Thoughts For A Not So Manic Monday

I apologize for getting a bit lazy and not getting the blog up Friday. I have got interested in the World Cup a little bit. I am not really a soccer fan but for whatever reason every 4 years seem to get interested in what the fuss is all about. Later this summer Canada will be in the FIBA not FIFA World Championships in Turkey. In fact Canada is going to have a team in all 4 levels of the World Championships. A great accomplishment for Canada Basketball. While Canada in soccer has made the Women's World Cup several times but only been to the male version only once in 1986 in Mexico. So one could argue our basketball future seems a lot brighter than our soccer future in this country. A bunch of things to get to today. I also have to get that interview up with Ed from NBA Draft Blog. It along with hopefully interviews with Ray Bala and Jack Armstrong should make their way into the blog this weekend.

Watch Canada's Future Tonight At ACC

The All Canadian Classic gets rolling at the ACC tonight with the best young ladies and men in the sport taking the ACC floor. Women get going at 5pm and the Men go at 7pm. It is the basket high school talent from around the country on court. It is for lack of a better comparison, the Canadian version of the McDonald's All American game that Raptors Demar DeRozan and many other top NBA Stars have played in. Tristian Thompson and Cory Joesph both heading to Texas played in that game this year representing the red and white of Canada. Here is an interview from Draft Express with the two from that game.

They won't be playing tonight but lots of great young Canadian kids will and the cost is only 10 bucks to get in. Well worth spending the money and time on a Monday Night in Toronto.

Raps Work Out Kids And Free Agents This Week

The Toronto Raptors will be back at it in terms of working out rookies this week. Will have a list of who is coming when the Raptors make it available. But according to Holly Mackenzie we could be seeing another Wildcat getting to know Canada. Eric Bledsoe of the Wildcats is expected to be here this week. Raptors also announced they will be holding a free agent camp as they have in past in the B.C era. That will be taking place on Friday and Saturday. The most famous thing of those camps is the discovery of Jamario Moon. Raptors could have a lot of holes to fill depending on how the summer goes. Will see if the Raptors end up finding a diamond in the rough.

Young Guns Have Invaded Toronto

Sonny Weems, Demar DeRozan and Amir Johnson along with Jarrett Jack all are in town working out in Toronto. The most positive thing in that is Amir Johnson is part of that group. Johnson is free agent and could go elsewhere. At least it this is a sign that he likes Toronto and would not be against staying. That being said Chris Bosh spent a ton of time in the city last summer and it hasn't stopped from him likely departing this summer. Still nice to see some of the players back in the city during the off-season.

4 Times I Got Rondoed?

I have not picked the Boston Celtics to win in any series these playoffs. After last season nailing the playoffs with in a game in the pre-season. These playoffs have not been kind to me. My pick to win the title is praying LBJ comes back and apparently trying to to steal Tom Izzo away from beautiful East Lansing to go to even more beautiful Cleveland. Nate Robinson has suddenly become a cult hero along with Big Baby. Shrek and Donkey are making me feel a jack@$$. If I am this upset about being wrong on a silly prediction, imagine how Kobe Bryant feels? The Lakers are not dead yet but they got a much tougher test from Boston then I figured they would.

Rajon Rondo should be the finals M.V.P if the Celtics should win. It has been a strange series in which the Celtics have been carried by their defense and been wildly in consistent on offense. You never know what your going to get and from who. The series shifts back to L.A for game 6 and 7 and Lakers will be happy about that. The Boston crowd went over the edge a bit last night. Which is to bad, because aside from that incident in which a small bottle was thrown narrowly missing Lamar Odom, the crowd was being a huge positive factor on the game. They were helping the Celtics and getting behind them and urging them on to victory.

Ron Artest has become the Black Hole in Phil's Triangle Offense. Lakers need some zen like advice and Kobe good old fashion yelling. Lakers have run out of tomorrows and need to beat Boston not once but twice. At least they will have chance to do it in more friendly surroundings