The AltRaps Blog

Not sure when they’ll get around to announcing it, but when they do, remember you read it here first:

I’m told CSKA Moscow’s coming to Toronto this fall for an exhibition game against the Raptors.

No dates or anything but I hope for Toronto’s sake it’s near the end of the pre-season because if the Raptors don’t bring their ‘A’ game, they’ll get their heads handed to them.

The thought around team remains that the 13^th man is going to be someone on a minimum value contract who’s a combo guard with at least a little bit of NBA experience, a guy who some night in the regular season will jump up and do something to win a game for them, and I don’t think that guy was on the team in Vegas.

And with only two games under his belt, nothing can be taken away about the performance of Nathan Jawai other than he didn’t look out of place.

Joey? Joey killed in the summer league but, quite frankly, if he didn’t there was no hope for him whatsoever.

- Toronto StarGraham’s most likely role is best player on a bad team. And let’s look at those numbers: He did average 32 minutes a game, most on the team, so the numbers are going to come. But he also shot a not-so-impressive 46.7 per cent from the floor and averaged 3.8 turnovers a game and – oh yeah – six fouls.

Nothing personal against Graham – he’s always been polite and friendly to everyone that I’ve ever noticed. And I respect the fact that he’s a three-year veteran who’s willing to put the time in and come to Vegas to try and impress his employers.

But the reality is he’s heading into his fourth NBA season. He’s a physical marvel. He’s 26 years old. He should rule at Summer League.

A line that would impress me? Something efficient. Something that indicates he’s staying ahead of the game mentally. A high shooting percentage, low turnover numbers and low foul totals.

That didn’t happen, so I’m not that impressed.

- Globe and MailSome coveted international players already have snubbed the NBA in favor of Euroleague. Argentina’s Carlos Delfino left the Raptors to join a Russian club, and Spain’s Tiago Splitter - whose name alone is priceless - declined the honor of being the Spurs’ first-round pick last year.

Until now, Americans didn’t go to Europe unless they struggled to find stable employment in the NBA. The experience was often enlightening, but it also could be exasperating. One former player told me that his European team provided housing and utilities, and after he played poorly, he found his heat mysteriously cut off.

- San Francisco ChronicleShaquille O’Neal and his wife Shaunie were on hand at the brand new Josten’s Center at Disney’s Wide World of Sports late last week to watch their son, Shareef, participate in the 3rd Grade D1 National Boys Basketball Championship Tournament. Hilariously, Shaq decided to wear a Toronto Raptors jersey.

- Ball Don’t Lie

Coleman Collins started two of the three games he played in for Toronto, but did not participate in their final two games.  In the three games he did play, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17 minutes per game.  He had 11 points against Jamon Gordon and Denver on July 14th on 5/6 shooting.

- Tech Hoops

Torey Thomas, the former Trinity Catholic High School point guard who made a big splash overseas in his first year as a professional, will again be playing in Europe this coming season.

Thomas, who was hoping to catch on with an NBA team for the summer league, said he attracted some interest from the Toronto Raptors but was unable to complete a deal because he did not have an agent at the time. He has since signed with Interperformances, which represents a large number of professional basketball players in Europe, including many

- The AdvocateThat potential opening never came to fruition, as Benson sprained the MCL in his left knee in his first day practicing with the Toronto Raptors’ summer league team.

“The goal here is to play and do well, and I’ve pretty much done neither,” Benson said with a chuckle. “Anybody who comes to the summer league is looking to further their standing, either here or overseas. Basketball-wise, this would be kind of a let down, but it’s not like I haven’t had fun and I haven’t made some new friendships.”

With the injury slowing him, Benson played just a total of 10 minutes in two games last week for Toronto. He really didn’t have to prove himself to anyone, as NBA execs are already pretty well aware of what he brings to the table. Since graduating from Cal-Berkeley in 2006, he’s spent a training camp with the New Jersey Nets, and played the majority of two full seasons in the NBA’s Developmental League. Those stops took him to Austin, Texas, and Bismarck, N.D. Combine the remote locales of most NBDL franchises and the minimal pay, they’re not places he’s in a rush to return to.

“It’s definitely an option, but it’s not one I’ll take,” said Benson, who averaged 13.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per game for the Dakota Wizards last season. “No one spends their whole career in the D-league. It’s not what you do. The only way I could end up back there is if I went overseas and came back early and I just needed to go there for a second, or went to training camp, got released and just got there for a second. There’s no way I’ll spend an entire season there.”

