This is Why I'm Hot - Raptors Decimate Bulls while Jarret Jack Ties His Shoe

Jose loves himself a blowout win

That game was, in one word, I think Jack Armstrong said it best - "nirvana". After such a hard fought and emotional win last night, how would the Raptors respond on the second game of a back to back; something we've usually been brutal in, plus Chi-town was 5-1 at home before this game. Then we get off to a hot start - like we did in Washington - except this time take it WAYYY high and never look back. It was a blowout for the ages, just the fashion in which it happened. DeMar DeRozan's alley-oop with one hand, followed by his vicious slam past Brad Miler. We just never let up. Bosh putting 25 in 12..in 22 minutes! Then later on of course this happened:



As my friend Adit said, "I've never seen anything like that." And you know what, it was GREAT to see something like that. For once, the Raptors were on the giving end of a taunt - I mean, I highly doubt Jack meant to intentionally taunt the Bulls like that, but if you're the Bulls you can't take it as anything less than disrespect. Especially because it was in the midst of a blowout, and especially after LeBron James taunted them just last night by dancing silly. -> which by the way was completely uncalled for and unprofessional - I'm glad Noah stood up that bullshit.

• Did you see Chris Bosh, Jose, and the rest of the bench smiling and laughing? When was the last time we've seen that?
• Belinelli just looks weeeirdddd when clean shaven. My buddy noted "he looks like a mouse." Strikingly true.
• How about Nesterovic banging out there and running up and down. Dude was on.
• Even in a blowout and plenty of garbage time, Pops couldn't get a field goal - I was really rooting for him to get a bucket, poor guy even had his alley-oop jam rim out.
  
• DeRozan took a big step these past couple of games? Did you see his face as he came back up the court after dunking on Miller? Eyes of an assassin - stark contrast to his usually happy-go-lucky demeanour - glad Turk told his ass to sit down though when he was dancing in the fourth - especially in light of LeBron's antics.
  
• Triano did good. Real good. How freakin' good was his call to NOT change the starting lineup at all starting from the Wizards game last night? If we lost, people would be asking for his head. He didn't succumb to the pressure, so I give him props for that.
  
• Turkoglu's passes never cease to amaze me.
  
• Gotta grab that win against Minnesota on Monday. No ifs, ands, or buts.
  
• What do you think Chuck Swirsky was saying as the Bulls play-by-play man?
  Bring out the salami and cheese, this game was over in the first quarter.
  

Raptors pull away after some terri-bull defense

There was so much unnecessary tension this game it was remarkable. It wasn't until crunch time fourth quarter that we started pulling away behind some aggressive plays from Bosh and Calderon. The Bulls played their asses off, while we looked sluggish, but in the end the fatigue caught up to Chi-town.

• I think its really embarrassing that Jay Triano had to ask the Raptors at half time in the locker room which team played last night (Chicago), and why they're the ones full of energy and hustle.
  
• The Raptors defense is so bad its mind-numbing. I'm slowing coming to a point where I've just accepted that on defense, we're going to blow harder than the big bad wolf did to the Three Little Pigs' home.
  
• Chris Bosh continues to be a beast. He just wants it. His drive (no pun intended) and determination to get to the rim was relentless - and he didn't keep complaining on every play to the refs, just got up and came back harder the next trip.
  
• The refs sucked tonight. So many bad calls, late calls, and missed calls, especially on CB4. When Leo Rautins has to point out about 5 times that Bosh should be given the respect by the referees and get those calls, you know it's BAD.
• Another night, another unknown has a great career game against the Raptors. Presenting Taj Gibson: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and zero turnovers. You wanna know how much of an unknown this guy is? Look at this picture from ESPN's recap:

- Even Matt Devlin said he looked like a veteran out there...and dude is a ROOKIE!

• I'm going to say Jose Calderon, apart from Bosh, was the game changer in that fourth. He set up some plays nicely, but the key was he looked for his shot, took'em, and hit'em. Some clutch 2-point bombs off the classic Calderon-Bosh PNR.
  
