The Rookies and Sophomores were announced and while DeMar DeRozan was selected, Ed Davis was not.  Was Davis deserving? Sure, but  wouldn’t call it a snub. Favors, who got in over Davis, has similar numbers and with the Nets not having anyone with any chance to make the team, I’m guessing the NBA wanted them to have some presence. It’s likely Davis will replace Blake Griffin, anyway, since most feel Griffin is going to be playing in the big game.

As for the real All-Stars, here would be my selections:

WEST

Guards:

Like other years in the West, there are more All-Stars than spots available for the All-Star game. Guys who probably should make it, but don’t really have a shot, like Steve Nash and Tony Parker, would probably make it in the East.

Manu Ginobili

The best player on the best team in the league. Yes, Tim Duncan may be still the franchise player, but Ginobili is the guy who carries this team and he’s having a career year now that he’s finally injury free. The reason the Spurs are my favourite to win the title is partly because of this guy. No one gets better at crunch time than him. No one.

Deron Williams

Deron deserves a better team than he is surrounded by at the moment, and Utah’s high level mediocrity is not his fault. Without him, this team wouldn’t have a shot at the playoffs.

Forwards:

Someone deserving is going to get left off, and, like the guard position snubs, at least one of them would probably make it if he had this season in the East.

Dirk Nowitzki

Before he went down with injury, Dallas was the second best team in the league. Without him, they were 2-7. It’s not hard to do the math on that one. Nowitzki will never be the defensive force that most Hall of Fame big men are, and because of that probably won’t ever lead Dallas to a Championship (Dallas has underperformed consistently in the playoffs with him), but there’s no doubt this team is far, far much better because of him.

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin very well might be having the best rookie season since Tim Duncan. He’s 12th in scoring, 4th in rebounding and even dishing a very good 3.6 assists per game, 3rd among ALL big men (PFs and centers) in the league. And he’s getting better every month. Plus, he’s actually helping the Clippers not suck, which is enough to get my vote. Still, if he wants to become truly great, he’s going to have to vastly improve his defense because right now he makes Amare Stoudemire look like Bill Russell.

Center:

Remember when the West had Shaq in his prime and David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon still playing very high level basketball? Now, in order to find a healthy, All-Star worthy center, you have to use the David Stern added rule that you can pick someone who ALSO plays center.

Pau Gasol

Gasol has struggled this year, partly due to an increased workload, but he’s still been one of the main reasons why the Lakers, despite their struggles, are still number 2 in the West.

Wildcards:

Kevin Love

He scores 21.4 ppg and grabs a monstrous 15.5 rpg despite taking 148 shots from beyond the arc and being 10th in the league in 3 point percentage. Oh, and he’s one of the top passers at his position. Sure, he plays for the basement dwelling T-Wolves, but as his video tells us, he’s got the numbers

Russell Westbrook

Some thought he was Oklahoma’s MVP in the early part of the season, and he’s shown some kinks in his armour (why is a PG who shoots 43% from the field taking 17 shots per game), but he’s still helped Oklahoma move up to the fourth seed in the West.

Who I left off:

Obviously I’ve left off some very good players. Tim Duncan was probably the most difficult omission, since he plays on the best team in the league, right now, but does anyone really think he’s not going to be selected to replace Yao?

Tony Parker and Steve Nash I already mentioned, and it’s a shame they won’t make it because they are having All-Star seasons. There just simply isn’t room.

Another guy I’d love to include, but can’t, is LaMarcus Aldridge. He’s carries the Blazers since Roy went down and if he had played like he has in January for the entire season, I’d be tempted to include him. Still, he’s quietly becoming one of the best PFs in the league.

I know Monta Ellis and Zach Randolph put up great numbers, and I included Kevin Love because of his great stats, but I simply can’t see either player ever being a major contributor for a contender. These are prototypical good players on bad teams.

EAST

Guards:

The guard position is very much like the Center position in the West. Obviously not as glaring, but still not exactly strong.