But just because going to Europe may be his most likely option, it doesn’t mean he’s close to giving up on pro ball. After all, he’s not stupid.

“Either way, my earning potential far exceeds anything I’ll do writing in the near future, and I understand that, and I love to play basketball, so why not do both?” he continued.

- Las Vegas SunI didn’t get to do much back at home because I was working out so much. I finally started playing Metal Gear Solid 4 as a result of my boredom. That is the hardest game that I’ve ever played by far. I’m so frustrated with it right now because I’m at this part where it seems impossible to beat. I’ve beaten every other Metal Gear game, so  this is really messing with my ego.
I’ll be writing and shooting a little video more often, now that USA Basketball is about to get underway. I finished shooting my next video this past week and now it’s being edited. Hopefully it’ll be up in the next couple of weeks. I’m very particular of how my videos look even though it’s not shot with a big time camera. I just want it to look good so we’ll be watching it over and over to get it right.
Well…. I’m in shape and ready to roll. The journey for the gold starts tomorrow!

- Chris Bosh.com

Now Khimki BC, a team from Russia, signed Carlos Delfino this week, leaving the Toronto Raptors for a nearly 3 million euros annually.

One expert on the matter says that equates to an NBA salary of more than $9 million when you factor in the exchange rate and the tax money Delfino won’t have to give back.

The same team is also trying to sign Delfino’s former Toronto teammate, Jorge Garbajosa, despite interest from the San Antonio Spurs.
Garbajosa is fresh off securing his release from the Raptors last month after a serious leg injury.

Garbajosa has been rumored to accept a deal from his hometown club in Spain, Unicaja Malaga.

- SpursReport

(video) Warriors vs Raptors

- NBA

It just so happens that I’m not a huge Jermaine O’Neal fan. Despite his imposing physique, he’s far from being a power player. Indeed, he’s repeated on several occasions his reluctance to play the low post. Also, his defense is barely adequate, which eventuates in his being in chronic foul trouble. Plus, he rarely delivers when a critical game is on the line. So don’t be deceived by his numbers.

- FoxSports

The NBA has its own foreign legion, men who travel the globe looking for the next great players. Italian Maurizio Gherardini is widely regarded as the top basketball executive from Europe, having moved to the Toronto Raptors as assistant general manager from Italy’s Benetton Treviso club.

Gherardini has witnessed the growth of basketball’s popularity in his homeland, where games are shown on television most nights of the week. In recent years, Italians Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli have been selected in the NBA draft. This summer, Danilo Gallinari of the Olimpia Milano club was among the top 10 draft picks when selected by the New York Knicks.

Italian players are following in the footsteps of Serbian, Croatian, Spanish and Russian players, who have been part of a European exodus to the NBA since the mid-1990s.

Gherardini says: “I believe situations have shown you may find talent around any corner. There is no place where there are going to be better diamonds than other places. Spain is probably the best model in Europe and I would expect to see more players coming from there. The former Yugoslav republics have been the biggest producers of players in Europe, somehow because of their love of the game and the physical structure of people in the area, and so I expect that to continue.

“I think South America will always be a continent to look at. I think Africa, if the quality of the teaching keeps improving, if they are capable of putting together simple structures to work on their games, has a great possibility of developing intriguing talent for the future,” he adds.

- Financial Times

Toronto built a nine-point advantage in the third quarter but the lead did not last long as Golden State finished the quarter within one point of the Raptors. Randolph let the Warriors in the quarter scoring seven points.

An evenly fought fourth quarter had the score tied with just over one minute to play, but the Warriors proved too much for the Raptors who outscored them by seven down the stretch to earn the victory.

The Raptors had five players in double figures including Desmon Farmer with a team high 22 points and John Lucas who chipped in with 14 points.

The Raptors finished their summer schedule with a record of 1-4

- NBA

Croatian star guard Roko Leni-Ukic has been busy this last week, not only is he trying to help his national team qualify for the Olympics, but he’s signed a three-year deal with the NBA team that drafted him three years ago, the Toronto Raptors.

In 2008 Ukic led his team, Lottomatica Virtus Roma, to the Italian League finals and the 23 year old believes he has improved, has matured, and is ready to handle the NBA. “If I will play 15 minutes per game, I am happy.” Roko said.

