A sport may come to a sudden stop so let's watch soccer

Maybe between now and October we should call this Doug Smith’s Raptors Blog With A Whole Bunch Of Other Stuff That Interests Some Of You Because There’s Not Enough Basketball At The Moment.

Unwieldy but …

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Is this the last NBA day for a while?

We all know that the collective bargaining agreement expires tonight, there’s a negotiation session scheduled for today in New York but there’s been no sense of optimism that this thing is going to get settled in time to avert a lockout that could be crippling to a sport that’s never been more popular than it is right now.

Yeah, sure is stupid, isn’t it?

The specifics of the talks make my eyes glaze over so I’m not going to get into them in too much detail; it’s billions divided by millions and give backs and takeaways and it’s all about money.

But it’s also all about office workers and ticket takers and concession stand workers and front office types who may face layoffs or salary cuts or job losses if this thing drags on for any length of time.

I know people always get hurt in labour situations like this and ancillary damage is unavoidable but just once I’d like to hear the owners and players say, ‘hey, we’re sorry, folks, we’ll find a way to make it up to you.’

Not sure that’s going to happen and if the falls rolls around and games are missed and people miss paydays, that’s going to be the worst thing about this.

Yes, the players will ultimately make obscene amounts of money and owners will get a system that practically assures them a profit despite themselves and to think they’ll suffer hardship is foolish.

The hardship is going to be felt by the regular folks affected by this; it’s not right, but it’s a fact and it blows.

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Now to the other important stuff.

Of course I’m going to be near a TV at noon today to watch Canada-France and you probably should be, too.

(It’s women’s football for the uninitiated)

I kinda feel this weird connection to this team and maybe that’s why I have become a big fan of this World Cup since the run-up really began a few weeks ago.

I remember covering a lot of them in Beijing and coming away very impressed with not only their athletic ability but the way the comported themselves with the media and the fans and the whole circus-like atmosphere of the Olympics.

They were tough, rugged and while they didn’t play nearly as entertaining a brand of football (I seem to recall it was far more kick-and-chase back then instead of something trying to approximate the Beautiful Game under this coaching staff) they were fun to watch and write about.

Irregulars will know that I’m a fan of Canadian women’s team sports (basketball, soccer, softball, primarily since I’ve written a lot about them all) because they just play, the often get short shrift from the public but they don’t whine and they represent themselves, their country and their game in a manner of which we should all be proud.

You know I’m not a fan, per se, but I want these young women to do well.

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So I’m chatting with a young friend of mine yesterday and we’re talking about run of the mill stuff and the topic of the impending Canada Day weekend comes up with all the good stuff there is to do.

I said to her, “hey, this is a big weekend for you, right? Time to celebrate; it’s like your birthday.”

Her answer:

“It’s like Christmas!”

And all I can think of is that I hope the idiot Mayor of the City Where I Work gets eaten by fist-sized black flies all weekend and that the entire time is filled with thunderstorms. And that he loses every game of Yahtzee he’s forced to play to pass the rain-soaked hours.

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So barring any work stuff that pops up, I’ve got a couple of days coming that could include some time on the deck and I have a wee bit of a craving for crustaceans and if anyone’s got a good barbecue recipe, I’d give it a shot.

Thanks.

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This has some pertinence given where we are in all things labour and also gives me a chance to give you one more chance to click, write, send and unburden yourselves with mail.

Thanks.

Q: Hi Doug. Very quick question re: the trade exception, which I believe exists until July 11.

Say, for example, a lockout begins on July 1, ten days before the exception expires. Does the exception just expire early or will the Raps get the ten days to use the exception when business reopens, if such a thing is permitted in the new CBA?

Thanks, and keep up the good work.

Gareth M, Ireland

A: That’s one of the great unknowns and when you ask any connected with any team about anything to do with the impending lockout or labour talks, they clam up like never before, fearing the Wrath of David.

Best I can tell you is we just have to wait. Wish I could have more info for you, but it’s not easily obtained.

And it’s actually July 9 if they pull off a miracle and get things done before the deadline.

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Once more to the soccer:

Christine Sinclair is the anti-Hedo, isn’t she?

(You know, with the whole mask thing)

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Yes, I’ve heard the name Johnny Davis linked to Dwane’s staff in Toronto but, no, nothing is official.

And as we’ve been saying off and on for a couple of weeks given the absence during workouts and at announcements, there’s always been little chance either Alex or PJ would be back.

When things get done, or close to done, I’m pretty sure I’ll let you know.

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One more kick at the world juniors before they start sometime later this morning against Korea over in Latvia (and if I could figure out time zones I’d tell you exactly what time it is but I can’t, so I won’t).

One of the more intriguing kids on the Canadian team is Sim Bhullar, who many of you may have never heard of.

He’s a 7-4 kid we wrote about in our paper in this piece a week or so ago and he’ll attract a lot of attention, I’m sure.

Now, I have never seen him play in person so I cannot speak to his skills, his fluidity or his mobility but he is intriguing, if raw.

Greg Francis has this to say about him the other day.

“Sim is a has made huge strides in his game. He continues to improve throughout our training camp so I feel that he is among the best big men in the competition. Sim might be the best low post scorer in the tournament.”

One to keep an eye on for sure.

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On the world juniors and some old comedy stuff

So, what about this Canadian junior men’s team that starts the world championships in Latvia on Friday?

Not a bad group at all, some excellent young talent, some kids missing, of course, but a Top Eight finish in the world isn’t out of the realm of possibility and it’s another step on the revitalization of Canada in the global game.

Coach Greg Francis was e-mailing yesterday from Latvia and while he wouldn’t load up on expectations – he’s as much about process leading to results – there was a sense of optimism.

