If there was a thought bubble here it would say: "Ummm...Hamburger..."

So they fired Babcock eh? Well, bring on Kiki Vandeweghe…I mean, who else is there? And it’s about time…from drafting Araujo instead of Iguodala, to signing Reefer Alston, trading Vince Carter for 2 williamses and a bucket of chicken, Babcock was inept at best, although his drafting of Charlie V and his absolute thievery of Mike James from Houston were good moves…but too little too late…

Celtics traded SG Ricky Davis, C Mark Blount, PG Marcus Banks, F Justin Reed and two 2nd-round picks to the T-Wolves for SF Wally Szczerbiak, C Michael Olowokandi, C Dwayne Jones, and a future 1st-round pick…hmmm weird trade seeing as Wally plays the same position as Paul Pierce and was Garnett’s best option to space the floor in Minny…let me think about it…

As for the Artest-Peja Trade? I think it’s a wash…however:

Well, for the Kings it all depends on if Artest can keep his head on straight….Artest, Wells, Abdur-Rahim, Mike Bibby and Brad Miller is a very balanced and potent starting lineup, with Kenny “Clearout” Thomas (Fergus joke), Corliss Williamson and Kevin Martin off the bench…Artest is a very unique and multi-talented player who can do pretty much everything…we’ll use his stats from 2003-04 since that’s the last year he played a full year…he’s unselfish (3.7 APG), he rebounds (5.7 RPG), he scores (18.3 PPG, albeit at only 42% from the floor and around 31% from three) and of course he defends (2.3 SPG) having been defensive player of the year…he’s easily one of the 5 strongest players in the league having benched over 450 lbs. at Pacers camp 2 years ago, he’s a unique defender in that he guards smaller players well on the perimeter with his length and instincts and guards big guys well on the inside with his strength and positioning…

The Pacers did well in that Stojakovic can shoot it and was an MVP candidate only 2 years ago…he can’t guard anyone, but his shooting and offence will help, plus he should be re-focused…you just have to worry about a guy who is only 28, yet seems to be losing it physically in a mysteriously non-specific kind of way…meaning it’s not like you can point to any particular reason, but in the last 1.5 years, Peja’s Shooting percentage has dropped from 48.0% to 40.3%, his 3-point shooting percentage has dropped from 43.3% to 39.7%, his rebounding has dropped from 6.3 to 5.3 per game, his steals have dropped from 1.3 to 0.6 per game, and his scoring has plummeted from 24.2 points per game to 16.5…to put it bluntly, he’s in a sharp decline, and yet he’s not even 29 years old…in fact, he should be in his prime between the ages of 27-33…

OK, one more note on Kobe scoring 81…don’t forget, that the Raptors lost to an Israeli pro team in the preseason…so a guy dropping 81 on them shouldn’t be too much of a surprise…now, if I was the coach I would have doubled a guy shooting 46 times, but that’s just me…and that;s not a criticism of Sam Mitchell, who’s forgotten more about basketball than I’ll ever know…

Only thing worth mentioning about last night’s Raptors drubbing by the Bulls is Toronto's Joey Graham and his twin brother, Chicago's Stephen Graham, played each other…Apparently, their mother, Rose Graham, wore a Raptors jacket over a Bulls shirt. Joey had six points in 19 minutes, while Stephen played three minutes…

Best college player you’ve never seen: University of Denver centre Yemi Nicholson…at 6’11’ and 260 lbs. He has an NBA body and he’s posting 1st round pick type numbers with 19.1 PPG on 59.4% from the field, 11.1 RPG, 2.6 blocks per game…albeit in the Sun Belt conference…

Big Biz…The $3.8 billion Adidas-Reebok merger is moving along. On Tuesday, the European Commission concluded that the deal didn't threaten competition because the two companies had entirely separate marketing philosophies and products. On Wednesday, Reebok shareholders approved the deal. Under the terms of the agreement announced on Aug. 3, 2005, Reebok shareholders will receive $59 per share in cash upon the close of the transaction. This means that the NFL and the NBA will still fall under the Reebok brand, though changes could be made in the near future. There are rumors in Europe that soccer teams that have deals with Reebok, including Liverpool, are likely to be switched to adidas because that is the more popular brand over there. Nike's annual sales total $14 billion, while adidas grosses $8 billion and Reebok sells $4 billion worth of products.

Something you might not know about the Big O: Robertson served as president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1966-74. He was one of the few stars then (Bob Cousy also was president) and now to hold that position. That was unique for a superstar player at that time and even now to take on such a responsibility. Robertson blames the influence of agents for keeping star players away from the top executive positions with the players association. "Agents tell players not to get involved because this could hurt your marketing ability," Robertson said. "But how many guys can you market anyway? Nike only has one or two guys. I don't think guys have any guts. They're making enough money, so they think they're over and above anything that happens in the game of basketball. This is why they don't get involved." Robertson put his career on the line by filing a suit on behalf of the players association in 1970 to halt a merger of the NBA with the ABA until free-agency issues could be resolved. The "Oscar Robertson Rule," enacted six years later via a legal settlement between the NBPA and the NBA, paved the way for free agency.

