Andy’s World: Rautins on Hectic Pace

New York Knicks guard Andy Rautins is having the year of his life. From college team to national program to NBA club, SWAY Sports catches up with the young gunner happily hurting in the middle of it all.

“I’m still a little groggy,” said Andy Rautins at his stall in the Toronto Raptors locker room at the Air Canada Center. Basketball Canada had taken it over for a back-to-back set in the middle of August to play host to Team France as part of their warm up in preparation for the FIBA world championships in Turkey, August 28. French forward and former Seattle Supersonic Mikael Gelabale caught Rautins with an errant elbow in the second half of the first game, chipping a tooth and sending him into a fog.

On the second night Rautins checked himself out of the game in the third quarter after catching an errant knee to his left leg. He grinned through the charley horse with the media afterwards when answering a question about setting tones and physical play. The road to Turkey was just three exhibition games old and already Rautins had his war wounds on display. It’s one of the traits that the undersized and young Canadians will have to play on if they are to make an underdog’s growl at the worlds. There is an edge to players like Joel Anthony, Jermaine Anderson, Denham Brown, Robert Sacre and Rautins that collectively has never been present on a Team Canada roster. A particular nastiness that isn’t incrementally taught, but rather inherency polished over time.

“It feels good to hear them say that we’re a physical team,” said Rautins. “A lot of people are doubting our assertiveness and if we can bring it every night. That’s the type of team we are.”

One the second night of the back-to-back tilt versus the French Rautins reclaimed his touch, registering his best shooting night since turning pro. A 19-point show on an efficient 6 of 12 shooting (3 of 6 three-pointers) to go with three rebounds was more than enough to lead his squad over the struggling Frenchmen 85-63. The team still had its lapses, particularly in the third quarter when the aggressive and sure footing they displayed in a first half route began to fade. All part of the process as the club continues to gel at a rapid pace given the time crunch of the schedule.

“We’ve just got to come out more fired up in the second (half),” said Rautins following that contest before the team boarded a flight to Greece for more exhibition play. “Team’s over there (in Turkey) will take advantage of that. We’ve got a lot of work to do and that’s the good thing, winning by 20 points and knowing you can get a lot better. That’s where out focus is, to just come out and play a complete game.”

For Rautins the schedule has been unrelenting in 2010 and few rookies will have gone through as much of a summer tour come October. First it was a grueling NCAA season with Syracuse University and the mayhem of March Madness before going on to the workouts and hype surrounding the NBA Draft and his 38th overall selection to the New York Knicks. Then there was his summer league play in Las Vegas that saw him shoot poorly but impress defensively. He has been in training camp with the Canadian national team since the end of that stint, signed on to play a crammed schedule of a dozen or so games over another three weeks including the worlds. Finally, after all of that grind, it will be back home to New York and into to his first NBA training camp where he will try to make the roster of the rebuilding Knicks. The physical tax of his whirlwind summer will substantial but it is the mental aspect that is the real bend with that kind of itinerary.

“Especially going from a zone type of system at Syracuse to playing in a three-on-three man-to-man type of atmosphere at NBA tryouts,” said Rautins pointing out one of many adjustments. “You’ve go to be versatile and you’ve got to do what’s asked of you so I don’t think it’s too much of transition. The way we play, our defense is similar to the style of the Knicks as well as coach D’Antoni’s system of get out and run.”

And there are the doubters; the ones who say the 6-4 Rautins may not have what it takes to translate his shooting game to the NBA. His passion though, is undeniable and matches a noted work ethic that has honed his skill as a scorer. If there is a commitment to defense as well Rautins will turn some heads. He carries a chip, his relentless barking on the court got under many a skin while he was in college. Last season he was punched in the groin by fellow Canadian and St. Bonaventure center Andrew Nicholson when the Bonnies grew tired of Rautins’ swag (and penchant for talking on the court), but it was his back-to-back three-pointers moments earlier to help stave off a comeback in that 85-72 December victory that was the last straw. Nine months later the French, clearly irritated during their Toronto visit, punished him physically. Similar poundings have helped add grit to his reputation as a premier shooter in the NCAA over the last two seasons and of this past NBA draft. It would seem a Mike D’Antoni led, light-it-up Knicks offense would be right up his alley, but with heavy competition for jobs to be won and training camp six weeks away the critics fire away.

“You look at my career at Syracuse and I’ve improved every year,” offered Rautins. “I almost doubled my assists from last year. I work my tail off and a lot of people don’t know that. When I get there my job is to knock down shots and be consistent from the three. I think a lot of people underestimate my ability to make plays.

“I was drafted for a reason. The coaching staff sees that and they like me. To almost go first rounds says something about me so I’m looking forward to making a name for myself and proving all the doubters wrong.”

Rautins, who officially announced his signing with the Knicks on August 12th, is excited at the possibilities that exist in the Big Apple and on the floor at Madison Square Gardens.

“It’s on the up and up in New York,” said Rautins. “Look at the signing of Amar’e (Stoudemire), that’s a big piece for our team – the $100M man. There is talk of Chris Paul and they got Anthony Randolph who is a great up-and-coming star. The team is making moves and I think that sky’s the limit for us.

“I talked to coach (D’Antoni) and he said my role was going to be to get out there and shoot the ball, get out there and fill the lanes and spread the floor out. Especially now since I’ve got Amar’e, the inside-out game will be great.”

Just another addition to the growing list of things that have made Andy’s world a beautiful/crazy place to live, and it gets more so. That leg tweak that he suffered in the second game against France may have caught up with the team in Greece where they continued to prepare with exhibition play. Rautins was held out by the coaching staff over the entire European schedule of tune-up games and practices and with the WBC’s at the doorstep, a healthy and ready to go Rautins vital to success. Right now that presence is in some doubt, with national team head coach Leo Rautins expressing concern (”We just don’t know,” said coach Rautins when assessing the likelihood of son Andy rejoining the team on the court). No doubt the Knicks are keeping a close eye as well. To many basketball observers Rautins was a risky pick and both he and the organization are anxious to prove them wrong.

But before he dons the orange and blue Rautins will wear the red and white colors of Canada. He has faced the underdog label for much of his basketball life and his national team will attempt to overcome a similar tag with him co-piloting the effort. He’ll have to be every bit the hot shooting, grinding, yapping, meddling and pestering presence of a guard the young nationals need him to be.

“There’s got to be a great deal of focus,” said Rautins. “It’s the world stage. We’re looking to go out there and do some damage playing against the world’s best.”

SONOFAGUN: Carmelo Made for New York

Around SWAY Sports headquarters we’ve been saying it for a year, based mostly on vibrations from Carmelo Anthony’s camp and then more recently from some trusted media brethren who now seem convinced that the forecast is right; Anthony wants out of Denver.

Check the archives, it’s been said right in this tagged corner on many an occasions that Anthony would and should be New York bound. He’s tough enough to take the hard crowds, crushing media and constant demand. Of the 2003 draft class that has dominated NBA headlines for over half a decade Anthony has been the steadiest (seven straight playoff appearances) if not the most spectacular or decorated. He may not have made as smooth an NBA landing as James and Wade but he’s almost there and up until this summer had taken more character and basketball punches than both along the way. Approaching his prime years and showing growth and maturity with each passing season, Anthony seems ready to blow. Blowing off Denver may be necessary if he wants to do it on the level of his peers.