Rajon Rondo

It’s amazing how much he’s improved since he was drafted. His lack of jumpshot might very well be the Celtic’s Achilles heal, but he’s still managed to shoot over 50% from the field, so he’s not exactly hurting the team much.

Ray Allen

He’s having his best season as a Celtic and looking nothing like the creaky, aging player that sometimes looked like he might not have a lot left in the tank the last year or two. I don’t know what the Celtics are giving him, but I want some.

Forwards:

Kevin Garnett

Back when Garnett went down with injury, in 2008, I was adamant that the Celtics were hiding the seriousness of the injury. They never satisfactorily explained the injury or commented how long he’d be out. The deeper the Celtics got in the playoffs, the more fishy it looked that he didn’t look like he was trying to return. Honestly, after that, I figured his career was pretty much done. Especially after the start last year. But whatever the Celtics are giving to Allen, they must also be giving to Garnett because he looks fully recovered.

Chris Bosh

Remember when everyone thought Chris Bosh was the problem in Miami during their horrible start? No one has any harsh words to say about him now (well, except for some Raptor fans). He’s not the best player on the Heat, but he’s just as important as Wade and LeBron to their success.

Center:

A lot has changed in the East at the center position when Jamaal Magloire made the All Star team for the sole fact that he was the best player at a position that didn’t include many good players.While the position is not exactly teeming with All-Star worthy players, with guys like Horford, Noah, Bogut and Lopez, the East looks like it won’t have any trouble filling the position any time soon.

Al Horford

Joe Johnson is the team’s leading scorer, but I think Horford has become the team’s best player. When Johnson went down, the team barely faltered, but they lost Horford, I think they’d be in trouble. He’s not a great scorer, but he can score if needed, and he really doesn’t have a weakness.

Wildcards:

Paul Pierce

The main reason the Celtics didn’t falter when Rondo went down was Paul Pierce played like an MVP. Like his other veteran stars, he’s getting old, but he’s proven he’s still got a couple of good years left, at least.

Carlos Boozer

The selection I’m least happy about. Noah is the second best player on Chicago, but because he’s injured, he’s out. I could easily be swayed to select Joe Johnson, instead, but Boozer had a big impact on Chicago, so he sneaks by. He’s still not a good defensive player, but he’s decent enough that he’s not a liability on that end.

Who I left off:

Obviously Joe Johnson was the hardest cut. And I’m not thrilled about having FOUR Celtics, no matter how good the team is. San Antonio only has three and they have the best record in the league. The truth is, though, that all four Celtic All-Stars are deserving.

Joakim Noah will be a perennial All-Star when he’s healthy, and his injury is the only thing that prevented his inclusion.

Andrew Bogut might end up being a perennial snub since both Noah and Horford should probably always be ahead of him. He’s still a very good player and would probably be an All-Star in the West, at center.

Josh Smith again misses out on the cut. Good, but not good enough.

—-

My end of the year post, which detailed 5 trades that needed to happen in 2011, may not have been so far out, after all. A few weeks after I posted that column, and not long after Anderson Varejao ended his season with an injury, it came out that Oklahoma was in discussions with Cleveland to try and get…you guessed it, Anderson Varejao.

—

Speaking of my trades that need to happen, the Nets have pulled out and I think it’s probably the best thing for them. Carmelo has never proven to be enough of a difference maker to want to dismantle your team to get him. He’d certainly be a nice player if they can sign him, but if I were the Nets, I wouldn’t try and hit a home run with a kid’s bat (that’s the only analogy I could think of). Especially if the deal includes the aging Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, who are still good, but aren’t going to get the Nets to the promised land.

—

One more thing about Andrea Bargnani after last week’s column. Kevin Love, who is averaging 15.5 rpg has taken 3 fewer three point shots, while shooting a much higher percentage, than Andrea, this season. So much for the excuse that Bargnani doesn’t grab as many rebounds because he takes so many threes. Obviously Kevin Love doesn’t listen to excuses.

5. Carmelo Anthony to the Nets

First of all, I’m sick to death of reading about it. Enough already. Let’s just get it over with.

