Some game, some Oscars and a first plea for help

That Dallas team’s pretty good, isn’t it?

Even when the HOTH rattled off 18 points in a row early, there was a feeling the tide would eventually turn and did it ever.

But I imagine a lot of you were off watching the Oscars when it did so …

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THREE POINTERS

A new handler

Must have been half a dozen times or so Sunday that we saw James Johnson grab a rebound and take off leading a break, sometimes even waving off Jose to tell him to get up the floor.

And everyone’s fine with it.

All season long, Jay’s been talking about wanting a second ball-handler on the floor for exactly those instances so they can get going into their offence without having to wait for whichever point guard is on the floor to go back and get the ball.

Now, it’d be nice if DeMar (who is a relatively bad rebounder for someone so athletically gifted) was able to help out a little bit, too, but Johnson is giving the team exactly what it needs with his ability to get out in transition.

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The Spanish Rodman?

I’m not sure how some of you are going to blame this on Andrea’s deficiencies on the glass, but somehow Jose Calderon led the team in rebounding Sunday with eight.

It took some deep delving into the history books to find out that, no, it wasn’t the first time that had happened. Well, I guess technically it was; he once tied Bosh with a team-best nine boards in a 2005 overtime game against Washington.

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New looks?

Jay said the moves were made as much out of necessity as anything but we were treated to some odd groupings in that Dallas game.

James Johnson in the front court with Ed Davis because Amir Johnson and Alexis Ajinca were in a little bit of foul trouble; Jose with Bayless and Barbosa at one point when they decided to go super small and DeMar needed a break on night where Sonny had nothing.

Now, I don’t imagine we’re going to see a lot of that but as the final quarter of the season unfolds I’m also sure we’ll be treated to a few moments of experimentation.

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There’s more, of course.

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I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

I’ve had a bit of a crush on Melissa Leo since she was on Homicide, Life In The Street (an excellent show that also gave us John Munch) and now that she’s in Treme (another one that’s a virtual must-see for me and it should be for you), she’s sill a big fave.

So when I heard it was her who dropped the F bomb on the Oscars, I’m thinking, ‘yes, I have good taste in unrequited crushes.’

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There was an interesting question in the mail yesterday that kind of got short shrift and got me to thinking more last night.

It had to do with the possibility – remote that it may be – of the Raptors buying out Reggie Evans.

I still don’t think it’ll happen, no one from the team has ever broached the subject even in private conversation but, at some level, doesn’t it make a bit of sense?

In a perfect world, Reggie comes back, grabs his dozen rebounds a game, the Raptors win a bunch of games and have all kinds of momentum going into the post-season.

We do not live in a perfect world.

So, in order to keep giving Ed Davis the minutes he’s been getting, and to run Alexis Ajinca out there every now and then to see what he’s got, maybe a Bye Bye Reggie Buyout is on someone’s mind.

But, as I said, no one’s brought it up even in passing so I don’t think anything will happen.

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Mr. Sefko reports on Sunday’s game thusly in the cyber-pages of the Dallas Morning News.

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Speaking of buyouts, things are going to have to happen quickly in a lot of cities because deals have to be done by March 1 in order for the bought-out players to have post-season eligibility if they sign somewhere else.

I know it’s a sore point for many but benefits to the team losing a player would include saving a few bucks over the last six weeks of the season as well as creating playing time for young kids they want to take a look at for the future. Oh, and I guess there’d be some goodwill generated and that’s never a bad thing, either.

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I had a feeling Griff might hit a homer with his reminiscences of Duke Snider.

He didn’t let me down, as you can read here.

And how many of you were like me: Soon as you heard of his passing, you started humming the song Talking Baseball.

You know the one:

Willie, Mickey and the Duke.

Yeah, that one.

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Okay, here we go.

London time.

I’m not going to have a lot of spare time early in the trip with the back-to-back games Friday-Saturday, stuff to do Thursday but there should be lots of chance Sunday and Monday to do things.

Now, I’ve seen the Cabinet War Rooms (fascinating) and the palace and stuff so I’m looking for other must-see stuff and recommendations.

