The start of the long weekend mail

Okay, folks.

I have an awful lot of writing to do today – please check back this evening or tomorrow to see the fruits of my labour – but this is here for you now and there’s a lot left over for the morning.

Still a chance to get in on some of the fun, you know the drill.

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Q: Garbo, along with Charles Oakley (and starting cheerleader Chuck Swirsky) remain my favourite Raptors of all time because of their blue collar style. They competed, played hard and played the right way. I felt when Garbo was dismissed, his departure took a lot of the heart out of Jose's game for a couple of years too. Did that freakish injury diminish his skills that much, because I always felt he was run out of town for opting to play in the World Championshups that year.

Andrew W, Brantford

A: In the eyes of the Raptors and their medical people, the injury did; I kind of dispute that because he went on to play a handful of more years in Europe and it’s not like his game was predicated on jaw-slackening athleticism anyway.

But it was certainly a factor in Toronto deciding to cut ties with him, rightly or wrongly.

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Q: If teams can't talk to potential free agents until July 1, how come there are so many "Player X has narrowed it down to 3 teams" articles floating around?

Are reporters making stuff up? Are GMs/agents breaking the rules?

Where do these stories come from?

Lee B, Kitchener

A: I think sometimes too many reporters extrapolate their own thoughts to come up with such information but remember this: There are no gag orders on agents and if they want to let people know what their clients thoughts are, they are quite free to do it. And often do, just to get a message out.

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Q: Hi Doug: I'm sure you had a chance to read Steve Kerr's article on Grantland a while back about forcing players to college before the NBA, and one of the things he mentioned was marketability. Isn't Anthony Davis the poster child for why you would want players in college before going pro? I can't imagine many people would 'Fear the Brow' much, or at all, if Davis hadn't gone to Kentucky.

Thanks.

Thomas T, Antigonish

A: It was a very good point that Kerr made in that piece on that matter. Yes, the NBA does want players coming into the league who are familiar faces to the fans but it’s only part of the reason the league wants them in school for at least one and hopefully two years. Social skills development, along with physical development, would be the top of that list.

But if the league can piggyback on the marketing efforts and on-court success of the bigger programs, all the better.

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Q: Hi Doug. I can actually be happy for the Heat players at this point, but I am a little tired about Spoelstra talking often about how the players who came together had to sacrifice. I think he needs to look up that word in the dictionary. A doctor who leaves his practice to do a stint of doctors without borders or parents who re-mortgage their house to pay for their kids university...those are sacrifices. All of the players who went to Miami made their choices from many excellent options.

Thoughts?

Martin J, Toronto

A: Sure, athletes and coaches and reporters are terribly guilty of hyperbole or wrong descriptions. Terms and word like “warrior” and “hero” and “going to war” are thrown around willy-nilly and should be avoided at all cost. I’m not sure “sacrifice” would top that list but it’d be on it somewhere I guess.

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Q: Doug. Sorry for the lateness of this question, even though I'm sending it to you more than two days before the draft. Unfortunately, you won't be able to answer it until AFTER the draft and the flurry of trades that will surely accompany it. Honest, I DID think of this last week. Tardy fingers.

At any rate, the question is about the effect of a player doing really, really well against 'your' team and therefore you developing a higher opinion of him than some others might have. Amongst noted Raptor-killers are Kobe Bryant (not available), Paul Millsap (if available, not a fit) and Rudy Gay (said to be very available, if you can stomach the sticker shock in talent/draft picks and at the pay window). On the other hand, most Raptor fans are mystified at the Irving fellow winning the rookie award, if all you had to go off of, was just his performances against the men in red.

Two things that will get a fella fired from a management job as fast as anything, but 'potential,' is rewarding a hot playoff performance (say, what's Yogi Stewart doing these days?) and obtaining the guy that always, always "plays lights out against us." Does Gay fit into that category based on his two buzzer-beaters against us last season? Or are there enough red flags over his injury and motivational history to give Raptor brass caution?

Gary M, Brampton

A: Not sure it’s the injuries or motivational history more so than the sticker shock and long-term impact of the money that’s the biggest issue but you do bring up an excellent point about falling in love with guys who beat you and guys who are coming off hot playoffs.

The tendency here is to remember mostly specific games and that’s dangerous and why a guy like Jay – who spent the majority of last season on the road scouting NBA games for potential free agents and seeing them in different environments – is so important. And it’s not only seeing games, it’s talking to teammates and coaches to find out what the guy is really like. It’s hugely important and I think an area in which the Raptors have been lacking in the past.

As for that theory about good playoffs being wrongly rewarded, I give you two words and two words only:

Jerome Moiso.

Bit of a blah night but what else was expected?

Look at it this way:

All those operators they had standing by for season ticket orders had an easy night.

Seriously, though, it was a pretty lame draft from start to finish all throughout the league – where were all those trades we heard about? – and there was a pretty big “blah” factor when the HOTH came to make their pick.

For now, at least.

Here’s the truth of the matter: You don’t know and I don’t know and they don’t know for certainty whether Terrence Ross is going to be a prospect or a suspect and none of the hand-wringing or name calling is going to change that fact.

It’s probably going to be late 2013 or early 2014 before we know what he really is and that’s entirely understandable.

Could there have been a better pick?

I don’t know.

Sure, Austin Rivers was the flavour of the moment, in part because of name recognition, in part because people had seen him play on TV, in part because he’d be touted a few places.

But, as Dwane explained in the story, they didn’t think he could shoot the ball well enough right now to be the pick and he needs the ball in his hands to be effective and that wasn’t going to happen in a million years if they hit a free agency home run with You Know Who From Phoenix.

Sure, Andre Drummond was on everyone’s mind because he was kind of driving the draft as far as these fellows were concerned. But he’s also a centre, the last thing anyone wanted was two rookie centres to break in during the same season.

