an opportunity to acquire Jeff Green, a belief that Shaq could remain healthy enough to make one last championship run (not a stretch really) and keeping locker room harmony on the run for the ring - by avoiding the inevitable scenario where Shaq's insatiable ego undermines the team focus on a championship, could all be enough to sway Ainge to pull the trigger on the Perkins deal.
Crazy as it sounds, it's the only way I can see that deal making sense for a team that wants/expects to win one last championship before re-tooling for the future.

[sam]

@kelsey - not an apologist - I just think Andrea offers something you rarely see in a big man - He can Score - I wouldn't make the trade straight up - Noah could be a good compliment though and brings things to the court that Andrea struggles with. I've said this before - There are very few perfect players. some do somethings extremely well - and somethings not so well. Andrea Can Score - He has shown he can defend, but not well enough to keep some folks happy -
As @doug the poster says - You take the Good with the Bad -

The Marquis Daniels Trade was confusing - the only thing I can think of is that it opened a roster spot for the Celtics - The Kings get cash - but give away a pick - There's doing a team a favour - but really can't see what in it for the Kings.

[james]

Doesn't Perkins for Green indicate Ainge is more worried about the Knicks (how to guard Anthony) than the Magic? However, I take your point that this may hurt Boston, to which I can only respond: Good!

[doug]

you know earlier in the year the Memphis Grizzlies had 2 players get in a fight on a flight over a card game...the team banned card games on team flights...people reacted even on here and said it was a over-reaction and blanket rules don't work....well this whole talk about the CBA and it needing to be improved and changed is to me hogwash...why change it??...what's it going to accomplish??...the most obvious reason used at present for a new CBA is the Heat...well have they accomplished anything yet??, are they the model in which to build a winning team?...they were a one time thing, as it was the confluence of a once in a lifetime FA class that won't happen again for a long time...if the present CBA is broken can someone explain to me how a team like the Thunder came about, and is thriving?, maybe through smart management and proper utilization of assets, it's not rocket science...players no more dictate where they go then management does , as this quote from Pierce sums about Perkins it up quite well..

Pierce also said this is an example of how the ruthlessness of the NBA cuts both ways.

"It's the nature of the business," he said. "People thought LeBron James was cold for leaving Cleveland the way it is. This is an example of how it happens on the management end. You can't get mad at the players because it can happen to them unexpectedly, just like a player can go where he wants. It's just the nature of the beast."

so to radically change the CBA is a knee-jerk reaction and to those that point out the NBA has had only so many champions in the last 20 years or so compared to other sports is just a ignorant statement as they don't understand how the NBA operates. The NBA at it's core is unique in that you basically run 7 guys out there on any given night, in the NFL you have a multitude from offensive players, to defensive to special teams, in Hockey you have 15 key guys, in baseball 9 starters, for more starters, relievers etc...but in b-ball out of those 7 guys, 2 or 3 are the basis of your team if your lucky ...that's it, so if you get a Kobe in the draft then like it or not and no matter what system is in place your going to be a good team, plain and simple..plus at present you have that player for 5 years ..the Raps had Bosh for 7....so really is it the CBA's fault that a team can't build a contender or put in place the parts to try and do so in that length of time?...I don't think it so, it's managements...so to change the CBA is the owners excuse for saving money, and that alone because the system isn't broke at all...Curt Flood and Andy Messersmith fought to get rid of this player servitude to owners...players can be traded at any time, so in turn they should have the right to be extended the same courtesy at some point in time and right now 5 years is not only ample but fair...is any new cap structure or franchise tag system going to change anything?, no, as the nature of the game in the NBA dictates how things work, not the CBA, the NBA is a star driven league for a reason..not due to players, CBA, or whatever it's due to the game itself...

[GM]