By the way, I have a copy of his autobiography, titled appropriately: “The Big O”…terrific book, very enlightening, although the 1st person narrative gets a little condescending at times…

You can’t make this shit up: Refs had to end the last game of Saturday's Youth Football Classic at Dolphins Stadium early -- after a fight broke out. Rap stars Luther Campbell & Snoop Dog joined other rappers-turned-coaches to raise money for charity. Unfortunately, Snoop's team & Luke's team started skirmishing on the field. Refs were forced to break up the fight & they eventually decided call to the game…

Funny story I had forgotten…J.R. Rider, formerly Isaiah Rider, once handed in a term paper at UNLV with a suspicious spelling error…his own name was mis-spelled…

1) Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star with the home perspective on Ron Ron going By Bye:

Pacers made the best of a wretched situation

So it's over. The strange and twisted saga of Ron Artest, a marquee player who made himself into a sideshow, is finished. The trade is finally official, although there's still the possibility Artest will decide this morning he's retiring to pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut. Assuming this is done, though, you have to conclude the Indiana Pacers did a pretty fine job salvaging a horrible situation. This would have been a sweeter deal back when the Pacers first wanted to acquire Peja Stojakovic -- if only the Kings would have cooperated -- but team president Larry Bird and team CEO Donnie Walsh are still getting a former All-Star back for a knucklehead who was never going to play for this franchise again. And they are doing something very few sports executives are willing to do: Acknowledge that despite their best intentions, they made serious mistakes in the way they handled Artest. "My way has always been to support players,'' Walsh said. "And if anything, I've probably gone too far with Ronnie because I thought he was a young player who was going to learn how to do things. And over the years, when he'd do things, I felt like he'd learn from it and things would get better. "But he generated so much attention, and it got so much bigger than it was. At a point, I thought what he told me was true: Anything he did here was going to be blown up and affect his teammates. The more I thought about it (the night after his public trade request), the more I thought that it was absolutely true, that it wasn't going to work here and that no matter how much support we gave him, it was just over and we had to move on. "I feel like it was a failure in a sense. And if anything, I felt like we went too long with it.'' For the most part, the Pacers stayed with Artest for all the best reasons, because they thought they could turn him around. But, Walsh admitted, they were blinded.
"As somebody who's done it for 40 years, you fall in love with talent,'' Walsh said. "Many times in my career, I've thought maybe you shouldn't fall in love with talent; there are other attributes. Unfortunately, in our business, you fall in love with talent.'' Bird offered similar sentiments. "Over the last four, five years, you've seen some of the things, and maybe we did bend over too much for Ronnie to try to help him,'' Bird said. "But I can sleep good at night, knowing we did the best we could.'' Their mea culpas were not the only ones Wednesday. Here's mine: Upon further review, the front office made the right move by taking its time moving Artest. This wasn't a deal that could have been made a few weeks ago. In fact, once word got out that the Clippers were ready to acquire Artest for Corey Maggette, other suitors ratcheted up their interest. Did the Pacers get equal value? Well, if you're asking whether Stojakovic rates with Artest as a player, the obvious answer is no. When Artest's head is right, he's a top-15 player. For a Kings franchise that was going nowhere fast this season, obtaining Artest was a risk well worth taking. If you're asking whether the Pacers are better off with Stojakovic than Artest, there's an obvious answer there, too: absolutely. It's no secret around the NBA that Stojakovic isn't the player he once was. He's had injury problems. His scoring and shooting percentage numbers have dipped dramatically in recent years. He has the reputation as an indifferent defender who disappears in the playoffs. Still. I still like the trade. The Pacers got a former All-Star. They got someone who plays the small forward, which allows Stephen Jackson to do what he was supposed to do here: play the two-guard and operate as a third scoring option. They got someone who can shoot, open up the floor and make the Pacers more fun to watch. They got someone who is highly motivated to produce in what is essentially a contract year. And, who knows? Maybe with a change of scenery, and a head coach who demands defensive accountability, and the presence of his idol, Bird, on the premises, he resurrects his game here. This may not be the trade that turns around a Pacers season that has begun to circle the drain, but this will, at the very least, reduce the number of excuses currently at the players' disposal. This gives them a much-needed mental kick-start, and a long-awaited sense that the age of anarchy is finally over. "In the end,'' Walsh was asked, "why do you think it came to this?'' He paused. "That's a great question,'' he answered. "I think it's a collision of worlds. Maybe this wasn't the right team for a guy like Ronnie. And by us supporting him, it was getting worse and worse, and we didn't see it because we thought we could make it better. I know this: It was all well-intentioned by everybody involved, but after a while, too many things happened . . .''
In the long run, it could turn out that Sacramento got the best in the deal. And yet, this was the only way this mess could have been resolved. The Pacers got more than some of us figured they would. It was all anybody could ask.