And, no, there was no “take Drummond and trade him” possibilities; no one wanted him that badly and it made no sense to take him without a surefire guarantee because if you got stuck with him, you were screwed. Yes, they tried; no, it didn’t work. Get over it.

Look, they tell me Terrence Ross can shoot and he can defend and he’s athletic and a good kid. All probably true.

He was also the consensus pick among the coaches and executives in the room, I’m told, for what that’s worth.

Look, there wasn’t a home run to be hit in this draft as it turned out; they had a list of three, those three were gone so it was time to move to the next name. That was Terrence Ross, for good or bad or indifferent and we’ll let you know sometime late next season whether it was a good pick, a bad pick, an indifferent pick.

It was a blah draft all around; it was a blah night around these parts. But they did what they thought was best for real and well thought out reasons; who knows if they will eventually be proved right.

But the truth of the matter is, they weren’t going to get a franchise changer at No. 8 even if they got one of those three other guys; the real work of keeping this team going forward begins with free agency on Sunday.

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So we’re doing the IGBT: Draft Version and there’s two notable missing pieces:

Do you think Paolo and Sportschick were out getting their hair cut in a zany Mohawk as a tribute to Mario Balotelli?

That was as good a soccer game as maybe there’s been in the knockout round of Euro2012; some goals, some attacking, some play that took the bad taste of the plodding Spain-Portugal game away.

And, no, I’m not telling you who I like in Sunday’s final, I don’t need people mad at me.

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Mail?

Gonna be busy today – Ross and Quincy Acy are in at 1 p.m., have other stuff to write, the women’s hoops to follow and a rare radio show to do from 5-7 (yeah, they’re way down the list at the McCown show but you should listen if you can) – but we’ll find time somehow to do it.

Click. Write. Send.

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So what did Bryan say?

What you’d expect.

It was a pick they’re comfortable with, had some trade talks but nothing came of them and they are more athletic with Ross than they were.

I’m sure he, like everyone associated with the team, was a little disappointed that the three guys at the top of the list were gone but what can you do? It didn’t work out; you deal with it and move on and see what happens.

But he did dangle on tiny carrot that might get you a bit, well, I don’t know what the right word is:

“(We) still have 48 hours or thereabouts until we go into the next salary cap year … so within the next 24 to 48 hours we’re going to exploring some conversations that we’ve been having. As the dust settles on the draft, team needs become very apparent but we are still armed with that cap flexibility that we have in this salary cap year.”

Do I expect something in the next day?

No, not at all. I think they will – and should – save as much money as they can for after Sunday (hello, Mr. Nash) and see if they can’t plug holes the other way.

One thing I don’t think they can do is use the amnesty clause too early. Yes, it’s all well and good to add to the money they have and they could get to a nice big number over $20 million but what if you amnesty someone and then get nothing in free agency? Then you’re screwed. You’ve got money, can’t spend it and glaring holes in your roster. Makes no sense to me.

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At least there’s this.

Yeah, that’s Linas Kleiza making about 17 three-pointers in a row and it doesn’t mean much but I figured you want to see it.

 

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Was nice catching up a bit with Damon Stoudamire before the draft, though.

Hadn’t seen him in a while – he’s an assistant coach at the University of Memphis now – and we, of course, got to chatting about his draft night so many years ago.

And we again relived one of those “what if” moments when were talking about it.

“There kind of wasn’t a whole lot of anticipation I knew what was going to happen, that was discussed way back in November. It wasn’t like something that I didn’t know.

“If Kevin Garnett didn’t go to Minnesota, Minnesota was going to draft me and if Kevin Garnett was gone I was coming here."

"I already knew that was going to happen.”

Hmmm, KG in Toronto. That would have altered the course of history, wouldn’t it have?

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Another piece of the puzzle about to be put in place

Happy Draft Day!

Or, as some of us like to think of it: Third worst day of the year after Pre-camp Media Day (too many people, no real stories, takes forever) and End Of The Season Locker Clean Out Day (it drags, we’re all tired, no one really says anything but you’re there waiting for about three hours).

Anyway …

What happens tonight?

Who knows?

After a flurry of activity with folks around the league last night, though, it’s come to this for the HOTH, and it’s something I’ve kind of been kicking around for a while:

The only quasi-realistic guy who can come in and help fill a need right away is small forward Harrison Barnes but I can’t envision a scenario that has him fall to eight.

Sure, Damian Lillard or Dion Waiters would be nice but I also can’t see either of them being there at No. 8 and the rest are, according to a lot of people I talk to and whose opinion I respect, are okay but hardly difference-makers for this team.

It’s a group of Austin Rivers, Perry Jones and a handful of others and if it comes to that, Bryan has to try to pull some kind of trade magic, give up eight and a player and move back to get a later pick and a better player.

Can he?

History would suggest not but this is one of the weirdest drafts that I can remember; there’s always chatter and disinformation and smokescreens and speculation but it seems there’s far more this year than there has been.

Who’s going to screw things up? Well, at first glance I’d say Cleveland might do something off the wall at No. 4, I can see Sacramento doing something at No. 5 and the biggest wild card of ‘em all is Houston, which has three picks and a desire to move at least one, probably two and maybe all three of them.

For the HOTH?

This is not a transformative night by any means but it could be significant. If Bryan can somehow solve his small forward issue today or tonight it’s going to be a huge leg up on the free agency season that starts Sunday (a guy can’t get any rest, can he?) and things might be looking better for the future.

But if he has to hold his nose and take someone at eight who’s just a player with some promise, I think it has to be seen as a disappointing night.

Whatever happens, we’ll be sitting around tomorrow talking about it and dissecting it and wondering what it all means when the simple fact is this:

It’s a bit piece in a continuing process of improving this team; no matter what we say or what we think or what others say or think, we won’t know for sure until next fall so I’m not sure there’s any reason to get too bent out of shape regardless of what goes on.