* "...the Thunder is a lot bigger and a lot tougher and they might have made the greatest strides ..." There's a great reason right there why singular team nicknames shouldn't be allowed! The Thunder is/they might. Argh.
* As an official Bargnani apologist (or Appoligist to some of the less literate), I think you're only asking for more Bargnani bashing when you throw cheap shots out there, Doug. Sure, Bargnani isn't the most intense and I'm not suggesting you just sing his praises, but it's the snide digs that the official Bargnani haters use as fuel.
* Would I trade Bargnani for Noah? I hate hypotheticals because what does this even mean? Am I the GM of the current Raptors? If so, maybe, but not one for one. There's have to be other good players coming back. As a fan, no way. But that's just my personal bent. I've always preferred good offensive players to good defensive players. Is Noah going to get better? I doubt it. Is Bargnani, it's possible.Right now if you made that trade one for one, would the Raptors be better? I don't think they'd win more games but they'd be better defensively (and really awful to watch). Would the Bulls be better? You betcha.
* Sonny better take the news well because he's not an established NBA starter. He's been lucky he's been starting this year. If anything, as many have said, sometimes a move to the bench and competition brings out the best in a player. Now he wants to show that he should still be a valued member of the team and show other teams that he deserves to be in the league.
* I sure got a giggle out of Bosh's line last night. And even though I don't agree that +/- is useless, his +2 doesn't mean he had a good game. You can't just look at that stat and ignore everything else. What it tells me is that even though he stunk up the joint on offense, his team wasn't hurt by it so much when he was on the floor. Maybe other guys were getting his putbacks. Maybe the Bulls weren't scoring at the other end. But it doesn't mean Bosh had a good game. That's just silly to discount the stat that way. It would be good if you asked players/coaches/scouts/management types who don't discount +/- why they like it and what they think it offers. Do a pros and cons of the stat. There must be some pros.
* You've implied many times that Barbosa isn't part of the future of this team, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. He's a not-too-old veteran presence who's played some big playoff games in his career, who can still play, plays hard, and has a great attitude. I'd say that's exactly the type of player who should be teamed up with the young guys to show them how to be professionals.
* I'm a big fan of booing, but with Turkoglu as the most current boo-able former player (and I like Turk!), it seems so passe to boo Vince now. Too bad Turk wasn't still on the Suns. When do the Magic play in Toronto? Looking forward to that.

[kelsey]

@kathyt read my other comment, dwell on my mistake if you choose.

@DMcCalgary...As a Raptor fan you have to dwell on Bargnani, he is there so called #1 player. Everyone always says unique talent, yes he is excellent scorer but what else? rebounder no, defense no, energtic team mate no, leader no..What elese. Im simply saying he is scoring good this year, contract is not scary enough for a GM to bite. Again my point it has not worked for the last 5 years, his defense I would say is worse and so is rebounding. ONly thing better shot selection and less 3's

How dare you mention Bargnani and Carmelo, Nash or Amare in the same breath!!! Yes none of them have good defense but they apply so much pressure and intensity. What good team could you insert Bargnani take out #1 scorer and the team be as good????

@ Doug...Well if you say Bargnani is a fine player Im not sure which games your watching. If you say fine scorer, then I agree.

Its not about bashing Bargnani its about whats best for this team!!!!

I just put the trade scenario out there for conversation (again Chicago would never do it), its funny how most of you rather have a guy who can score 30 and give up 45. I see Noah guarding point guards and I mean defense.

[Anthony]

It always comes back to Bargnani, doesn't it? Noah for Bargnani would be bad for sure for Toronto. Give up your best scorer for someone who will battle with Amir and Ed Davis for rebounds and make already the worst 3 point and outside shooting team even worse.....

Pay attention to almost every competitive game the Raptors have played (i.e. wins and close losses) and the fact is Bargnani played well in almost everyone and his defense was at least passable when engaged..... He could be scary good on Chicago.

Now can you just imagine a 1-for-18 shooting night for Bargnani in a 4 point loss and the venom for Bargnani. Would he be allowed through customs upon his return????

[Jack]

If the advertisers took away the "IN" in "INTENSE", that would have been more appropriate.

[Bill]

@ Kent: "Noah for Bargnani would be a bad trade for both teams."

So is an Amir Johnson for Dwight Howard trade.

[james]

Another note RE Perkins for Green: I think Richard may have nailed it. Love the concept of DQ.

[Jim Rootham]

+2 for Bosh on the Heat is inadequate. He is averaging 10.8, so 2 is a terrible game.

What arguments against +/-? I haven't seen any around here. There's just the bald statement that it is irrelevant, or people pointing at games like Bosh's. Those statements are not arguments.

The +/- team stat is a measure of team success (over 1 game, the very definition of success). The individual +/- is a measure of team success while the player is on the floor. How can that be irrelevant? I realize there is no obvious connection to what the player does, and over short periods of time a player can be carried by the rest of his team. However, over significant playing time and a variety of team mates, it is a very good measure of value, at least if you are comparing members of the same team. If you want to compare players on different teams it needs adjusting.

A +5 player on a -5 team is almost certainly a better player than a +5 player on a + 10 team.

Is it perfect? No. Does it need significant adjustments when comparing players on different teams? Yes. Do these problems make it useless? No.

[Kent]

@ GM. I will have to disagree that Bargnani would make the Bulls better. Relax, this is not a Bargnani bashing session; this is more about Noah. The Bulls are possibly going to play the Heat and the Celtics 14 times this spring. They need someone who will bang and whose motor never stops. That's Noah. When I watch a Heat-Celtics or Celtics-Bulls game, I cannot even imagine Bargnani being out there. It's one thing to score 20, 25, 30 on those teams in a regular season game in Feburary; it's another to compete and to be willing to do everything you can to win in May. Willingness to do anything and everything is Noah's game.