Also, it makes sense for everyone involved.

No one can give Denver a better package back for Anthony. Derrick Favors, a couple of first rounders and an expiring contract (Troy Murphy) would kick start Denver’s rebuilding process and give them way more in return than Toronto or Cleveland got for their outgoing franchise players. Denver isn’t going anywhere with him. The only time they got past the 1st round was when they traded for Billups and now he’s too old to lead them anywhere. Unless they want to become the Atlanta Hawks of the West, trading Anthony is the best thing for them.

You had to feel a bit bad for the Nets this summer. They went through a nearly historically bad season just so they would be able to have the cap room to make a splash in the offseason, and came up with Travis Outlaw, despite a flashy new owner who wants to become New Jersey’s (and Russia’s) answer to Mark Cuban and their front office putting on a full court press trying to sign one or two of the big names. And they had to overpay Travis Outlaw. They deserve SOMETHING for all their troubles.

Carmelo wants to go to the Knicks, but there a a couple of problems with that. The first is that the Knicks can’t match what New Jersey can send back without hurting their roster. And with Carmelo not being a stellar defender himself, going to a team and coach not exactly known for their defense, wouldn’t be a recipe for success.

And if Carmelo simply waits for the offseason, he’ll probably lose out on a lot of money with the new CBA.

The Nets have a top 10 center, and good PG, a well-respected coached, some nice roll players and an owner willing to spend money. Sure, they’re stuck in New Jersey for another year and a half, but then they’ll be in Brooklyn. And they’re a playoff team with him. If I’m Denver, I’d try and get Al Harrington thrown in there, as well. Even if it means taking Travis Outlaw back.

4. Jeff Green, Cole Aldrich and a 1st round pick for Anderson Varejao

Cleveland needs to rebuild. Maybe they don’t know it, yet, but losing 15 of your last 16 games should tell you something. Varejao is 28 years old and really should not be in Cleveland’s longterm plans. He’s played very well in a bad situation and is probably the player the Cavs can get the more for, right now.

Jeff Green is only 24 and would be a great deal if he would agree to sign an extension. He’s a solid
citizen, a talented player and would be a good piece for the future. Cole Aldrich hasn’t performed up to expectations, so far, but is a defensive 7 footer, something the Cavs don’t have, and is still a rookie. Getting another 1st rounder would be another important piece to a rebuilding team.

Oklahoma was supposed to take the next step this year and become a contender, but while they’ve played well, their weak front court is holding them back, as well as their interior defense. That’s why they drafted Cole Aldrich, but he’s struggled and might be a couple of years away from being a good center, of at all. Varejao isn’t a true center, but he’s performed well as one for Cleveland this year, and would solidify the Thunder’s frontline defensively. Jeff Green is a very good SF, unfortunately on Oklahoma he plays PF. And he’s a luxury they can’t really afford, which is why he hasn’t been extended. It’s a steep price to pay for a PF who doesn’t score, but Varejao would make the Thunder a better team and a real contender.

3. Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Channing Frye for Marvin Williams, Jamal Crawford and a 1st round pick

Does anyone really want to see Steve Nash finish his career on a team that has no hope of ever contending? He deserves better than that and the NBA deserves better than that. He’ll never demand a trade, but Phoenix should do him a favour and give him one.

Same goes for Grant Hill, but to a lesser degree. Nash is Hill’s fountain of youth and it would be a shame to trade Nash to a contender but not Hill. And Channing Frye owes Nash his career, and performs well with him.

Marvin Williams has never lived up to being drafted ahead of Chris Paul and Deron Williams, but he’s a 24 year old, athletic SF who has a lot of talent and a high basketball IQ. He could end up flourishing in a new situation.

Jamal Crawford would be an expiring contract and will help lessen Phoenix salary demands while they rebuild.

Adding Steve Nash to Atlanta’s athletic lineup would be huge and might make them capable of getting to the Conference Finals. Yes, it’s a gamble to add a guy who turns 37 in a month (as well as a guy who just turned 38), but right now Atlanta’s ceiling is the second round and that’s it. If they want to really compete for a Championship, this may be the best chance.

