Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it with a Debate in the Paint. This week, the topic is the Toronto Raptors, and whether they are moving toward being contenders in the East.
On Tuesday, my FanHouse colleague Tim Povtak argued that the NBA's age minimum is good for everyone and should be raised to 20 years old. He chastised Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee for raising concerns with the NBA, and recanted the league's rationale on the issue. Plenty of discussion points in there ...
... but, in my opinion, a real lack of nuance and compassion. The NBA age limit helps two groups, and two groups only: NBA executives and the NCAA oligarchy. Supporters of the age limit may claim some greater interest in the sanctity of basketball as a key tenet, but come on. This is about money. Not education, not better basketball, not the salvation of misguided youth. It's about money, the elimination of some small slice of financial risk for NBA owners and the enrichment of the high-powered athletic programs of American college sports.
And who bears the burden of this policy? Kids like DeMar DeRozan.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
DeMar DeRozan is a bright, young rookie selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors, and even though he can shoot, pass and defend with the best of them, he is missing something: a cool nickname. In this FanHouse exclusive, DeMar tells us how you can help him out.
LAS VEGAS - After dropping 20 points in 32 minutes in Toronto's 74-73 victory over Phoenix, DeMar DeRozan expressed excitement about playing in Toronto -- and he was very serious.
DeRozan said he had a dream before the NBA Draft that the Raptors would select him 10th, and although the city has not been able to retain its stars -- Marcus Camby, Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady -- for the long run, DeRozan wants to buck that tradition.
"I am real excited [about Toronto]," he said. "I can't wait to get started, get out there and live and get the feel for everything. I think that was the best situation for me. I told everybody the day before I got drafted. I told my mom and [everyone] I wanted to go to Toronto. And I got picked by Toronto."
LAS VEGAS -- For anyone out there who thinks summer league is nothing but a well-attended pick-up game, Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan has some news for you: The competition is better than Division I hoops and better than he faced at USC. "You're playing against professional athletes," DeRozan said. "Guys are 24, 25 years old and some have been in the league. It's a much, much better game." ...
In the weakest NBA draft in years, sitting out might have been the best thing to do. All the fireworks were done before it even began. The Cavs traded for Shaq. The Magic added Vince Carter. The Wizards snagged Mike Miller instead of the No. 5 pick. Several teams showed little interest in getting involved.
Keep reading after the jump for the Eastern Conference rundown.
The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an NBA Draft pick. The day of reckoning has also arrived for some 9,000 mock drafters, who desperately try to get it right even though no one ever could on a consistent basis.
And, if I may, a word about the recent backlash against mock drafts from the key mock draft writers. The major draft experts from ESPN and DraftExpress told the New York Times last week that they hate mock drafts. But the mock draft is like their version of a test. It's too arbitrary, too black and white. It creates an impossible task. But thems the breaks when you're in a field in which performance matters. If Chad Ford didn't have to put out a mock, he could forever avoid criticism, basically. It's his job to analyze and predict the draft. How could we judge his efficacy without looking at his mock the morning after? It's like Amar'e Stoudemire telling everyone he hates to rebound. (Oh wait ...)
I love mock drafts! You'll find my final version after the jump.
The Bucks are the first of four Central Division teams that will be picking in the range from No. 10 to No. 16, giving the rivals a chance to match wits through the middle of the draft board.
Mock drafts are fun, but if you want the real inside scoop on who's expected to be a high draft pick, you need to see the list of the players the NBA has invited to the draft. Generally speaking, it's limited to players the league has been assured will go in the top half of the first round.
There are always exceptions, but ever since Rashard Lewis awkwardly hung around until the second round, the league has done a respectable job making sure no one gets too embarrassed. The league hasn't yet released an official list, but thanks to some sleuthing by DraftExpress, we know at least 16 players have been extended invitations, although only 13 have confirmed their attendance. Keep reading for the full list:
If FanHouse owned one of those jumbo countdown clocks, I would be parked in front of it for the next four days. The ecstacy! The anguish! NBA Draft Day is like Christmas and Dia de Los Muertos wrapped into one.
As the draft hits Thursday, everyone is warning not to believe everything you read this week. My advice is a bit different: don't believe anything you've read ever. Just follow your heart. Follow it ... after the jump, where we unleash our second-to-final mock draft of the season. (The last one will come Thursday morning.)
On Tuesday, my FanHouse colleague Tim Povtak argued that the NBA's age minimum is 
DeMar DeRozan
LAS VEGAS - After dropping 20 points in 32 minutes in Toronto's 74-73 victory over Phoenix, 
Matt Steinmetz, Gary Washburn and Matt Watson empty out their notebooks from the 
In the weakest NBA draft in years, sitting out might have been the best thing to do. All the fireworks were done before it even began. The 
The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an 
The 
If FanHouse owned one of those jumbo countdown clocks, I would be parked in front of it for the next four days. The ecstacy! The anguish! 