The New Jersey Nets is another strong possibility and the more likely one if Anthony decides to sign the Nuggets’ recently tendered extension. By committing himself to the organization for another three years the end of his contract would roughly coincide with the Nets’ planned moved to Brooklyn and its new billion-dollar arena and borough rebuild. New owner Mikhail Prokhorov is fast becoming a Mark Cuban like name in the industry and has buckets of money to use to surround Anthony with marquee talent. With point guard Devin Harris and frontcourt demon Brook Lopez on board there are foundation pieces already in place. Armed with a massive and impressive development plan the Nets figure to be something of a sports industry darling in a few years and having Anthony on board would make them a beast. Add the name power and cultural connections of rap star and entrepreneur Jay-Z and the new Brooklyn Nets could be a package too sexy to pass on. After striking out on every major free agent on the market this summer the Nets and new general manager Billy King are in countdown mode to have a contender in place by the time the team relocates to the BK.

Blame the “Miami Thrice” if you want to but Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics preceded the LBJ/Wade/Bosh power teaming. There are many examples of fantastic trios throughout NBA history but none quite put together like those two groups. Even the Los Angeles Lakers’ pairing of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest/Lamar Odom doesn’t seem as contrived because they were put together over time and not out of nowhere. However, because of this recent history should a potential Anthony/Paul/Stoudemire teaming really come as a surprise? Nah, son. We should all see it coming (and so will the collective bargaining negotiations).

Looking across the new NBA landscape, that is quite simply what it’s going to take. Going into battle for a championship with less than three all-star caliber players is a lightening-in-a-bottle philosophy these days, and a franchise guy can flirt with team success for a decade or join forces and rule the day. For all the folks screaming bloody murder over the audacity of the Miami signings a head check is in order. See, what they are really mad about is the fact that these guys did it at such a young age. Isn’t that the real difference between Barkley, Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon teaming up for the Houston Rockets? Clyde Drexler crapped out on his quest for a ring as the franchise player for the Portland Trailblazers before joining Olajuwon pre-Barkley to win a championship. Former All-Stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone joined Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2003-04 for an ill-fated stab at the Larry O’Brien trophy. The examples are many but none include stars of this stature in their prime. Folks aren’t mad at the decision, they’re mad at the young twenty-something punks who got to make it.

While Anthony’s wedding reception is being held as the turning point in the publification of his possible desire to leave the Denver Nuggets, the team that drafted him seven years ago sits and waits on his decision to sign their 3-year $65M offer that’s been on the table for six weeks. Newly minted New York Knick Amar’e Stoudemire has been in his ear and Chris Paul reportedly made some pointed remarks at the formal dinner about a possible union up north, remarks that were not taken kindly by owner Stan Kroenke who was also in attendance.

Anthony will be the next to wield the power currently afforded to the brightest of that 2003 class. He has already done so subtly, neither confirming nor denying reports having to do with his basketball intentions. Both James and Bosh cruelly practiced that art against their respectively ditched cities of Cleveland and Toronto. Bosh went so far as to admit he purposely toyed with the emotions of his fans. By pushing the $65M pact into a corner Anthony is covertly doing the same thing - especially if a trade request follows - but he has choices…

First he can be clear and up front with the team, tell them he no longer wants to be a Nugget and in doing so formally request a trade. That most likely means Anthony would be in another uniform before the season starts or shortly thereafter and the Nuggets have made it clear they are not afraid to trade away their top gun before he becomes a free agent in 2011. Without him the Nuggets have a massive rebuilding project on their hands, as Anthony’s exit would signal the end of an era. Old bodies like Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin would most likely follow within the year. The second option would be for Anthony to sign the contract, which would not preclude him from professing his desire to leave in the future. If Paul has two years remaining on his contract and was ready to push for a trade in July, what’s to stop Anthony? What has ever stopped anybody? However, Anthony signing the contract would give the Nuggets time do a couple of things like make one last run at a title and put together the best deal possible for their superstar should it still come to that. The third would be to play out the 2010-11 season of his current contract and opt-out at the end of the campaign. Essentially that would be sending the same message to the organization as the first option and it makes a trade more difficult when a player is in the final year of his contract and remains non-committal on resigning with one particular team or another. It limits trade partners and no club wants to give up what it will take to land Anthony only to have him bolt in sixth months and leave them with no return. Any club taking on Anthony would insist upon on him signing his extension (or another variation) as a prerequisite to a deal. In the end though the Nuggets bosses will try their hardest to avoid a Bosh/James situation and be left spending next summer scrambling with major franchise decisions.

But for the Knicks, this is where they can find redemption after a summer of mostly strikeouts and second or third place finishes in the free agent race. The Stoudemire acquisition was solid; though his $100M price tag is hefty and signing Ray Felton to play the point was okay, perhaps. Neither will carry the franchise, which is where Anthony fits in, of course. Maybe he always has.

If the collusion of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh to band in Miami was so heavily rumored in both media and front offices alike for so long, did anybody outside of Cleveland and Miami not have a plan B? It isn’t a stretch to suggest that ‘Melo was the plan B because somewhere along the line he definitely became plan A, even before James’ monumental decision. That event just cemented it. Settling for Stoudemire necessitated it. Anthony suits New York more than any other current, impending or recently-signed-with-the-Miami-Heat free agent out there. With Stoudemire the Knicks are back on the map and with Paul having already requested a trade from the New Orleans Hornets and Anthony stalling on the Nuggets contract offer the dominoes appear ready to drop.

Which will be the first to fall is anyone’s guess.

Brown’s Return Right on Time

For many, the timing of Denham Brown’s return to Canada Basketball’s senior men’s national team is suspect. After failing to show up at the team’s training camp in 2008 before the Olympic qualifying tournament Brown became mostly unreachable, charting his own hoops career path that apparently no longer included the national program.

“I just think it was a dual interest,” said Brown following a team workout at the Air Canada Centre last week. “It was in my interest to come back and also Canada Basketball and the organization wanted me to come back. Me and Leo spoke over the phone about a month before camp started and pretty much spoke and cleared everything up. I have an understanding now towards team concepts and stuff like that, being more mature. And being a leader on this team. That’s pretty much what I need to do right now.”

The West Hill Collegiate star and NCAA champion with the University of Connecticut had earned a reputation in some circles as a me-first player with little patience for the lesser talents around him. It wasn’t an image defining reputation but the knock didn’t sit well with Brown who decided to end his silence and put in a call to head coach Leo Rautins and managing director Maurizio Gherardini. Rautins did most of the listening in that conversation and let Brown know he could afford no distractions along their underdog journey to the FIBA world championship set to tip off August 28 in Turkey. Brown in turn assured him that his intentions were to show and prove and according to the coaching staff he has done exactly that. Rautins has called him “fantastic” and was quick to recognize him as one of the best players in camp. Brown - a solid scorer with strong body tactics - knows he will be called on to step out of the collective at times when the team needs a veteran push of life. He also knows that he isn’t alone. NBAers Joel Anthony and Andy Rautins along with point guard Jermaine Anderson are also guys who will need to shine.

“Andy just getting drafted, Joel solidified himself as an NBA player…” Brown is naming reasons why there is so much confidence in the program right now. Why there is a palpable buzz long missing from hoops culture in this under-populated country. “You’ve got up-and-coming guys, guys who are three to four years overseas and you’ve got myself returning. This is the most talented team that I’ve seen compete for team Canada.”