Take into account we’re staying at Canary Wharf and I have no idea where that is in relation to anything but I’ll take whatever you’ve got.

And offer thanks already.

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Stevie Boy continues to do good work as the ace shutterbug.

You can see what he produced, here.

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I cannot wait for the breathless, unrelenting breakdown of the “third line left-winger for 17-year-old pimply prospect” stuff today.

Part of me hopes there isn’t a single trade all day and some of you can watch insiders call each other on their cell phones on TV.

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The Goods On The Game Mavs at Raptors

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome back for some more real professional men's basketball.

A quick look into the mail

Told you I’d be a bit late.

Have at this for now; I’ve saved some for the middle of the week when I lose a day or so travelling.

See some of you tonight, game’s at 6, remember?

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Q: Hi Doug. In light of the blowout versus the Suns on Friday, I was wondering if it is easier to write a piece when there is a blowout (for either team - e.g. can start writing before the game ends?) or when it is a close match (more to talk about, perhaps)?

Diego S, Toronto

A: Personally, all things being equal with regards to deadlines, I prefer a close game with lots of different plays and issues to talk and write about. It lends itself a better narrative than some blowout that’s decided early, like Friday’s game was.

But I’m also not sure either is “easier” but you still need to find some kind of interesting angle to develop that people don’t already know about.

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Q: Doug. We all appreciate the great work you do covering the Raptors. In your articles, blogs, IGBT, you seem not to express emotions about our HOTHC. I am curious, are you a Raptors fan or simply a sports journalist covering the Raptors?

 A T, Niagara Falls

A: A fan of the team? No, not at all. I enjoy the game and the sport and a lot of the people connected to it but I am not a Raptors “fan” at all. I am a fan of good stories well told.

 

Q: Hi Doug. Weird question -- what happens if a ref falls ill or gets injured during a game. Is there a so-called 'bench' of refs? And have you ever seen this happen?

Thanks!

 

Kevin O, Waterloo

A: I’ve never seen it happen but I know it has, with refs getting sick or pulling a muscle or whatever. In the regular season, they’d just go through the game with two; in the post-season there are backups on site.

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Q: Hi Doug, an NBA history question for you... Why have teams that have moved kept their same team names? New Orleans/Utah Jazz, Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies? Would Oklahoma City be the Sonics if not for the name being allowed to stay in Seattle as part of the relocation deal? There has to be a WHY. These names are as ridiculous as imagining the Washington Expos or Colorado Nordiques!

Fergie F, Kitchener

A: Not sure there is a specific why but I bet the fact that when those teams moved, well, the Lakers and Jazz in particular, there wasn’t such a concern with marketing and the “brand.”

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Q: Hi Doug. When you watch youth sports it is usually pretty obvious who the best players are right away. Is it the same in the NBA?

Obviously Lebron or Dwight Howard stand out from the crowd, but what about a perennial all-star like Ray Allen, Deron Williams or Steve Nash, who aren't physically different, but have superior skills and/or mental approach?

Should it be pretty obvious to Raptors fans when we have a player here again that will be a perennial all-star?

Thanks,

 

Greg M, Halifax

A: I don’t think it should be obvious, no. Players blossom at different times in their careers and it takes time to find out who’s going to be quite good. I’m not saying there’s an all-star on this team but there might be.

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Q: Hey Doug, Who's the odd (big) man out when Reggie returns? Does Alabi go to the D-League again? Would they cut Dorsey?

Thanks

 

Francis L, Saskatoon

A: No, no one’s going to go to the D League although I presume, when Reggie’s back, Alabi goes on the inactive list for each game.

As for the minutes, here’s a direct quote from Jay on Saturday on the impact Reggie’s return will have on Amir Johnson and Ed Davis:

“They’ve both played well and we’re going to have to try to manage minutes for him and for the two of them … but different things happen and we’ll deal with it when we know he’s got the 100 per cent clean bill of health.”

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Q: When a player goes through an extended shooting slump, you often hear of him sticking around after practice or on off-nights putting up hundreds of extra shots trying to get it right. With Calderon's slump, I haven't heard such things (which, granted, doesn't mean he's not doing it; just that we haven't heard). I know he's a new father. If he isn't putting in the extra time, is that a reason why? He wants (or has to) get home to be with his baby?