2) ESPN asked several NBA experts their views on the Pacers and Kings swapping Ron Artest and Peja Stojakovic.

A playoff Ron for Kings? Well ...

How did the Pacers do in the deal?

Chad Ford, ESPN Insider: I thought they came out great. Corey Maggette would've been better had he been healthy and Lamar Odom would've been perfect had his contract been much smaller, but considering that many folks were talking about them landing guys like Devean George or Michael Olowokandi -- this is great. But will they be able to re-sign Peja?

John Carroll, Scouts Inc.: Peja's numbers are down and his injuries up. But if he can regain anywhere near his All-Star status he will be a big plus.

Chris Sheridan, ESPN Insider: The Pacers stuck to their guns and waited for an offer that met the specifications of what they were looking for, so they're to be commended for getting as talented a player as they did. Peja is still a legitimate 20-point scorer, and those aren't easy to acquire.

Chris Broussard, ESPN The Magazine: Pacers did fairly well. The best thing for them is they get to see how Peja fits in for the rest of this season. If he doesn't come out of his years-long slumber in their offense, they can get rid of him in a sign-and-trade. If he returns to All-Star form playing off Jermaine O'Neal, they can re-sign him after the season.

Ric Bucher, ESPN The Magazine: Under the circumstances -- get someone now or risk the unending ire of your team and coaches -- they did OK. Peja will help them and his pending free agency will allow them to overhaul their team this summer.

John Hollinger, ESPN Insider: About as well as they could have given the circumstances. They kept holding out for something better, and something better never came.

Ken Shouler, ESPN.com NBA historian: It's addition by subtraction since they rid themselves of a player who was destined to be a perennial discontent in Indianapolis. They also get an excellent three-point shooter, too, which they needed to supplement Austin Croshere and Stephen Jackson.

How about the Kings?

Sheridan: They got the best player, but they'll get the most headaches, too. But being in last place as they are, with no hope that things were about to turn better anytime soon, they made the type of move that can bring back the level of intensity that's been so absent this season.

Ford: They clearly won in the talent department. I think people are really underrating Artest's talent because of his other issues. However, given the fact that Artest has already had a misstep in Sacramento coming out of the gate, I wonder how this is all going to go. I think offensively it's a great situation for him. But he'd have been better off playing for a guy like Phil Jackson.

Broussard: Kings did great on paper. Artest, Abdur-Rahim, Wells, Bibby and Miller with K Thomas off the pine is a nice lineup. They have gone from a soft, finesse team to a hard-nosed group that can play legit playoff basketball.

Bucher: Slam dunk, as far talent. Artest will go off the rails at some point, but the Kings were no longer on the NBA map. Now they are again.



How do you see the Pacers' season playing out?

Tim Legler, ESPN Insider: I expect the Pacers to pass Milwaukee and potentially catch Cleveland for the fourth seed. They should win a round before getting taken apart by the Pistons in the second round.

Ford: I think they'll still end up as a fourth seed in the East and have a tough second round showdown with the Pistons. But I seriously doubt they'll move on from there.

Broussard: Pacers improved, but not to the point where they are legitimate contenders. They're no longer in the caliber of Motown and South Beach. They are now like the rest of the playoff also-rans in the East. They'll finish fifth in the East and meet fourth-seeded Cleveland in the playoffs, where LeBron, Hughes and Ilgauskas will top O'Neal, Peja and Jackson.

Bucher: They will make the playoffs and they might reach the second round. But their emotional leader and best player was Artest. They haven't replaced that.

Shouler: In a largely unimpressive Eastern Conference they are still a playoff team. I like the potential chemistry between Pacers president Larry Bird and Stojakovic. Still, they are not nearly good enough to compete with Detroit or Miami.

Sheridan: They're not as good of a team as they were on Day 1 of the season, and they never will be. But they're still a playoff team with more than enough experience and coaching to beat anyone in the conference except Detroit.

Carroll: With Jackson and Peja they do not have the ability or toughness to stop the East's perimeter players. Rick Carlisle and his staff will get this team into the playoffs but in the end the Pacers do not have the pieces or the mental toughness to go deep in the playoffs.

And the Kings?

Sheridan: As long as Artest behaves, this should put them squarely in the playoff mix. Artest's offensive repertoire is much greater than Stojakovic's, and his low-post abilities should open up the outside a little more for the Kings' shooters.