That is where some suspicion has set in for some observers who have questioned Brown’s motivation. In the past year he was released by his Venezuelan team, blew up the NBDL with some stellar play and then put in a short tour in the Philippines with the Barangay Ginebra Kings. Not all roses, and returning home in time to play in the biggest professional basketball tournament in the world puts him under a spotlight that should reintroduce him to the basketball world. With a huge influx of recognizable Canadian basketball players the national program arguable has more star power up front and in the wings than ever before. Being associated with that has its privileges too.

Still for all the critics who seem ready to tear down Brown’s motivations there is a history that speaks louder than those cries. The 6-5 Toronto native represented with the SMNT from 2003-07 and was always a main contributor on the court. He is a NCAA champion, a former NBA draft pick, a local high school legend and professional baller. Quite simply, he has never needed the national team program to stand out and in turn, the program had continued on without him in fine form. Now, with both having grown immensely over the past two years, on the eve of one of the most important times in the program’s history, now more than ever they need each other. While a good performance under the watchful eyes of the world will help his professional prospects for next season there appears to be a more prideful, patriotic reasoning behind Brown’s return.

“Canada has built a foundation around the guys who are helping to build basketball,” said Brown. “We need all the support we can get. You’ve got a lot of big names such as myself, Andy Rautins, Joel Anthony and Jermaine Anderson. People now know us personally and as basketball players. We’re all young guys with 27 being the oldest so we’re going to make a big push for the worlds. By the time the Olympics come around we’ll be a strong competitor.”

Without a clear-cut star coach Rautins has always been forced to employ an equal-opportunity approach. It’s an “any given Sunday” philosophy that demands a little of everything from everybody and a trust that the more capable performers can recognize when to explode without playing out of the team concept. The Canadians are not talented enough to recover from straying too far from the game plan and having strong, assured minds on the court to steer the ship when the deviations threaten is vital in the crunch. The word leadership is used a lot when Denham speaks about his new role.

“It’s needed ASAP,” says Brown. “I’ve played with the development team and coming into this team its pretty much the same aspect of playing a leadership role. I have no problem with doing that. Guys staying positive are going to help build the characteristics of our team. It can’t be just one guy leading or one guy talking all of the time. We may have six guys. As long as we are picking each other up and feeling positive we’ll be alright.”

With Anderson’s personal mantra of “shock the world” fast becoming the hook for Canada’s hopefuls Brown appears to have bought in. Along with his considerable skills and big game experience comes a new frame of mind, which bodes well for the national team and the man himself.

“Eliminate all the non-factors,” advises Brown on what it will take for him and his mates to make good on Anderson’s proclamation. “Everything going on outside of the team - guys need to eliminate that. I’ve really slowed down right now. I’m staying at the hotel, staying with the team and focusing on what we need to do.”

Nothing suspicious about that.

THE BASKETBALL SAMURAI: The Hated LeBron James

“You’re nobody ‘till somebody kills you” – Biggie Smalls

Last week during the unprecedented mega-media presentation of his free agent decision LeBron James said he didn’t want to make an emotional decision. If he had he might still be a Cleveland Cavalier today. Instead, James rocked the state of Ohio with his preference to join Dwyane Wade and newly acquired power forward Chris Bosh in Miami to play for the Miami Heat, completing what could possibly be the most talented summer-seasoned trio of in-their-prime stars the league has ever seen. However, in the process he scorned an entire city in the only state he has ever called home.

Ohio has been the site of every major James announcement and public push since he entered the league seven long years ago. It is where he has been crowned king a hundred times over from his accomplishments and feats as a high school phenomenon in Akron to becoming one of the most adored athletes in the world. It is where he has been loved to death by Cleveland fans whose longing for a professional sports championship has been built up over 46 years. That’s how long ago Jim Brown led that city’s NFL Browns to a championship and James was expected to end the famous curse that began the day after that triumph.

James once said he would not leave Cleveland without winning a championship first and fans, even the organization, believed it whole-heartedly and now it seems, to a damning fault.

“I’m going to take my talents to South Beach,” James finally said Thursday night from Greenwich, Connecticut no less.

Those words ripped out those once whole now broken hearts in an incomparable nationally televised dumping of a city wary, but nonetheless blindsided by the decision of their favorite son. Shortly after the initial carnage Cleveland fans reacted with venom. James was shown live footage of his number 23 Cavaliers jersey being burned in the streets of a city where the very thought of doing such a thing before then would have been blasphemy.

From Cleveland - blue collared C.L.E. - LeBron, with all his talent and media savvy and “destined-to-be” write ups, was still the underdog. Even with his superstar status LeBron remained a man of the people and despite his greatness was still identified with the hard working people of that place. He carried the franchise on his back accordingly, through some unlikely playoff runs and some devastating exits as well. LeBron was Cleveland. Cleveland was LeBron. Maybe it still is in some covert ways but it will never be the same.

James, perhaps the most unselfish player in the NBA, for the first time in his career made a decision that was all about him. He made that point several times during his television special, that this one wasn’t going to be for Ohio or his hometown of Akron. It was about happiness. It was about winning. It was about legacy. Based on his decision James didn’t see enough of either in Cleveland.

And with that very public shunning of the place he calls home James has become something he has never been - hated. In reality it is perhaps the truest mark of being a superstar in the vein that James himself is a student of. The hate motivates, polarizes and in some cases creates rivalries. Rivalries have much to do with building the kind of legacy James has always talked about. The hate is almost required for a player of James’ ilk. Natural and quite possibly exactly what he has been missing.

As loved as Michael Jordan became, it wasn’t always the case. Jordan steadily gained intergalactic love but on the court and within NBA player circles and in opposing cities there was hate. The source of it came mostly from his feats on the court against teams like the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and perhaps most ironically versus James’ old Cavaliers. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson carried on a rivalry throughout their careers and the divide amongst fans, between Boston and Los Angeles, was more than geographical. It was in the soul. Under the skin. There was “sport hate” for each of those icons.

Up until Thursday night James was universally loved, cheered in opposing arenas like only Jordan was. And now James is hated for very different reasons than Jordan, Magic and Bird ever were. None of those guys ever left the city that drafted them while in their prime and when Jordan did it - the only one of them to ever leave his original team – it was when he came out of retirement and well past his best days. Chicago didn’t even want to see him as that tainted version of “his Airness”.

Kobe Bryant earned his “sport hate” in a variety of ways, first as a cocky youngster waving off Karl Malone picks in All-Star games and then as a sulking star playing in Shaquille O’Neal’s shadow during the early millennium Lakers dynasty era. Of course his sexual indiscretions in Eagle, Colorado and following rape charge (eventually dropped) gave him a whole new legion of haters both in and out of the game. A brilliant public relations effort rebuilt his image - including the changing of his jersey number from 8 to 24 – but it is doubtful it would have stuck as well if he wasn’t already champion and if he hadn’t since put more rings in the bank. Bryant gets booed the loudest in Philadelphia, his hometown. After capturing the Most Valuable Player award in the 2002 All Star game played in Philly there was Bryant shaking his head as he made his way off the court and staring wide-eyed at then SLAM scribe Scoop Jackson, bewildered at the abhorrent reception. Bryant may be James’ closest comparison, the only one he can relate to on this level. After all, it was LBJ who announced he would be switching his uniform number from 23 to 6 for the 2010-11 season. Another sign of the impending “decision”? His own Bryant inspired pre-emptive strike against the backlash? If James can follow in Bryant’s improbable footsteps, one that led him back to the top of the basketball world, then it would be as great a feat as creating that elusive and career-defining dynasty and legacy. Alas, there are few who doubt that Bryant is a Laker for life.