He says he’s got some good shooting with Julian Clarke (whose dad Norm was a national-team staple back in the 80s) and Phil Schrubb, coming off a CIS championship last spring and point guard Kevin Pangos may be one of the best at his age anywhere. Kid by the name of Dyshawn Pierre is a “dynamic” player, the coach said, but the most important thing:

“We try to focus on one game at a time but our team has some international experience and success. We are a tough match up for most teams here so our goal is to advance to each round as it comes. If we can get to the quarter-finals than I think we can make a run at the World Championships.”

That’s the big thing. What Canada Basketball has done in the last six or seven years really is remarkable. They put programs in place that got the youngest kids outstanding exposure to the international game and, sure, they may have taken their lumps at times but the benefits they’ve reaped have been huge.

Sure, they’d love to have the likes of Khem Birch or Kyle Wiltjer or Myck Kabongo but there are other commitments – school mainly – that make that impossible and it’s forever thus here in Canada.

But all those times these kids have gone to world events makes it a bit easier to handle, Francis said.

“We have some athletes that had school commitments but we have a bigger talent base to choose from than we did even 6 years ago. I would love to have every player in the age group available for this competition but I also know that our team is deep enough to compete for a gold medal.”

I don’t expect the country to challenge for a gold medal at every significant competition it enters but the progression has been steady and we’re no longer a global afterthought.

The juniors are in a first-round group with Korea, Croatia and Lithuania and the top three move on to a second-round and from there the quarter-finalists are determined.

We’ll track ‘em as well as we can here through the process.

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Speaking of the world juniors …

Jonas Valanciunas goes for 23 and 11 and Lithuania drills the USA in an Under-19 exhibition and I’m thinking, ‘well, what if this kid can play?’

If that’s the case, I absolutely cannot wait until 16 months or so from now when I can sit here and post all kinds of comments like:

“Yeah, sorry, Doug. It was truly a rush to judgement way back on draft night. Should have listened to those who said picks are a crapshoot and no one knows for sure how they’ll turn out but that Jones was really highly regarded.”

“Oops. Maybe the guy with the multiple Executive of the Year awards knew what he was talking about. I apologize.”

“Hey, Idiot. You’re still a Pollyanna-ish homer and I hate you with every fibre of my being. But thanks for the blog, I read it every day.”

Yeah, can’t wait.

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So, me and TOD at Fenway on Monday afternoon and Tuesday and Wednesday nights?

Lucky, lucky readers.

Yeah, a scheduling snafu somehow has no one who, you know, writes about the game actually able to write about the game so they’re bringing in the aged lefty from the ‘pen.

I’ll fool ‘em with my giro ball or something like that.

And fool the regular seamheads into thinking I know how to write game.

Now, if someone’s got a primer on the difference between a four-seamer and a cutter, I’m all ears.

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You know, I have no idea how Super Son is going to ultimately turn out; you do your best and hope to instill things like respect, tolerance, fairness and self-confidence into their personalities and hope it works.

But, I tell ya, when a fella of a certain age wanders into the home after a long day and hears the young guy and Super Wife doing this schtick, I’m thinking we’re on the right path:

Who’s there?

Candygram.

Who?

Plumber.

Who?

Pizza man.

You’re that tricky land shark, aren’t you?

No, ma’am. I’m just a friendly dolphin.

Oh, then that’s okay. I like dolphins.

(Man, I think google ought to cut me a cheque for all the hits I get for ‘em from young ‘uns here who are totally confused by some items)

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The Raptors?

Nothing of even marginal interest, actually.

Maybe today or tomorrow.

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Know one thing I like about the junior men’s team?

The coaching staff.

You’ve got Greg Francis and Peter Guarasci and Shawn Swords, three guys who’ve played and starred for the country at times and are able to give some context to the kids.

There’s been all kinds of coaching continuity of late, which is a big boon in keeping players connected to the programs with some familiar faces in charge and those three guys needs to be commended for giving back to the program. All three of ‘em were around when times weren’t nearly as good as they are now and could have bailed, or not come back. They didn’t.

This is how Greg put it yesterday when we were e-mailing from Latvia:

“We have experience playing the game at a high level but more importantly we have been coached by Canada's best coaches over the years. We try to give our team the best chance to win while showing them what it takes to have international success at the senior team level.”

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It’s getting to be that time of the week.

Mail, please.

But we need to cut down the number of questions about free agency this summer. Until we know the system they’ll operate under and what they might be able to afford, it’s really tough, and a bit silly, to talk about specific players.

But click, write and send and we’ll see what we can do.

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A summer without camp and a list of old-time faves

Guess it’s that time of year in a few cities, I see they’re holding mini free-agent camps in at least Miami and Charlotte and maybe some others I haven’t heard of.

But not here.

Thankfully.

The really are little more than exercises in futility, you bring in a couple of undrafted kids, maybe a couple of guys from the D League and a couple or so who played in Europe last season and you put ‘em through five or six sessions of drills and scrimmages.

Why?

Good question.

In olden days, these types of camps were generally held help fill out Summer League rosters but since the Summer League has been cancelled this year (can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing the background?) that reason no longer exists.

So what they turn into now is just a few days of skill development for guys with little or no chance to make it and little more than a make-work project for organizations who want to be seen to be busy.

It’s like the guys who talk about working 20 hours a day and sleeping in the office and having their eyes eventually glaze over from watching video.

At some time, it’s little more than an exercise in futility and a case of diminishing returns.

If any of these kids who’d come to the camps end up being good enough to play in the NBA, they’ll be found wherever they’re actually playing. All these leagues and Europe are scouted well enough that a couple of days in a hot gym in late June with other little-hopers isn’t likely to help.