• Amir Johnson is coming along nicely. Relentless hustle, he had six rebounds, but was responsible for many more just by tapping and keeping the ball alive on several possessions.
  
• Reggie Evans is an unbelievable teammate. Who would've guess this would be the guy to jump up and down on every play, get up from his seat and encourage/talk to his teammates at every opportunity.
  
• That fast break drive Belinelli had was crazy - off balance, lean-in jumper with two guys on him, he should've gotten a foul call too. This guy is a body contortionist.
  
• Bargnani's shot wasn't falling, but he still ends up with a decent 16 points and a respectable 6 rebounds. He had some key defensive plays down the stretch where he altered or bothered his man .
• It's transparent Hedo Turkoglu is getting more and more comfortable with the Raptors. I loved him handling the ball in the fourth - he just makes great decisions (other than that turnover where he threw the ball from half court) and has slick passes.
• DeMar DeRozan had an awesome game, and deserved more time. 9 points, 9 rebounds - both a career high, along with 2 blocks and a steal. The three turnovers are understandable - rookie mistakes, and that fast break dunk was VICIOUS off the pass from Calderon!! I appreciated that he tried to dunk it again on his next trip down even though he got blocked pretty badly. He even showed a jumper, which is good to see.
  
• I laughed when Brad Miller got stuffed by Bargnani in the fourth - Miller fell down so slow.
  
• Antoine Wright continues to look for his offense a bit too much. He's a very capable offensive threat; he's got effective cross overs, can drive decently too, but still should ease up a bit on taking all those shots. That block falling down on the fast break was ridiculous though.
  
• Jarrett Jack continues to toss bricks, and his shots are looking more and more off. He does credit for continuing to be aggressive though and driving to the rim.
  
• Luol Deng needs to shave that mustache-goatee. Just looks ugly on him.
  

Fantastic 4 - & Like The Movie Its Disappointing Considering The Potential

I'm not sulking, in case you think I am by looking at the title; I just mean, who knows what woulda happened had we started winning (and playing) like this earlier on in the season. Anyways, that was a crazy game. I came home from work at about 6:15, and didn't bother turning the tv on because I figured

a) the game was over, as it started at 3:30 and
b) this season was over a long time ago.

So Rachel calls me and feverishly asks me "are you WATCHING!?" I reply "is it still on!??" She informs me that she called me just to know if I'm witnessing, the Raps, up 1, with something seconds to go, have Anthony Parker at the line and how we always joke that he always, ALWAYS misses one of the two free throws - and of course he did. Which allowed the Bulls to tie it on a very difficult Ben Gordon jumper over Bosh.

That's when I'm tuned in to the game, on my couch, ready to take in some Raptors ball - this game looked so intense. Like, playoff atmosphere intense. Which is kind of a sad reminder since we're not in it, but I wasn't feeling down about it, I was too into the game and taking it for what it's worth. The Bulls go on a 4-0 run as Derrick Rose blazes by Calderon, and then came that slick, sharp Bargnani 3. Just drilled it, and I loved how he let out a roar running back down the floor, with his unshaven face, untucked jersey and all.

Calderon almost threw the game away with that awful turnover with no one to pass to in the air. On the steal and fastbreak, Bargnani was outnumbered 2-1 and he still made it really tough for Derrick Rose on that drive - that was good defense and even better offense by Derrick Rose. Then came the moment of truth - down one again, with the ball in the franchise's hands. Chris Bosh drives to the basket hard, and instead of getting blocked by Noah this time, he gets off his layup, misses, but quickly tips in his own miss and gets fouled at the same time. Free throw is good. That was really great to see, not just because we won the game, but just to see CB4 finally make a clutch play when on the game is on the line and put the ball through the basket. Again, yes, the Bulls are no defensive juggernaut, but that was a tough, clutch basket nonetheless.

This was an impressive win, I mean I guess the joke is any win right now is an impressive win, but still it was impressive considering the fact we blew a huge lead, but instead of bending over and getting rocked we actually countered and were able to withstand the attack and win. Wow, our longest wining streak of the season, at four games, and this late into the season. This Bosh quote sums it up:

"I wish we'd been playing like this earlier [in the season] but you can't change the past."

