Warriors Sign Dan Dickau

Six-Year NBA Veteran Has Played In 300 Regular-Season Games

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard Dan Dickau to a contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Dickau, 30, has appeared in 300 regular-season games during his six-year NBA career, owning career averages of 5.8 points, 2.5 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 15.4 minutes per game with Atlanta, Portland, Dallas, New Orleans, Boston and the Los Angeles Clippers. The 6-0 guard spent last season with the Clippers, appearing in 67 games (eight starts) and averaging 5.3 points and 2.6 assists in 15.5 minutes, while shooting 41.9% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 82.9% from the free throw line.

A native of Portland, OR, Dickau had his finest NBA season in 2004-05, averaging 12.5 points, 4.9 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.07 steals in 71 games combined with Dallas and New Orleans. Following his trade from the Mavericks to the Hornets on December 3, 2004, the Gonzaga University product received the most extended playing time of his career and appeared in 67 games (46 starts) for New Orleans, averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game.

Dickau will wear uniform #10. With the signing, Golden State currently has 19 players under contract.

Michael Dickerson in Cavalier’s Training Camp

The Road Less Traveled

There’s a Chinese proverb that says the journey is the reward. And for Michael Dickerson, his long, unlikely journey has taken him through the highs and lows of the basketball world and on a spiritual journey halfway around the world – all before dropping him off in Independence, Ohio.In most NBA Training Camps, there is annually one invitee who is the answer to this question: “What ever happened to him?”

Here’s what happened to Michael Dickerson.

After reaching the Final Four twice and coming up empty both times, Lute Olson’s Arizona Wildcats finally won the National Championship in 1998, due in large part to Michael Dickerson’s clutch play at small forward. He finished his four-year career in Tucson with a 13.8 ppg average.

The 6-5, 210-pounder netted 18.0 ppg as a senior, was named All-American Honorable Mention, and selected with the No. 14 overall pick by the Rockets that June.

In his first year in Houston, the Seattle native was named to the All-Rookie Second Team after leading all rookies in three-point percentage (.433, 5th in the NBA), ranking 3rd in three-pointer made (71, 20th) and field-goal percentage (.465).

Dickerson was dealt to Vancouver in the Steve Francis trade, but the durable guard continued to improve. After playing all 50 games in the strike-shortened season as a rookie, he appeared in all 82 games the next year, again putting up stellar numbers. He averaged 18.2 ppg in 1999-2000, 16.9 ppg in 2000-01.

That’s when Michael Dickerson’s journey took a sudden turn for the worse. The Grizzlies moved from British Columbia the following season and Dickerson suffered a severe sports hernia just five games into their inaugural season in Memphis. He was limited to just 10 games over the next two years.

Unable to heal over the next two-and-a-half years, Dickerson retired before the 2003 season. He finished his abbreviated career with averages of 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in just 212 games. Then-Grizzlies coach, Hubie Brown, called Dickerson “a pro’s pro,” adding, “He was mentally and physically tough everyday. Michael had to overcome operations, incredible pain and rehabilitation work on a daily basis.”

His career cut short, Dickerson was left looking for answers. He found them over 8,000 miles away.

“Just after the retirement, there were a lot of unanswered questions,” said the soft-spoken swingman. “I had just signed a contract and I was progressing in my career. And to have my career taken away from me, I was seeking answers. So I started studying different cultures, different environments. And I found more answers in India than I had anywhere else in my entire life.”

Dickerson spent much of the next three years in the subcontinent, studying ancient scriptures and healing his mind and body. Asked what drew him to India to begin with, Dickerson answers unequivocally: “The soul drew me there.”

He hadn’t picked up a basketball, but stayed in shape instead by concentrating on martial arts and yoga training. (“I didn’t want to blow up to 300 pounds,” Dickerson smiled.)

You’d never know it by his incredibly relaxed demeanor, but Dickerson comes from a “boxing family.” And he’s used that family trait to stay lean and mean.

“Basically my brothers and my cousins and my dad, they do that training,” said the former Wildcat. “So I just stay in shape with it more than anything. I do a little bit of both (boxing and martial arts). And I do a couple different kinds of yoga and breathing exercises.”