Like Bryant, for James this all goes beyond “sport hate”. Rivalry hate. Fake hate. This is as real as it gets for a player who promised to stick it out and did not. Yet, everything about the young man told you it was always going to be about business and the business of winning. In the end LeBron James was just too damn big for Cleveland and maybe even too damn humble to know that was precisely the cause of the itch he was feeling, pulling him to Miami.

It was not supposed to be emotional. It was a cold hard business delivery and no doubt Cavs fans will be sure to return the same whenever the Heat will make their way up to the house that ‘Bron was building. By then they might be a shell of the team James left behind, left alone in the darkness once again, this time by one of their own in a public execution no less.

The seething hate is real and there are many fans, media (and players) who feel like James and others disrespected the process of free agency, tugging strings – both heart and purse alike – into the wee hours towards a date with destiny.

We should have known. We should have trusted him. Then maybe he wouldn’t seem so “Benedict” to so many today. Then maybe Cleveland isn’t reeling in real pain over his departure. You think that city wasn’t just kicked in the stomach? Another blue collar dunking?

James is only the second reigning MVP in NBA history to leave his team after winning the award and in his case it was after winning two straight. If Boston got picked to instantly win the eastern conference when they put their big three of paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett together with similar questions about supporting cast, it is reasonable to expect the same of the Heat. One would even be justified in going a step further and predicting a championship. You do not put a team like this together unless you plan on competing for a title for the next 10 years. Unless you are banking on a dynasty. Anything less and leaving Cleveland will have been a mistake.

It is hard to fault James’ decision with the recent turnover in ownership, coaching and roster in Cleveland. The view from here is that the Cavs were never going to have quite enough to allow any Cavaliers team to consistently be on par with the Celtics, Bulls, Knicks, Lakers and Magic (Thunder?) in the foreseeable future. The South Beach union was a cry for help.

Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cavaliers and the man directly responsible for allowing James to own his castle, ripped into his former star in a letter to Cavaliers fans just hours after the big exodus, essentially calling out James as a coward, quitter and someone deserving of fan venom reserved for enemies of the state. Here are some key points he made in the release:

“As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

“The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you. You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.”

“… I want to make one statement to you tonight: I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

And that spewing of viciousness will set the tone in Cleveland for years to come. Gilbert didn’t count to ten before responding publicly to a phone call he received just moments before the decision. A phone call James didn’t even bother to make himself. He let fly with his barrage and went so far as to call James’ departure “the antidote to the so-called ‘curse’ on Cleveland” and punctuated it with a promise to capture a title before the Heat. If he sticks to his words and gives it the gusto, it is a great thing for Cleveland and the NBA (and poor Antawn Jamison). That Gilbert hate is a mere qualifier for the big picture. There is potential for the most intense rivalry since Lakers/Celtics, no doubt, but only if Gilbert continues to spend on a team currently without a superstar. How likely is that in Cleveland?

Now James isn’t so unlike Wade who is wanted in Dallas on multiple charges of stealing the 2007 championship. The anger in Toronto towards Bosh, who like James has spent his entire career in one city, is fully charged too - a twitter instigated disdain for Bosh’s showmanship tactics during a courting period that saw him practically sever all ties with the franchise that drafted him. And now LeBron has crossed Cleveland.

The hate can be a right of passage, and only a player as universally loved as LeBron would have to crush his own city to earn the privilege. He’s a little more human now, a little less of a king without his kingdom. But despite the weighty, prophetic moniker James was always more ironworker than privileged royalty. That’s a compliment. He’s Rocky Balboa, the people’s favorite, the basketball Obama… but not in Cleveland. Not anymore.

“The road to history starts now!” James tweeted under his new account in the wee hours of the AM following the decision.

That road will be rocky and more distempered than many believe. Talk of the pressure being less for James in Miami with so much star power in assistance is foolish. With this decision James has hurled himself into the space of the casual fan and the diehards alike, that rare space where the two cultures breath the same air and follow the same amazing stories.

Despite all the concessions of cash, stats and marquee space he has and will need to make for this plan to work, he’s also on the way to becoming even bigger than anybody ever thought, including the good people of Cleveland, Ohio.

“The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south,” wrote Gilbert, who has since been fined by the NBA for his address to Cavaliers fans. “And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

“Just watch.”

And so the world shall, lovers, haters and the undecided alike.

The most interesting question of all is one that likely will not be answered for many years. How many of the disenfranchised will James be able to get back? If history has anything to do with it, it will all depend on how many titles he is able to capture before his legacy is sealed for good. After all, everybody loves a winner.

CHEAP SEAT: Bosh Breaks Toronto Silence

Miami Heat power forward Chris Bosh was criticized steadily during the free agent process sweeping across the NBA these days, and not for his decision to bolt the Toronto Raptors after seven seasons. In media circles Bosh was being poked for doing a stateside tour of playoff games sites and their local media while never once addressing the fan base in T.O. that first brought him fame.

On Tuesday Bosh broke that silence with a guest appearance on FAN 590 radio a week after joining LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to form an electrifying trio for the Miami Heat. Before that however, his whirlwind tour of interested parties included a blackout of Canadian media and a barrage of twitter messages that drew the ire of fans and even some media.

“At no time did I want to offend anybody or make anybody upset,” said Bosh. “I just wanted to reach out to the fans everywhere. If people felt betrayed I’m sorry for that.”

Still, despite seven years of service ending with an abrupt and controversial slam Bosh has no regrets about the rollercoaster car he let fans in on. No doubt there will be a lot of eye-rolling that his Toronto media appearance comes at the end of the ride, when most of the important questions have already been answered.

“I’m happy with the way I handled things,” said Bosh. “I don’t think I got out of line at any time.

“I stick by my decisions. If I could do it over I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Bosh is unlike any other basketball star the city has seen. Its first franchise player Damon Stoudamire whined his way into a trade out of town to his hometown Portland Trailblazers after a soured relationship with team management. Ditto for Tracy McGrady who forced his way back to his home state of Florida. Vince Carter did likewise many years later and then – from his new home with the New Jersey Nets - admitted to dogging it on the court while playing with the Raptors. Bosh committed none of the above infractions and while he may not have been as dynamic a player as the above-mentioned trio, from beginning to end he was the team’s best ambassador and rarely, if ever, stopped pushing his game.

“I miss Toronto,” said Bosh. “I will always miss it. I have nothing but good to say about organization and the city.”

It is a city that is sure to react strongly when Bosh returns as part of the most hyped combination of players this generation has ever seen. As part of the Wade/James gang he will already being feeling a more intense spotlight but for him the wattage will increase each time he steps across the border and returns to the Air Canada Centre twice a year. Stoudamire, McGrady and Carter all received a violent delivery of boos and jeers for years after their defections. Bosh may have been more loved but that won’t change the salt-in-the-wounds feeling most northern hoops fans are still smarting from a week after the Bosh era ended for them.

“As far as the boos are concerned,” said Bosh. “I hope they don’t.”