Even a guy like our old friend Jamario, who emerged from a Raptors summer camp a few years ago, likely would have been spotted in league somewhere.

Besides, no camp means no need for me to sit in a gym for a few days and, as well all know, it’s all …

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You know what?

If you add a new lightweight, electric mower with a rechargeable battery and no cord to worry about to the availability of a 14-year-old with designs on extra allowance to get through a summer and to help finance a trip to Vienna next year, it sure makes yard work a lot easier, even if part of the lawn looked like ground cover in a forest.

All you really have to do is help get it started, take a couple of turns to show the way and sit back to wait for the magic to happen.

Makes for a nice day.

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Housekeeping day for the HOTH yesterday when they gave a qualifying offer to Sonny Weems.

All it really does is protect an asset; now when he goes out on the free agent market (whenever it opens) and gets himself an offer, Bryan can sit back and decide whether it’s worth matching. It’s non-guaranteed and puts the team at no risk at all.

I didn’t get a chance to ask Sonny about his intentions when he was hanging around (and since Jose didn’t send the jet for me, I can’t ask him over in Spain) but I know he loves it here and would like to come back.

Not sure just how mutual that feeling is, think it’ll depend largely on how they might be able to upgrade the small forward spot in free agency or some trade and what the financial implications are.

I wouldn’t, if I were you, go out and buy a Weems jersey just yet.

Nor should you (and I know one guy this will crush) rush out and get yourself a Julian Wright or Joey Dorsey souvenir.

The word is they won’t likely make qualifying offers to either of them by today’s deadline and they’ll become unrestricted free agents whenever the CBA stuff gets settled.

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So this whole Peter Falk thing got me thinking and as an inveterate TV watcher and a bit of a fan of old silly dramas, I was figuring out which ones I missed most.

(Yeah, there was some idle time yesterday and this morning).

And I think I came up with this but, man, it was hard putting them in order.

I’d say Joe Mannix would probably creep into the Top 5 and I think Cannon has to be on there, too.

Of course, we all learned don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time as one of the laws of nature so Baretta has to be on the list, doesn’t it?

Now, I think I’m going to have to go three-for-two (anyone remember that in a sporting context) to finish it off because Colombo’s a must and since I used to delay Thursday night soirees with an old Tiger hat-wearing friend until after Magnum was over, it’s got to be on the list.

The other?

Well, how about this little ditty to refresh some memories.

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NBA board of governors in Dallas today, likely will authorize labour relations group to do lockout if bargaining sessions scheduled for Wednesday and, tentatively, Thursday don’t provide even basic framework for a new deal.

Frankly, I just want Friday here so we know where we stand and life can go on.

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Here’s a Did You Know

Did you know that if you go and get your locks shorn in the mid-afternoon of a hot June day and then go put the Mighty Rockies through an intense 90-minute post-dinner workout you’re your previously-covered neck can become quite Lobster-esque in its colour?

Pass the lotion, please.

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Not sure how this one slipped by me but the Canadian Cadet team – under-16 boys – earned a berth in next year’s world championships by beating Puerto Rico in a bronze medal game on the weekend.

Toss in the fact the Cadettes have already qualified, and the fact the Under-19 boys start their worlds this week and the Under-19 girls are later this summer and we’re all over the global age-grou- championships.

Think I saw something that said Canada’s qualified for 13 straight age-group worlds since 2005 and only the United States and Australia can match that.

Not bad.

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And the guards just keep on coming back

In case you missed it, and we only had a very tiny item in Sunday’s paper because I was slacking a little bit, Leandro Barbosa is coming back.

At least that’s the plan.

Barbosa picked up the option year of his contract on the weekend, and while I can’t say I’m the least bit surprised, now we have wait and see how he fits in whenever the next season begins.

Already with Jose Calderon and Jerryd Bayless under contract, I think the backcourt rotation is pretty set unless Bryan feels compelled to move someone and there’s been no indication privately that anything is afoot.

Combine those three with DeRozan and you can already see how crowded it is in the backcourt, there might be room for one youngster to crack it as the fifth guy in a five-man rotation so when you’re wondering what moves might be made this summer, take in mind the crowded nature of the one and two spots.

What was it that Casey said on draft night?

Oh yeah:

“We’ve got umpteen million guards.”

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Oh yeah.

Nothing of interest happened on Treme last night.

Not a single thing.

Honest.

And if it did, I wouldn’t tell you anyway.

Enjoy.

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It’s going to be like a Festival of Raptors Basketball over in Caceres, Spain this week.

Understand that DeMar and Sonny are taking their show on the road to help out Jose at a camp or somesuch over there, at least that’s what Jose sent in one of those tweet thingies last night.

Nice to see the lads hanging out in the summer and Jose’s always the international social convener.

I know he had Bosh over there one summer and AP one year and it’s kind of cool when the teammates hang out, just to increase the level of familiarity between them.

Be nice if there was a grunt there to chronicle it.

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From our list of Things That If They Were On My Back Deck Would Send Me Scurrying To The Front Porch, how’d you like the Bollywood thing and the BET Awards on the weekend?

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This gets to another week bit of news, not unexpected, that developed when you might have been off doing things:

Q: From what I understand is that the Raps will pay $500 thousand towards JV's buyout (next year) and JV will pay the rest. Well what if JV said, look I don't want to spend a million or so dollars, I want to wait 2 years so that it costs me less. Not that I expect him to do that, but can a player in that situation tell the NBA team to wait for solely the money reasoning?