Of course, now that he’s with Cleveland, his focus is all hoops.

“I’ve been trying to concentrate on basketball, get the plays down and get my rhythm back,” said Dickerson. “So I kind of have to change my mind from a meditative mind to a basketball mind.”

After his journey from the NBA to India, how did he wind up back in Cleveland with the Cavaliers?

“I never wanted to retire. I always wanted to play basketball – that was all I knew what to do,” said Dickerson, known as one of the league’s good guys. “So, I just kept that option open. I was feeling good, and my agent, Mark Bartelstein, said I had the opportunity to come to Cleveland. So I accepted the opportunity.”

Now that he’s here, Dickerson knows that – as a Training Camp invitee trying to find his way into a deep backcourt – he’ll once again be in for a fight.

“I’m just going to come to camp and work hard, play hard,” he offered. “And if I have a shot and they select me, that’s fine. And if they don’t, that’s fine also. I’ll go back to India and do my spiritual practices. That’s No. 1 in my life.”

The coaching staff has been impressed with Dickerson’s toughness and drive, labeling him a “beast” through the first few sessions at Cleveland Clinic Courts. He left the NBA at the top of his game and would love to return to that level. He’s getting his shot in Cleveland, and working his way back with the help of his new teammates.

“The guys here are great – they’re supportive,” he smiled. “The NBA guys supported me. They know what I can do when I’m at the top of my game.”

“I feel good now. The coaching staff in Cleveland is great and I’m part of a great environment. I’m lucky to be here.”

Michael Dickerson’s journey continues.

Diener out indefinitely; Davis rejoins O’Brien

With Travis Diener out indefinitely due to lingering pain in his left foot, the Pacers will be on the lookout for a third point guard to help get them through training camp and the preseason.

Coach Jim O’Brien said Diener would be “down a significant time … he might be out 4-6 weeks. We might have to look at bringing in another point guard to make sure our practices flow.”

Andre Owens, who spent last season on the roster, is not an option; he wasn’t particularly effective as the third guard and is currently playing with Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. Neither is Jamaal Tinsley.

Diener had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left foot last May. He joined the team for part of a full-court scrimmage in Tuesday’s practice but his foot did not respond well.

“He had way more pain than we anticipated he would,” O’Brien said. “If he doesn’t rest it, the problem could end up in a fracture and we just don’t want that to happen.”

Davis Hopes Reunion Revives NBA Career

Josh Davis had his best NBA season playing for O’Brien in Philadelphia in 2004-05.

“I think it was his only year, wasn’t it?” O’Brien said with a laugh.

A rugged 6-8 forward from Wyoming, Davis appeared in 42 games with the 76ers that season, averaging 2.8 points and 1.9 rebounds. He has bounced around extensively since. By his count, he’s played for 13 teams in six years, including teams in Moscow and the Ukraine.

With his wife expecting a child in late November, however, Davis opted to remain in the U.S. rather than return to Europe this season. That led him back to O’Brien.

“He’s a very good 3-point shooter and a very good rebounder,” said O’Brien, “and if you try to get the ball in the paint, he’s going to have a collision with you and that’s the type of person I want around this basketball team.”

Davis said his approach to the game mixes well with O’Brien’s style.

“His defensive philosophy is to keep the ball out of the paint, no matter what,” Davis said. “That’s my job, so that’s what I do. If somebody comes in I’m going to come at them with elbows and I’ll usually take a beating but so will they.”

The Pacers have 16 players with guaranteed contracts, leaving Davis (and Austin Croshere) fighting an uphill battle for a roster spot.

“They’ve got to make a trade with at least two or three guys and not get anybody back,” Davis said. “In NBA business terms, it’s a long-shot but for me this is coming back, getting some good workouts and helping Jim out. I’ll go into the D-League if I get cut. If not, I’ll be happy to stay on and help the team any way I can.”

First Casualty of Training Camp

The Lakers suffered their first injury of the 2008-09 season in yesterday’s night session when Sasha Vujacic attempted to avoid DJ Mbenga and ended up rolling his left ankle.