If only.

• Calderon ties franchise high NINETEEN assists. Daaaamnn! He was almost (young) Jason Kidd like (except you know, the defense..and the rebounding). But seriously, dammnnn, nineteen assists!
  
• Was that Kapono, back to swishing jumpers like it's nothing again?
• Text from Rachel while at work: "POPS HAS SOME NAAAASTTTYY DUNKS!" I saw a replay of the game...(gulp)..wow, she wasn't kidding. Pops attacked that rim like it was gonna leak out his next contract if he slammed it hard enough.
• Bosh with 31 and 15...now that's the Bosh we were used to until midseason of this year. Nice to see not just such a solid performance, but some enthusiasm as well. He looked...lively, which has been rare in this brutal season.
• I've never seen any Bulls games this year other than when we've played them, but I hear from all over that Vinny Del Negro is just a terrible coach (I mean for God's sake, Basketbawful creator Matt McHale, has invented a Dull-Negrometer), and he might've helped in our win tonight. I don't why Tyrus Thomas was still on the court in overtime with all those bonehead shots.
  
• That Roko Ukic spin-and-jumper was just dirty!
• Rachel saw Gherardini today. From her tweet, used of course without her permission: "saw maurizio gherardini with a tall euro-looking man. scouting? left with abercrombie and sporting life bags. said hi but didnt hear me.jerk" and "Hes also not as short and stubby as the tv makes him out to be. quite handsome old man actually. not a silver hair out of place."

Let The Race Begin

As the raps win our hearts and commitments back with probably their best game of the season, the question simply becomes, push or tank?

Fans rest assured that making the playoff's is not a fantasy, it is definitely a challenge but very attainable. The true question for teams debating whether to make a push or not, is what is the motive? With the added variable of whether it is financially worth it to make a playoff run or trade away contracts, the race definitely gets more interesting. So despite the similar records, lets take a closer look at who really is and should be in this race.

The Bucks:
You truly have to wonder what's the point of making the playoffs for them. Their market has definitely shrunk due to the crisis and although playoffs will probably sell out, what can two games in their stadium really do for their profits. The Bucks roster is also not losing that much in the offseason with the key questions really being whether to bring back Charlie or Sessions and given that they are restricted, at this point they really don't have to prove anything to their players. It's definitely nice to make the playoffs, but they might be better off next year getting a nice pick and perhaps trading Jefferson for a more defensive focused SF. I'd have to say the Bucks whether they want to or not, can't make the playoffs but the smart thing would be to not even try.

The Knicks: The Knicks are the most unique team in this race because for them, the outcome really doesn't matter. After trading their best two players, it's pretty clear that everything is on 2010 and anything else is just gravy. Everything they do in the next two years is going to be focussed on signaling to fa's of 2010. With the interest of attracting talent and being able to afford to, again it might be simply smarter to get a nice pick who will sign a lower contract and not be such a hindrance on the cap. Then again, making the playoffs also sends a signal to these FA's that this team has talent, great coaching and a key FA or two could push them over the top. We all know how that value played into the equation for Brand despite how the actual situation panned out. The only question really is although it sends a signal of talent and chemistry, what is the practical use when nobody knows who of the Knicks will be there come 2010. This really is the hardest team to read but I have to think in the interest of keeping small contracts, cheep rookies and value trades so they can keep Robinson and Lee, the lottery is the way to go. With their difficult second half schedule, they may not really have a choice in the matter anyways.

The Bulls: This is the one team in this race that has a clear goal and desire and NEED to make the playoffs. With such an abundance of young talent, the last thing they need is another young draft pick. It's time they put their talent together, make the playoffs and the necessary trade to bring in Bosh, O'Neal, Boozer, Stoudamire or Wallace. With a great basketball market, they are less encumbered by the economy and making the playoffs will definitely have a much higher value in development and selling point over saving a few bucks. If I were them however, I would wait till the offseason to decide about Hinrich or Nocioni. With the improved play of Thomas, he may be able to fill their whole at PF and the team can instead consider trading Hughes, Thabo or Gooden for a good big man and have a solid big man rotation instead of a stellar one. Combined with their fabulous small man rotation, they truly are simply one big man away from contending. I've said it so many times, but Toronto is one of the few teams who has the goods to get some solid pieces from the Bulls but make both teams better.