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Five things I’d love to hear from a team executive tonight:’

“We have no idea if he can play but he made some shots when he was being guarded by one of our assistant coaches one day.”

“Sure, he’s short but he’s also slow; mental makeup will cover a lot of failings in an athlete, our sports psychologist told us.”

“No, it’s not the guy we wanted, are you on drugs?”

“We don’t think he can come in and contribute right away but we had to take someone.”

“We had no trade talks whatsoever, what do we have that anyone wants?”

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Okay, this is official:

Penalty kicks to end soccer games at hugely significant international events is a stupid way to decide a winner.

Let ‘em play!

Sure, they might get tired and play might get ragged and they might be out there for hours but who cares?

You need to find a winner on the field, not from the spot. Watching that Euro semifinal yesterday (aside from the fact it was a boring dive-fest for the first 90 minutes) left me entirely empty when it was over.

I’d rather have ‘em run until they drop and someone scores; I’d like to see coaches have to save substitutes just in case the play 150 minutes, I’d like to see overtime tactics instead of penalties.

(I’d sure have loved to see Ronaldo take one, too; wasn’t that the oddest big-game coaching decision since whoever it was left Gretzky on the bench in Nagano?)

Sure, it’s dramatic and I know the fans love it but, really, it doesn’t make any sense. They need to play those games until there’s a winner.

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And five things I’d love to hear from a draft pick tonight:

“I guess I can get used to the city; wasn’t my first choice.”

“I just want to come and get my shots and my minutes.”

“I have no idea what my teammate are like, I only watched good teams last season.”

“I don’t care what style they play, I’m going to get mine.”

“The shortest period of time I have to be here is three years, right?”

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Mail?

I’d love some.

Click. Write. Send.

And don’t forget we’ll be here tonight sometime just before 7:30, please join in, it’s fun. No idea how long we’ll stay but it’ll be worth it.

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A couple of the all-time good guys decided to hang ‘em up yesterday.

Anthony Parker told folks in Cleveland that his career’s over and it was a pretty good one; played about nine years in the NBA, was one of the classiest Raptors I ever had a chance to write about and I’m sure he’ll do well in whatever he does.

And then I wake up early this morning, check the twitter feed and find out from Jose that it looks like Garbo’s putting a lid on his career.

Can’t think of a better guy – forget player, just a guy – that I’ve had a chance to write about. Sure, he was excellent on the floor, played hard, played smart, could make a shot when you needed it, but off the court, he was cool.

Two good ones:

It’s his rookie year, he wins NBA rookie of the month (the same day he’d won Mr. Europa or something like that) he’s walking out of the interview room after a shootaround.

I get up beside him as he’s going to the locker room, suggest he should be pretty proud and looks at me and says:

“If I am rookie of the month, this league is blanked”

Classic.

And one day we’re in Madrid as part of the European training camp trip and I’m in the lobby bar of the team hotel waiting for Stumpy or something like that, sitting there having a beer by myself.

Garbo’s over at another table with his agent or someone and after they finish, he walks by to say hello. I point to the brand I’m drinking (it was all unknown to me) and ask him if it’s a good one that locals have.

He looks at me like I’ve got three heads and says:

“That beer is too light for you. You need to have a man’s beer.”

He orders me a Presidente, we sit there and have it and if you don’t love an NBAer who has an affinity for a beer and will help you pick one, well, you’ve got issues.

Love the guy.

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Callback audition for Lillard adds some intrigue

The due diligence continues for the Raptors, who are zeroing on a group of potential picks in Thursday’s NBA draft.

First reported by NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper and confirmed by independent sources, the Raptors had Weber State point guard Damian Lillard in for a second, clandestine workout at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday.

That may mean everything, it may mean nothing as the rumbles around the draft grow louder.

There is every chance Lillard may be gone by the time Toronto makes its No. 8 selection – there are those who think Portland will snap him up at No. 6 – but he is seen as the best point guard in the draft and with veteran Jose Calderon about to enter the final year of his contract, a succession plan may be in order.

It might take a move up in order for the Raptors to get him but with all the trade talk swirling, anything is possible.

Lillard, according to sources, was the only player on Toronto's short list of draft possibilities to get a callback workout.

 

 

 

People who don't think, a quagmire of a draft and a great is gone

You know what?

Sometimes people are so idiotic it makes me laugh and wonder how they ever got as far in life as they have.

Really.

Two prime examples this week, one from the world of sports, one from the world of politics, each lacking common sense, tact and brains to the point you just shake your head.

The first is Amar’e Stoudemire, who used a gay slur in a tweet and ended up being fined $50,000 by the NBA, which is entirely cognizant of the damage that can be done by mere words and the impact they can have.

The second is this Canadian Senator, Patrick Brazeau, who, as far as I can tell, is famous for some comical boxing match with Justin Trudeau, a farce that probably had Justin’s dad rolling in his grave.

Anyway, here’s the story on this Brazeau guy and we can only wish there was a league to fine him; instead he’ll keep eating at the trough with one of the greatest “I don’t really have to do an honest day of work the rest of my life” jobs out there.

My point, and it’s certainly not limited to these two because we know so well, is that athletes, entertainers and politicians, is that twitter can be a dangerous thing and people who use it – people who tend to have many followers – need to be, simply, smarter.

This whole “connecting with the people” aspect of all social media can, indeed, be a wonderful thing. There are athletes who crack jokes, make points, give insight to themselves that you might not otherwise get and used correctly, it can be a powerful tool. For people like me, it can be a tip sheet, it can plant a seed for a future story, it can provide a jumping off point to a nice conversation.