Roko-Leni Ukic and current Toronto point guard Jose Manual Calderon have been tied to each other since 2005.  Back when the Raptors drafted Roko-Leni Ukic with the 41st overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, only to see the Croatian decide to remain in Europe, the two have been linked.  With Ukic staying overseas, the Raptors needed to find a replacement.  They ended up signing the little-known Calderon.

When Jose Calderon left his team TAU Cerámica Vitoria for the NBA, the European team needed a new point guard, so… they signed Roko-Leni Ukic.

Now, Ukic will be coming to North America, to play backup to Calderon.  Odd, no?

- Interbasket

Here is Carlos’ reason to come to Europe again:

“I really wanted to return to Europe. Khimki is an ambitious club that will soon become one of the strongest in Europe. I will do my best to make it possible.” (via eurocupbasketball.com)

Additional note: The NBA should no longer have an NBA Europe. The Raptors spent too much time in Europe - Everybody wants to play here now!

- Ball In Europe

However what might really be the deciding factor in any final transactions is of course the almighty dollar. If Toronto decides that spending whatever they have left on another point guard is the way to go (and who knows how much money they have to work with) then Giles might be out of luck.

And can Toronto get that final point guard or combo-guard from their Vegas league roster? I still so no however I’d like to see Daniel Ewing get some more minutes. I thought he played much better than Lucas in terms of running the show against Philly but once again it was Lucas who got the crunch-time minutes. And against LA last night, Ewing was back to playing under 15 minutes and splitting back-up point guard duties with Jaycee Carroll.

- RaptorsHQ

In baseball they talk about one-run games and how great an indication that is of how good your bullpen, fielding and pitching is. In much the same way your record in close NBA games tells you what a team is capapble of when push comes to shove and you have to go that extra yard and execute that one crucial play down the stretch. I’m hoping that the addition of Jermaine O’Neal will, more than anything, add an extra offensive option that will allow us to get good looks when it really matters - with 3 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The PNR and Bosh Post-Ups become awfully predictable when you’re running them all game long and that’s why they hardly fool anyone in the fourth. A bit of offensive creativity is what could put this team over the hump of mediocrity which is so rampant in the East.

- Arsenalist

(video) Nathan Jawai

- NBA Tube

Good news for basketball fans: Jack Armstrong is close to signing a contract with TSN that will keep him on the air for Raptors games and more

- London Free Press

The Raptors got 22 points from Desmon Farmar (8-12 from the field).  Joey Graham looked like the most NBA ready player physically.  He had 13 points and eight boards.  Athleticism has never been an issue for Graham as he continues to search for his role in Toronto.

“Aussie” or “Baby” Shaq Nathan Jawai is certainly a big body.  He too looked like he has NBA potential en route to 13 points and five boards in 17 1/2 minutes.

John Lucas led the Raptors with seven assists.  Blogger Rod Benson had four points in six minutes of play.

- HoopsWorld

There have been a handful of breakout performances from little-known players like Brown since the games began at UNLV on July 11. Anthony Roberson quickly earned a guaranteed contract from the Knicks. One Eastern Conference executive is convinced that Anthony Tolliver will make San Antonio’s roster as a “shooting 4-man.” Some recent second-round picks have been eye-catching as well: P.J. Tucker as an undersized (but rugged) power forward on the Grizzlies’ squad and Nathan Jawai, Toronto’s so-called Australian Shaq, just to name two.

- ESPN

Slovenian center Primoz Brezec (216 cm, 1979) confirmed for several Slovenian media, that he will continue his career in Lottomatica Roma. He spent last 7 seasons in NBA playing for Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. Union Olimpija Ljubljana, AXA FC Barcelona and Real Madrid were interested in him too.

He was very disappointed in last two seasons because after some injuries he didn’t get enough playing time to show that his two good seasons with the Bobcats weren’t coincidence. He was traded two times last season and this seems to push his patience over the limit.
He will officially sign probably on Monday and will play in Roma for one year. Financial details are unknown.

- Talk Basket

It hasn’t been announced yet – which is why you folks are so darn lucky – but Carlos Delfino, I’m told, is heading to Russia.

I’m guessing he’s getting something in the neighbourhood of $5 million a season over there, which is far more than any legit offer he got from the NBA.

What’s it mean for the Raptors? Nothing, really.

They retain his rights for as long as the qualifying offer (about $2.7 million) is on the table (a year) but it’s not included in the calculation of the NBA’s tax.