Alas, Bosh has always been much smarter than that.

Jordan Backing Out of Deal?

Yesterday afternoon all the pieces seemed in place for the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Bobcats to complete a three-way trade that involved the Phoenix Suns. Now it seems Bobcats owner and general manager Michael Jordan is having second thoughts. Reports out of Charlotte claim that Jordan is leaning towards abandoning the deal altogether.

As explained on Monday, the two teams had agreed in principle to exchange four players. The Raptors were prepared to send point guard Jose Calderon and forward Reggie Evans to the Bobcats in exchange for forward Boris Diaw and center Tyson Chandler. The work-up was so far along that the players involved had all been made aware that they were on the move but by late afternoon it was clear that something was amiss. Raptors officials were apparently awaiting league approval when word came down of a possible delay, prompting the team to cancel an announcement of the deal. However, by early morning it became clear that the Jordan and the Bobcats were getting cold feet.

When details of the trade were given to this outlet on Monday the ensuing report was followed by cautious discussion. The deal was based in large part on the Bobcats’ need for a starting caliber point guard after free agent Ray Felton signed with the New York Knicks earlier this week. In Calderon the Bobcats would have acquired a tested veteran albeit one with concerning defensive issues. The addition of Evans in the trade would also have given the Bobcats some size and defense to make for what they would lose in Diaw and Chandler.

After some late-to-the-game pondering it appears Jordan didn’t think the exchange was fair and it isn’t difficult to spot his concerns. Not only do the Bobcats give up more defense in the deal but they also take on another year of salary – Calderon’s final season in 2012-13 worth $10.5M. Calderon also seems like an unlikely fit in Bobcats head coach Larry Brown’s system and Brown was hesitant enough to say so. Brown traditionally likes defensive minded point guards playing off a more dynamic shooting guard, in this case ‘Cats scorer Stephen Jackson. All the players involved in the deal were coming off of sub-par campaigns but when healthy Chandler has proven to be one of the best low post defenders in the league. Diaw’s offense has slowed in recent years but he remains a unique body that can guard up to four positions and make plays from anywhere on the court. Evans is a one-dimensional off-the-bench banger who is effective in limited minutes.

Sources told SWAY Sports last night that the deal would be revisited this morning and could still be completed in another form. Since then multiple reports surfaced calling the deal “dead”. This setback does not impact the other end of the trade that will see Hedo Turkoglu shipped out of Toronto in exchange for Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa and forward Dwayne Jones. That deal is still awaiting approval from the NBA but should be made official by the end of the week.

Turkoglu Out As Raps Remodel

It may not qualify as a complete blow-up but in the aftermath of Chris Bosh’s departure the Toronto Raptors have been one of the most active teams in the NBA. After finally accomplishing a sign and trade scenario for Bosh this past weekend – ensuring that they received solid return for their former star – general manager Bryan Colangelo jumped out of that complicated deal and into another.

Reports have surfaced detailing an intricate three-team deal the Raptors have on the go. The first peg is the long awaited removal of forward Hedo Turkoglu who is on his way to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for point guard Leandro Barbosa and young forward Dwyane Jones. The deal comes to light one night after the Raptors summer league entry smoked the Suns 103-69 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The second part of that trade is said to include the Charlotte Bobcats and would send point guard Jose Calderon and forward Reggie Evans (who said goodbye to Toronto via twitter) to the Bobcats in exchange for swingman Boris Diaw and center Tyson Chandler. Initially, reports had part of the Raptors’ $14.5M traded player exception acquired (TPE) in the Bosh-to-Miami transaction headed to the Bobcats as well but as of early Monday afternoon that could not be confirmed. A three-team transaction as opposed to a two-teamer would make the inclusion of a TPE less likely.

Trading Turkoglu became a must after he spouted off in his native Turkey last month. In a television interview he stated that he preferred not return to the Raptors after injuries, personal issues and fatigue marred his 2009-10 season. He showed up to training camp out of shape in October and his game never really lifted off after the team gave him permission sit out the first few sessions. Turkoglu averaged a disappointing 11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists over the course of 74 games but really drew the ire of fans and management during a mid-season fiasco. After checking himself at the halftime mark a game versus the Utah Jazz due to a stomach virus then missing the following game – a home loss to the Denver Nuggets – Turkoglu was spotted on the town at a local club and restaurant. Subsequently he was fined and benched by the team and never seemed comfortable with the organization after that.

Despite his knack for taking care of the ball and hitting record free throws, nothing else about Calderon’s game seemed to fit with the team’s desire for creativity and dynamic punch from the backcourt. Since winning the starting job three seasons ago from the gone-and-forgotten T.J. Ford, Calderon’s game has plateaued. With concerns about his defense mounting and with the league’s point guards getting stronger and faster Calderon’s role wasn’t always clearly defined. He has had some debilitating injuries over the past two seasons, including a nagging hamstring issue, but far too often the team had to rely on his back ups to perform. Two years ago it was the disastrous Roko Ukic and last season Jarrett Jack ate up huge minutes as quarterback, even carrying the starting role for a large stretch of the season.

Combined Turkoglu and Calderon were owed $61 142 978 over the next three seasons with Turkoglu owning a player option for just over $12M in 2013, the final year of his pact.

If the deal follows as expected Colangelo will have put in some quality work here by getting back Barbosa’s $14M owed over the next two seasons (including a player option in 2011). Diaw is owed $18M over the last two years of his current deal while Chandler is entering the final year of his contract at $12.75M wage in 2010-11. Even if the additions don’t represent a huge upgrade in talent it leaves the team with some continued flexibility while moving through the post-Bosh era without pause and rids the company of two wholly unwanted contracts in return.

Barbosa has fallen out of favor in Phoenix for different reasons. Over the past four seasons his production and impact has been on the decline as he battled with injuries and the addition of competing talent, namely Goran Dragic. Dragic’s performance this season and his contributions in the playoffs this past June left him as the clear back up for starting point guard Steve Nash. Former Suns utility man Diaw is another Colangelo favorite who has experienced some slippage in his game after concerns about his conditioning arose prior to last season. Still, Diaw remains a versatile defender with a nice touch when scoring and distributing. Along with Chandler he represents a noticeable upgrade in defense (on paper) and both are a viable option for offense around the basket. Chandler has had an injury-plagued career and has never played an entire season in the NBA. Over the past two campaigns spent with the Bobcats and New Orleans Hornets he has played in a total of 96 games. In 2007-08 the straight-outta-high-school big man averaged 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds a contest for the Hornets in 79 games played and started.

With an offer-sheet signed by Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Linus Kleiza unmatched as yet, the five-year $32M deal awarded to Amir Johnson and Monday’s collection of role players beginning to fill out the early signs point to the Raptors improving despite the loss of Bosh and the absence of true star power. Of course, Colangelo has spent much of the last two summers performing the same act with little to show in terms of wins. Now the next decision comes with how to spend their $14.5 TPE, which is valid for one year. There are no big names left on the free agent market but plenty available through trade should the team look to land a star. Minnesota Center Al Jefferson could be had while Cleveland forward Antawn Jamison and Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala are also believed to be on the market. With Colangelo facing another tough year and a re-sell of yet another new roster to fans, expect the ever-moving GM to make a splash with the cash.