Eric M, Guelph

A: They absolutely can, if they want, but I don’t remember it ever happening as you describe it.

Now, we also all know that they have reached an official agreement on a buyout of Valanciunas’ contract and he’ll spend next year for sure playing with this Lithuanian club team before heading here for the 2012-13 season.

It would, of course, be far better if he was to spend the season in the NBA but having some definitive answers on when he’ll come this far in advance lifts a bit of a cloud that’s been hovering since draft night. And since they got it done so quickly and without any rancour at all, speaks to a pretty good relationship that’s developed between the Raptors and Lithuanian officials and that’s only going to help, too.

Bryan suggested late last week, before the official deal was agreed to, that regardless of what transpired, Toronto would keep a close eye on its asset in the coming season.

That will probably mean several visits by members of the team’s staff – at least when they’re officially allowed to after any lockout – and constant communication between the two teams. Politically, the Raptors can’t demand or even ask for any specific style of play or anything like that, but a good working relationship sure helps.

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Of course I watched a great chunk of the women’s football game on Sunday; tough loss but that Sinclair’s pretty special, no?

The women’s World Cup is one of those events that you have to pay attention to even if you know nothing about the team, the sport, the magnitude of the event.

And if you’re a guy who’s ridden a bullet train from Beijing to Tanzing to watch them play, it’s even more important to pay attention.

Check ‘em out this week if you can.

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A weekend thought:

What takes longer?

The first round of the pucks draft or the gestation period of an elephant?

Yeesh.

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Keeping with our all things Jonas bent, the kid’s in for a pretty busy summer.

He bolted out of his Friday news conference to get back home so he could join his Lithuanian team for the Under-19 world championships that start this week in Latvia and he’s going from there to join his senior national team training camp for EuroBasket that’s being held in Lithuania starting in late August.

Good thing the kid’s young and full of vim and vigour, no?

We’ll get more into the Under-19 thing during the week since Canada’s actually in the same preliminary-round pool with Lithuania (wonder how much a last-minute plane ticket is?) but it’s got to be nice to know one of the Raptors, so to speak, may be taking part in the two most significant summer events on the basketball schedule.

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I’ve got to go to closet and dig out the rumpled raincoat, find myself a nice cigar to light and then go fight me some crime.

RIP Columbo.

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A second helping of the weekend mail

Looks like it’s going to be a wonderful day around these parts, hope it is where you are and you can put this aside until all the yardwork’s done, okay?

But make sure you read it eventually.

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Q: Hi Doug. Not a draft or bball related question. I am wondering if you have any guilty pleasure reads (magazine, online or book) that we would not expect from you? I can not see you picking up the latest issue of Home and Garden with how much you tell us that you love yard work. Perhaps you hate everything about the Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code and the press it got but couldn't wait for the latest one to come out. Thanks for making the blog fun and about Doug's pop culture as well. You could almost say that you are the Canadian Bill Simmons and your blog was Grantland before it was! Thanks Doug!

Sean G, Regina

A: Hmm, aren’t we supposed to keep guilty pleasures private?

I think Irregulars know that I’m okay with a day of The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, some Law and Order re-runs, a bunch of Criminal Minds and Seinfeld to cap it all off.

But, as long as you don’t tell anyone, to your point, I got through Da Vinci Code in book form but couldn’t stay awake during the movie.

And, this few know and I’d prefer you keep it to yourself but hardly a week went by that I didn’t watch Gilmore Girls and if I see a rerun, I generally stop and watch.

There are others but we’ll let them out in dribs and drabs when I figure out how to fill this space in a very dry summer.

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Q: Hey Doug, can you please give us an update on what BC is doing with that huge sum of $$$ that the Raps got from Miami and Dallas from last year's big trades? Isn't it expiring very soon?

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Arnold M, Toronto

A: He used part of it to help facilitate the trades that got them Jerryd Bayless, Alexis Ajinca, a second-round pick and a bit more cap flexibility in the next couple of years. There remains a bit more than $9 million and given that a lockout seems inevitable at the moment, I’d be surprised if he used it between now and when the league shuts down July 1. A wasted asset? Not entirely since part of it was used to get them where they are but it certainly didn’t return a “stud” as so many had expected. Could be because no “studs” were available but I don’t know that for sure.

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Q: Doug. I was wondering about hotel arrangements during the player's travels in the NBA, do teams keep their whereabouts pretty tight to their chest so that locals wouldn't disturb the team? Do they make floors / the entire building private access only? Or is it pretty wide open and anyone can go knock on the door of Dirk, for example?

Philip L, Toronto

A: It’s not exactly a state secret but they don’t openly publicize where they’ll stay in each city. That said, more, um, enterprising fans know where visiting teams stay and there are always a few autograph-seekers around waiting when the players head to the bus to go to shootarounds or games.

But as for knocking on someone’s door? Not going to happen. Not only do most players register under fake names, the level of hotel they stay at usually means a high level of security.

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Q: Hey Doug, big fan. First of all I would like to commend you on your patience with the would be GM of the year knuckle heads who litter the GTA. They're taking the fun out of watching Toronto sports for me and I'm sure for a lot of others. With the overwhelmingly negative response of last night’s draft and the immediate responses you get, does it ever wear on you? Do you think this is unique to Toronto at all?

And if I may, I would like to remind the Toronto "fans" that Dirk Nowitzki is a 7 foot Euro

Jeff Y, Orangeville

A: Wear on me? Heck, yes. I guess it’s the constant nature of it in some regards; I know I should be better and be able to entirely ignore and I think I’m pretty good at agreeing to disagreeing listening to the points of others. But the idiots, the name-callers, the ones who don’t seek comment more than validation, kind of rankle me.