The Pacers: Why bother writing about the Pacer. Their better than last year, other than that, not much else to say. Some nice random wins, a great player in Granger but they rely too much on a three they don't shoot so well and their lack of post presence is going to prevent them from being able to make a run. This years lottery will be pretty interesting because so many teams are going to have similar odds and any order can really show up. The Pacers need a young post big man and it all honesty, the draft is probably their best option. Whether they use the draft or package it in a trade, it is still their best option. They don't have the market or the franchise power at this point to really attract quality bigs and their really aren't that many post bigs on the market besides Boozer.

The Bobcats: I like to call the difficulty in predicting the Bobacts the Brown effect. Who knows who will play, who will be there, who won't be injured, who will be in the dog house. One thing I've noticed however is that he has a specific taste in player and knows who they are. When that richardson trade went down, I thought it was a steal for the underperforming Bell and Diaw but lo and behold, they are thriving under brown. Meanwhile, Radmonovic looks like he did in his seattle days with a great debut game. With Brown at the helm, and Jordan in the back, you know this team wants to finally make the playoffs but barring another trade, which is probably likely, I think without Wallace and a bench, they will find it extremely difficult to make a run in an sf loaded conference and will probably end up just missing the playoffs. They may even get as far as losing because of a head to head matchup.

The Nets: This has got to be the suprise team of the year. With a two man team,a captain with motivation issues and almost no other significant talent or threats, nobody expected the Nets to contend for anything except the first pick. As I mentioned in a previous post however, the Nets play the season like most teams play the game, with a series of runs. Ironically most of them start after beating the Raptors but unforunately for them, our matchups are done. Being a young team, they will need to get some big road wins to help spur their momentum but with a tough schedule and many teams positioning for a run, this seems unlikely. They caught the league by suprise early on and I think most teams know what to expect from them. The x factor will be Lopez, if he becomes a 15-10 player for the rest of the stretch, it could be just enough to squeeze them in. Unfortunately, it looks more likely that some of their vets, Carter included will be moved by the deadline for young picks an players which will surely take them out of the running.

The Raptors: So many believe that the Spurs game was O'Neal's last as a Raptor. Honestly, I don't know what to think of this. I liked O'Neal, I thought he was very professional and sacrificed for the team. Not to mention, he did a great job on TD, something we can never usually say about a Raptor. Personally I'd rather see Bosh go for some solid players and keep O'Neal. I like having a big play in the key but unfortunately he may be just too old and injured to gamble on. I definitely would have rather had him in his prime than Bosh. My only hesitation to make a move now is that the win over the Spurs could have some great momemtum and with another roster change, we may lose a lot of that. The only exception may be if we do in fact get Marion, a player who can thrive without really knowing the system and doesn't need plays for himself. Anyone else could really shift our progress though. The Raptors to me are the second most likely team to grab the 8th spot behind the Bulls. Primarily because the break comes at a good time to rest nagging injuries, the undermanned games have given a chance for players like Kapono, Graham to mature, find their role and it will definitely give them confidence and greater ability when we are full strength. Combine this with perhaps the easiest ending schedule in the NBA and the Raps are in a good position. The only thing that could hurt us is that we are behind in a lot of head to head matchups with other teams in the race so we definitely have to get our act together quick. A tied record won't be good enough.

Forget Trading Bosh, Whose Going To Steal Him?

It’s every general managers worst nightmare, a talented individual, leaving without anything in return. Unfortunately, in some cases, whether it be hesitation to pull the trigger, a lack of cap, or an economic recession (hint hint), players often leave to where the grass is greener.


I’m sure many of you have at least once read one of Paul Johnson’s “The Five”. I remembered reading his article on the top five FA’s for the famous 2010 offseason. This got me thinking, forget the best five, any fool can recognize the best names of the NBA, lets talk about where they will go! Who has a realistic chance of stealing a franchise player, whether it be this summer, or the next.