I heard Carlos had a couple of offers in the NBA – the most significant coming from Detroit – but that the money wasn’t close to what he wanted.

A lot of concern about Rod Benson out there and why he hasn’t played a minute for Toronto’s summer league team.

He had a bit of a sprained knee that kept him out of the first two games and he might be able to go tomorrow when they play again.

But don’t get too excited. Spies in Vegas tell me the Raptors really aren’t that high on him, even if they were looking to fill their 13^th roster spot with a big, which they aren’t.

He’s a good blogger, though.

- Toronto Star

Barcelona agree to sell Croatia guard Roko Leni Ukic to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors for $650,000 (£324,357).

- BlogSportowy.pl

If healthy Jack feels that this move could be a positive step for the Toronto Raptors. He said that it allowed you to turn T.J Ford into a high quality player. In the Orlando series Jack said that Raptors only had 1 of the 5 best players in that series. That one of course was Chris Bosh. Now Bosh has a second star to play along side him. Even if this trade did not workout or blowup due to injuries Jack as many have said points to the hugh amount of cap space the Raps will get when O’Neal is off the books in 2010. Jack said if the Raptors did not take this chance and try to shake things up they would remain at the same level and not improve. In fact with the improvement to the Conference and Division you could even make the case that the Raptors would slide lower.

- Dino Nation Blog

I decided to go in another direction and contact those who have watched and listened to him over the years. The fans of the Bobcats and Grizzlies.

I contacted Bobcats Planet, Queen City Hoops and 3 Shades Of Blue to ask what they thought of Devlin as a broadcaster and what we can expect as we delve into like after Swirsky.

Here is what they had to say.

- Cuzoogle

Interesting tidbit on C.J. Giles in the Raptors’ portion of this story about the NBA Summer League. Apparently he’s hustling in camp and in games. What a concept. He had  eight points, four blocks, four rebounds and eight fouls for Toronto in 22 minutes, or about his entire season’s production with the Beavers.

- Brooks Hatch

FINAL: Kings 93, Raptors 86

Graham 24pts

Graham 8rebs

Lucas 6 asts

Graham 8 fouls

Raptors completely fell apart in the last 2 minutes

Hassan Adams contributed 9 pts, 3 asts, 3 boards in 30min.

Carroll was impressive and definitely had the eyes of the coaches. He pumped in 14 pts on 6of9 in 14min.

Benson and Bosh did not play.

Hassan Adams

Joey Graham

Deji Akindele

John Lucas

Daniel Ewing

Yesterday, Colangelo signed forward/centre Nathan Jawai to a two-year contract. The Raptors acquired the draft rights to Jawai from the Indiana Pacers. He was the 41st overall selection in this year’s draft.

Colangelo also expanded the coaching staff, hiring Canadian born Gordon Herbert as an assistant in charge of player development.

Herbert, a native of Penticton, B.C., is a former Canadian national team player, who represented Canada at the 1984 Summer Olympics, where the team finished fourth.

After playing at the University of Idaho and pro in Finland for 12 years, Herbert began a long and impressive coaching career in Europe, including stints with the Frankfurt Skyliners, where he won the German League title in 2006.

He also had stints in Paris and Pau Orthezm, whichwon the French Cup in the 2006-07 season. Last season, he coached the Greek team, Aris BC.

Colangelo said the Raptors have been thinking about expanding the coaching staff for a while and Herbert is a good fit with so many international players on the roster, including Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, Jawai and, soon, Roko Ukic.

“He brings us a lot of international experience, and as the game evolves, with more international players, the more expertise we have in that regard is a plus,” Colangelo said. “I’ve been considering doing something with Gordie for a number of years, and this year the timing is right.”

After the Summer League, Jawai will remain in Vegas and attend the Tim Grgurich Big Man’s camp, along with Bargnani.

“He’s a big, strong, raw player right now, but he’ll surprise you with his athleticism,” Colangelo said of Jawai. “He has tremendous upside. He’s a 22-year-old who has shown the ability to score in a variety of ways and he has great quickness and good footwork around the basket.”

- Toronto Sun

Spanish forward Jorge Garbajosa has acknowldeged that both the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have called to ask about his health and availability.

The 31-year-old Garbajosa, who spent just over a season with the Toroto Raptors, played 67 games in the 2006-07 season, averaging 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds before suffering a grisly leg and ankle injury that ultimately ended his NBA career.