But I don’t know if it’s unique to Toronto, I have a sense that it is because friends on the beat who interact with fans as much as we do here seldom seem to complain.

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Q: Random question about the coach hiring process. Have you ever heard about a prospective coach running a workout with players as part of the decision making process? I would suspect it would be more likely with assistant coaches that head coaches and player availability would be an issue. Has it ever happened?

Jim R, Toronto

A: Outside of the obvious case where an assistant is promoted, either mid-season or to take on a head coaching role, after a GM has seen him work with players, I have never heard of it as part of an “interview process” if you will.

It would be a logistical nightmare for sure and it would also send a pretty clear signal who was a “favourite” for any specific job and GMs don’t usually like to let that get out.

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Q: Out of casual interest, does the Raptors taking a Lithuanian help your cause in convincing the Star to support a summer trip abroad for our scribe, Mr Smith?

Andrew P, Toronto

A: The tallest of departmental foreheads was on vacation last week but you can be sure he’ll be hit with a memo and a request pretty early in the week.

Be a pretty logical trip, no?

And thanks for letting me get it out here in case he’s reading.

Let's get the weekend started with some mail, shall we?

Okay, ladies and germs, you’ve really done it this time.

Two smaller mailbags?

Yeah, right.

How about a medium sized one today and what looks like a rather ginormous one tomorrow that I’ll have to find time to put together this afternoon after a quick trip to the peninsula to deal with life?

Wish me well and enjoy this.

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Q: Hi Doug, long time reader, first time mail bagger. With the recent hiring of Dwane Casey as the new Raptors coach, it's great to see the organization thinking defense first. We sure need it! My question is, how will this hiring be different from our last defense first coach, Kevin O'Neil? We all know how that ended. Love your blog and insight! Keep up the great work!

T L, Mississauga

A: Oh, really, it’s apples and oranges in terms of personalities, interaction with other human beings and philosophy of the game. Casey’s far more well-rounded a person and a coach as KO ever was and I cannot for the life of me seeing anything like the O’Neill year developing here.

Dwane’s far more quiet and in control that Kevin ever was and just way he treats his job and the people who work for him make it better. He’s more fair, a lot less confrontational and has a longer and better resume.

Yes, he will emphasize defence but he will do in a manner that doesn’t preclude other aspects of the game.

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Q: Hi Doug. Two-and-a-half part question for you. First, how do you see the new coach making use of the summer to get to know his players and letting them know what he expects to see come October?

Second, if defense is the new mantra, is there anything a player can be doing during the off-season to work on that aspect of his game? Or does it just have to develop, going five on five, against great talent? – i.e., if you have a comparatively weak roster, are your best guys going to be able improve when they're matching up every day against lesser talent than they'll be facing all season long?

Thanks, and have a great summer!

David M, Ottawa

A: I don’t think Dwane’s going to have a chance to get to know the players at all this summer because once the lockout hits, he cannot have any contact with them at all and it looks like that’s coming next week. But, he has been in town this week with DeRozan, Davis, Bayless, Johnson, Dorsey and Weems so he’s met them and talked to them, he’s reached out electronically or by phone to the others just to say hello and let them know his philosophies.

As for the defence, there aren’t really that many individual drills that can be done but if the players work to get stronger and quicker and in generally better physical condition, it helps. So does playing games because it puts you in situations where you have to read and react and that always helps.

Your best players can always I improve, regardless of who they go up against in practice simply by repeating things until they become second nature.

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Q: Glad you're sporting your rhino-hide windbreaker, Doug. Enjoyed your read on the draft very much.

For some reason, the thing uppermost in my mind the past several days has been the future of Alex English. Any hints?

TL I, London

A: Nothing official, Dwane said he’d start working on putting together a staff now that the rush of the draft is over but the only hint I can provide is that I didn’t see Alex around much the last couple of days. I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen but I would be surprised if he’s back, most new coaches like to bring in a lot of their own guys.

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Q: Hi Doug. Everyone is talking about our newest Lithuanian but I'm wondering about what’s going on with our old one.

Everyone seems to be penciling in J.J. as our starting 3 but I'm still intrigued with what Linas could do. I know that the Raps were real big on him early last year with what he could do offensively posting up, shooting the ball but no one is really talking about him. What’s the latest on him?

And also were you able to get a hold of him to ask what he thinks of our new rook?

Eric L, Toronto

A: Asked about Linas yesterday, as a matter of fact. He’s still going through the rehab process and is on a good timeline but it’s not likely he’s back on any basketball court at full speed until much later this year so he’s not being counted on an awful lot at the moment.

I didn’t reach him to ask about Jonas but I know the two of them spoke and Linas gave the new kid all the usual stuff: Good guys, great city, you’ll do well, blah, blah, blah.

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Q: Hi Doug. I figure you've probably had enough draft questions to last you forever, so I had a question about Maurizio Gherardini. When he first joined the Raptors, it seemed like he was held in such high regard that he would, in short order, wind up running his own team in the NBA. I confess to be surprised that it was Masai Ujiri who got a team first. Do you know if Maurizio is still held in high regard around the league? As a corollary, has his association with Bargnani, who is perceived by some to have underachieved, hurt his standing? Thanks as always.

Sohail G, Collingwood

A: Yes, Maurizio is still held in quite high regard not only around the league but around the world. I can’t say often enough how he is respected globally and how he gets things done that no one knows about. Meetings he sets up, calls he gets returned, people he gets to tell him stuff.

I don’t know that he’ll end up running his own NBA team, I haven’t asked him in a while if he even wants to, but I do know that whatever he sets his mind to whenever it’s time to change course, he’ll be great at.