“I think he’s going to be alright. It’s one of those weird ones. There’s no swelling, but he’s had some obvious discomfort and he can’t get any strength out of it,” said Head Coach Phil Jackson.

The injury is being diagnosed as a moderate sprain.

Tyson Chandler – Back on the Blog

We started training camp on Saturday, so we’ve been going through that every day. Training camp is going well. We’ve got a great team, a great group.

My toe has been good. It was sore coming into training camp, because I hadn’t been with the trainer. He loosened it up and all that good stuff, so it’s all good. I’m able to go through all the basketball drills in practice.

I think we got a lot better this year. It’s one thing on paper and seeing the guys that we brought in and the changes that we made. But now, being with the group in practice, and watching guys compete for positions and time, we’ve got some guys with some high character. And we’ve got a good chance to mesh and make a good splash. It’s definitely amazing to me how fast guys are coming along.

THE NEW ADDITIONS
James Posey is making a huge difference on our team, just his whole attitude and perspective. He knows what it takes to win a championship, obviously. He’s won championships with two different teams, so he understands what it takes to get there. And now having him, when he’s telling guys what we need to accomplish defensively, what we need to do and how we’ve gotta hold things down, it’s really starting to make sense. And we’re starting to bring the team together. It feels like it’s a little closer.

He’s one of those players that sometimes you don’t care for, because he gives a guy on your team a shot. He does whatever it takes to win the game, and even though you can appreciate that, sometimes you might not like it if your teammate is getting the bad end of the stick.

It’s funny. We were talking in the training room today. He was talking about if a guy is scoring and going off on him, they’re both gonna be out of the game, because he’s gonna put him down. At that point, the first thing that popped in my head was Kirk. I wanted to say something, but we’re on the same side now. I guess it doesn’t matter too much now. I like that attitude.

We’ve also got Devin Brown and Sean Marks, who are both huge for us. I think Sean’s one of those guys who have gotta be in the right place at the right time. He’s an extra big guy who can stretch the floor and knock down jumpshots, give me and D-West a breather, come in and play D and all that. And he’s been huge for us in training camp.

So, those three new players have been big.

Devin, because we needed that big guard, that kinda one-two combo who can guard twos, guard the point, give Chris a break, run the pick-and-roll, just that extra guy who can get the team into the offense, as well as lock up defensively.

So, I think we got better at every position. Now having the combo at one-two with Devin, with Posey at the three and with Sean at the four-five, it makes our team a lot deeper. I think our biggest problem last year was our bench.

Me and Jannero were very close. But sometimes in this league, guys have to move on. And it couldn’t be a better situation for both sides, for himself and his family, and also for our organization.

SUMMER WORK
I’ve been training pretty much the whole summer.

I was training for the USA team, so I’ve been training since a couple of weeks after the season ended. I was training for that, and right before the training camp for the USA team, my toe started to get sore, I think from not getting the proper stretching and all that in. And I didn’t think I was gonna make it to training camp, so I had to give them a call and let them know that I wasn’t gonna be a part of it.

It was very disappointing, because I was on last year’s team, the team that enabled this team to qualify for the Olympics. I was looking forward to going, being in Beijing, playing for the gold and just being able to experience all of that. So, it was very disappointing. Initially, I didn’t make the first 12 and I kinda was OK with it. I was deciding whether to continue training or take some time off. I didn’t know what I was gonna do.

And then, shortly after, I get the phone call that they wanted me to come and still be a part of the team, be a part of everything and go to Beijing. So I was excited about that, but then when I couldn’t do it, I got a little down again. I had been training all the way up to two or three days before training camp and I’m like, “Man, all this hard work, all this time and effort, and I’m not gonna be able to be a part of it. I’m not gonna be able to experience the gold medal.”

But in the back of my head, I was like, “Hey, sometimes, guys need to make sacrifices with different things. And I was a part of it, because I helped get the team there.” So, I was OK with it at the end of the day.