 

G M, Vancouver

A: I wouldn’t say he’s putting in a lot of extra time, there are some tugs at home, as I think most could understand. And I’m not sure you’d say “gym rat” even at the best of times with Jose so I guess it’s a matter of what works for which player.

Quiet crowd, boring game but all kinds of fun for you here

Yeah, I know. I’m a bit later than usual, funny what can happen when you hit an alarm and roll over. Kinda like it, actually.

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

Pffft

That was the feeling around the arena last night, at least from this vantage point as the night fizzled right off the bat.

Oh, sure, there were some boos and the odd catcall for the one guy and lots of cheers for the other one but there really wasn’t the kind of raw emotion either way.

Guess that’s attributable to the 35-point first quarter the Suns hung on ‘em, rendering the final 36 minutes basically meaningless. Or maybe – just maybe, hopefully, please, please, please – many people are finally past the issue with the one guy? Could that be possible?

One can only hope.

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A tough night for Jose

Kind of a double-edge sword last night, as Jay explained.

Because the Suns show hard with a big on high screens, there weren’t going to be an awful lot of opportunities for him to come off and shoot but three field goal attempts is not enough.

This is a bit of a “duh!” statement but this team needs good, solid point guard play, especially scoring, if it’s going to have a chance. Everyone knows it, most of all the coach:

“He’s trying to distribute the basketball but he’s got to make shots … he’s got to shoot the ball. Even if he misses shots, by shooting it and people knowing he’s a good shooter, it’ll stretch defences for us. But right know, they’re just playing off him.”

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Keeping you up to date

Because there doesn’t seem to have been three points really worth talking about, how about a Reggie update because, well, because we haven’t had one in hours.

He’s supposed to take part in a full practice Saturday and, who knows, if he comes through it well, he could be in uniform before we head off to London on Wednesday.

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A wee bit more?

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Yes, we have winners, or at least I’m told we do, for the tickets for tomorrow. We had about 1,400 entries that came in over the course of a day or so, thanks so much for giving it a shot.

As I recall, we’ve got a couple of games left thanks to the MGD Best Seats folks, a Milwaukee one in March and – get this! – the Miami game to end the season.

See some of you – I hope – tomorrow.

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Oh, and Stevie Boy, crack photographer, was at the game Friday snapping off a few frames (or whatever phrase they use these days) and this is what he came up with.

Some good stuff here.

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Now, here’s something you don’t see every day. And something I haven’t seen since my time in Imzir in the summer.

A Muslim call to prayer in the middle of the Air Canada Centre atrium.

Yep, during a post-shootaround, pre-game walk from the press room to Starbucks, there was a group of about 20 kneeling and praying.

Nothing wrong with it; just seemed entirely out of place with a couple of dozen gawkers passersby wandering around.

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I promise I won’t make any wry statements about Andrea in any way, shape or form for a day or two because I don’t want you people yelling at each other.

Yikes, some of you were quite, um, disgruntled Friday, weren’t you?

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I have no idea what’s going on with the Pistons but what happened Friday might be the most despicable thing I’ve heard of in my 16 years covering a team in this league.

Five guys blowing off shootaround to protest the coach? That’s terrible.

I know things are bad there, every time I see the Pistons someone connected with the team tells me how much the players and coach don’t like each other and how ugly it is, but to stage a walkout on a game day is as big a slap in the face as there can be.

I wish there was a way the franchise could bench all of those guys for the rest of the year, tell them to sit there and shut up and watch. Trouble is, they’d still get paid, the other guys would suffer for getting beaten down on the floor every night and it’d only get uglier.

There’s a new owner coming in and if I was him what I would do the first day on the job is fire everyone.

Whack the GM, let the coach go, waive the players, cut the ones who have contracts and let the ones who are free agents leave right away.

It’d be costly but it might send a message to the fans that this kind of crap won’t be tolerated.

Don’t imagine it’ll happen, seems to be too bold an idea, but it’s a nice thought.

Oh, and a cautionary tale about how quickly things can change. Remember, it wasn’t four years ago that we were holding the Pistons up as one of the model franchises in the NBA. Great GM, good team of solid players, a sellout every night.

