Hooped Up

No respite in schedule for reeling Sixers
Whatever playoff hopes, real or rhetorical, the 76ers possessed coming out of the all-star break have since been dashed.

In their first five games since the NBA’s long-weekend sabbatical, the Sixers are 2-3. In all three losses, they trailed in the second half by at least 22 points.
And just when the Sixers needed a cushy opponent, someone sure to bring them one victory closer to continued playoff talk, the Sixers play at the Los Angeles Lakers, defending NBA champions. Two days after that, the Sixers play the Orlando Magic, defending Eastern Conference champions.

Entering tonight’s game against the Lakers, the Sixers are 22-35. The Milwaukee Bucks, 28-28, hold the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.
Philadelphia Inquirer

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Another van glorious season of NBA basketball is about to begin and Hooped Up does a quick and dirty preview of all 30 clubs.

The team that use to have the Answer now only has questions. Can Samuel Dalembert be a consistent force in the middle? Can Elton Brand rebound from his second straight season ending injury? Can Louis Williams fill the void left by Andre Miller at the point? Read More »

Out of all the guys on the Raptors that stand around waiting for a clear shot because they can’t put the ball on the floor to create one. Jason Kapono was maybe the best of the bunch which may or may not be a bad thing for Toronto. So today, Bryan Colangelo decided to shake things up by trading sharp shooting Kapono to the 76ers for hard nose rebounder Reggie Evans.

“We are too nice, we are too nice as a group. Collectively, the group is too nice,” the Raptors president said last month. “That’s not to say you’ve got to go out and get bad guys [but] when you step on the court, you better have some fight. I think some of the guys were saying you better have some dog in you … in terms of what we’re looking to do when we’re addressing personnel this summer, we’re going to be bringing in perhaps players with a different mentality.”

With this deal the Raptors will save $1.2-million in salaries this season and $1.5-million next year. It’s a good thing Reggie Evans is already familiar with Toronto’s offense thanks to Vince Carter.

Via Globe & Mail

If the Phoenix Suns trade Steve Nash to the Toronto Raptors, my chances of getting this wicked job has hope too. According to Sam Smith, the Phoenix Suns have been offered a deal by the Toronto Raptors that would have Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker, Jason Kopono and perhaps Jamario Moon going to the Suns. Going back to Toronto would be Nash, Leandro Barbosa and Robin Lopez.

This deal makes a lot of sense for Toronto because it would have the best player ever Canada has ever produced (sorry Bill Wennington) coming back home. Plus the Suns, might as well make a deal for a new point guard after they soured Nash by dealing his boys Diaw and Bell to the Bobcats.

As soon as they did that Nash was guaranteed to be Audi 5000 in 2010. Still Nash is a future Hall of Famer and him being traded by the Suns would not make the Phoenix faithful happy.

If this trade happens, lets hope I get that job too.

Raptors’ forward Jason Kapono won the NBA’s three-point contest for the second-straight year at All-Star weekend on Saturday night.

“I don’t know where I’m going to put it, I’m thinking in the bathroom or something,” Kapono told the Star after coming out victorious. “Maybe every time I take a shower or I go in and brush my teeth I’ll start my day out staring at this beautiful trophy.”

Toronto Star