NBA TAKE 5: Agents of Destiny

1. LEBRON JAMES
The Akron Don

So it was believed for some time that nothing would truly get underway in this free agency period until LeBron James made up his mind. Wrong. Teams have moved ahead with the suitors for LBJ’s services narrowed to the usual suspects - Cleveland, Chicago, New Jersey and Miami. The running is probably in that order today, though Miami presents a real nightmare for Cleveland who would benefit little from a sign-and-trade with the Heat. Chicago does have pieces to move and has provided a little extra oomph in their pitch, even adding a soft talk from President Barack Obama. Chicagoan Obama is a basketball fan and can only help James in his bid to take over the world, which is exactly what he’s done in the NBA… optically anyway.

Meanwhile LeBron has stayed close to his headquarters in Akron, Ohio. The Cavs still have the inside edge and when people talk about where LeBron is going it should be held in the context of “if” he leaves Cleveland. After all, this time and through all the rumors and speculation and web of mixed messages the real question still remains as unclear as it’s been for two years. Will he? James, in keeping with his summer circus act, has planned a one-hour ESPN special on Thursday to announce his decision. Would he dump his beloved city on live TV?

It is an even bet these days and he has stated it won’t take him too long to confirm his intentions after July 8 when free agents officially sign their pacts. Cap-spending NBA teams are looking to pick up two big names and now that Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are signed players like Richard Jefferson, Josh Howard, and Mike Miller – guys taking pay cuts from their last deals - will be circling. The Heat has the jump on any LeBron destination with their new duo in tact, though word is they will still wait to see if James joins them in Florida. Doubtful. The New York Knicks with their addition of Amar’e Stoudemire and money to burn are intriguing again, and if James isn’t in a Miami/New York state of mind the New Jersey Nets and his good friend Jay-Z are also a viable option.

Waiting on James has its price though, with many of the names already finding homes (Steve Blake was a great Lakers pick up – would have helped any team). Still, there will be enough guys that can be persuaded to do the Marquis Daniels and take less to sign on with a favorite but Cleveland, for all its past efforts, haven’t been able to get enough of those guys before. What will change if James stays? With a new GM and a new head coach and a newly constructed roster? Unlikely, meaning James is likely New York, New Jersey or Miami bound.

It is important to remember however, that most of the big deals that have been signed so far this summer - John Salmons, Rudy Gay, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Kevin Durant to name a few- have all been from players resigning or extending with their old teams. There hasn’t been the mass exodus many expected, particularly with a looming league lockout, and guys looking for quick security going forward. Who would have thought that at this point, it would be LeBron James, the biggest name in free agency, still stuck between a lone-star rebuild in Cleveland and a new beginning of his choosing… anywhere.

2. MIAMI HEAT
Team Wade

So the NBA’s version of the mad hatter, Heat GM Pat Riley is set to made his decadent run at a championship. Lakers in the 80’s, New York in the 90’s, Miami in the 00’s and now Miami again in the 10’s. Kinda makes you wish he were doing this in Texas so he could have all the time zones covered, but we digress. Wouldn’t want to do that with Riley playing with a ton of cap space and likely to fly down from his GM’s office and coach the party. That selling point means current head coach Eric Spoelstra is out, a must if Riley wanted a shot at landing LeBron James, Chris Bosh or both.

For now Bosh has been secured with Riley even convincing the 6-10 power forward to take a five-year deal and sign with the Heat outright as opposed to working in a sixth year through a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. The point is that with both Dwyane Wade and Bosh on board as max players, the Heat will need all the money they can to put together a quality supporting staff. Leaving the Toronto Raptors with nothing in return won’t make Bosh any new friends in the T-dot but what’s the trade off?

Clearly Bosh was unimpressed by Raptors management who are a far cry from the team upstairs in Miami. After Phil Jackson Riley might be the next best thing going along with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. That is huge for a player that has worked for three different regimes and three head coaches during his seven seasons in T.O. Stability.

Riley’s grand plan most certainly have to include another team or two, quite possibly the Cleveland Cavaliers should James bolt but the Raptors weren’t overly receptive to any Miami deal. In the end it didn’t matter and if the Heat do in fact hold on to Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers a solid base exists to work from.

In the end, the key to this whole process has been Wade, who has been in the air of Bosh and to a lesser extent James since his Heat took a slide during his injury plagued season of two years ago. Wade has what the others have never; a tried and tested GM/coach in the wings in Riley and a championship ring to prove that the game plan works. His recruitment of Bosh has been steady and his influence over other NBA players should not be ignored. If you are looking for the most powerful player in this special free agent season, he’s the one that had his homework done a long time ago, and it showed.

3. NEW JERSEY NETS
The Legend and the Billionaire

The Nets aren’t just out to play the “only way is up” card after registering just 12 wins last season. Instead they’ve been busy throwing, er… trading out the supporting cast they had around building blocks Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. Gone are Yi Jianlian and the bad wrap bear Chris Douglas-Roberts. Expect others to follow as the Nets position themselves to go after everybody from A-list on down, and after LeBron James and the Miami Heat wield their power (separately I suspect), and the Chicago Bulls get at least a sniff of star power, the Nets will be the most attractive destination on the market.

Armed with a new billionaire owner in Mikhail Prokhorov and an increased company profile for rap mogul Jay-Z, the Nets also have their impending move to Brooklyn and its new mega development that figures to reinvigorate the Borough as selling points. Playing for New York without the Knicks baggage and a state of the art future not far away?

Who would say no to that?

If it’s not James it will be Carmelo Anthony next summer (yes, I’m convinced he’s New York bound). Prokhorov has been open about how he plans to spend – lavishly. With that kind of push from all sides of the business die a franchise player would be well served as a Brooklyn Net, and now the organization has an owner, partner and a team of planners and engineers that know it, believe it and spit it.

By all accounts the Nets have been super-impressive in their “come-to-Jesus” recruiting but it did not prevent Prokhorov from stating publicly that he believes that Wade and Bosh will play together in Miami this upcoming season. Dead on. With the big names resigning with old squads and the Wade/Bosh deal all but official it seems like the Nets are losing ground though. Chicago recently agreed to terms with Carlos Boozer as a five-year, $75M consolation prize. Boozer’s top choice was the Heat but New Jersey was thought to be a close second. Ouch! With all the good coming the Nets way in two years it still leaves two seasons of playing in Jersey. It may not be the Meadowlands but it will still be sparse crowds and low lights. As good as the future sounds, most players seem intent on seeing to believe.

4. CHRIS BOSH
Where the Wind Blows

It’s all but inked – Chris Bosh will join Dwyane Wade in Miami this coming season, most likely on a five-year $90M deal that essentially leaves his former team out to dry. It isn’t that losing Bosh outright is the worst thing in the world for the Raptors but it does leave them without a trace of All-Star talent, devastating for a club that has been ripping apart their roster for the last two seasons trying to return to the playoffs. Ironically, that was the biggest reason Bosh bolted. A bunch of players under bad contracts that seemed more suffocating that freeing to Bosh’s All-Star game was a killer.

In Miami the opposite is true, with no bad contracts in place. Actually, outside of Bosh and Wade’s new maximum deals only Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley’s rookie scale deals exist, meaning the ground-up building is just beginning. Alas, with the proven Pat Riley at the helm and a fascinating owner in place the process should give Bosh a lot more fun than he was having in Toronto. In the end Bosh essentially refused to deal with Raptors brass and GM Bryan Colangelo who can count losing Bosh for nothing as one of the greatest failures of his career if he is indeed left empty-handed.