The trouble is, it also lays bare the dopiness of some. It’s a rush to make proclamations, it’s speaking (or typing) without thinking and it makes you wonder about the common sense factor of some of these men and women and if you don’t have simple common sense, it’s going to make it very difficult for you to succeed in whatever is your chosen field.

I know people in the media relations field who shudder at the very thought of their players or clients holding an iPad or a Blackberry or an iPhone with idle time and anger on their minds. It is truly fraught with peril and often leads to the embarrassments that were Stoudemire and Brazeau this week.

These are men that should know better and they obviously don’t, it’s one thing to open yourself to the world if you can handle it; it’s awfully telling about your personality if you can’t.

End of digression.

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Unconfirmed by anyone of importance around the ACC, of course, but there’s every reason to expect Real Madrid to be here this fall for an exhibition game.

It’ll be fun, it’s often nice to see other teams, and despite it being mind-numbing pre-season ball, the words of one wise man resonated yesterday.

“It’s better than watching Detroit scrubs.”

It is. Marginally.

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So, it turns out I know another Hall of Famer and I can’t think of a better pucks scribbler I’ve known in my years than Paul Hunter. Dude covered the Leaves for decades and did it with aplomb and class and dignity and never mind a Hall of Fame mention, he should probably get a medal.

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Oh yeah, the NBA Draft.

Well, I’m sure you read this story that gets you up to speed with the HOTH (although I would imagine things have changed in the 16 or so hours since we talked to Bryan) and I’m sure you’ve looked wistfully through this photo gallery of the past Raptors choices.

(Man, there were some funny looking uniforms, weren’t there)

But here’s the thing about this draft: There is no telling what’s going to happen and the speed with which information filters out may make these words obsolete by the time you read them.

Had one guy tell me yesterday no one has a firm grasp on what’s going to happen two through seven – will Charlotte trade back, what’s Houston doing, who does Portland like, how big a splash does Golden State want to make – so it’s impossible to know what will be there at No. 8.

Yes, Bryan said he had three names in mind – if I had to absolutely guess it’d be Dion Waiters, Austin Rivers, maybe Perry Jones or Jeremy Lamb if you think Lillard wll be gone – but that list is elastic.

If, for instance, Phoenix finds a way to trade up, it’s to get Waiters so he’s gone; if Houston finds a high lottery deal with Orlando no one knows what the Magic might do; Portland may love Lillard but can’t pass on Waiters. It’s totally mixed up right now and all my advice to you would be is to sit back, enjoy the speculation, check back here later today and then forget it all because a lot of the real stuff won’t happen until tomorrow morning.

Yes, it makes it impossible for me to do the Mock Draft they want but what the heck, doing the impossible is what we do.

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Of course everyone remembers this vignette from When Harry Met Sally (I heard it being played somewhere in Casa Doug last evening) and it is a classic.

(Meg Ryan’s hot, eh?)

But if you want to talk about lives well led, and led with depth and talent in so many ways, and lives complete, there was so much more to Nora Ephron it’s amazing.

Read the obit – and make sure you read Heather Mallick’s accompanying piece – and marvel at the depth of talent.

No, they don’t make ‘em like that any more; the world’s a bit worse off today.

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Mail?

Sure, let’s start.

I imagine there’ll be a flood Friday morning after Thursday night’s shenanigans but I’m sure there’s other stuff on your mind, right?

Click. Write. Say hello. Send.

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I see Cathal’s tipping Portugal which means I should take Spain to give it some juice and conflict except I’d like Spain to win and in the whole reverse-jinx life I lead I wonder if that’s wise.

It’s so confusing.

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Okay, a mock draft -- picks 1-14, to do this morning and you can probably start mocking the mock this afternoon when it’s posted here.

Was thinking about extending it to the second round but didn’t know where I’d slot Remon van de Hare or Giorgos Printezis or Tyson Wheeler or Jimmy King or DeeAndre Hulett.

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A case to be made for a more cautious approach to life

I think it was Doc Rivers I first heard it from – and I’m sure he got it from somewhere and we’ll never know who first made the point – but a couple of things in the news recently hammer it home and the advice should serve as a warning for athletes in every sport everywhere.

Nothing good happens in the clubs after 2 a.m.

Never.

(Well, maybe not “never.” I’ve had some fun late at night but I’m not an athlete and I don’t have things to worry about that they do)

Anyway, I digress.

It’s news that Tony Parker could conceivably miss the Olympics because an eye injury he suffered while a bystander at some stupid bar brouhaha in New York that serves as the latest reminder of wisdom of those words and you wonder when everyone’s going to pay attention.

The backstory: Parker’s in some fancy schmancy New York club one night when a couple of warblers – or the people who hang with warblers – get in a bit of a dustup, something I would guess began over some inconsequential slight that was more perceived than intended.

Words are shared, shoves happen, someone breaks a bottle and all of a sudden Parker’s got a shard of glass in his eye and while his long-term future isn’t at stake, his summer plans to go to London are in jeopardy.

Now, I know I sound a bit like an old fuddy-duddy (and simply by using the phrase fuddy-duddy I prove that fact) but you would think these guys – and Parker is just the latest in a long list of them – would be a bit more careful, at least knowing to bail at the first sign of contretemps or trouble.

I’m also sure Parker and his group weren’t expecting trouble – no one ever is – but these things happen with such regularity, fights, arguments, someone trying to make a late-night point or stake claim to turf or whatever, that more caution is needed.

I’m not suggesting a Hermit’s life for every professional athlete or entertainer, they are by their very nature Type A personalities who tend to live hard and fast but there seems to be a lack of common sense at times that is alarming.

Yes, you could say this was a fluke, bad timing, or whatever, but flukes, bad timing situations and whatevers tend to happen, I think all athletes need to be more aware, more cognizant of what could happen than they are.

We can’t ask them to do nothing, we can’t ask them to hide or live in bubbles, we can suggest they are more wary, more alert, more something.