To your corollary, I don't think anything Andrea did or does will have an impact on the reputation Maurizio has.

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Q: Love your blog Doug. I am an avid reader. I have a question regarding Kemba Walker. Why do scouts and GMs feel like the tools that won him success at the NCAA level not translate into significant success at the NBA level? Analyst on NBA TV (like Greg Anthony) are of the opinion that this guy is a gamer and will have an significant if not immediate impact on the team that draft him. Thanks and keep up the great work!

AJ P, Toronto

A: He could very well have a great and long career and I hope for his sake he does. The criticisms I heard were mostly to do with his smallish size that might be an issue in the NBA and there may be some defensive failings that will be exposed. But who knows, maybe he is great.

He just did not fit here in any way, shape or form under the current circumstances.

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Q: Hey Doug. Two questions. I like the Valanciunas pick. DeMar and Ed still have a lot of room to grow, so I wasn't expecting much for next year anyway. I expect Toronto to be another high lottery pick next year in a much stronger draft. Do you think this pick was a case of getting bad to get good?

Also, Any thoughts on how Thompson and Joseph, or any of the other up coming Canadians feel about playing for the Senior Mens team?

Terry M, Antigonish

A: No, this had absolutely nothing to do with getting bad to be good or next year’s draft or anything like that. It had everything do with making the right choice for the future of the franchise and next season they will fully expect the players on the roster to compete and win and be a good team. No one is at all thinking about anything else.

I haven’t heard a peep about the two kids and the senior national team, which won’t even start working out for another month or so.

Go big or go home, it's the only thing to do

Man, a lot of you folks were/are/will forever be riled up after that one.

A word, if I may:

Chill.

Really, take it easy. You have no clue whether this is an inspired draft pick or a bad one but I will tell you this: It’s a bold pick and I would much rather have a GM that goes bold rather than one who always takes the easy, predictable way out.

Much better reward for about the same risk, actually. It’s a draft pick that’s a great unknown but if this kid works out – and, trust me, lots of NBA people guess he will right now – what could possibly be wrong?

The consistent lament for years is that these guys have never had a “true” centre, as nebulous a concept as that is in this day and age, and now they have one.

And who really cares if he comes next year or not. Judging the rhetoric flowing out of the union and league, there may not even be a full next year, making Valanciunas’s absence totally irrelevant.

Yes, there may not be any instant gratification for a fan base increasingly restless about the team’s fortunes and that’s definitely part of it. But I totally agree with Bryan and Dwane when they point out that this is a team that’s building towards something in the longer term and you have to admire the level of self-confidence they have that they’ll be around to reap the benefits of this pick.

I don’t know whether Jonas Valanciunas can play or not and none of you do, either. I know a lot of NBA people who understand the game far better than you or I do are quite intrigued by the possibilities he presents and had it not been for that buyout issue, there is no way he’d have been on the board at No. 5.

In fact, even with that issue (and who knows how that turns out, it is a financial negotiation now and those have a way of being worked out), there was never a whisper publicly around the Raptors that they thought they might get him.

Again, a bold pick? Unquestionably so but it addresses a need and that can’t be understated.

The right pick? Time will tell. Just like time would tell if it was a guard or a small forward.

But I like bold better than staid any time.

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So, how about them Canucks?

The basketballers, not the riot-inducing pucks failures.

Best night ever for Canada?

I’d say so, even though both Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph cut their teeth in the United States and now every youngster will be look to go that route and I don’t think they all should.

But, nevertheless, you have to be proud of those two young men for what they’ve accomplished.

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I’ll tell you one thing about this draft class.

Weak or not, it doesn’t seem to have a sense of sartorial splendour.

Pretty boring outfits on the lads, weren’t they?

Here I was all set to, you know, turn fashionista on you and about all we got was traditional dark suits and really, really ugly hats.

I know they put those lids on those guys so they can sell a couple and make a good picture but, my Lord, they don’t look too good, do they? Maybe if they put the team name in brail on the brim, it’d make ‘em more interesting and far more, um, interactive.

Or, they should give ‘em bowlers or berets, a fedora or a fez or a good old fashioned top hat and see how that goes over. That’d be cool.

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Okay, time to offer thanks again.

The counter on this little thing went over 17 million yesterday and while I know it’s little more than a function of time, it’s still pretty good and I appreciate all you folks – well, almost all of you folks – for hanging around.

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Since there were so many of them, let’s deal with a trade question from the mail:

Q: Hi Doug: Since you like questions about process, how about this one: What's the process for a trade in the NBA? GM A contacts GM B, and they agree to terms. Does the NBA have to approve? When are the players involved notified? Is the trade consummated right then, or is it contingent on passing physicals?

Thanks for all you do!

Tim H, Windsor

A: Yes, nothing can be consummated until the two teams hold what’s known as a “trade call” with lawyers or somesuch in the league office to make sure the team doesn’t violate the rather obtuse and arcane salary cap rules. Only then it is “official.”

Players are generally notified before that call is made as a courtesy but don’t have to be.

Most deals are contingent on passing physicals but if, for instance, a player is just being thrown in as cap ballast (think of the deal that sent Marcus Banks out of Toronto) and there is no desire on the part of the team obtaining him actually use him, that condition can be waived.

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Hmm, this is a tad unfortunate and somewhat inconvenient.

I know those Bollywood awards are big – and I’m pretty sure the movies are excellent although the only one I’ve ever seen is Slumdog Millionair and I don’t remember it all that well – but when they start shutting down streets in Hazeiville … well, let’s just say I become less of a fan.

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So, who was the biggest winner of the night in the draft?