[sam]

@kelsey you can argue your point for as long a you want -but there comes a time when you need to appreciate what a guy can do and accept what he can't do. Andrea's weakness on defense is well documented. Your point has been made consistently. You stated too many times to mention - okay, pretty much every day - that the team won't get better until BC - Andrea - Jose and Jay are gone.

A team evolves play to play - game to game and season to season. Here's the thing; todays team won't be next seasons team. You'll have your core players - plus what ever trades or free agent signings are brought in. They might find a lockdown centre to rebound and compliment Andrea's offensive abilities -

[Lorie]

@Richard:
Your explanation (and introduction for me) of the Diva Quotient was very intersting. Of all the statistics that are debated here ad nauseum about rankings, ratings and fantasy rosters, I'd really enjoy hearing more - and accompanied by an excruciatingly detailed breakdown with backstories and photos, too! - of each players' DQ! (Hey, as they say: if you can't say anything nice about someone - well, come and sit beside me!) Plus/minus be damned! This stat has some juice!

[J]

@kelsey:

"If you had a chance to trade Bargnani for Noah would you do it????"

Yes, duh. But does it really matter? With you (and some others), everything can only be black and white -- either I hate Bargnani or I'm an apologist right?

[DMcCalgary]

@Jim Rootham
+/- arguments: I've no inclination to delve into a detailed description of the folly of comparing individual +/- when the circumstances surrounding each players' time on the court can be so different: teammates on the floor, opponents on the floor, score, timing in the game, etc., but using last nights Bulls/Heat game as an example, Bosh was +2, Wade was -4 (with 34 pts, on 12/24 FGAs, 8 RB, 2 Asts, 2 St)......... Rose was -2, Asik was +17. What do these +/- stats tell you? That Wade and Rose should have been benched?

[J]

@Chris:

"do you have any insight as to why a team like Sacramento would prefer a player who likely won't play this year and could walk in the off season over having $ in their bank?
Am I missing something? What benefits could there be for this transaction?"

It depends on how much cash was sent back? Daniels only makes ~$2.5 mil this season, and since roughly 2/3 of the season has already passed by, Sacremento would only be on the hook for ~$800,000. I bet the cash more than covers Daniels' remaining salary, so they're essentially being paid to save the Celtics some moolah (luxury tax). Win-win for both teams.

[The J]

A rock could be +2 in a lineup with Wade and Lebron. I believe they said 1 for 23 was the all-time worst, so he wasn't far off. For all those who think Triano should be benching players who are ineffective, Bosh was still in the game until the dying seconds.

Will be at the game giving my vocal chords whiplash from cheering for Nash and Booing Vince. But I will feel a little let down. I am so bored with booing Vince, and I had been looking forward to booing Hedo.

As stated by another poster earlier, this is why Sacramento made the Daniels trade:
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/25347/kings-below-75-percent-of-cap

[kelsey]

@ kent ...I strongly agree with your point. Noah is a player that you dont find that often , talk about rare, no he wont score 25 every night, but rest assured teams game plan is not to attack him on defense. You can measure his hussle and effort.

Honestly I boggles me to think that people on here think Bargnani would be scoring 25pts night on a contending team, he wouldnt get the minutes as he is a defensive liability and always will.

Again Raptors put up nearly 100pts or more every night and they loose, Most people who are pro Bargnani have fallen in the Colangelo trap...Colangelo has ZERO RINGS AND NO FINALS APPERANCES!!!!! NONE AS A GM!!! why puts together teams with bad defense!!! Its proven defense wins championships!!

My basic point is that Raptors are rebuilding...This is arm chair GM talk (again because CHICAGO WOULD NEVER TRADE NOAH FOR BARGNANI)
I would trade Bargnani for Noah in a second as there will be scorers (DeRozan getting better) and other moves etc. Im sick of seeing teams pick directly on Raptors poor defense.

I keep hearing Bargnani has upside, where??????? we know he can score what else???

****ANOTHER QUESTION TO ALL >>> Who will be a ALL STAR for 1st Bargnani or Noah????

[J]

@kelsey:

" its funny how most of you rather have a guy who can score 30 and give up 45."

It's funny how each time you bash Bargnani, your figures change. What will it be next time, score 25 and give up 60? You can make valid arguments against Bargnani without being ridiculous.

[Matt M]

I think I will start a Bargnani apologist club. If for nothing else then to piss of Raptor fans.