2. Jason Richardson, Jameer Nelson, and Brandon Bass for Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Marreese Speights

If Orlando really is going for broke, they might as well go all the way. A starting lineup of Dwight Howard, Elton Brand, Hedo Turkoglu, Andre Iguodala and Gilbert Arenas would have a total salary higher than all but 7 entire teams. And Turkoglu’s salary would would be the smallest.

Plus, I’d love to see how this team does. In Sports Guy terminology, this would be like putting Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jim Carrey in a movie together. Sure, they’re all expensive as hell and a couple of them are past their prime, but you’d want to see it, wouldn’t you?

Philadelphia probably would do it in a second, too.

1. Andrea Bargnani for Darko Milicic and the rights to Ricky Rubio

Come on, anyone who reads this blog on a semi-regular basis can’t be surprised about this one. Andrea Bargnani is having a great year and is scoring a ton of points, but he’s also one of the worst defending centers in the entire league and just about every advanced statistic shows he is actually a liability to the team despite his scoring. And if you don’t believe in advanced statistics, you just need to watch him.

Ricky Rubio is a completely unproven talent that very well might be the second coming of Bobby Hurley. He also possesses a skills that might make him a transcendent PG similar to Steve Nash. The guy has been a winner wherever he’s played, has an otherworldly basketball IQ and just turned 20 in October.

While Darko will never live up to his draft position, he’s actually become a serviceable center this year. He may not be the ideal long term solution, but he defends, rebounds and scores and will certainly do nicely until something better comes along or until either Ed Davis gains 35 pounds or Solomon Alabi becomes an NBA player. And gains 35 pounds.

For Minnesota, they’ve been holding out for Rubio to come since they drafted him, and this is year two. They say they are confident in Rubio finally signing with them this summer, but if if there’s a lockout, that might put a crimp in their plans. First, if they don’t sign Rubio after three years since he was drafted, he can demand to be paid more than the rookie scale. And does anyone really expect Rubio to play for Minnesota?

Getting a high scoring big man to pair with their high rebounding big man, in Kevin Love, might be enough to pry Rubio away. Sure, they will have major problems defensively, but not everyone is such a stickler about that sort of thing. It’s usually only winning teams that worry about that, and Minnesota certainly aren’t that.

So that’s it. Happy New Year and thanks for reading.

Since I’m sick to death of the knee jerk reactionary Raptor fans whining about who didn’t play well, who should sit and who should start, I’m going to do what I do best and look at the big picture.

With injuries/sickness to Barbosa and Andersen, Julian Wright was able play a season high 21 minutes against Charlotte, and if he continues to play the way he has, there might be a problem looming in the future.

Currently, the Raptors have a 10 man rotation. While having no stars on the team can be a weakness, they do have the advantage of having 10 players with not a vast amount of difference, skill level-wise, between the 1st and 10th man. There have been a few games where the bench has outplayed the starters and against Charlotte, three bench players (Calderon, Weems and Johnson) played the majority of crunch time.

That ten man rotation does not include Ed Davis or Julian Wright.

So Wright’s play (and the fact that he might be the team’s best defender) means that it will be difficult to keep him on the bench, but if he plays, and then when Davis comes back, that’s 12 players. No team can have a rotation of 12 players.

So something’s got to give. You could sit Andersen, but he’s really the only other playable center on the roster other than Bargnani, and he’s played well enough that you’re not going to want to sit him. Evans is such a liability on offense (shooting under 25%!!) that you might consider sitting him, but he’s also the team’s best rebounder and his hustle and enthusiasm is often contagious.

If Wright continues to play like he has and once Ed Davis continues to come back from injury, it seems the chances of a trade increases exponentially. But who might get traded?

Bargnani, DeRozan, Davis and Johnson are probably as untouchable as anyone can be on a team that won’t see 30 wins this year. Weems is close behind, especially with his relationship with DeRozan.

Kleiza just signed with the team, which means it might look bad if you turn around and trade him. Besides, he hasn’t been playing well and the last thing you want to do is trade a player when his stock is down.