All of ‘em.

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What’s that old saw about water seeking its own level?

Was watching the TOD out of one eye while in full on couch repose last night and about the last thing I recall before the rains – and sleep – came was Jose Bautista hammering a line drive over the Green Monster.

Not bad for a guy who apparently forgot how hit in April and who now has 12 homers this month and a league-leading 24 on the year.

Not sure where I first heard it but there’s a truism about the game that could probably be applied to all kinds of sports:

Eventually, guys will become what they are.

It’s especially true in baseball simply because of the length of the season; there’s lots of time to make up for slow starts, as we’ve seen with Bautista, and lots of times to cool off from torrid beginnings.

Guess life – and sports – is just a game of runs, good and bad.

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Holy crap.

How is it that the Olympic departure is less than a month away?

My, time flies, doesn’t it?

Considering there’s an NBA draft, free agency, summer league and about a kajillion pre-Olympic features to be done, can someone slow the clock down, I need more time.

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Perfect quote from Ed Stefanski yesterday, sums up the NBA situation just perfectly:

“Thursday’s a long way away but we’re holding onto that pick but we’re exploring every option.”

Which means everything’s in play and possible and anyone who tells you what’s going to happen is totally guessing.

I don’t think the Raptors are anywhere close to 100 per cent sure what’s going to happen, either with their pick, the picks above them or in trade talks.

Yes, there has been some preliminary chatter, no doubt; but no one brings their ‘A’ games or offers until at least Wednesday and possibly not until Thursday so we’ve got another couple of days to sit on tenterhooks and wonder what might be.

Of course, we may get a bit of a hint this afternoon when Bryan does his final pre-draft media thing. Oh, wait. No, we won’t. We’ll hear that there are lots of options, all are being explored and they’ll do what they think is best for the long-term growth of the franchise.

(And if I knew how to really search this interweb thing, I guarantee I’d find just about the same thing two days before last year’s draft. It is forever thus)

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Oh yeah. You want “engagement” with the people?

Figure we’ll do an IGBT thing for part of Thursday night – maybe the first hour or 90 minutes of the draft depending on breaking news and when I have to leave – and then, hopefully, a chat Friday at noon to set us up for free agency that starts Sunday.

See you calendars accordingly, please.

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Yes, it was a stupid easy win for the women at the Olympic qualifier against a Mali team that would be so-so with its best players and woefully inadequate without them.

What’s it mean?

Nothing, really.

You’re going to get the odd mismatch and blowout in a tournament like this and it’s always better to be on the giving, rather than receiving, end.

But I know this group of women and the coaching staff pretty well; they’ll understand what Monday was – a one-off blip – and know that the real work begins today against France and continues Thursday when the quarter-final rolls around.

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A week like no other -- good and bad -- about to unfold

Ah, draft week!

Best week of the year?

Worst week of the year?

Just another week of the year?

I’m going with the final one of those.

I know there those among you who find this quite the exciting week, new beginnings, new players, new starts and all that.

But the fact is: This is one very, very tiny piece of a big puzzle, especially where the HOTH are concerned.

Yes, they are likely to get a guy at No. 8 – if they make the selection – who has some promise and I can guarantee when it’s time to talk about him on Thursday night, there will be raves about his abilities and how happy they are that he was still there. But who should it be? Well, I’m going to have to think about that for a day or two and try to figure out the realistic chance of getting him.

That’s the issue with this week.

What I really don’t like, though, is the near hourly updates and speculation that keeps you hopping. Or frustrated trying to figure out what’s true.

This guy’s stock is rising.

This guy’s stock is falling.

This team’s doing this for sure.

Unless they do something else.

And it’s especially difficult when you’re selecting No. 8 because so much of what you do depends on what others ahead of you.

It’d be all well and good for me to suggest Austin Rivers is the best fit, or Perry Jones III is worth a shot or Damian Lillard would be a wise choice but that’s all dependent on what transpires with picks 2-7 and, even a draft neophyte like me can’t figure that out with any certainty.

But I will say this: No matter what position he plays, the Raptors need not worry about what they have when they make their choice.

This is a young team with some interesting bits and some promise but it’s not like it’s a roster dotted with all-stars that’s coming a successful string of seasons. And competition within a roster for playing time is never a bad thing.

(Although I still say trading out of No. 8, packaging the pick with a player to get a player is the best course of action).

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So, do I need to watch Newsroom or what?

Considering I think The West Wing was one of the best TV shows ever and Sports Night was as under-rated as anything on the air, I’m thinking the answer will be a resounding yes.

Of course, being in England for almost a month this summer’s going to be a bit of an issue but we can get around that.

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Know what’s a great night?

Sitting on a patio with friends with music playing (Hi, Mick and Angelo’s, best local in the Falls) after a day beating up an unsuspecting golf course.

Kind of takes the sting away from the missed shots, the gentle fades that turn into vicious slices and, I tell you, golf and I are almost done.

Time was, I could move the ball around pretty well but with creeping age and creaky joints, I don’t have the time necessary to work hard enough or play often enough to be any good.

And as I was hunting for balls in fescue all day Sunday, it really hit home.

Great game. Frustrating, though.

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Okay, we’ve got four Euro2012 teams left and I’m wondering who I jinx next.

Portugal, I think.

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I’m sure you all read this dispatch setting up the national women’s team and its Olympic qualifier that starts this afternoon in Ankara, Turkey.

It’s pretty straightforward what has to happen: They need to beat Mali today or France tomorrow and then someone in a cross-over quarter-final and they’re in the Games.

(And, we are endeavouring to have daily coverage through the week)

Straightforward but not that easy; these tournaments have a way of putting all kinds of pressure on athletes who’ve had an awful lot of time to think about the games, the consequences and the schedule.