Broussard: Kings are still banged up and in such a hole that I think the playoffs are out of reach. They will be improved and enter next season with high hopes.

Ford: I think they eke their way into the playoffs. Artest will make them better right away, but they've dug too big of a hole to get completely out this season. Next season, if things go well this year, will be the year to watch the Kings.

Bucher: They could creep back to .500. They still have no bench and they still aren't a playoff team.

Legler: I think they will come up short in their playoff quest. They still lack enough defensive-minded players to win consistently. The best thing for this team in the long term might be to get in the lottery to give this team some depth and athleticism.

Hollinger: They could make a late playoff run if the chemistry comes around quickly. But Peja's real impact will be felt next year.

Carroll: One player (Artest) is not going to make Sacramento a good defensive team. In fact Artest's defensive abilities will go somewhat wasted if he is not in a good team defensive scheme.

Do you expect Artest to turn his career around?

Shouler: Yes. He caused him own problems last year and continued to cause them this year. But I believe, until I see otherwise, that he's capable of self-rehabilitation. He's blown one chance -- not more than one -- as many pro athletes have.

Legler: If the Kings can turn their season around and have success as a result of Artest's arrival, he will be fine. If they struggle, it is not a matter of if he will implode, it is a matter of when.

Ford: Are you kidding? How can anyone predict anything about Ronnie other than unpredicatability.

Broussard: I don't expect Artest to turn his career around. I think he'll play great for the rest of the year, but there will probably be more bizarre behavior in the future. Nothing to the extent of the brawl, but he'll still be a problem child.

Hollinger: Sort of. I expect him to behave less erratically for a while, and then do something in a year or two that reminds us why Indiana traded him.

Sheridan: Too soon to tell at this point, especially with someone so capable of going off the deep end at any given moment. I love watching him play, and to me he'll remain one of the top three most compelling NBA players to watch.

Bucher: He'll turn it around and around and around. This is one circus that will never end.

3) Marty Burns of SI.com with his med-season awards:

Midseason awards - Nash, Paul deserve solo credit for team success

The NBA season is at the halfway point, and there has been no shortage of story lines in David Stern's wild kingdom: The Pistons' quest to win 70 games. Kobe Bryant's 81-point masterpiece. Antonio Davis' venture into the stands in Chicago. And, of course, the seemingly never-ending Ron Artest saga. Meanwhile, here's how we see the various postseason awards shaping up if the votes were held today:

MVP: Steve Nash, Suns The reigning MVP is arguably having a better season than he did a year ago. He has kept the Suns among the league's elite, despite the injury to Amaré Stoudemire, a major reshuffling of the roster, and a new defensive-oriented game plan. It's no coincidence that guys like Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Eddie House are having career years. Chauncey Billups, Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Allen Iverson are in the hunt as well, but Nash rates the edge right now.

Rookie of Year: Chris Paul, Hornets The 6-foot point guard from Wake Forest (and No. 4 pick) is threatening to make it a runaway. He leads all rookies in scoring (16.1), assists (7.2), steals (2.22) and minutes played (35.8), while helping New Orleans become one of the league's most improved teams. Bucks center Andrew Bogut, Knicks forward Channing Frye, and Raptors forward Charlie Villanueva head up the race for second place.

Coach of Year: Flip Saunders, Pistons Who would have believed that Detroit could play better than it did under Larry Brown? In his first season in Motown, Saunders opened up the offense and took the Pistons to another level. Mike D'Antoni deserves major consideration as well for totally revamping the Suns and adjusting so well to Stoudemire's absence. Hornets coach Byron Scott should get some votes too. But with Detroit on pace for 70 wins, Saunders gets the nod.

Sixth Man of Year: Mo Williams, Bucks The 6'-1'' combo guard has been a savior for Milwaukee, winning two games with buzzer-beating 3-pointers and filling in when T.J. Ford has been injured. Williams is averaging 14.8 points (second on the Bucks) and dishing out 4.2 assists. Phoenix's Eddie House, New Orleans' Speedy Claxton, Memphis' Mike Miller, Denver's Earl Boykins, New York's Jamal Crawford, Washington's Caron Butler, Portland's Ruben Patterson, Dallas' Devin Harris and Utah's Matt Harpring head the rest of a crowded field.

Defensive Player of Year: Bruce Bowen, Spurs In another race with many deserving candidates, Bowen stands out for his ability to match up one-on-one each night against the other team's best perimeter scorer. Thanks in large part to his effort, the Spurs once again rank among the league's stingiest defenses. Marcus Camby, one of the NBA's leading rebounders, shot-blockers and charge-takers, could make a run for the award if he comes back healthy. Shawn Marion, Andrei Kirilenko and Ben Wallace are in the race too.