Now? Not so much.

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Mr. Coro began an 11-day marathon of a road trip with this report on last night’s event.

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Now, I don’t see many movies – no time here, usually read or nap on planes – but I’ve got The Social Network as a big fave in the Oscars tomorrow night.

Mostly because it’s the only one of them I’ve seen.

And I’m a bit ticked at the 6 p.m. start to the Mavs game because I used to get quite a kick out of talking to people and mocking various celebs on the red carpet for the way they look and act.

Anyway, I figure I’ll live vicariously through the IGBT, right folks?

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Mail’s really light – you people don’t seem quite a conversational as you have been – so, please, click here if you feel the urge and send something in.

A word of warning, however.

There is a Mighty Yankees Coaches and Dads Fellowship Hour scheduled for tonight so if I’m a wee bit late with the mail tomorrow morning, there’s a legitimate reason.

Well, not sure about legitimate, but there’s a reason.

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Who else took some kind of perverse delight in the Cavs beating the Knicks on Friday?

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It was cleaning day at the Air Canada Centre on Friday, at least on the walls of the media room.

There are about a dozen gigantic pictures of various Leaves and Raptors in action and now there’s a big chunk of blank wall.

A couple of Kaberles, a Beauchemin and a Jarrett Jack wall hanging all bit the dust.

Can’t wait to see how they come up with next.

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The Goods On The Game, Suns at Raptors

Hi everybody.

Big night here. A villain and a hero all in one game.

Enjoy

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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What’s up with the Suns?

This is up with the Suns.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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

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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?

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Good game, good plays and the ticket contest is back again

Sure, everyone saw that one coming, right?

Nice night, though and with more than 18,000 in the joint it was a rather good atmosphere. Maybe everyone’s getting geared up for Friday and Phoenix?

Anyway, as we await the trades, we offer …

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THREE POINTERS

Good calls, good execution

Want to know what the Raptors got out of two crucial timeouts late Wednesday? Good plays, good execution, and points.

The first comes with about 1:47 left, tie game, Bulls had just gone on a 7-0 run and the Raptors are reeling. They call a timeout, run a high-screen with Jose and Bargnani except the play’s got another option (“single away action” Jay called it) and Bargnani hits a curling DeRozan, who finishes at the rim.

Bulls tie it, Raps are in a tough offensive set when DeRozan’s trapped in the corner and wisely calls timeout with eight seconds on the shot clock.

Out of the timeout, they run a simple but effective play, DeRozan curls off a straight line set, gets a screen, gets on the baseline to the rim where he’s fouled and makes two free throws.

See? They can do it. And against a good team with time to set its defence.

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Go at him

Raptors as bullies?

Hardly.

But as we’re chatting with Jose after the game, he lets slip that Toronto knew precisely where to attack the Bulls.

“Korver was sometime on LB, sometime on DeMar. I was trying to find the guy being guarded by Korver and play the pick and roll with them.”

That’s going at the vulnerable and a good idea.

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Helluva move

The up and under move that Amir Johnson put on Carlos Boozer to put Toronto up four with about 17 seconds left might have been the best post move he’s made all season. Clutch play, he was in control and didn’t rush and did just what he should have – go right at a guy with five fouls.

Not bad at all.

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More?

Let’s start big.

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Hey, you got three friends?

How’d you like to take ‘em to Sunday’s game against Dallas, sit in some really good seats, say high to the Miller Genuine Draft people and eat and drink as you see fit? Sound good? Yeah, we’re back again with the MGD Best Seats In The House contest, this time it’s three sets of four tickets for Sunday.

I know we’re a bit rushed on this but entering in easy. Click here and fill in the form and be warned entries close at noon Friday so we can notify the winners Friday afternoon so make sure you provide an easily-accessible e-mail or phone number.

Good luck, see some of you there.

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Now, back to our regularly-scheduled Festival of Crankiness.

And it’s just before 8 a.m. and I’m wondering what channel the all-day telethon of Trade Deadline Day news is on? Anyone help a guy out?

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Oh, yes.