Barbosa would be one of my favourites to be traded, but his wrist injury really puts everything in question. Is any team going to want him if he ends up having to get surgery before the playoffs?

Wright is a possibility, but his trade value probably isn’t that high and he might be the team’s best perimeter defender.

Calderon was everyone’s favourite to be traded at the beginning of training camp, but Jack has shown he isn’t ready to be a 35 mpg PG (or even a PG at all, sometimes), so I can’t see Calderon getting traded unless the Raptors get something good in exchange.

Andersen is a possibility to go, especially if the Raptors get a center in return.

Reggie probably has the biggest target on his back. He plays a position that the Raptors have the most depth at and an expiring contract.

Ideally, you’d like to see a couple of Raptors packaged up in a 2 for 1 deal with maybe a draft pick (even a 2nd rounder) coming back.

—

TRADE PROPOSAL OF THE WEEK

I’ve decided to add a new weekly element. It won’t necessarily be a trade proposal involving the Raptors (how many trades can you propose for one team without repeating yourself?), but hopefully it will be one that makes sense.

To Toronto:

Marcin Gortat
Mickael Pietrus
1st Round Pick

To Orlando:

Leandro Barbosa
David Andersen
Joey Dorsey

Toronto finally gets a defensive center that can protect the middle, plus a good defensive swingman in Pietrus. Plus, they get a 1st round pick, hopefully for this year, that the Raptors might be able to package to move up.

Orlando free up some long term salary, while getting a player who can break down the defense, something they don’t really have at the moment. Andersen can not only backup Dwight Howard, but play with him, as well.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=24fmsjj

Okay, the Raptors are officially one of the losers of the free agency period so far. Even though Chris Bosh is now among the pantheon of most hated ex-Raptors among fans, losing him was a very big blow for the franchise. It doesn’t mean the Raptors simply should slink back home licking it’s wounds.

While the Raptors aren’t going to get nearly as much for Bosh as some hoped (if anything at all), they can still try and take advantage of the situation. The Raptors aren’t the only team that have lost out. Both New Jersey and the Clippers had hoped they would be able to land a big name free agent, and that didn’t happen. Even Minnesota was hoping to land, at the very least, David Lee.

With the prospect of trying to actually compete thankfully dim, the focus, as I’ve said before, needs to be on the future. Teams like the Nets, Clippers and T-Wolves may very well be desperate enough to make a questionable deal that will help them immediately, giving fans the comfort in knowing that all was not lost. With Carmelo and Durant all but locked up, no one on the horizon has the allure of this free agent crop.

The first team the Raptors need to focus on are the Nets. With the third most amount of cap space, and nothing to show for it, they have to be hurting. The new Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, has to be feeling like the fat kid at the prom, right now, wondering why no one will dance with him. Apparently Boozer didn’t even offer them a chance to match the offer from the Bulls, who were obviously higher on his list. Even David Lee looks like he might be going to Golden State, if rumours are correct. That’s got to sting. Now they have nearly $40 million in cap space and hardly anyone to spend it on. That’s less than $20 million in salaries. In other words, they need to start spending money just to reach the NBA minimum of $41 million.

So with the Nets not apparently high on their third pick in the draft, Derrick Favors, for some unknown reason, it’s a good bet that he might still be available. Depending on how desperate the Nets are, would they be willing to trade him for Turkoglu? No, probably not. Maybe Turkoglu and Jack? Would they take on both Bargnani and Turkolgu and give up Favors and the Nets other first round pick, Damion James? That would be one hell of a salary dump for the Raptors, and a way for the Nets to compete for a playoff spot next year.  They’d still have enough left over to sign another free agent, believe it or not. That’s the great thing about having nearly $40 million in cap space available.

Losing nearly $20 in salary and getting two young studs in Favors and James would give the Raptors a head start in their rebuilding process.

