Due to popular demand: a clock counting down the days, hours, minutes, even seconds, to the 2009 NBA Draft. Date and time courtesy of ESPN.

Tyreke Evans, using those super long arms of his. (via Memphis Commercial Appeal)

Chad Ford chose him. Mike Ulmer chose him. But should the Toronto Raptors choose him? I ask the experts, root around the internets and dug up this mess of Tyreke Evans info. Read more »

Bryan Colangelo is looking more like Old Mother Hubbard these days.

It’s so easy to think of the NBA draft as the be-all-and-end-all of offseason transactions. Maybe it’s the fantasy of young potential. Maybe it’s the glitz and glam. But to get a clearer picture of the Toronto Raptors’ needs, let’s look at what they got in the cupboard first before we do some window shopping.

Listed below are players still under contract, by position. Read more »

Joe Ingles (art by Paul Munt)

The second day of the Toronto Raptors predraft workouts came and went, and no-one impaled himself – this is a good sign. But a number of prospects were able to show their stuff.

One of the names that stood out for me is the Australian Joe Ingles (I’m 1/32 Aussie, you see). Let’s get to know Joe a bit. Read more »

When our favorite NBA team loses, we fans often place blame on a particular person in the organization. The blame falls on that person quite a lot, rightfully or wrongfully so. We call him the Scapegoat.

So I ask the blogosphere, “Who’s your Scapegoat?” The blogosphere answers. First I present the NBA All-Scapegoat Team, then the blogger explanations. Read more »

Lots of response from the internets to Malcolm Gladwell’s recent New Yorker article “Annals of Innovation: How David Beats Goliath.” Here are some good points picked out by various bloggers.

The GeoffRe(y)port summarizes:

• When David plays on Goliath’s terms, and sticks to the “tried and true”, he will usually get beaten
• In all of the cases discussed, there was a sense of hopelessness from the outside of the “Davids”, and a sense of desperation on the inside
• It usually requires that David comes from (or is lead by someone who comes from) a place outside the regular system. Insiders are too stuck in the accepted model to be prepared to change
• Any attempt at bucking the system results in widespread social ridicule. The reaction from Goliath at an unconventional attempt is always to patronise.

Section Six focuses on Rick Pitino’s success using high-risk strategy.

Team Speed Kills counters with ”pressing is no magic bullet” and explains with Gilligan’s Island.

Ultimate Sports Insider segues into college program resources.

Box Score Beat realizes that Europe-bound highschooler Jeremy Tyler is a David. A tall, tall David.

So be sure to read Gladwell’s article for yourself — entertaining, outside-the-box thinking, as always.

Did I miss a good post from the basketblogosphere? Please comment.

Because I care that much whether the Raptors get the ninth pick or the tenth pick.

There was a bizarre injury in Toronto sports recently when a rookie Blue Jays pitcher strained his oblique muscle by … sneezing. Which led me to wonder, What are the strangest injuries ever in the history of the NBA? Put on your bubblewrap suit, basketball fans, while you check out this top ten list of bizarre basketball injuries: Read more »

Arsenalist has Roko in the crosshairs, being surprised at his rawness. Here’s a clip:

I was surprised at how raw Ukic really was. I didn’t expect a refined product but was hoping for him to be of reliable service, after all he’d been playing regularly on some of the better teams in Europe for a few years. The thinking was that instead of playing four years of college ball he got his learning done through a different, maybe even a better, means. Turns out there’s no real substitute for NCAA training and I was a fool for even entertaining that thought.

I had the same question a little while back. Check out the answers from our man in Spain.

On the whole, a pretty positive review and scouting report by Arsenalist, although the outlook is rather sober:

In the best case, he’s the slasher and distributor that we need, in the worst case he’s a guy you can’t afford to have on the floor because he doesn’t threaten without the ball.

C’mon, Roko, get cookin’ this summer. Justify our jersey love.