Trust me (or not, I really don’t care) but, yes, the Raptors did place a call to Utah to see if Deron Williams was available in the aftermath of the Jerry Sloan departure. Just like about 24 other teams would have.

But nothing came of it, there was no suggestion that the Jazz were even serious about moving Williams (I believe they wanted to see how he’d work with new coach Ty Corbin a bit) and the Nets thing came together quickly.

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You know how some of us thought Dan Gilbert was a bit off his rocker when he wrote that love letter to LeBron after The Decision?

Well, not sure what’s happened in that zany mind of his, but he’s signed off on a deal that brings Baron Davis to Cleveland? Is the guy bonkers?

Sure, the Cavs get a good first pick out of it and they lose Mo Williams and Jamario but, wow. Baron’s unmotivated at the best of times, taking an L.A. kid out of L.A. and dropping in Cleveland in February with the worst team in the league?

Oh, yeah. That’s going to work out really well.

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Hey, let’s check what K.C. had to say about that game last night, shall we?

Without peeking, I have a sneaky suspicion the story will centre on Chicago’s lame defence.

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Know what last night would have been, right?

Well, I know some of you know but it would have been Game No. 1,000 in the three-point streak.

How conflicted would you have been had they gone 0-5 from three but still beat the Bulls in one of their best all-around games of the year?

At least you could have sat around tomorrow and talked about it over a piece of pizza.

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You know a dude’s in deep when he’s on the next stool and you hear him say:

“The Clippers just covered the over.”

That’s kind of sad, isn’t it?

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This is what all-star weekend does.

You hear Lenny Kravitz and you smile.

Dude’s good.

Very good.

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I imagine some of the Irregulars would know how much my eyes rolled when I got this quote from James Johnson, who seems a likeable sort after a day.

“My plus-minus is outrageous so I’m going to play hard every time I strap up.”

That’s so wrong at so many levels; the cliché, the odd phrasing, the thought that individual plus-minus means anything.

But, I’ll give him the Day 1 benefit of the doubt because he also said this, about his uniform number.

"I want to start from zero and work my way up."

Around the Raptors, that’s Banya-esue gold, folks. Gold.

Now, I’m off to try the soup.

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A couple of guys reached Jerry Sloan yesterday afternoon to get his reaction to the Deron Williams trade and one thought came to mind:

Jerry Sloan has a cell phone?

I don’t know what I thought but a vision of a modern day Oliver Douglas up pole talking on some old fashioned phone came to mind.

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This might be among the more disturbing, and telling, things out there in the last day or so.

According to a report – and I cannot vouch for its veracity – the agent for Raymond Felton is going to meet with Denver general manager Masai Ujiri about whether or not his client is going to start for the Nuggets.

Now, I’m not naïve enough to think that it’s out of the ordinary for that to happen but you know what? That’s idiotic and if I’m Masai, I tell the agent to go find some endorsements or something for his client and let George Karl figure out what he wants to do with his point guard.

Yes, the inmates run the asylum but at some point, enough is enough.

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Okay, almost time to go sit in the office and see what transpires on the trade front to determine what, if anything, I have to write today. But it’ll also give me some down time to do mail so …

You know what to do. Write. Keep me company.

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The Goods On The Game, Bulls at Raptors

Hi everybody

Back for another kick at the can

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.

-

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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Raptors make a small trade and it's done

The Raptors have acquired James Johnson from the Chicago Bulls for a first-round pick in June's NBA draft.

After KC Johnson in Chicago reported the Raptors were going to acquire 6-9 forward James Johnson from the Bulls, Toronto officials confirmed the transaction.

The price is Miami's first round pick, the one acquired in the departure of Chris Bosh last summer, not a high price to pay since the pick is excepted to be lower than 26th or 27th in the draft and would carry with it three guaranteed years of salary for whoever was selected.

Johnson is under contract through the 2011-12 season with a team option for 2012-13.

The Raptors did have some interest in Johnson in the weeks leading up his draft; the one in which they selected DeMar DeRozan with the ninth pick.

Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo had told me the other day he had some "minor" stuff percolating and that's precisely what this would be.

Am off in search of confirmation and comment; will be back with a full story later.