There are also the Clippers, who delusionally believed they actually had a shot at LeBron. Now they are looking at overpaying guys like Mike Miller, who probably won’t want to sign, anyway. Do they want to start the season $25 million under the cap with their only small forward on the roster being Al-Farouq Aminu, a rookie. What they need is a veteran presence, and who better than….(drumroll, please)…Hedo Turkoglu?

It’s actually a perfect fit for both. The Clippers need a small forward who can initiate the offense since Baron Davis is more of a scoring guard than a point guard and Turkoglu needs to go somewhere he’s not hated. Hell, he might even help them get to the playoffs.

And if the Raptors can get Aminu out of the Clippers, it might very well be the best return the Raptors could even hope for.

Then, of course, there are the T-Wolves. Apparently spurned by David Lee, they apparently are looking for big men who don’t play defense, and what better guy than Andrea Bargnani? The T-Wolves are another team team that will be under the minimum salary cap if they don’t spend more money, and could simply absorb his contract, returning Ricky Rubio’s rights, of course.

So just because the Raptors have not done all that well so far, doesn’t mean they can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Or at least in a nice polyester knock off.

Joe Johnson was one of the players I thought had the least chance of going back to his home team. Now he’s re-signed with the Hawks, continuing them on their course to high level mediocrity. If anything was apparent during the playoffs, it’s that the Hawks are a team built to compete, not win. The smart thing for them to do would be to make some deals and change the structure of their team. The smart thing is not the likely thing, however. My money is on them thinking a new coach is going to be ails this team.

Memphis, who is apparently hemorrhaging money and didn’t even make the playoffs this past season, gave away the first ridiculous contract of the offseason, signing Rudy Gay to the maximum. Anyone who isn’t sure if Bosh is worth the maximum should agree that Memphis drastically overpaid a guy who has never even made the All-Star team before. Shouldn’t that pretty much be a prerequisite to making the maximum? Sure, I like Gay, but since he was a restricted free agent, couldn’t Memphis simply have waited and seen what he was being offered instead of throwing him everything on the first day of free agency? That probably would have been the smart move. Of course, when has anyone used “smart” and “Chris Wallace” in the same sentence?

Minnesota was also another surprise newsmaker, bidding against no one to offer Darko Milicic a 4 year $20 million contract. Now Darko did a fine job in Minnesota, and they should probably jump on any free agent that actually WANTS to go there, but I would have thought it would have been prudent to wait until after they deal Jefferson to sign Darko. Now it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion the T-Wolves have to make a deal. Not a good position to be in.

Milwaukee re-signed John Salmons, who I figured was on his way out after the acquisitions of Corey Maggette and Chris Douglas-Roberts, and added another jersey to the already full closet of Drew Gooden. Gooden is on his eighth team in 8 years and hasn’t played defense or passed the ball at any of his stops. Is he really worth the full MLE? No wonder Gooden jumped on it. Now I have liked what John Hammonds has been doing in Milwaukee, but neither Maggette nor Gooden have played defense since college, and the Bucks got to where they are on their defense. Adding talent is always nice, but I don’t know if I like where this team is headed.

This brings us back to Amir Johnson. I felt re-signing Amir was very important for the future of the franchise. Before the offseason started, I felt that a 3 year, $15 million contract offer to Amir might be enough to bring him back. Unfortunately, $5 million per season is what the inferior Darko Milicic signed for. Then Milwaukee signed Gooden for nearly $6.5 per season. Now, Gooden certainly is talented, but I think it’s ironic that he signed with the Bucks on the same day Amir re-signed with the Raptors. To me, Amir is exactly the type of player the Bucks need and the type of player that would thrive in their system. Instead, they traded him away and signed Drew Gooden. Personally, I’d much rather have Amir.