But because of the hours, I might have caught like one ending of a game. I didn’t see much of it. It was mostly Phelps and Jamaican runners. I didn’t TiVo it either because it was summertime and I was leasing a beach house and I didn’t have TiVo. I was roughing it, you know what I’m saying. I was living the beach life.

CP said he loved it, but he didn’t have to tell me anything. I already knew how big of a deal it was, how great an opportunity it was. It was a big deal in Vegas, so I can only imagine the real thing in Beijing.

THE OTHER NEW ADDITION
My wife is 7 1/2 months pregnant now.

I was in the ultrasound room, and I’m back there just sweating bullets, right? And the nurse has got the ultrasound going, and she’s like, “Well, we’re gonna learn today. The baby’s giving us a good view.”

I’m sitting there like, “C’mon, c’mon. Be a boy.” I literally had sweat beads coming down. It was me, both of my little brothers, my mom, my mother-in-law, my wife and the baby’s godmother. All in the ultrasound room, eight people.

So we’re in there, and I’m saying in my head, “Be a boy. Be a boy. C’mon. Be a boy.” I’m just going back and forth.

And the nurse had a smile on her face, saying “I’m not telling yet.” But I knew, because her face would have changed, because she knew how bad I want this boy. And then she says, “Do you want to know?”

And I’m like, “Yeah, what is it?”

“It’s a boy!”

I started screaming “Yeah!” like I had just won the NBA championship or something. My brothers are yelling and we’re in there jumping around, giving each other high fives.

Afterward, I walk out and the nurses are like, “What was going on in there?”

We told her, “It’s a boy.”

And she said, “Yeah, that happens when men come in here and they find out it’s a boy.”

We decided to name him Tyson Chandler II. We’re gonna induce Nov. 25, because that’s when I’ll be in L.A. to play the Clippers, and my wife is in L.A.

She’s coming back here and she’s gonna go to Europe with us. Then she’s gonna fly back to L.A. in the beginning of November, because that’s the last time she can travel. She’s gonna stay in L.A. so my mom and her family can help her after the baby’s born.

AN ADJUSTMENT FOR SACHA-MARIE
My daughter didn’t understand what was going on for a while, because my wife was telling her she can’t jump on mommy’s stomach, because baby Tyson’s in there. So, she wasn’t liking that. And then she started putting two and two together, that there was a baby in there. “Now, I don’t like this baby, because it’s taking up my playing time, because mommy’s not feeling good all the time.”

So we were in the ultrasound where you can see the baby in 3-D. And I’ve got her in my lap and I’m trying to give her extra attention. I’m like, “Do you see baby Tyson? Are you gonna be baby Tyson’s big sister? Are you gonna love baby Tyson?”

And she’s like, “Baby Tyson doesn’t love Sacha. Baby Tyson doesn’t ever want me around,” because my wife is always telling her to get down when she climbs on her. She thinks it’s because of baby Tyson.

So we have to play this game like, “It’s Sacha’s baby. Mommy’s having this baby for Sacha.” So, then she started liking the baby, and now she’s walking around with a doll under her little shirt, like she has baby Tyson.

So, first she didn’t like baby Tyson, then baby Tyson didn’t like her, and now, she’s baby Tyson’s mother. So, we’ll see how things work out when the baby comes out. But I gotta watch it, because her uncles are telling her that she has a little princess attitude. They’re all young and they tell her, “As soon as the boy comes, we’re not playing with you no more.” They’re messing with her.

I’m telling them that they can’t stop showing her attention just because there’s a boy around. So, I’m curious to see how this is all gonna work out.

And my family’s not coming back to New Orleans until the baby’s at least a month and a half old. They’re gonna be out in L.A. until then. At that point, we’re in and out, in and out, in and out, so I won’t be home much anyway. But that’s the tough part, because it’s gonna be rough for me without my baby for the first month of his life. That’s the kind of thing you sacrifice.

I’ve got iChat, and the problem is, I try to get my wife to iChat now, and she’s always uncomfortable. She doesn’t feel like doing it. Hopefully, it’s better after she has the baby.

For more on Tyson, visit his website, tysonchandler.com.