But the one thing I got from seeing the women when they were here in Hazelville earlier this month, and from knowing them over the years, they do have a mental toughness about them.

I don’t know a lot about the opponents they’ll face – a bit by reputation and style of play more than anything – but I’ve contended all along that this team has the talent to be in the Games and I imagine they make it.

And you know who should be happy about that?

Canadian sports fans.

I know the Olympics are a different breed and it’s often about individuals rising to the occasion on one specific day but there’s something about team sports that captures the imagination.

The tournaments build momentum and interest and seeing how there is only one Canadian “team” at the games – the women’s soccer team – having the basketball team there will give fans of team sports something to watch develop.

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So I hear I have to go to the ACC today; bunch of second-round picks are allegedly working out and it’ll be nice to see the people.

And since I’ve been lucky enough to avoid all previous draft workout sessions, a chat with a Henchman or two is order, I believe.

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The end of the weekend mail

All right, here’s the deal.

It’s Saturday afternoon, I’m watching Spain-France and would like to make dinner for the family and enjoy a quiet night on the couch so if I missed a couple of late questions, I missed a couple of late questions. Sorry.

And am off to do damage to some peninsula golf course at part of a memorial tournament that includes, if memory serves, much hilarity and story telling so if I’m late on comments, there’s a valid excuse.

Enjoy your day.

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Q: Hey Doug: You often say that coaches get too much credit for wins, and too much blame for losses - a sentiment with which I agree. Having said that, could you rank, in your opinion, the four major sports with regards to which one you think the coach/manager has the biggest impact, to the one in which the coach has the least impact.

Thanks!

Tim H, Windsor

A: That’s a tough one because each influences a game in a different way.

But if I had to list them I’d probably go with:

Basketball

Getting the right matchups with frequent substitutions and rotations, along with play calls, is tough.

Baseball

It’s mostly about matching bullpens with hitters, and setting up rotations for key series.

Hockey

Sure, it’s the most fluid of games and you can’t really match up stars with people they can dominate for more than a 45-second stretch and there’s no play calling, per se, but it must be hard.

Football

Too many moving parts and most head coaches give responsibility for play calling over to offensive and defensive co-ordinators.

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Q: Just in from five hours of golf in the mid day sun...Should BC take Ed O’Bannon?

Who was the better golfer, Ed Norton or Ralphie boy?

Don't forget to address the ball.

Ed McMahon or Mr. Ed?

Sunstrokingly yours

Bob E, Kanata

A: What if Mr. Ed brought a winning lottery ticket to your door? How cool would that be?

How else would you address the ball?

Hello, ball!

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Q: Can you explain why the finals game format is as it is. Also, as a higher seed if the Thunder had a choice, do you think they would play 2-2-1-1-1 or do you think they would keep the series at 2-3-2?

Thanks!

Jeff M, Saint John

A: It changed in the 1980s to 2-3-2 to ease the travel, it was especially difficult in the Lakers-Celtics years back then. I think, given their druthers and from conversations I’ve had, teams would probably prefer 2-2-1-1-1 now that they travel on charters and it’s not nearly as arduous.

But the league and the TV networks prefer it, it’s easier to be ensconced in one city for a week in the middle so I cannot imagine it ever changing back.

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Q: Hi Doug - long intro to my question, with a few links. A couple of weeks ago someone posted a question about Moneyball and basketball. By chance, that same day, I was talking to someone who mentioned this article to me (I posted it that evening, but it might have been missed by the original questioner). It was written by the author of Moneyball, and is an interesting read. Stats don't show what Battier does (or did, and sometimes still does), but I think it's pretty clear he is a smart player. (Well maybe shooting percentage, with few shots and high efficiency would be a useful stat?) In fact, I looked up his wikipedia entry, and Sporting News placed him as 7th in terms of smartest athletes (we like lists, right?). He's drawn some attention lately, too (other than from me) ;)

Anyway, to get to my question, I think it's fair to say the Raptors could use not just a veteran presence, but one with a high basketball IQ, if I may use that expression. I think Garbajosa had it, I think Oak had it (although those infamous passes to the Nicholsons give me pause), and I'd say Anthony Parker had it. Those guys came to mind immediately.

Leaving aside questions of contracts and trades, what veterans are out there that you think have a high basketball IQ, and just seem to know where to go and what to do. This could be a general question, or specifically what guys would be a good fit with the Raps.

I hope you will be on your way to Oklahoma City when you get time to deal with the mailbag. :)

Sheila C, Ottawa

A: I think it’s generally held, and I agree, that Kobe might be the smartest player in the league and I’d put Jason Kidd high on that list, too. It’s knowing what to do and when and even though Kobe has a tendency to shoot it too much at the expense of his teammates, his knowledge of how to attack and when is impressive.

Now, guys like Kurt Thomas, or Marcus Camby, the oldsters who’ve been around for eons, are pretty heady, too. And you’d probably want to put Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on that list.

See the theme, though?

Guys who have played forever.

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Q: Doug. Watching the reports on NBA Canada TV, they seem almost giddy about the Nash possibility. Then came a report that the Raps are on the short list (with Suns and Portland.) It is the worst keep secret that the Raps will be trying this summer.

What do you really believe the chances are?_(I, personally, think the Canadian thing is somewhat played too hard. As a fan I read in a blog said that, Toronto is not his hometown, and New York is his free choice in the summers.)

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: I think the chances are probably slim but I know Steve will listen and the Raptors need to make it so financially lucrative he can’t say no.

Now, I also think this: While it might be nice imagine there’s a “short list” of three teams, I don’t believe it for a second. It’s far too early in the process, every time I’ve spoken to Steve since all-star weekend he’s told me he’s going into the process with an open mind and for him to have discounted 27 of 30 teams weeks before he’s even a free agent makes no sense to me at all. Sounds good, can’t be true.