The move was a good one for Bosh especially since, up until now, he has compared himself with the biggest names of his 2003 draft class. Problem there was that he had nothing on them. Wade, James and Anthony are all playoff tested, playoff winners and have played for cap-busting teams while Bosh did little with little. Now he has a chance to truly join the elite, where winning is the only ticket in.

5. RIPPLE EFFECT
American Muscle

No matter how the much-discussed free agent “summit” went down – through dinner, text, tweets or conference calls – it wasn’t likely to shed any new light for anybody. As complicated as the players and owners have tried to make this crazy free agent era the beef is really a simple cook.

Be the hunter or the hunted. The question that inspired this “summit” talk is more interesting. What if Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had gotten together when they were 25 years old? What if they had had the foresight to put away their egos and joined forces for ten years instead of five? What kind of legacy would they have left then, and how much more money could they have generated in the long term because of it?

Look at the combination of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest in Los Angeles. A team built to be champions for the next five years. Will a Cleveland Cavaliers team featuring LeBron James and a band of role players come close to that? Will Boston’s aging big three have a chance at dominance in the same way?

This is why the league’s superstars initially colluded, to avoid the strings of disappointment that haven’t even happened yet. When Garnett spoke loosely about the LeBron James free agency issue, speaking from experience when he stated that loyalty could be detrimental, he was talking to all the leagues stars and they noticed.

Hey, nobody made this much of a cry when Garnett, Pierce and Allen decided to team up because they had all “served” their sentences with a decade worth of flirtatious teams that could never get over the hump. Dues? Does living out your franchise player dreams for too long qualify as dues?

Call it evolution of the soul. The morphing of the modern athlete where just when ego and pride had seemed to hit an all-time high there was a scale back. A reality check that explained exactly why the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls and San Antonio Spurs have been so successful over the past 20 years. Abundant star-power. It’s the only way. and please, don’t cite me the Detroit Pistons of 2004 and the Houston Rockets of 1995. Sunshine and dog’s asses people…

Introducing… Ed Davis

TORONTO – The selection of 6-10 power forward Ed Davis by the Toronto Raptors in the 2010 NBA draft was not expected. Fitting then, that most observers see much of Toronto’s summer going the same way with so many question marks hanging above the franchise. For now though, Davis has been tapped as a possible answer to the team’s defensive woes despite not having worked out for the Raptors during his pre-draft tour. Word out of New York - where Davis was present at the draft - was that Davis and his reps might have been unpleasantly surprised when the Raptors made him their top choice.

“I worked out for teams seven through ten,” said Davis on a conference call with the media shortly after his selection. “I didn’t really know exactly where I was going, but then a lot of people are surprised. That’s what this draft is about.”

The Raptors have selected a big man in six of the last seven drafts they have participated in and it isn’t the first time they’ve chosen a frontcourt player that didn’t work out for the team. That much beloved beef and yet still no real big man coach to speak of? It may only be a minor issue in the grand scheme, but relevant since the Raptors frontcourt just got smaller and younger should Davis stick.

“I think my game is just going to transfer,” said Davis. “Where I’m rebounding (and) running the floor to block a shot. It’s things like that that always translate.”

The mood around the Air Canada Centre was amusingly light in the back room media centre where a larger than average group of local beaters had gathered to witness the 2010 NBA Draft proceedings. With general manager Bryan Colangelo pacing the Raptors’ war room floor down the hall - his 13th overall pick in play - the uncertainty of what was to unfold before him was surely enough to preclude any definitive plan of attack. Outside of the free agency (Chris Bosh), trade demands (Hedo Turkoglu) and the sudden youth movement that seems to have crept up on the Raptors, the business of this draft represents the first domino to fall in what is guaranteed to be one of the busiest of Colangelo’s career.

The first end of the draft played out the way most predicted with Kentucky point guard John Wall, Ohio State forward Evan Turner and Georgia Tech big man Derrick Favors being selected first, second and third overall by Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey respectively. Going deeper the big men continued to get taken off the board with Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson and DeMarcus Cousins the next to be selected. Slowly, as the considered elite of the draft were pulled out of the pool, the first of Toronto’s realistic desirables – Baylor center Epke Udoh – was taken by the Golden State Warriors with a surprising sixth overall pick.

That’s when things got predictably wacky.

“Maybe his injured hand held him back a little bit this past season,” said Triano trying to offer some reasoning behind why Davis’ stock seemed to drop on draft night.

“I think more than that is that everybody expected him to go a lot higher so he didn’t work out for teams below a certain number. When he doesn’t work out for teams, teams don’t get a feel and he slides. You guys have seen part of the workouts, what do they really show you? It’s the scouts who watch games all year and evaluate these guys. We were surprised. We really didn’t have him on our radar because we didn’t think he fit into the five players that were going be available at thirteen. We thought he’d be long gone. To have him keep sliding – we kept crossing our fingers that he’d slide one more and one more and he falls right into our lap, which is great.”

With names like Kansas center Cole Aldrich and Fresno State biggie Paul George taken off the board next, freshmen guards Avery Bradley and Eric Bledsoe remained on the Raptors’ short list and were available, Colangelo’s selection trickled through the wire when the eventual 13th pick came around. League commissioner David Stern announced North Carolina’s Davis as Toronto’s final answer and the determined rebounder with a defensive edge took the stage and shook Stern’s hand in the traditional rookie introduction. The Raptors are no doubt hoping that Davis can aid their limited stopping power and who knows what kind of domino this son of an NBAer represents and how his selection and skill set will effect the summertime movement party the Raptors have almost been forced to throw.

The 225-pound Davis first came under the national spotlight when the University of North Carolina won the NCAA championship in 2009. Following that triumph he averaged 13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over 23 games for the Tar Heels in 2010. The kid knows winning with two state championships as a high-schooler under his belt and a father - Terry Davis – who played in the NBA with Miami, Dallas, Denver and Washington.

“He taught me a lot about this business,” said Davis of his senior. “It’s really helping me just understand how it is to be a professional and how to be a man.”

By selecting the big man what does it say about the plans for free agent power forward Chris Bosh? Perhaps little since the Raptors frontcourt, even with Bosh on board, lacks the depth up top to compete with the better teams of the conference. Maybe it means more since at best, Davis represents improved rebounding and defense; the most glaring weaknesses in Raptorland. Ironically, Davis called Chris Bosh his favorite player so there is some comfort for him, though it’s more likely that the two will be headed in opposite directions in Toronto should they cross paths. In recent days the speculation that Bosh will bolt from Toronto has increased and with strong words coming out of Miami and Chicago the envelope looks just about sealed. Colangelo took to local Toronto airwaves and admitted as much, calling Bosh’s free agency situation “the perfect storm” for him to depart, calling the possibility “likely”.

After making sure that his hand is healed properly Davis will play for the Raptors’ summer league entry. No doubt a training regime will be presented. The left-handed big man has modeled his game after Bosh in some parts though nowhere near the reputation Bosh had coming into the NBA. There’s more work to do with Davis but as it seems to be turning out, the youth movement in Toronto may be just what Davis needs. Despite the looming shake-up the Raptors appeared confident, even lucky, to have Davis on board.