McMillan: Oden’s Ankle OK After Rolling It In Practice

TUALATIN, Ore., Oct. 1 (AP) — Portland center Greg Oden is OK after rolling his right ankle during the first day of training camp.

“He’s fine,” Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said Wednesday. “Everybody, he’s fine. He’s OK.”

Oden, who missed all of his rookie season because of knee surgery, was injured Tuesday during a drill while pushing fellow center Joel Przybilla for rebounding position.

After walking with a slight limp, he finished practice by riding a stationary bike.

Season Preview: Colangelo Reworks the Raps

Oct. 1, 2008 – Bryan Colangelo is beginning his third full season as the President and GM of the Toronto Raptors. In his first season, thanks to savvy acquisitions and the improvement of Chris Bosh, the Raptors were a breakout success, winning 20 games more than they had the year before and their first ever division title.

But last year the Raptors took a step back, going 41-41, sixth in the Eastern Conference. They bowed out in the First Round again, putting up little fight in falling to the Magic 4-1.

So, Colangelo went back to the lab this summer and made some significant changes to his roster. He traded T.J. Ford, Maceo Baston, Rasho Nesterovic and the No. 17 pick of the draft (Roy Hibbert) to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal and the No. 41 pick (Nathan Jawai). The departures of Primoz Brezec and Carlos Delfino further pared down the roster, and Colangelo thinks that’s a good thing.

He spoke with NBA.com a week before camp opened.

NBA.com: How would you summarize last season for your team?
Bryan Colangelo: I think we were disappointing. Personally, I was disappointed in what transpired. Any time you go from 47 to 41, that’s a step backward. Having said that, we ended up in the same spot: a First Round playoff exit.

You’re constantly striving for more. We felt last year that we had improved our team, felt that perhaps the depth of the team was better. But we seemed, for whatever reason, to lack the chemistry that we had in my first year here.

Now, we’ve cleaned up the roster a little bit. We’ve taken out some of the guesswork so to speak. Part of it was by design and part of it was by necessity with the financial ramifications of the trade.

We did clear up at least one issue that was a factor in last season’s step backward, and that was somewhat of a point guard controversy. A decision was made to go with Jose Calderon, and that’s not a knock on T.J. It was just a decision that was made and there was value in T.J. in the trade market. And we ended up making a deal for Jermaine that we feel was the best deal to propel us forward of about four or five deals that were out there.

NBA.com: How much risk was there in trading for Jermaine?
Colangelo: Any time that you acquire a player, whether you sign that player or you trade for that player, and a large percentage of your overall spending is dedicated to one or two players, you’re always at risk.

But with the situation with Jermaine, there was calculated risk. We knew his health history. We knew his health status at the time of the trade. And so far this summer, he has had a very solid summer in terms of his return to basketball and his rehabilitation. He’s basically been symptom-free for several months now, and he’s been strengthening the areas around the joint, he’s been working on his core strength and core exercises.

There’s a whole different Jermaine O’Neal than people last saw on the basketball court. Having said that, we went into it with the full knowledge of his scenario and still went forward and made the deal.

NBA.com: Rebounding has obviously been a weakness for your team, so Jermaine should be an important addition in that regard.
Colangelo: Overall, we were not a very good rebounding team last year. By bringing in someone who’s historically averaged double-digit rebounds and put him alongside Chris Bosh, who does the same, we’ve already dramatically improved our rebounding capabilities.

Further, last year, we were relying a lot on Jamario Moon to rebound the basketball, and in that case, he was unable to run the floor perhaps. So, there are other things that spawn from the improved rebounding scenario.

I also think that you’ll see, based on what we’ve already seen in informal workouts in our gym, you’re going to see a bigger, stronger, more confident Andrea Bargnani, who showed up in terrific shape and put a very solid summer in of strengthening and conditioning and rehabilitation.

He had some surgery to take care of a nasal situation, both a deviated septum and an adenoid removal, which has given him a little bit better health picture, just overall health picture from the standpoint of avoiding some of the situations that he had last year, which was sapping his energy. So, I think you’re gonna see a different look from him, even. But having said that, I feel like we’ve dramatically improved our rebounding picture.