And, funnily enough, the direct quotes from him last week that he’d be interested in New York if New York had some interest kind of runs counter to the “short list of three” thing, doesn’t it?

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Q: Hello Doug! Ah ha! I knew it: Miss Burley was wrong all those years ago in Detention...err I mean Study Hall when she kept shushing us so we could get our homework done. A recent study published in your paper indicates that places that stimulate the most creativity contain an ambient level of noise. I believe they registered ambient to be about the 70 decibel level.

Now, as someone who works in places like arenas where the NBA Finals take place, and the sound has got to be higher than that, as well as - is there any truly quiet place in your line of work? - would you agree that some sound contributes to your own creativity? So, what's the perfect setting for you? In which sort of places do you find the perfect ambience that'll stimulate your writerly inspiration? And don't feel you have to limit yourself to only the ambient sound that surrounds you. Give us the whole perfect sensory package, if you will! Thank you.

And another thank you; this one specifically for all your writing, reporting, informing, responding, educating and entertaining of us this past season. I hope the Weekend Of Decompressing is progressing in a pleasant manner and at your own preferred pace. Cheers!

Lorie P, London

A: There really isn’t any quiet place to ply my trade and after all these years it’s really not an issue. In fact, when I’m home and trying to type, I find myself needing some kind of white noise (TV, music, Super Son’s sax practice) to provide a background stimulus, if you will. The noise does seem to get the juices flowing a bit; I can’t imagine working in stone cold silence.

And, really, a bit of noise is all it takes; not really concerned about temperature or people or anything like that.

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Q: Ciao Doug. Portugal (with Ronaldo), Spain (the world championship), the young and well coached France, the always solid and talented Germany, the never winning England and the unpredictable Italy are the remaining teams in the football European Championship.

If you are not permitted to say Spain, what team is your favorite for the title?

And, if you can say, what team would you like as the winner?

Paolo P, Roma

Post Scriptum: FORZA AZZURRI!

A: I can’t pick Spain? Hmm, okay.

Well, my mind would suggest Germany because they seem to be playing better now than anyone left, my ancestry should probably say England but they seem to plodding and slow at the back and I do indeed have a soft spot for the Azzurri.

But, really, I enjoy watching Portugal play, I think Ronaldo is truly gifted so … I think I’m on them now.

Spain, though, would be the first pick.

The start of the weekend mail

Home, sweet home.

Feels nice.

Anyway, Mighty Red Tigers practice this morning and then some quick work to do but if you want to get into tomorrow’s mailbag, it looks like there’s room so you know the drill.

Other than that, enjoy this.

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Q: Doug, I just spent the weekend in Seattle watching my first WNBA game. It was a great experience in a city that really seems to know their basketball. I know they would like to get a team back there, in your opinion, what are the chances? Would another team have to fold?

Tamara S, Halifax

A: You were in Seattle? Totally jealous. Did you get to The Kells and Metropolitan Grill? And it’s a great basketball city, I’m sure the Storm draw well, wish I could see a game.

Anyway, the issue in Seattle for the NBA is very clear cut: They need to build an arena – and there are relatively firm plans – and then hope ownership there can find a team to purchase and relocate because there is no expansion anywhere near the horizon in the NBA. Attention is, of course, focused on the long-term feasibility of Sacramento and, perhaps, Charlotte and Milwaukee but you’re looking at least three or four years down the line, I’d guess.

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Q: Doug. When a game story is really tight for deadline (for example, Jays-Brewers earlier in the week) do you guys always have back-up stories prepared (say a piece on a certain player) to put into the spot where the game story would be?

Isaac O, Thornhill

A: It’s all about planning and for games like that one – in all sports – that start at 8 p.m. or later, we’re always ready with something just in case. It’s why you might have heard me refer to “pluggers”, which are stories used to “plug the hole” where the game story would go. The challenge is to write something that won’t be superseded by something that happens in the game because despite the time we file it, most people will know who won by the time they get around to reading it. That’s hard part.

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Q: Hey Doug, thanks for the diligent work. It is much appreciated by us fans. I got to see my first ACC basketball game this year and came away with the same feeling you've expressed- that was way over the top. They play music WHILE the game is going on! That's ridiculous. Why not just employ the Globetrotters full-time if you're not interested in basketball.

With that out of the way, I was perusing the draft history of the last few years. It seems like players drafted last year and the year before made minimal impacts (excluding the 'superstar' top picks). But in the 2009 picks I can find many of the younger contributors I recognize as the better players on their teams. What do you think is the typical time-line for players to maximize their talents within the team? Is it the 3-4 years my brief research suggests? Is it longer? The draft seems overblown if you're not picking #1- the odds of getting someone to come in and play at a high level right away are very slim, even for the Raps at 8.

H P, Oshawa

A: There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, but I’d say it’s generally in their third season that players “get it” and teams know what they actually have. Except for all but the top picks, the first season is a whirlwind dealing with the mere act of being a professional, to say nothing of the startling change in the calibre of play, and the second season is basically more getting used to the NBA game.

And the draft is in many ways overblown if you’re not in the top one or two spots; it’s just part of the process of building a team and it’s rare that you get lucky with a mid-lottery or late-first rounder who makes an immediate impact.

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Q: I'm curious about the promises that teams are supposed to give to players before their draft. Quite a few sources have reported that Waiters got a promise from a lottery team and most suspect Phoenix at #13. Why would a team ever give a promise to a player? In this example, it would seem to me that if someone wanted Waiters bad enough they could trade up to #12. Obviously the player and agent are happy but i fail to see what benefit a team gets from giving a promise. Are these guarantees or are you aware of teams reneging on these agreements?

Paul P, Port Hawkesbury, N.S.

A: It makes no sense to me, either, to tell you the truth. I guess the reason is to keep that player from being seen by other teams, as well as being examined physically and psychologically.