Most Improved Player: Chris Bosh, Raptors He was very good last season, but this smooth 6'-10'' lefty has made the jump to All-Star level in 2005-06. The third-year pro from Georgia Tech has raised his scoring (from 16.8 to 22.5), rebounding (8.9 to 9.2) and field-goal percentage (47.1 to 50.6) while playing roughly the same minutes. Camby and Hornets forward David West also merit serious consideration, but Camby has played at a high level before, and West can attribute his dramatic rise in productivity to a major increase in playing time.

Executive of Year: Bryan Colangelo, Suns Despite a surprising 62-win season a year ago, he recognized that his team wasn't going to contend for an NBA title without shoring up its defense. So he traded Quentin Richardson for Kurt Thomas, signed free agents Bell and House to bargain contracts, and pried Boris Diaw away from the Hawks in the Joe Johnson sign-and-trade. As a result, the Suns now have a much-improved D and one of the league's best records. In a move for the future, he locked up Stoudemire with a long-term contract. The Grizzlies and Clippers also deserve credit for retooling their rosters.

4) Mike Kahn of FOXSports.com with his opinion:

Trade is risky, but both teams needed to do it

The deal had to get done. Good or bad, excited or indifferent, it was something that had to happen for both teams, and now we'll find out who wins in this deal. In fact, it's taken more than a year — almost two years — since we first began hashing out the possibilities of the Indiana Pacers trading Ron Artest to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojakovic. The reasons it didn't get completed Tuesday were just as obvious. Nothing involving Artest will ever happen without problems; so it required an additional 24 hours and a meeting with Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh before he agreed to go to Sacramento — where he preferred not to go. Despite all this reticence, it still should be a better deal for the Kings in the short run, if only because it doesn't make much sense to count on a long run with Artest. First of all, some people deemed Artest an untouchable even before he instigated the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills last season. For years, he's gotten off the charts wacky from time to time, before, during and after games. He reached another level this season when he decided he didn't want to play for coach Rick Carlisle anymore since he wanted to be The Man instead of Jermaine O'Neal. So they've fried him on the inactive list for months. Meanwhile, Stojakovic, adored as the European Larry Bird by some and considered by many as the best shooter in the game as recently as 2002, began to falter last season as well. He didn't respond well to criticism from then-teammate Chris Webber, and then, when Webber was dealt for role players last winter, he didn't step up to be the team's leader, either. And that's not to mention his frequent vanishing act in the playoffs, the serious question of his lost passion for the game and the simple fact he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Nonetheless, the deal had to be made, and there are other reasons.
The Pacers were fading much too fast this season. Artest had been put out to pasture after going public about wanting out, essentially destroying 1½ seasons of Pacers basketball. Sure, Stojakovic doesn't play defense or move the ball in the manner Carlisle prefers, but at least he plays; and he provides the much-needed outside threat to complement O'Neal's post game. He doesn't replace retired star Reggie Miller, but there isn't another shooter out there who better fits the role. Of course, the Kings were leery of Artest. Chances are he has no desire to even play in Sacramento. Despite that fact, he is one of the top frontcourt defenders in the game on a team that has been defenseless up front for generations. And if you want to talk about a guy who wants the ball, that's all Artest has talked about of late and is one of the primary reasons he wanted out of Indy. So now he'll be able to play off of Mike Bibby — and eventually Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. But most of all, he brings toughness to a Kings team that has always lacked the "nasty" that's necessary to win. Perhaps more important, Artest has been frothing at the mouth to get a chance to prove himself again with two years left on his contract. It happened when the Chicago Bulls traded him to the Pacers, and it will happen again. We won't know how long it will last before he goes into his Tru Warier mode and loses interest in basketball. But it was a move the Kings had to make. The bottom fell out at the start of the season, and, with the exception of a few games here and there, they no longer are close to the kind of team they were just two years ago — as Western Conference contenders. He will help, even if it's just for the rest of this season. The Pacers are actually risking even more. What if this is just a 3-4-month experiment with Stojakovic? No doubt he could regain his status as one of the great scoring small forwards in the game and prove to be a better rebounder than people believe. But Stojakovic hasn't shown the passion to play that he once had, and that will be Carlisle's biggest challenge. Expanding his game and coaxing him into signing a long-term contract to stay in Indy are the overriding issues. We know Artest is off the wall, and it will require all the Las Vegas connections and entertainment contacts Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof can dig up to convince Artest to come back. If they do get into his head — and heaven knows what they'll find if they do — the Kings will have gotten the better end of the stick because Artest does more with the ball, is 10 times the defender Stojakovic is and actually has a contract beyond this season. Now, if they can just prevent him from going wacko long enough to re-establish confidence and a swagger to the Kings, it will give coach Rick Adelman the edge his team lost when Webber was traded and Vlade Divac was allowed to walk.
If not, the trade may end up helping neither team, which leads to the conclusion that it would have been worse than if they had stayed.