So, because of Gooden getting $32 million over 5 years, it was evident that Amir would have to get more than that. Apparently he had interest from Phoenix, Golden State and one other team, so Colangelo had to bid against others. I don’t know if Colangelo had to outbid, or simply match the other teams’ bids, but a 5 year, $34 million contract, while seemingly high for a player who only scores 12.7 ppg in 36 mpg, is probably not bad value. I read one comment that bothered me a little, and that’s that Amir is overpaid because his skills are so easily replaceable. Pat Riley has said that hustle is a skill, and in the NBA, it’s not a common skill. And that’s not even close to all Amir brings. He’s a 23 year old, highly athletic big man who rebounds, defends, hustles and is extremely efficient on the offensive end, despite not being much of a scorer. Basically everything Bargnani is not. Personally, I’d rather pay Amir $34 over 5 years than Bargnani $50 million over 5. While Bargnani is going to get you points, Amir is going to do the little things that actually help a team win.

In other Raptor news, Bosh met with Toronto, but there is apparently little hope among Raptor brass he will re-sign. I’d love to have been in on that meeting. You know what keeps going through my head? The show Entourage. In the middle of season 3 when Vincent Chase has fired his agent, Ari Gold, because of a couple of big screwups. Much like Bosh and the other free agents, Vince goes from agency to agency as they pitch him why he should sign with them. All the pitches end up being the same, including Ari’s, which Vince walks out of. It turns out all Vince wanted Ari to do was apologize. If only that was the case with Bosh. I don’t think a simple apology will be good enough in Colangelo’s.

So with one of the pieces for the summer in place, there are some questions about what it is that Colangelo is trying to do. One of the more disturbing bits of news I heard was that the Raptors had interest in Amare Stoudemire. Excuse me while I gag. The argument seems to be that Amare would be able to replace Bosh, although I’m at a loss of why you’d want to do that. With Bosh, the team missed the playoffs, were a disaster on the defensive end and proved that you need more than just scoring to win.

And now you want to replace Bosh with Amare, apparently believing that will improve the team.

This is the guy who the Laker big men basically humiliated, highlighting just how bad Amare’s defense is. And I won’t even mention how every single Phoenix player has mysteriously regressed upon leaving Steve Nash’s domain.

Chris Bosh leaving is a disappointment, but as the late Phil Hartman once said on the very funny show, NewsRadio, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then toss it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you asked for in the first place?”

Colangelo needs to realize that retooling is not going to be the way to go. Sure, it will help reassure some of the ticketholders that only see one season ahead, and aren’t worried about the difference between competing and contending. Bringing in Amare, or some other move like it, will certainly make the Raptors more competitive, but it’s not going to make them contenders. They need to rebuild, not retool. One of the reasons I liked the drafting of Ed Davis was because he can be the symbol of the type of team the Raptors need to turn themselves into. He’s a smart, defensive player who does all the little things that you need to do to win. He’s San Antonio, not Phoenix. I don’t know about you, but I want San Antonio. San Antonio won three Championships and was one of the most dominant teams in the last ten years. Phoenix entertained and did well in the regular season, but never made it to the Finals.

Colangelo needs to rid the team of the lazy, underachieving players and focus on getting young, talented and hard working players that don’t mind doing the dirty work.

Speaking of which, I’ve decided to share what I hope are the types of deals I hope go down this summer. They’re certainly best case, but if all the stars align, these are the types of deals I’d like to see happen…

1. Bosh is sign-and-traded to the Nets for Derrick Favors and a $12 million trade exception.

2. Bargnani is traded to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio and Corey Brewer and a trade exception.

3. The Knicks, after striking out on the free agent front, agrees to trade for Turkoglu in exchange for Eddy Curry and his expiring contract. Eddy Curry is then bought out.

4. Trade Corey Brewer and part of the trade exception to Houston for the expiring contracts of Shane Battier and Jared Jeffries.

The Raptors go into the season with…

Jose Calderon (Jarret Jack, Marcus Banks)
DeMar DeRozan (Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli)
Shane Battier (Jared Jeffries)
Derrick Favors (Ed Davis, Reggie Evans)
Amir Johnson (Solomon Alabi)

The team is most likely not a playoff team, but have the right type of players on the team, a few good, smart veterans, a very young core, the likelihood of a high lottery pick next season and a franchise point guard, in Rubio, on his way. If the team looks even remotely like that next year, I’ll be happy with how the offseason transpired.