I wish I could tell you but, as we all know, it’s a crapshoot, silly to guess right now and we have to see how it all shakes out.

I must say, I kind of like what Milwaukee did to juice a terrible offence and the one that really flew under the radar was Dallas getting Rudy Fernandez from Portland.

Irregulars know I’m a big Rudy guy and I bet he flourishes there.

Oh, and My Man Masai kind of had me scratching my head with the acquisition of Andre Miller for Ray Felton. Not a franchise-altering move; not sure why he did it.

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You people all know that Sam is a legitimate candidate in Minnesota for the coaching gig, right?

This is not just smoke being blown and folks extrapolating, there is genuine interest there and I imagine it’s on both sides.

And if he gets the job, I’m just going to spend a day sitting back and waiting for the apologies to roll in.

Yeah, I’m a bit like that.

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Talked to Ed Davis before the game – he and DeMar and Sonny an James Johnson and Joey Dorsey were trotted out at the high-falutin’ draft party and Jerryd Bayless was supposed to be there but the last I heard was he had flight problems so no clue if he got in.

Anyway, Davis gave perhaps the most honest assessment of the draft and what the Raptors should do before it all started when he said:

“Everyone has their opinion on it. If you ask a point guard who they should take, they’re not going to say draft a point guard, if you ask Sonny (Weems) he’s not going to say let’s draft a three.

“I don’t know, man.”

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Okay, it’s almost the weekend and the whole going with two mailbag decision of last week seemed to work okay here. So we’ll do it again.

Click here, write down words, thoughts and whatever else is on your mind and let ‘er rip.

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The Goods On The Draft, 2011

Hey all.

Welcome back.

No idea how it'll work out but let's try.

Big day is here, who knows what's going to happen

Well here we go.

Who do they take?

Who should they take?

What’s the trade chatter?

What’s going to happen at No. 3 and No. 4.

I think this might be the draft with the most intrigue and indecision that I’ve seen in a long, long time.

So what’s it mean?

Think what it means most is that we’ll be surprised an awful lot, some guys will go far earlier than expected, some will fall and much angst and discussion will ensue.

Not too many of the Henchmen were around yesterday at the other of texts or e-mails and Bryan tends to go far under cover in the final hours before the draft so to suggest there was any new insight is a bit of a stretch.

But the one name I heard linked to these guys more than any other – and not just from people here, either – was Bismack Biyombo, the raw 19-year-old Congo kid.

And if you think of it, maybe going with a big guy and someone young and full of potential is the way to go.

It’s a young group anyway, not likely going to contend for anything other than relative mediocrity next year and another young big, given the alternatives, makes sense.

Now, I’ll say that if Brandon Knight falls to No. 5 – and it would most likely only happen if Utah takes Kanter at No. 3 – they’ll snap him up but of the group that’s likely to be there, why not take a shot at Biyombo, a 6-9 bit of an energetic beast.

This I heard, and it’s paraphrased, about Biyombo from a friend last night who got it from the GM of the team he covers:

“His offensive game isn’t nearly as bad as I was led to believe. Good footwork, just needs coaching.”

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Trade?

Not likely but you never know.

Couldn’t get anyone to even acknowledge the ESPN thing about Tony Parker yesterday but it does seem a stretch.

And, as we read from Bryan in this missive, if he makes a deal, it’s not going to be to move too far.

There have been, and will be, copious amounts of rumours floating around today, I’m sure, given the uncertain nature of the entire draft.

Some of them might even be true.

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Mock if you will.

I was going to let Super Dog do it – she’d have as good a chance at getting six or seven right – but she was recalcitrant and wouldn’t put her paw on a name.

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Biggest waste of a bunch of writers time, draft edition?

Had to be 2007 for sure.

We’re all done, filed, and have retired for a post-draft chinwag at this little bistro I know that’s in the Bermuda Triangle of office, parking lot, arena.

Well, we’re not done, as it turns out. We all get the same e-mail at about the same time, somewhere around 12:30 a.m. as I recall, that Bryan’s picked up Giorgos Printezis, merely the 57th pick in a 60-pick draft.

Out come the laptops, we all type about four sentences, send ‘em in and get back to our regularly-scheduled social hour.

It’s the only real impact Giorgos Printezis has had on my life, other than the eleventy kabillion times I had to explain he wasn’t good enough to play over here.

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Oh, we are so absolutely going to do one of those In Game Bloggy Thingies here tonight if you want.

After all besides mocking mock drafts and reacting with outrage at a pick or three, there’ll be fashion.

And you know how we love fashion.

So show up about 7:15 or so and we’ll see how it goes.

I miss some of you lugs.

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Draft quiz:

DeAndree Hulett, Tyson Wheeler, Remon Van de Hare.

Which is the worst pick ever?

Hard to choose, isn’t it?

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Kind of an interesting “process” question from the mail and I quite enjoy them.

Want to get in the mail? Do it here, the usual way.

Q: I've often wondered about how contact information for NBA types and the media is disseminated. You often hear players, coaches, management and even the press saying they called or texted so and so about such and such. Is contact information for all NBA people made available to other NBA people and the media or is it purely a personal decision on who it's made available to?

Stephen G, Kitchener

A: It’s entirely personal and up to the player, coach, GM, whatever to decide who they want to have their numbers. I don’t remember ever not having a cell number for any coach or GM here, dating back to the Isiah even. A lot of it has to do with the fact I – and most of my colleagues – won’t abuse it; we only make calls when it’s absolutely necessary and not just to say hi.

Players are a different story. Some are quite reluctant to give them out – they’d rather we all agents – and some have more than a few phones at their disposal and you might not get the right number anyway.