5) Ian Thomsen of Si.com looks to the future for the Pacers and Raptors with a terrific CB4 interview:

Picking up the pieces - Raptors, Pacers cut losses in hopes of brighter futures

A quiet season has heated up in the last week. Let's take a look at the latest ...

Toronto starts anew - The timing of Rob Babcock's firing as the Raptors' GM was a surprise, as Babcock seemed to have earned a momentary reprieve from criticism by making competent draft picks and a good trade that sent Rafer Alston to Houston for point guard Mike James. But it appears the Raptors weren't willing to trust him with acquiring the type of free agents over the next two summers that will help persuade 6-foot-11 power forward Chris Bosh to re-sign as a restricted free agent in 2007. The No. 1 candidate to take the job full time couldn't be more obvious: Kiki Vandeweghe, the lame-duck GM of the Denver Nuggets. The Raptors say they're looking for a high-level replacement with "proven experience as an NBA general manager to take us to the next level." Vandeweghe, who has overseen the rebuilding of the Nuggets into a Western power, would give the franchise a distinct identity. Toronto will consider every potential candidate from Detroit's John Hammond to Sacramento's Geoff Petrie, who might not be available. What sets Vandeweghe apart as the favorite is his availability (having failed to negotiate an extension with the Nuggets) and his celebrity, which would help push Raptors fans to renew the faith in their franchise. Someone like Vandeweghe won't come cheap, but the Raptors made such a mess of their last GM search two years ago that they can't afford to be thrifty this time around. And in Toronto, Vandeweghe would inherit young players, cap space and draft picks -- exactly the kind of scenario he created in Denver. As soon as the Nuggets' season is over, the Raptors should seek permission to interview Vandeweghe to give him the maximum amount of time to prepare for the trade possibilities that arise before the draft.
This should be an easy choice for the Raptors. They can't afford another mistake.

The Pacers face questions - Peja Stojakovic will be a terrific experiment for the Pacers. By taking their time -- patience few teams could have managed -- Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird were able to parlay Ron Artest, who's only played 23 games the past two seasons, for the Kings' former All-Star. This has turned into another dead season for Indiana, between Artest's trade demand and Thursday's announcement that Jermaine O'Neal will miss the next two months with a torn groin muscle. Walsh, Bird and coach Rick Carlisle will spend the rest of the year figuring out what went wrong with team chemistry and how to fix it. They'll also decide whether the 28-year-old Stojakovic can recover from his extended run of injuries, which has accompanied Stojakovic's decline as a shooter. The last two seasons he's shot 43.2 percent from the floor after making better than 48 percent each of the previous three years.
Ultimately the Pacers are going to have to decide whether they can win a championship by rebuilding around the 27-year-old O'Neal, or whether they'd rather trade his previous-era contract ($82 million remaining over four years) for less expensive pieces. Either way, the departure of Artest marks the end of this little era that never was: The Pacers lack the defenders and good health to make a run at Detroit and Miami. Yet they're talented enough both on the court and in the front office to rebuild quickly and make a run at contention next season.

The Wizards change their focus - Which comes first, offense or defense?In the chicken-or-egg world of NBA coaching, Eddie Jordan believes that offense comes first. The Wizards' coach is the league's leading proponent of the Princeton offense, the most complicated -- and potentially most attractive -- attack in the league.After a 5-1 start this season the Wizards fell into a 4-13 funk, a result of trying to teach seven new players the intricacies of the read-and-react offense. "You try to teach the basic fundamentals and you drill them and you drill them and you break down the drills, and it becomes boring to them,'' Jordan said. "But you've got to do it so it can be instinctive in the games, and then you just have to be patient with it." An early-season issue with the Princeton offense is that its lessons eat up an inordinate amount of time at practice. "That is a problem," All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas said. "We've got to focus so much on the offense because it's so difficult we can't spend as much time on defense."Despite replacing Larry Hughes with two good defenders in Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels, the Wizards have taken a detour defensively. As of Wednesday, they ranked 22nd in scoring and field-goal defense, the main causes of their disappointing 19-21 record. Jordan contends that he tried to spread the practice time equally among offense and defense early in the season. But he acknowledges that the emphasis has changed since Christmas. "Our practices now are a whole lot more [focused on] defense," he says. "I thought it was balanced, but because we were criticized for not playing defense, I said, 'OK, we'll warm up with the offense but we'll practice live defense."The results have been promising: The Wizards have won six of their last eight, including an 89-87 win in Boston in which they overcame an early 12-point deficit by holding the Celtics to 4-of-19 shooting (and only 10 points) in the second quarter. "Everybody is taking it personal," All-Star forward Antawn Jamison said. "There were a lot of questions about us not playing good defense or not being a good defensive team, and we're just fed up with it."The Wizards are just four games behind No. 4 seed Cleveland in the East, and because of the hard investment they made in learning their offense over the first half of the season, Jordan likes the team's chances of putting together a strong second half. The Wizards also should continue to see better performances from Arenas, who despite averaging a career-high 28.4 points per game (ranking fourth in the NBA) to go with 1.8 steals and 6.2 assists, said he has more to give.
I could be playing at a higher level," Arenas said. "I'm trying to cruise so I don't burn out like I did last year. I felt like once we got to Miami in the second round [of the playoffs] I was burnt out. Right now I'm trying to cruise and maintain. You just find ways. You wait 'til the team gets in the penalty, then you attack and get to the free-throw line. You start off early, and then wait -- chop it up -- you don't come out strong in the third, then go hard in the fourth. You just find ways to cruise."Isn't coasting on defense the main problem for Washington? "I'm cruising more on offense," Arenas said. "We're winning now because we're all playing team defense. We're not letting people get into the middle as much, and if people are beating us they're hitting from the outside."