In the Waiters case – and it is Phoenix – no other team has had a chance to let its medical people take a look at him and by withdrawing from the combine when he did, even the league physicians couldn’t offer a report.

But while I don’t have any first-hand knowledge of a team reneging, the possibility exists because there can be nothing in writing between a draft eligible player and a franchise; I just haven’t ever heard of it happening.

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Q: Hi Doug. In football (or soccer) sometimes teams have had a player/manager in the past. My question is, has this ever or could this ever happen in basketball? Or any other American sport for that matter?

What current active basketball player would be the best player/coach? I'm thinking Derek Fisher.

Chaz E, London

A: Oh yeah, it’s happened quite frequently in the NBA, although not for many years as the demands on both players and coaches have grown. I’d guess the most famous basketball guys would be Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkens, who were accomplished player-coaches at the ends of their careers.

Over the course of time there might have been 75 or 100 in baseball, I guess the most famous player-manger might have been Rogers Hornsby; don’t know of any in the pucks or football.

Not sure any player could handle the double-duty right now, there are just too many demands away from the court. Even Fisher’s a stretch and, besides, I can’t imagine any player wanting to.

It may have been short, but series was special

Yeah, I know.

It’s late.

So sue me, life will be back to normal soon enough.

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Of course everyone wanted more and the end was anti-climatic and there was something of an empty feeling when it all was over because we all wanted more but what the heck.

That was delightful and competitive (except the second half last night) and when the dust settles and the sober light of day dawns, I think there are a few things we can all agree on:

The best team won.

LeBron James is a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

The Oklahoma City Thunder cemented their reputation as everyone’s favourite or second-favourite team. Yes, the stories today will focus, rightfully so, on the Heat and what the championship means to them but in defeat the Thunder may have grown even more.

Throughout the series, guys like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and James Harden and coach Scott Brooks – the faces of the franchise, trotted out every night to explain what had just happened – comported themselves with dignity and honour and class and there is no feeling other than respect for them today.

They didn’t whine about the officiating, they didn’t use their youth as an excuse or a crutch, they were dignified in defeat and, at times, wondrous on the court.

The easiest thing to say is that their time will come, that this was just part of the inevitable journey because that’s how the game works, you bide your time and take your lumps and come back to fight another day.

But easy isn’t always correct and doesn’t always happen.

And the Thunder knows it.

Nothing is guaranteed in this or any other sport, things happen to derail what’s seen as likely, injuries happen, skills stagnate, other teams get better.

To see Durant on the podium after the game was to see a guy who knew that, too, and it made the hurt even harder to handle.

“It hurts, it hurts, man,” was what Durant said.

One thing that did come through, however, is that the Thunder realizes it’s going to take as much work to get back as it did to get here the first time and the over-riding thought having watched them is that they will do whatever it takes. Brooks harped on it incessantly during the series – his team is mature beyond its years, the players work hard every day because they know to stagnate is to take a step back – and it was entirely believable.

I like that Thunder team, I love their ability and I appreciate their professionalism and dedication.

Nothing is given and maybe this is a one-time thing but the sneaking suspicion is that OKC will do whatever it takes because it seems to be in their DNA.

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I think there aren’t too many better ways to finish a road season than sitting on a stool with a Stella and a wing and a couple of good friends (although I’m pretty sure the comely barkeep’s idea of saying goodbye and congrats with a shot of Goldschlager wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done) even if the 3 a.m. last call was a tad late.

And if you can hear this on the jukebox, it’s all the better.

(If you ever get to Miami and can find Mike’s on the ninth floor of a condo, tell ‘em I said hi.)

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Mail?

I have no idea when I’ll get to it, there’s a mid-afternoon flight and I’m pretty sure a night on the couch awaits but let’s get some more and I’ll get it done.

You know the drill.

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Speaking of that flight, it’s direct to Toronto and that’s fine and dandy but I was kind of hoping for a weekend adventure.

To Houston.

Yeah, I would have been able to avoid a weekend in Oklahoma City if we had to go back because plans were in place for a quick visit to Houston to see Lithuania play Great Britain and to hang with Jonas Valanciunas for a bit.

The Lithuanians are there on their way to Venezuela for the final Olympic qualification tournament and it would have been fun but it had to be cost-neutral and got quashed when the Heat won.

I need home time more than I need an extra two nights on the road if there’s no real reason to go.

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Now, I don’t know what the scene was like on South Beach or anywhere cool and I certainly wasn’t about to stay out late and find out but I will say this:

The folks in the part of Miami I was in celebrated peacefully but joyfully and it really was something to see.

Folks hanging out of car windows and standing in convertibles with traffic going nowhere, singing and screaming, Meringue music beating, pots and pans being hammered and, really, good clean fun.

You know, kind of like Yonge Street after a first-round pucks playoff game win, only a bit louder.

And it only took us about 30 minutes to make what’s normally a five-minute drive.

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Okay, what do we do now?

Oh, right.

Draft.

Free agency.

Summer league.

Olympics.

Yeah, guess it’s not going to be so quiet after all.

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You know what I don’t care a whit about?

People in Cleveland.

Whiners.

Look, LeBron James gave them seven years and took them to the Finals, he made all kinds of money for all kinds of people, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert got himself a couple of Ohio casinos thanks in part to his ownership of the Cavs.

James never bad-mouthed the city, he tried to do his best when he was there and after seven years – an eternity in any pro sports these days – he exercised his right and when to look to play elsewhere.

Big whoop.

Too bad.

Get over it.

Really.

Sure, I can understand short team feelings of disappointment after the greatest athlete the city’s ever seen or produced jilted you but, really, time to move on.

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Okay, time to pack, find out if I have to write today and then get on to the first slow day in what seems like a very long time.

Then we’ll really start talking draft.

Promise.

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