NBA.com: How about Jermaine and Chris working together offensively? It seems like a good match of both high post (Chris) and low post (Jermaine) players.
Colangelo: I think our two primary post players, with Jermaine and Chris, is a really good balance. I fell they can play off of each other. They’re both capable of going inside and they’re both capable of stepping out and knocking down shots. I would tell you that a high-low combination is what we see out of those two.

Obviously, on paper, things always look good to you and appear right before the season starts, but it’s going to be up to our coaching staff to figure out how to best utilize the two individuals, and incorporate everybody else into the picture offensively. But without question, you’ve got two legitimate scoring and rebound bigs that we feel are somewhat interchangeable, and should clearly improve our scoring and rebounding capabilities.

NBA.com: How important is Bargnani’s progress to the success of your team?
Colangelo: If you look at last year’s scenario, the lack of forward progress with Andrea was clearly one of the disappointments. He did maintain basically the same statistical numbers as his rookie year. But it was disappointing not to see him take a jump forward. We talked a lot about it at the end of the season, he took on the challenge, he heard the situation with a lot of detail. Sam and I sat down and with him and talked to him about some of the things that we were expecting moving forward.

And again, what he has shown this summer is a lot of forward progress with respect to the parts that are fully controllable by him: the time spent in the gym, the time spent in the weight room. And he appears to be a completely different person coming into camp early on. He has shown a lot more personality. I think he’s feeling a lot more comfortable with himself right now. Perhaps it’s the additional strength and size.

He seems very confident in what he’s done so far and part of that may be a little bit of pressure taken off his shoulders. We had thrust him into a situation where, in just his second year, to basically be the starting five on a playoff team. Perhaps he wasn’t ready for that. Perhaps it wasn’t necessarily the correct position. He’s probably a natural four that can probably play some three and some five in our system. But I think you’re gonna see a player that, with the addition of JO, is a lot freer to benefit from the addition size, strength and scoring that Jermaine brings.

NBA.com: How do you think your lineup looks at this time?
Colangelo: We’ve gotta get into camp and see what works best with the units that get out there on the floor. If we were putting it on paper today, you’d probably see Calderon at the point, Parker at the two, Moon at the three, Bosh at the four and O’Neal at the five. Again, the bigs being somewhat interchangeable.

I’m not sure it matters that much. Having said that, you possibly may see a big lineup of Bargnani, Bosh and O’Neal out there from time to time. You may see small lineups out there where Bosh and Bargnani are the bigs.

There’s gonna be different scenarios, different lineups. The one thing about getting players that are versatile is your ability to put different lineups on the floor and different combinations that make sense to cater to your opponent or to play to the strengths of the units that you put together.

NBA.com: And Jose is healthy after his injury at the Olympics?
Colangelo: He appears to be 100 percent going into camp. That’s very encouraging.

NBA.com: What’s your favorite thing about him as a player?
Colangelo: Just looking at last year, when T.J. was out, there was a span of 21 or 22 games where he was pretty much out there by himself and did a fantastic job. He proved that he could play starter’s minutes and maintain a pace of that kind of production. Whether it was just his general caring for the basketball, not turning the ball over, that’s certainly a strength of his.

But his ability to shoot the ball makes him tough to defend, because he can also get to the hole, especially since a lot of the things you’ll see with us are side screen-and-rolls, high screen-and-rolls, and he’s got the option to get to the basket through penetration or as he turns the corner, the defender has to stick with him or he’s gonna knock down the shot. Plus, he’s got range on his shot. He’s not just an 18-foot jump shooter. He can shoot the three with proficiency and he’s another weapon for us out there as a very good perimeter shooting team.

Jose’s just one more weapon for us with respect to outside shooting and that should definitely benefit Chris and Jermaine in terms of what they’re trying to do inside.

Spurs Sign Charles Gaines

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have signed forward Charles Gaines. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed. The 6-9, 223-lb Gaines has spent the previous four seasons playing in Europe. Last season he played with Galatasaray Cafecrown in the Turkish TBL League. Gaines appeared in 28 games and averaged 12.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.86 steals in 25.5 minutes. He also saw action in 17 ULEB Cup games, averaging 12.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.12 steals in 27.3 minutes. Over his career, Gaines has made stops in Spain (DKV Jovent), France (Adecco ASVEL), Italy (Eurofiditalia Reggio Calabria) and the Continental Basketball Association (Michigan Mayhem).