Before I delve into it, there are a few variables to consider, but for the most part, here are the key deciding factors, whose on contract, both staff and players, what city do you call home, ownership, and of course, the availability of money and how much is really available after you resign part of your core . Look no further than Portland, many of its contracts will run off the books prior to the best FA crop in history, but how much of that money will go to keeping their core together. Finally, of course these should be taken with a grain of salt, who knows what could happen in the next month, who knows what can happen at any time really, a bad trade there, a critical injury, anything can happen.


So here it is, the top five “thieves” on the market.


1. Dallas
With all this talk of New York clearing cap, teams struggling to shed contracts Dallas’s positioning for a great FA haul have largely been kept secret. Perhaps because in the media, they are just the team with an enigmatic owner who gave up a youthful all star for a quick win right now fix but to players, this may be the most attractive option out there. How many players out there do you think feel the frustration knowing that their owners refuse to spend the money that breeds success. With Cuban, you may get someone who is perhaps too involved, but at least you know that you have someone who values winning as much as you do, someone who feels the stings of losses as much as you do. And moving on past ownership, you can find comfort in a great coaching staff and a solid core. The opportunity to know you can make a run alongside an already potent duo in Nowitzki and the JET should be appeal enough. Raptor fans watch out for Dallas. Even if the Raptors made it to the second round this year and the next, the chance to play for a team dedicated to success, 2 proven players and in front of your home crowd may be simply too much to pass up on.


2. Detroit
Detroit may be in the most unfortunate situation of all the NBA franchises. Why? Because they have the talent, the GM savvy but perhaps, not the money. I have to believe that Detroit’s ability to play in the market will really depend on how the recovery of the larger market goes. With a city plagued by the suffering automobile industry, they really can’t be that secure in their financial stability. With an already commendable core of RIP, Prince, Maxiell and I’d have to assume a resigned Stuckey, they may be so talented that they may not need a marquee signing. But with the cap relief from Wallace and Iverson, they are in perhaps the greatest position of all teams to make a running this offseason and perhaps get a prime big man to already seal a starting lineup for the next few years. Could this be Boozer’s next home, perhaps not but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Utah’s phenomenal big man rotation ends up here. With the emergence of Millsap as a deserving starter, he could be the cheaper but equally effective big man Utah holds on to. This leaves Mr Dumar’s the very real opportunity to go after Okur or Boozer. An interesting point about the 2009 FA’s big man crop is that although they are not as prominent as some of the names in 2010, there are quite a few quality bigs out there that could be signed for a bargain. To me, David Lee stands out amongst the rest as a great possible steal.


3. Chicago
Ah the city that inspired thousands to pick up a basketball and try it. The only reason they rank as low as third is just because it’s simply too hard to predict how they will look next week let alone by the end of the year. But assume for a minute that with the exception of cap buster Larry Hughes, that Paxson plays it safe and keeps his core together, instead hoping to sign that quality big rather than sacrifice assets. With arguably the best 1,2,3 rotation in the NBA, this historical franchise is probably seen as an ideal destination for many of the bigs looking to cash in. The Bulls for years have been struggling to find that big man, and after showing such reluctance to trade away their many valuable pieces, perhaps it’s time to play the open market instead. With a much larger market, this franchise, unlike Detroit, has a much stronger ability to whether this recession and make the big offers. Even if some of the pieces do go away, they have so many that as long as Rose and Deng are kept and a nice signing, the Bulls will already have a very commendable roster.


4. New Jersey
Even though they may be the Brooklyn Nets, the team as a whole has made such progress this year alone, that with steady progress in the following season, it will be hard for a player to not recognize a great opportunity to play alongside a solid 1-2 in Harris, Carter and the emerging Lopez. It’s yet to be seen what further moves will be done, but I have no doubt that they will either add another piece to their core, or we will see some solid progress in YI that the Chinese populace undoubtedly see’s right now. Anyways, even without that addition, the solid guard play will be attractive to any big men to come over and complement them.