“I know that they have asked about my situation”, Garbjosa told Spanish media. “I feel very proud of the interest shown in me after sitting around for so long”, admitted Garbajosa.

Garbajosa, quickly became a fan favourite in Toronto for his work ethic and leadership abilities. He will play for Spain at the Beijing Olympics Spain and is expected to play tune-up matches against Croatia, Portugal and Argentina in the next few weeks, and will face Russia on July 20.

A Spanish Television report on his recovery efforts is shown below:

- Spurs Report

Garbajosa, who says he is sound again, could replace Ronny Turiaf next season. Turiaf signed a four-season, $17-million offer sheet with the Golden State Warriors, and it’s possible the Lakers will not match the offer and retain the restricted free agent.
Garbajosa, 30, could serve as a backup to countryman Pau Gasol, who will shift from center to power forward with the return of center Andrew Bynum from a season-ending left kneecap injury. He averaged 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 67 games with Toronto in 2006-07 after signing with the Raptors as a free agent.

- Inside The Lakers

It being mid-summer, with the Leafs giving their fans a Finger, the Raptors signing yet another star player to improve their fortunes and the Blue Jays already talking about next season, here is a question: Why are Toronto professional sports teams so consistently mediocre?

Is it the fluoride in the water? Is it management, the media, the fans? What is it about Toronto and its North American sports teams?

The numbers tell the story, and they invite the question.

Since 1990, the Toronto Maple Leafs have won 631 games and lost 551 for a .534 winning percentage, in one of the hottest and biggest hockey markets in the world.

Since 1990, the Toronto Blue Jays have won 1,445 games and lost 1,405, for a winning share barely over .500. Remove those two glorious World Series of 1992 and 1993 – yes, Toronto teams can win championships, they just don’t do it very often – and the Jays would be way under .500.

Since entering the National Basketball Association, the Toronto Raptors have won 421 games and lost 605. Take away the first three dismal seasons for the expansion Raptors, and the team’s record is still a losing one: 354 victories, 426 defeats.

The city’s teams have therefore been average to mediocre across the three sports for the better part of two decades. They haven’t won a championship in 15 years, and none is close to winning one soon. The Leafs and Blue Jays have been getting worse, at least in the short term.

What’s going on?

Who knows, but maybe it’s because Toronto is so rich that the franchises can make money no matter how mediocre the product. If Leaf fans had actually stayed away from Maple Leaf Gardens or the Air Canada Centre, maybe, just maybe, alarm bells would have rung in the executive suites.

Maybe Toronto’s problem is not a lack of money, but a surfeit of it.

Toronto fans are so, well, forgiving. A team such as the Leafs or Blue Jays would be hooted out of their arenas night after night in, say, Philadelphia or Boston or New York. Those fans are tough, rude and very, very demanding. Toronto fans, by contrast, are very, very nice, at least to their mediocre teams. To paraphrase Leo Durocher, maybe teams of nice fans finish last.

Toronto sports executives sometimes bemoan what they claim to be a tough news media environment. Yes, there are lots of media outlets in Toronto. A few occasionally can be tough, although they have a full-time Leafs cheerleader on the public broadcaster’s Coach’s Corner. But you want tough? Read the Philly or Boston sports pages. Or New York tabs.

Teams such as the Leafs or Raptors, owned largely by a pension plan, hardly offer a recipe for inspired leadership. As long as the profits flow, who at the top really cares?

- Globe and Mail

O’Neal’s addition should instantly bolster team-defence and aid in the development of Andrea Bargnani.

Again, barring any injury concerns, this move could pay huge dividends for Toronto and instantly makes them a legit threat in the East.

The other big move for Toronto was the re-signing of point-guard, Jose Calderon to a reported five-year deal, somewhere in the ballpark of $40 million. While my stance remains consistent that T.J. Ford is the better point guard, I have faith in Calderon as a starter and feel he could be an All-Star as early as the upcoming season or next. Speaking for everyone though, I would like to see Jose improve his defensive skills.

The big factor of this decision (to pick one point guard over the other) will be evident in the locker room as well as on the court. With the distraction of the point-guard controversy now behind them, the team can focus solely on the task at hand. As well, there should be no more reports of bad chemistry due to any sort of controversy. That is something we can all rejoice in, no matter who we preferred at the point.