At the same time the Spurs announced they have waived guard Brian Morrison.

San Antonio’s roster stands at 20.

O’Neal quite happy to be north of the border

If the Raptors have been famous for anything since their 1995 NBA debut, perhaps it is for American players complaining about Canada.

Tracy McGrady moaned about too much curling on TV. Antonio Davis worried aloud about exposing his children to the metric system. And the vagaries of snow and no ESPN and road-trip stops at customs have been panned by many a southern hoopster.

So there was Jermaine O’Neal yesterday, speaking of “getting killed in taxes” since he transplanted his family from Indianapolis to a condo rental in Yorkville.

Was that Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors general manager who has made it an organizational tenet to recruit European players who are more amenable to Canada’s un-American-ness, racing across the room to put out the franchise-torching fire emanating from the mouth of another reluctant visitor to our home and native land?

Actually, no.

Colangelo’s spin wasn’t necessary, because O’Neal’s thrust wasn’t negative.

“I’ll take the tax situation (in Canada) all day long,” said O’Neal, 29. “I’ve saved a helluva lot of money and we’ve made a helluva lot of great business decisions, so it’s not about that. It’s about a team taking a chance on a player that’s coming off a (knee) injury.”

It’s not about money for Toronto’s highest paid player? And taxes are no big deal? Training camp doesn’t begin until this morning’s first workout in Ottawa, and already this season has the feeling of some bizarre alternate universe.

How else do you explain Raptors coach Sam Mitchell giving up cursing in an offseason priority shift that also has seen him swear off pork while he reconsiders the merits of everything from organized religion to occasional vices such as booze and cigars?

And how else do you explain Colangelo, builder of the seven-seconds-or-less Phoenix Suns, speaking yesterday about Toronto’s intention to play a “grind-it-out halfcourt style” for at least parts of this season?

Slow is the new fast in Raptorland. Defence, O’Neal’s strength and the side of the ball that has Colangelo all giddy, is the new offence.

Is hard, too, the new soft? (Andrea Bargnani, the Italian 7-footer who appears to have suddenly discovered the merits of the weight room, was said to have spent the offseason showing off his newly honed biceps in tank tops). Can last year’s weakness – team chemistry – really be its alleged new strength?

Yesterday, O’Neal and Chris Bosh, the all-star Olympic gold medallist, walked together with a purpose: “The best friends got to get their picture taken,” said Bosh.

Their happy coexistence is vital, of course. And so, too, as ridiculous as it sounds to the common folk, is O’Neal’s acceptance of the tax hit, which, depending on whose accountant you consult, is either real or imagined. According to Deddrick Faison, O’Neal’s business manager, the player will see a decrease in take-home pay approaching $1 million (U.S.) on his salary of about $21 million, all because he is a Raptor. Not that the money matters to a man who has earned about $110 million the previous 12 seasons.

“He’s happy here and, in the end, how much money can you spend?” said Faison.

In the NBA we used to know, the answer to that question was: All of it and more! In the netherworld in which the Raptors now reside, the concerns are more altruistic?

Money can’t buy victory, after all.

But in the best locker rooms, the prospect of victory is a currency.

“The window is getting like this for me,” O’Neal said, and he squeezed his fingers together to signify the crack through which he’ll continue his search for a championship.

Yao puts best foot back on the floor

Center ready to go after injury cut season short

With sweat soaking through his practice gear and his once-fractured right foot fully healed, Yao Ming was finally back on the Toyota Center floor Tuesday. There were weeks of work to be done, rough edges to be honed. But he was back. 

Freed from his surgery and rehabilitation to be the face of a franchise again, he looked around the arena and imagined himself ready to return to where he was when his season was so abruptly and shockingly ended last February. 