“When you look at the free agents we have,” explained Triano. “Chris Bosh, Amir Johnson, Patrick O’Bryant… that’s four bigs. The fact that we got a big (in the draft) is great. Regardless of who signs, who comes back and who plays he’s a big body and he’s athletic and he fits the trend of what the NBA is starting to move towards. That’s what we want to be.”

With that, young Mr. Davis will be charged with helping to ring in a new era amid the chaos that is sure to ignite yet another overhaul of the Raptors roster that just began with him.

“Rock” Leads Underdog Canadians

At the podium for a Basketball Canada press conference at the Air Canada Centre the Senior Men’s team managing director Maurizio Gherardini and head coach Leo Rautins sit patiently. They are there to push Canada’s ever-evolving warm up schedule that will include China and a set versus France at the ACC as preparation for their appearance at the upcoming FIBA World Basketball Championship in Turkey this summer. The internationally renowned Gherardini has helped engineer this as part of a new committee designed to improve Basketball Canada’s programs and global presence. Both he and Rautins have substantial name power on the Canadian hoops scene, but right now they are listening to the man they flank in front of the gathered media. They are listening to Jermaine Anderson.

“Growing up in the Downsview park area, now to have a chance to play where the Toronto Raptors play, is definitely a blessing,” says Anderson. His voice creaks but doesn’t crack.

“It’s been six long years and you can hear it in my voice. I sound timid but at the same time I’m excited.”

Anderson is talking about the long and winding road of the Canadian Men’s basketball program, one he has traveled unflinchingly as a player for over half the decade. It has, in most ways, been a journey back to respectability after the program peaked with a seventh place finish at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Since then the celebrated Jay Triano has been replaced by Rautins as bench boss and the hoops hero of those Olympic games – NBA icon Steve Nash – has all but retired from international competition. The Canadians have not even played in a FIBA World Championship since 2002.

“Rock kind of exemplifies what our team is about,” Rautins told the assembly in reference to Anderson. The nick “Rock” was bestowed upon the 6-2 guard because of his chiseled frame and cool demeanor in the crunch. Both have been developed over time and Rautins has seen and, at times, guided the growth.

“He came in and he’s developed every year and gotten better to become one of the premier point guards that is going to be out there playing this summer.”

At 27 years of age Anderson will be entering the prime of his career in 2010, one that has taken him through Germany, Poland and in 2009-10 to Croatia. Like many of his Team Canada mates the European leagues provide both a living and the international experience to help battle the world competition. Last season with Cedevita Zagreb Anderson was their standout guard, leading the team in assists and serving as a solid scorer and defender. His shot selection is a big selling point and his physical conditioning allows him to stay frenetic on both sides of the ball.

“When you’re playing against the best in the world there is no choice but to get better,” explains Anderson. “When you’re playing against USA, Greece, Turkey… it just helps you. For us, going over there, learning the European game and then coming back over does wonders when playing in the summertime.”

A two-guard for most of his career, Anderson was persuaded by Rautins to play the point position for a Canadian squad that was lacking floor leadership along with speed and strength in the backcourt. There was also a lack of available talent at the position. From that generalship Anderson has not only begun to emerge as the point guard the coaching staff envisioned but also as the heart and soul of a team he can now call his own.

“We put so much into it as individuals and as a team and it’s such an honor to play for your country,” says Anderson. “For me, I give so much of myself during the summers – working out, doing yoga, lifting and running – while I should be resting. My teammates do the same thing. Hopefully we can shock the world.”

Again.

The first surprise came when Canada defeated the Dominican Republic at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Rico to secure their spot in Turkey. Beating a Dominican team that featured NBA bigs like Al Horford, Francisco Garcia and Charlie Villanueva to snag the last ticket for the World championships provided the kind of swagger that can only be provided by success.

“We lost the Uruguay game and we felt that we were done and thought that we had lost our opportunity,” Anderson recalls. “(Then) we beat a team nobody thought we could beat and one that was definitely more talented than us on paper. Hopefully that gives us confidence going into the (FIBA) world championship.”

Anderson was the truth in that game, connecting on five of his eight three-point attempts and finishing with 21 points. Just as big were his five assists and play in the crunch alongside Syracuse schooled shooting guard Andy Rautins. It was the type of game-saving point guard performance not seen since the days of Nash and unfairly, Anderson has had to listen to observers and talking heads pine for the return of “Captain Canada” while he reconfigured his own game to replace him. His spot-clinching performance in Puerto Rico at least slowed the critics.

“Everybody said we couldn’t do anything without Steve,” says Anderson. “To have some success without having Steve here, it’s more for the younger guys. You can be successful as an individual or as a country without having a guy like Steve Nash on the team. We don’t have any superstars, we just have a bunch of guys that work hard and we believe in the system that the coaching staff draws up for us and we go out there and try to execute it. Right now it’s gotten us to Turkey.”

The next step will be tricky. Despite Anderson’s confidence in his band of generation “next-ers” he admits that the addition of some big league talent wouldn’t hurt. Canada fields one of the youngest teams on the circuit and adding veteran experience is vital to their underdog shot of earning at spot in London for the 2012 Olympics. Miami heat forward Joel Anthony has been a regular while San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner is in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen and could eventually play. Long time hold out and NBA veteran Jamaal Magloire remains a long shot. Anderson however, sends a call of caution.

“None of those guys are Steve,” he warns. “The guys we have – Joel and hopefully Bonner’s going to play - are guys that buy into the system. They don’t say, ‘Well, because I’m an NBA guy I’m going to do this or my own thing’. They’re just like everybody else. When you have guys like that who believe and work hard it helps us.”

When Anderson talks about belief he isn’t referring to Sacramento Kings center Samuel Dalembert. When his attitude began to rub teammates and coaches the wrong way (the word “entitlement” has been the polite description) Rautins booted Dalembert out of the program in the middle of the FIBA 2008 qualifying tournament in Greece.

“It’s disappointing for sure,” said coach Rautins at the time. “But I think you have to have players who are a 100% committed to it. 



“If not, it’s not going to happen for us.”



Canada failed to make the cut for the Beijing Olympics that summer and the loss of Dalembert was noticeable. Despite the disappointment the more important message of team unity had been sent and was a powerful motivational tool in Puerto Rico. Anderson in particular, has carried that message well.

“When you look at him from the outside he seems quiet but he is very passionate,” says Rautins moments after leaving the podium. “He’s been through a lot. For years it was like: “You don’t have Steve? Well, who do you have?” Here’s a guy who wasn’t a natural point guard. We had to develop him into a point guard and he is at a point now where he can play with anybody. He’s had this tremendous commitment to playing for Canada even when people weren’t necessarily supporting him. It was a great moment (when) he stepped up as big as anybody in the biggest game, which tells you what he’s all about.

“It’s been fun to see the growth.”

Look beyond the well-honed physique and the stone cold clutch play and the tag “Rock” has come to mean so much more for Anderson. He may never be the most talented or naturally gifted player on the court but his approach ensures that nobody will be working harder and few will be more prepared when called upon to perform. The name “Rock” has now mostly come to represent the piece of foundation that Anderson’s game, sacrifices and attitude have contributed to the national program, helping to give it something new and fresh to stand on heading into the world championship.

“I don’t think a lot of people expect us to do anything at this tournament but I think we’re going to shock a lot of people,” Anderson spouts confidently. “It’s going to be a great tournament for us.”

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