One thing I will say, however, on the topic of Jose and T.J. is that the majority of fans in Toronto never realized how good they had it. Two point guards on the same team who could probably average double-double statistics, given starter’s numbers.

- The Score

(audio) Hassan Adams Interview

- Fan590

There are two primary new-age shooting metrics worth noting. The first is Effective Field-Goal Percentage [eFG%= (FGM + .5*3FGM)/FGA]. This is sometimes also referred to as Adjusted Field Goal Percentage. This measures shooting efficiency by accounting for the number of points a player produces per field goal attempt. Its basic intention is to adjust the standard Field Goal Percentage measure to consider the importance and difficulty of three-point shooting. In laymen terms, it makes Jason Kapono’s threes more valuable than Dwight Howard’s dunks.

The second, and in my opinion more important, APBRmetric to consider True Shooting Percentage (TSP= PTS/[2*(FGA + [.44*FTA]). This statistic calculates a player’s shooting percentage as a single measure, accounting not just for field goals and three-pointers but free throws as well. This measure takes the principle behind Effective Field-Goal Percentage one step further by factoring in free throws. This is critical given how important free throws become late in games and the relative inability of most players to hit from the line consistently. It attempts to assess a player’s overall shooting valuation, since it considers all facets of their shooting ability.

So, which teams make the grade given these new measures? And how different does the list of top shooting teams look compared to when using standard Field Goal Percentage? Below are lists of the Top Eight Teams based on Field Goal Percentage, Effective Field Goal Percentage and True Shooting Percentage.

- Hoops Addict

Toronto Raptors vs the Sacramento Kings

Joey Graham and Josh Lucas the III will find themselves on the same court again today since leaving Oklahoma State. They will be apart of a Raptors team that includes former Memphis guard Sean Banks, Rod Benson and Joel Bosh brother of Raptors start Chris Bosh. The Kings have several names on the roster that people might recognize. Quincy Douby should be one of the best players in the back court for the KIngs. The team has an slew of big men that came work the paint in Sheldon Williams, Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Lawerence Roberts. Patrick Ewing Jr, the Kings second round pick, is also on the roster.

- Grab Your Balls

(video) 1-on-1 With Jose Calderon  part 1 part 2

- NBA Tube

Jose, I’m gonna be honest. When you’ve been on the floor the last few years, the thought “I’m watching a starting NBA point guard” just hasn’t occurred to me. But that’s ok, I’d love to be wrong.
Garbo… just damn. Still hurts.

- More Complicated Than A Wheelbarrow

(video) Chris Bosh on Jermaine O’Neal

- NBA Tube

The Georgia Ice won the 12-and-under AAU Girls’ Basketball National Championship this afternoon in Rochester. It was a special moment for one of its coaches — former NBA player Antonio Davis, who never won a ring as a player.

The same goes for former pro Dee Brown, who coaches the Orlando Edge. The two are former teammates in the NBA, and share something else in common — they both coach their daughters.

Dee Brown played 12 seasons in the league. Antonio Davis sported an NBA jersey for 13 years. The two were teammates for a season in 1999 with the Toronto Raptors.

“We had crazy coaches, we played with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady at the same time so we just talked about all the things that we learned and after all that, here we are, coaching 12-year-old girls,” Davis says.

A few years after their retirements, both Brown and Davis are now coaching their daughters’ AAU teams, for different reasons.

“Teach things that I’ve learned over the last 25 years from all the great players I’ve played against, or coaches that I’ve played for, just trying to take some of that stuff that I got and give these girls that opportunity at an early age so they’ll be prepared for high school and college,” Brown says.

“Learning how to be a better coach, a better dad, a better parent. Just being able to be with my daughter — which is something that I missed out on for 12, 13 years — really allows me to get back into their lives and keep forming that bond,” says Davis.

Davis says the adjustment from the NBA to AAU is a little difficult.

“You have to always keep in mind that they are 12- and 13-year-old little girls and you can’t be so abrasive sometimes, you have to be a little bit more supporting and understanding and making sure that you’re patient with them,” Davis says.

Brown says the hardest part is defining that line between coach and parent.

“You don’t want to be a dad in the middle of a game, with three minutes left and you’re down two, you have to be a coach. But you don’t want to be that mean coach and everybody’s looking at you going, ‘oh, he’s mean to his daughter, he doesn’t even care’,” says Brown.