Training camp had begun with a simple refresher walk-through. The arena was largely empty. Even preseason games were still a week away. But the disappointment and frustration of a season lost were at last gone. 

“I can’t wait to go,” Yao said. “I can’t wait … for first preseason game, for first regular-season game. I want to go try out myself.” 

Yao again declared the condition of his foot at 100 percent, showing the familiar sense of humor that had abandoned him when a third consecutive season was interrupted by a major injury. 

“I feel good,” he said. “I can’t say it’s like brand new, but it’s like my foot.” 

Yao has looked forward to a chance to start over since he blamed himself for the Rockets’ first-round exit last spring in Salt Lake City. As much as he cherished his experiences in the Beijing Olympics, he said Tuesday that in many ways it was valuable as preparation for the Rockets’ season to come, forcing him to prepare early and then pushing his conditioning to the point he reported 13 pounds lighter than last season and feeling far more fit than a month ago. 

“That was not 100 percent, I know that,” he said of his readiness for the Olympics. “I was about 70 or 80 percent in the Olympics. I tried my best. Because of my injury, I could not give them 100 percent. But in a way, the Olympics were a very good tryout for me to prepare for the Rockets’ season. If you throw this out there, probably some of the Chinese fans will not be happy, but that’s just being honest.” 

Still, the Rockets approach the season planning a delicate balancing act with Yao. They want him to start the season playing as well as he was when he was hurt the past two seasons, but they also plan to keep tighter reins on Yao’s celebrated work ethic to keep him fresher and perhaps even avoid injuries. 

No time out 

Yao has often balked at limiting his preparation or playing time. But after three consecutive seasons ended or interrupted by injuries, he is ready to try a change. 

“I have to let up a little bit, not let my body get too tired before a game,” Yao said. “Let’s try some new schedules; just put the best shape into the game. I need to learn something from the last three years, seriously.” 

While avoiding injuries would be the greatest goal, the Rockets hope that better play off the bench will allow them to reduce the career-high 37.2 minutes per game Yao played last season, nearly five more than his career average. But more than trim his playing time by a few minutes, the Rockets plan to make a greater impact by cutting back on his practice schedule. 

“People say, ‘Limit minutes,’ ” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “I don’t know what that means. You need him on the floor. I don’t think we want to play him 40 minutes. What he played last year, maybe down from that. The biggest thing with Yao is monitoring him on off-game days, too. He’s such a hard worker; he just runs himself into the ground. He keeps saying he wants to rest, but he never wants to sit out. We’re going to try to monitor him as much as we can, be smart in how we use him. 

“Practice is probably the biggest thing for Yao, back him off a little bit there. I remember last year, I told him, ‘I’m going to play you this kind of time frame’ and he was all for that — until the game. Then, he didn’t want to go out, then he wanted to go back in. It’s something you have to say, ‘This is how we’re going to do it, and this is how it’s going to be.’  “ 

Freshness counts 

There has been no medical evidence, or even suggestion, that the workload led to Yao’s injuries. The Rockets, however, see other reasons to force Yao off the court more often. 

“Let’s take the stats out of it,” Rockets assistant coach Jack Sikma said. “Yao is the type of guy if you watch him play, you can tell when it’s going good. When he’s not tired and he’s in game shape, he makes better decisions. His turnovers go down. He’s more active to the boards. There were times last year we needed to keep him on the court, but he got tired and struggled a little bit. That’s the situation we hope to reduce or eliminate. 

“The most important part for the staff, Rick’s staff, and Yao, is we’ve had a year together now. We learned to trust each other. My input to him can be better because of what I know.” 

Still, Yao was far more excited about finally being back on the court than the times he will be off it. The Rockets continued winning without him, including adding 12 more to the winning streak 10 games long when he went out. 

Call him the streak 

Yao, however, still has a streak going, having won the last 16 games in which he played. 

And as happy as he was to be back Tuesday, the Rockets might have even been more exultant to see him. 

“It’s great. It’s great,” forward Luis Scola said. “He’s a big part of our team, a huge part. If he’s good, if he’s healthy, if he’s mentally fine and physically fine, we’re going to be way, way better.” 

Yao can hardly wait.