5. Miami
Ah Miami, this is one of the franchises, where the city alone has an appeal. How many people would love to call Miami their home, a chance to play for a legend in Riley, and a chance to play for a living super star in Wade. How many people honestly believe he’s going anywhere. Once Marion is moved, or leaves on his own, you will see some solid development with Beasley and steady progress from Chalmers. This team then may become a place of interest for all FA’s, whether you be a point guard, or a centre. Although I’m sure Riley wants to add a great big man like the rest of these teams, I think he would strongly consider another great wing player or point guard.


I think what makes all these teams so interesting is the fact that a lot of these teams have the ability to make the playoffs without any additions. After the Elton Brand fiasco, we all know how important that is to a player. This also seems to bode well for the Raptors as a lot of these teams are out there to find a big man and might be willing to take the gamble with O’Neal for a lack of great quality big men in the league in general. But at the same, it’s just as dangerous for the Raptors in 2010 as teams set their eyes on Bosh, a quality big for the future. But whether you’re Okur, Bosh, Boozer, Stoudamire or Ming, the market looks fantastic for big men and there definitely feels like there will be a few steals out there.

Rumors, Rumors, Rumors.

Any fool who watches the raptors lose time and time again can all agree on one thing. Jamario Moon as the starting small forward is barely acceptable on a D League level. In fact, our perimiter play in general is perhaps one of the most lacking in the NBA. As the raptors tumble through the standings and as the 76'ers pull it together in the absence of Brand, the window of opportunity to claim a playoff spot is dwindling and the pressure to deliver a trade hightens.

During this economic recession, basketball and all pro sports take an interesting turn. How valuable is it to make the playoffs? Teams like Miami, New Jersey and Milwaukee, currently in the playoff hunt have to evaluate and wonder, is it worth it? With salary cap killers, Carter, Marion, Jefferson and Redd, an owner must be wondering whether a first round exit is worth all this money in troubled times. In my opinion, this recession makes trade talk all the more interesting as financial motives begins to take a higher precedence in trade motives.

What does this mean to the Raptors? Despite our famous stingy ownership, the Raptors are one of the few teams in the NBA who can afford to have salary busters. Being in a strong market, filled with corporate sponsorship, and a historical NHL franchise, they are one of the few teams who don't have to worry as much about breaking even and can contemplate taking on heavy contracts.

For the Raptors, we can discount a trade with the Bucks simply because, as I believe, our best trade bait is ONeal and with Bogut signed to a long term deal, they don't need Oneal there. But we can look at other teams looking to cement their core, give playing time to the young and shed some contracts. So who do the Raptors have a shot with? Just by looking at team situations, salary situations, and young talent, and players the Raptors may actually want, I think we can fairly easily narrow down possible trading partners to the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. These teams made the cut mainly because these teams would be interested in Oneal and have viable players to sendback and help clog up our deficiencies.

These four seem to be the most viable deals for the Raptors to do in return for Oneal, so lets take a deeper look into the benefits of each deal.

Dallas: Gets a great low post player to complete Dirk. In my opinion has a much better chance of working over the Bosh Oneal duo. Before he came I always felt that Oneal had a better shot of coexisting with Bargnani because that three point threat needs to be there.Not to mention this deal lets them dish their publicity nightmare Howard and also gives him the fresh start he needs. To make this deal viable, the expiring contract of Stackhouse would have to be thrown in as well. Given that he has seen a reduced role with Dallas given the emergence of Barea, they are also helping to solve their minute and chemistry issues. It is also of importance that in the west, they are going to need a solid defensive bigman to contain almost every team in the West. Dallas also doesn't lose any financial flexibility as the length of the contracts are the same.

Raptors: Giving the abundance of minutes at their positions, and Stackhouse's leadership off the bench, this may look like a simple financial inclusion, but his effect could be extremely influential on the rest of the bench. Both these players will look at this team as an opportuntiy, a fresh start and a chance to still be on a team that has a chance. In Howard we will find a solid all around sf, who more importantly, can create his own shot and be given the ball in late game situations. Having the team option for Howard may prove important in keeping Bosh with the Raptors if this trade works out.