Brown coached the WNBA team in Orlando and says he’d consider becoming a coach in the NBA down the road. Davis says the travel of the NBA schedule deters him from coaching in the pros. He says he’ll more likely coach at a local high school.

- KAAL TV

The most interesting thing about the Raptor roster is that they’ve only invited two guys –John Lucas and Daniel Ewing — with even a scant chance to get that 13^th spot on the real roster.

I suspect it’s even more likely now that Bryan is going to sit back and wait to see who falls through the cracks of free agency to find that one-two, ball-handling shooter he wants for his last spot on the team.

-

So, no Jamario?

The way it was explained to me is that they think Moon needs to be in a gym and a weight room, working on his ball-handling and shooting, rather than be playing five or so games against marginal competition.

Makes entire sense, actually. Over the course of his minor league career, Moon’s probably playing in 500 games against summer league-type competition, there’s really nothing for him to get out of games that he can’t get in a gym working on his own.

-

So, why Joey?

For the same reason Moon’s not there, actually.

Graham needs to work on his game skills, decision making in competition, knowing that if he gets the ball and wants to go left only to see a defender there, he should make a quick decision and go right. That’s the kind of stuff he doesn’t do in NBA games and he more times he plays, maybe the basketball instincts he lacks will improve.

I don’t hold out much hope – it’s hard to become instinctual so late in one’s career – but he needs to be in games rather than alone in a gym.

And, yes, Andrea Bargnani is not playing in Vegas. He never was going to, he’s spending his summer working on his game on his own in Italy before heading to a training camp in Vegas later this month.

That’s where a lot of his work is going to get done, working out once or twice a day against other NBA players.

Yes, that was Matt Bonner hanging around the Canada game on Saturday night, chatting up Canada Basketball CEO Wayne Parrish and a raft of other ne’er-do-wells Matt met during his time with the Raptors.

And yes, he made a joking comment about getting himself a Canadian passport and playing for the national team.

I have no idea how immigration really works in this country but I’m sure someone in the upper echelons of Canada Basketball will see if the move is possible.

Anyway, I’m told Delfino has had at least one very financially lucrative offer in Europe but that he wants to remain in the NBA if at all possible and there are a couple of teams sniffing around and perhaps willing to pay him close to what he wants.

I’m not sure what his salary goal is but he made about $1.8 million last year so I’d think a three-year deal for around $7 million might be around is asking price.

- Toronto Star

Another guy to keep an eye on is Daniel Ewing, the former Duke star by way of the Russian league.

The Raptors are looking for a biggish guard who can play both the one and the two to fill out thier 13th roster spot and Ewing might fit that bill. Also on the roster is Bosh — Joel Bosh, younger brother of Chris — who finished at Alabama State this spring. Based on his numbers I’m thinking this was kind of a courtesy to the family.

Anyway, no word on Hassan Adams yet.

2008 SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER
(As of July 7, 2008)

Player                      Pos.       Ht.       Wt.      Birth Date       School/Country
Hassan Adams           F          6-4       220      06/20/84          Arizona
Deji Akindele               C         6-10     240      04/03/83          Chicago State
Sean Banks                F          6-8       210      01/20/85          Memphis
Rod Benson                C         6-10     235      10/10/84          California
Joel Bosh                    F          6-7       185      03/11/86          Alabama State
Coleman Collins         F          6-9       236      06/22/86          Virginia Tech
Daniel Ewing               G         6-3       185      03/26/83          Duke
Thomas Gardner        F          6-5       213      02/08/85          Missouri
C.J. Giles                    C         6-11     240      09/25/85          Oregon State
Joey Graham              F          6-7       225      06/11/82          Oklahoma State
John Lucas                 G         5-11     165      11/21/82          Oklahoma State

Head Coach – Sam Mitchell
Summer League Head Coach – Eric Hughes
Summer League Assistant Coach – Micah Nori
Assistant Coaches – Alex English, Jay Triano and Mike Evans

SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE
Saturday, July 12        vs. Sacramento*         4 p.m. (ET)
Monday, July 14          vs. Denver*                 6 p.m. (ET)
Thursday, July 17        vs. Philadelphia*         8 p.m. (ET)
Friday, July 18             vs. L.A. Lakers^           8:30 p.m. (ET)
Saturday, July 19        vs. Golden State*        6 p.m. (ET)

- Globe and Mail

The younger brother of Raptors star Chris Bosh was named to the 11-man roster for Toronto’s summer league team on Monday.