Funny story from the day the two Canadians kids worked out here. Can’t remember which one of them it was but he was asked by three different media members for a number where he could be reached draft night and they got three entirely different ones.

Now, there is – or used to be – a league book, known as the Red Book – that had all the contact numbers for executives and head office people in it but that was only given to high ranking guys in the franchise. I got my hands on one one year but never had cause to call David Stern at home.

That’d be a helluva drunk dial, wouldn’t it?

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Some night you’re not so Mighty after all.

Other guys 17, Mighty Rockies 9.

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I’m loving all his stuff about Tristan Thompson and where he’ll get picked and will he go higher than Steve Nash did at No. 15 and become the highest-picked Canadian ever.

Thompson seems like a good kid, good player and by all accounts he’s not going to slip past No. 13 when they get around to making the selections.

But highest ever?

Not so much.

This old friend musicologist and magazine scribbler of some note always points out that a fellow by the name of Bob Houbregs, Vancouver-born chap, was the second overall pick in the 1953 draft and went on to play five seasons in the NBA.

A 6-9 forward-centre, he was also the GM of the Sonics for a spell, is in the basketball Hall of Fame and should probably get his due.

Here’s a wee look at him and maybe we need to toss the qualifier “of the modern era” to this chatter about Thompson.

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It's all about the new guy and first impressions

So, what’d you think?

Of the new guy, that is.

Seems to have a bit of a “presence” doesn’t he?

Seems to be able to command respect from those around him, can make his points quickly, lucidly and with passion, leaving no doubt that he’s in charge.

I don’t know for sure how that’s going to translate once he gets on the floor as the guy in charge but as first impressions go, I think he made a good one with the people in the room.

The one thing anyone wants in a coach is to be able to capture the attention of his players, get them to buy what he’s selling and a lot of the good ones do it by the force of their personality.

The Xs and Os don’t change all that much from one organization to the next or from one coaching philosophy to another; what the good ones do is get players, fans, bosses and, yes, even the media who distribute the message to listen intently and give respect.

This might have been one of the best lines from Casey:

I don’t need players to like me, I want them to respect me.

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Haha.

Fooled you on the mock draft, didn’t I?

Sorry about that, got caught up in a whole bunch of Dwane Casey for the web and the paper and it got put back a day.

Tomorrow’s paper and the website later today for sure. I just need to find the precise reasons why Brandon Knight makes more sense that Kemba Walker here. You understand, right?

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So, another bargaining session comes Friday and that has to be good news.

But when they start talking about billions of dollars and hundreds of millions in give-backs or takeaways or whatever, my eyes kind of go all glassy and my mind wanders.

I don’t think there’s an appetite among fans or readers for the minutia of contract negotiations, I know for a fact that I don’t have the expertise or even the contacts to fully explain it so I don’t know that I’m going to be much help as this story drags on interminably.

My Man Sheridan does a good job explaining things, he’s been far closer than I to these kinds of stories for years so here’s what he wrote about yesterday’s chat.

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Speaking of the draft, I had a couple of guys in the organization make the same point to me in separate conversations yesterday.

Is there anyone at No. 5 who is better than what they have at the same spot now?

Think about it and we’ll discuss it a bit more in the morning but right now they have a young team with some promise, a new coach who may be able to change things, and there is a feeling of optimism around there. It may be cockeyed optimism but at least it’s not dread and when you look at the possibilities for the pick, is it really a huge upgrade at any spot?

More specifics tomorrow but here’s one: Is Kawhi Leonard really an upgrade over James Johnson? Seriously. Maybe in a few years but that’s a total guess. Is he today? I don’t know. And neither do a couple of Henchmen.

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Oh, this is going to make the new coach popular in some circles.

A hockey analogy:

“In the playoffs, we spliced in some hockey into our game film because we thought we were playing too soft at the start of the Miami series and it really set the tone. I don’t know a lot about hockey, I’ve heard about it, but we spliced in guys checking players up into the windows and boards, that type of thing. That’s the way we’re going to play.”

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This is why I like Rick Carlisle.

Sent him a text early yesterday morning wondering if he was around and able to chat for a minute or two about Casey.

Got one back about 30 minutes later saying, yeah, he was around and to call right then.

I did, we talked, got some good quotes and a bit of insight and when we were making small talk about life in general, he told me he was walking the streets of Paris on vacation.

That’s above and beyond the call of duty for anyone, there are players and coaches who don’t have time for you when they’re in the same gym, let alone on a different continent.

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All kinds of players filtering back into town, I hear.

Saw DeMar and Sonny at the Casey thing yesterday, I understand Jerryd Bayless and Ed Davis are in town and I expect there’ll be some working out and fooling around going on in the gym over the next few days, the same kind of unofficial workouts that happen in September.

That’s not a bad sign, I guess. It’ll give them a chance to at least meet the new coach, hang out a bit and, perhaps, get to know whatever draft pick they end up making on Thursday night.

Oh and because you know me and hairstyles/fashion/stuff I really don’t know a lot about, DeMar shows up with these cornrowy things on his head and all I can think of is that if he lets it grow for a month or two, he’ll look like Oak when he had those twisty things that were, um, unique.

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One more Casey quote on his demeanour, which can be quite animated during games:

As a head coach, I’m not going to be as hard-charging as I was an assistant. With our staff the way it was built in Dallas, that was my job, my role … that’s what I had to bring every day. I may have to do it here, I’m not going to say I’m not going to do it but I may have to temper that and my staff has to do a good job of making sure I temper it with the right disposition.

I don’t want to wear our players out, I want it to be fun to come in and play hard every day … that’s on us to be innovative, be creative as part of our approach to practice.”

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