*Note: For this trade, another player may have to be involved, possibly a Moon for Green swap.

Heat: Oneal round two. This duo may not be as powerful as the Superman Flash combo but it certainly would be a scary duo to face. With Wade unstopabable this year and able to get to the rim at will, he could be the perimiter play Oneal needs to regain his touch. Without any other credible bigs on the floor, this could also give him the room he needs to operate down low. An understated aspect of this trade could be the minutes it opens up for Beasley to have a more prominent, stable role and gain some valuable minutes to learn and get back into ROY contention. Again we see the immense cap relief in 2010 to keep wade and who knows what else.

Raptors: Of all the possible options, this may be the easiest to do, but the least helpful. In Marion we certainly get someone to address our needs of a defensive stop, but the question is what can he bring to the offensive table. Do the raps really want another player who can't create his own shot. I can't imagine any team at any time giving the ball to Marion to make the last play. However, his knowledge and ability on the fast break may be what the Raps need to learn how to actually run effectively. I think the success of this trade hinges on Bargnani's ability to keep this run going. If he maintains himself as a 20 point threat, it may not matter what Marion brings to the offensive table and his offensive putbacks and few fast break points may be all we need. I dont think the Raps really will be getting anyone else of value to make contracts match. With the emergence of Roko, do we really want Banks to clog up pg minutes? Getting Wright may be valuable if he can provide a consistent role.

Charlotte: They may be able to get rid of the NBA player with what I assume must be the record for most concussions. They get a great defensive and offensive low post weapon in ONeal who will definitely fit in well with Larry Brown's System. The availability of this deal however has dwindled in my mind as they already made moves to acquire Boris Diaw and recently Diop. With Okafor on the roster, they may be reluctant to add another big and may be in fact more keen on acquiring a strong guard. I would think that if a player of Oneal's stature was acquired, it could mean another big is on the move in Charlotte or they may just like to keep Diop and Diaw incase Oneal's injury history follows him. I do think however with the acquisition of Oneal, Charlotte could boast perhaps one of the best post defenses in the NBA and with Raja on the wing, it may not matter how difficult it is for them to score.

Raptors: For this deal to be a success, I think a lot of it hinges on who the second peice is. If we were to receive Felton, this could be a steal. We would garner a solid pg/sg rotation and our whole at Sf would certainly be filled but at the same time let's not forget however that charlotte struggled to score with these two players as key weapons. I think it would be safe to assume they would be no better for Toronto's offense. As Raptor fans cringe when Solomon and Moon take their jump shots, do we really want two more players who have a penchant for bad shots? This deal to me is the riskiest of the possible ones out there, these players could thrive, or it could be the beginning of the end.

Bulls: The final deal to discuss. It's almost definite that one of the pieces involved will be Nocioni, and the success of this deal will largely depend on who those second and third pieces are. With Rose claiming the spotlight, Hinrich's days as the pg could be numbered. As the Bulls have searched for a low post threat for years, and after missing out on Gasol, this could be their chance to add that missing piece. A core of Rose, Gordon, Deng, Oneal and with the progress of Noah and Thomas, this would be a scary team for anyone to play. If I was Paxson, I would have to consider this deal greatly.

Raptors: I think perhaps the most important element of this trade is the fact that we would be getting three players back. With Hinrich, Nocioni and perhaps a thrown in Sefolasha, although their are no stars, we would be contributing greatly to our depth, our bench, and I believe our attitude. Nocioni is one of the most hard nosed players in the NBA and in all three of those players, we would be getting players with defensive mind sets. To build on my last article, I think they would be great leaders for our bench as well. With Calderon, Parker, Nocioni, Bosh, Barganin and Hinrich leading our bench, I think that's the biggest improvement our roster could see by only losing one player. We solve our SF and backup PG/SG holes in one swift move. Who knows, maybe we could sucker Paxson into taking Will off our hands as well.

I love the Bulls and Dallas the deals the most, but I think the best part of all of these deals, is that everyone's a winner. Here's hoping GM's agree with me!