In his own words: Chris Bosh - When the Toronto Raptors traded Vince Carter last year, they handed their future to Bosh, now 21. While Carter seemed oblivious to the demands of leadership, Bosh embraces them. Rival teams are hoping that Bosh will want to escape Toronto, which has yet to forge a winning season since acquiring him with the No. 4 pick in the 2003 draft. Bosh gave this interview before the surprise firing of Babcock on Thursday; nonetheless, it is clear from his answers that Bosh is comfortable with the direction of the franchise and the idea of staying in Toronto when he becomes a restricted free agent in '07. With the Raptors basing their rebuilding efforts around Bosh, who exudes the values Kevin Garnett has displayed in remaining with the Timberwolves, Bosh is being given a major role in the development of the Toronto franchise, something he clearly doesn't take for granted. He recently spoke with SI about his growth as a player and his hopes to help in the Raptors' growth into a contender.

On learning to deal with bigger, stronger opponents (i.e. Shaq):

CB: "A lot of guys used to be physical with me, and I'd let that rattle me, but now when guys are little bit more physical I tend to find a way around it. That's the thing I'm most proud of offensively. It takes courage to come back. Especially my rookie year -- I mean, I really got it handed to me down low. It takes courage to go back because those guys are going to be physical, and you know they're probably going to get the best of you on most plays but you've got to play anyway, so that takes a lot of courage to go back. ut now it's not very painful. It's just getting your mind set, getting a guy's tendencies and concentrating on what you have to do to make that player ineffective -- keep him off the boards, keep him from blocking shots, keep him from scoring. When I got drafted I was about 210, 215 [pounds]. Now I'm about 230. It was either get stronger or get beat up. If I feel a guy is not as strong, I'm going to punish him. That's just how our league is. You have to have that killer instinct to win games, so if I feel that I have a mismatch on somebody who's smaller and not as strong as I am, I can really take advantage of him."

On whether he was always a good passer:

CB: "Nah, I worked on that this summer. Sometimes you have talent you don't know about; you just have to bring it out. Last year I struggled with double-teams. All I did was look at film during the summer, and when I was playing pickup -- I actually got double-teamed in pickup -- I was able to make passes or to see things before they happened. So that was the main thing I worked on this summer."

On his decision to turn pro after his college freshman season:

CB: "It's all about you knowing yourself. People said I was too raw, but I never just ran, jumped and dunked. I faced up a lot, I gave a lot of jab steps, I could shoot the three. I did a lot of fundamental things, and that's why I thought I was ready. Guys were bigger than me in college, guys have been bigger than me all my life. I really don't let that faze me, its nothing I've never seen before."

On moving to Toronto after growing up in Dallas and playing for Georgia Tech in Atlanta:

CB: "At first it was tough because I wasn't really an outgoing person, so I didn't do too much. I pretty much stayed in the house, and I didn't really like the city at first. But after going out, after getting acquainted with some people and seeing the city for what it is, I liked it a lot after that. I tried to experience the different cultures. I ate all kinds of different foods -- Indian, Somalian, Thai, Greek, everything. Now when my family comes in town I take them to those same places. It feels like home except when I step outside. When I'm in a car with a heater it's great. Other than that I'm at home there."

On how playing for a losing team has accelerated his growth:

CB: "Sometimes learning hurts. Learning is being double-teamed and being frustrated. I wouldn't learn how to pass or teach myself how to pass if it wasn't for teams doubling me, and at first I didn't know why. I used to ask to people all the time why are they doubling me? But you realize you've got to do something else; you have to still be effective when teams double you by getting everybody else involved. That's how you make everybody better. People tell me you become a great player when you make your teammates better. But nothing comes easy. I learned that really early from my mother and father, who always taught me to work you have to work hard in everything you do, especially in basketball. If you like being successful, keep it that way. Now that you have success, what are you going to do with it? You have to work to maintain it. I always have those two on me all the time about that."