Joel Bosh, 22, will make his professional debut following a four-year playing career at Alabama State.

- Toronto Sun

A lot has already been written about Adams already by the local media but here’s a few things I bet most people didn’t know.
1) His nickname is Hot Sauce, something he got during his days as a Wildcat.
2) Adams actually played a great deal of power forward and small forward at Arizona because of his strength and athleticism and despite being under 6-5, averaged almost six rebounds a game for his college career.
3) The reason Adams’ stock may have slipped in the 2006 draft was because he was unable to continue workouts after he suffered a foot injury during a pre-draft workout. The foot injury came at the hands of…none other than eventual Raptors’ second-round pick PJ Tucker! (Somewhere I can hear Alanis Morissette singing about rain on a wedding day…)

This kid in many ways is like Jamario Moon, a player who just hasn’t perhaps gotten the chance to show enough of what he can do. From the brief glimpses we saw of him at camp here in Toronto prior to the draft, Adams just looked like an NBA player, as opposed to a player trying to catch on in the NBA.

- RaptorsHQ

I’m still hoping that BC thinks outside the box and throws some cash to a guy like Horry. His 7 rings, ability to hit the big shot, high Bball IQ, and ability to give 15-20 quality minutes a night backing up Bosh would be a HUGE addition to this team. And since there isn’t a huge marketplace for 38 year old players, you have to think a multi-year deal a 3 mil/year would be more than the veterans minimum and more than he would get anywhere else. I know it would be overpaying for what he brings on the court, but think about what he brings to the dressing room.

As for solving the wing problem - I’m happy with Kapono and Moon splitting time at the 3, and would rather see the team go after a slashing 2 guard who could create off the dribble and start so that AP could come off the bench.

- RaptorsTalk

I met most of the Raptors coaches before we got to work. They were all pretty nice guys to be honest. I first met Jim Kelly — he kind of reminded me of Officer Barbrady, but obviously not wearing a police suit or looking for the Chicken Lover — who may have been the nicest of them all. He used to live in my hometown of Cardiff. I’m not sure if he knows that I’m the best player to ever come of Cardiff or not.

The second was Alex English. He came up and introduced himself to me. I told him that I used to wear his jersey when I was in college. I think everyone did, actually. The Nuggets jersey with the rainbow and the city on it was one of the tightest throwbacks. He asked me where I was from and I told him San Diego. He then asked me a question I’ve never been asked before.

“Oh, San Diego, huh? Do you know Cliff Levingston?”

“Not exactly,” I told him. “But I did date his daughter.” It was true, I did. Never thought it would come up.

“Really? I don’t think he would let an NBA guy see his girl.”

“Well, sir, I’m not an NBA guy. I aspire to be one though! For now I’m just an irresistibly handsome, smart, funny guy. Parents approve of that.”

We laughed.

The fun and games were over though as it was time to get to work on the court. I did the things I always do. I got boards and played hard D. It was still hard on my body considering the long few weeks before and the travel schedule I had just endured, but defense is mental, so I made a point to focus on that.

- Ball Don’t Lie

Toronto: The addition of Pacers power forward Jermaine O’Neal makes the Raptors downright scary on the blocks with All-Star Chris Bosh. Yet, Toronto remains a perimeter-oriented team playing a purely international style. That’s a fatal combination that has never worked in the NBA. If general manager Bryan Colangelo can add a big, physical guard, things may take a turn for the better.

- Medina Gazette

Your team has won six games. You play in the biggest media market in the world. You have contributed to making your team frontpage news due to offcourt issues. What do you do? Blame the fans!!! At least Yao has it right and continues to dump on his team for being soft. Looked that way here against the Raptors and it continued the following night against the Sixers. Maybe all the late nights are catching up to his teammates? How bad has it become for athletes just looking to hang out and chill? Even Jeff Foster has been attacked. No wonder Yogi Stewart is no longer in the league..he probably took too many hits outside the El Mocambo. LaMarcus Aldridge will have to curtail his partying a bit since he is going to miss some time due to plantar fasciitis. Wonder if the Raptors should have taken him number one? One guy who has every right to party: Rod Benson. No, not Robbie….Rod. He had a double double of 28….28 points and 28 boards for the Wizards in the D-League and that is a new record for boards in a game.

Enjoy the game.