On rival teams assuming he'll want to leave Toronto because it's a losing situation:

"The situation has been good. They [the Raptors' front office] are trying to move forward. We're not winning but we play hard. The organization is trying to put the pieces together. We struggle a little bit because we're young. You can't relate that to everything as a whole, because winning doesn't make you happy all the time. The grass isn't greener everywhere. That's just what some people have to realize. Look at the Pistons. Somebody might not be happy going to the Pistons because [he] might not fit in, [he] might not play, [he] might not like it. Some people say, 'Oh, I'd love to play for a winning team.' Well, you never know. I'm playing, I'm getting experience, I'm learning -- it's going good, and we still have a chance to do good things. We've brought in a lot of guys, everybody likes each other, we get along, we work hard. We just have mental lapses in games. That's the only thing that kills us. But like I say, it hurts learning sometimes. And you have to learn the hard way, that's the best way. Unfortunately sometimes it means losing games."

On how he'll make his own decision on his next contract:

"It's about what I see. It's like me: Nobody saw [my pre-draft potential] but Toronto. [Other teams] didn't see it in me -- but after it gets good, now everybody wants to be part of it. My father told me a long time ago, 'It doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter how much money you make on your job. If you're happy, that's the best thing in the world.' He told me, 'I had a high-paying job and I was miserable; it wasn't worth it. But when you're happy and you're doing a job that you love, it's fine.' Money just doesn't bring happiness, because there's some rich, miserable people in the world."

On how he's trying to follow the example of Garnett:

"I'm headed in that direction. He's a better rebounder and passer, and that comes with a lot of experience. I'm sure he knows he can probably score 30 points a game but he'd rather get 20, 10 [rebounds] and 6 [assists]. He's a leader, always intense, and he demands the best out of his teammates. That's what a true leader is. You talk so much, but after awhile people expect it from you so you don't have to say much. I'm sure Garnett has done his talking. Now his team knows. He can just look at somebody a certain way and they'll be like, 'OK, let me tighten up.' If you establish yourself early, people get the picture."

On the foundation he's trying to help establish in Toronto:

"You try to set a tone for the franchise. New people come in, and I guess if they're not good workers and they see you working, they see what they have to do to be successful. Or if somebody is lollygagging or just going through the motions, you have to tell him, 'We don't do that here. This is about hard work, because if you don't work hard good things won't happen.' It doesn't matter what happened the night before, it doesn't matter what our record is. It should be that you work hard all the time."

On how he maintains focus:

"I think about the mistakes that I make during a game, the players' tendencies, what has to be done defensively as a team and individually. We play a lot of games, and you have to find some way to play them all to the best of your abilities. But some guys don't understand that yet. Some guys just go out there and play and sometimes it's not good enough. Your mind has to be with you, too. I try to make sure that I focus on what I have to do and focus on winning the game. If you focus on winning the game instead of just playing, you can get through 82 a lot easier. Sometimes you don't feel like playing. You may not feel like playing, but do you feel like winning? I'd rather be winning the game at the end of the day when I'm tired, instead of figuring out why we didn't do what we're supposed to do."

On coach Sam Mitchell demanding that he be a leader despite being the youngest player on the team:

"I really didn't see why, but he was basically telling me, 'You've got to be more vocal, I want you to be a leader.' [Eventually] I got a little bit more experience, got a little bit more confidence in myself. So far it's worked. I still have a lot to do, it but I think I'm progressing pretty good. I'll ask the question, 'Do you want to win today?' And [my teammates] will say, 'Yeah,' and I'll say, 'Well, play like it.' And they'll say the same thing to me. We get on each other a lot on this team. That was demanded of me early, it was demanded of me last year; I just didn't know how to do it. But coming back this year I just started saying whatever came into my mind. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but in the end we all know that we're for each other. We know the only reason I get on one of my teammates is because I think that he can play a lot better than he is."

On how he wants to be involved in recruiting free agents to join him in Toronto:

"Chemistry is most important. You can play with somebody you don't like, and it is miserable. But if you get along, if the person is a good teammate, a good person, if he knows how to play basketball and he has a high IQ for the game, you can really play together and work off each other. If they're recruiting a guy, I've got to feel him out because I've got to be on the court with him. I'll be spending a lot of time with him on the road, at home, on the court. This guy has to give me the ball, I have to give him the ball -- it's a very big situation.

On the negative feelings held by many Americans about playing in Canada:

"They'll change their minds when they come. Just like with me."

On his love of reading:

"I read to get away from basketball. I read to relax, to get away, to learn something. Now it's The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I'm almost done. He's pretty much, I think, just like me: He was in situations where he had to learn, take care of himself, and become a leader through his experiences and his past actions."