FanHouse Jarrett Jack

Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it with a Debate in the Paint. This week, the topic is which team did the least this summer to improve.

Put it this way: I'm just not feeling the Indiana Pacers' offseason. It's not that they haven't done anything, it's just that what they've done isn't much. There have been a few unimpressive offseasons -- with the Knicks, Warriors, Bulls, Heat and Nuggets coming to mind – but we're going with Indiana for least productive.

It's one thing to sit tight if you're knocking on the door to an NBA title and it's fine to simply tinker if you're a playoff team or knocking on the postseason door. But neither of these really describe the Pacers, do they?

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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.

The Toronto Raptors never have won more than 47 games in a season, and they probably never will, which makes this whole debate kind of sad. It's a wonderful city with a lively international flair, but it has a franchise that is destined for a life of basketball mediocrity.

They should have stuck to hockey.

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As expected, the Indiana Pacers allowed Jarrett Jack to go to the Toronto, refusing to match the Raptors' four-year offer sheet for the emerging point guard.

"It was a very difficult decision because Jarrett proved last season what he can bring to a team," Pacers President of Basketball Larry Bird in a statement. "We thank Jarrett for his contributions to the Pacers, both on and off the court, and wish him the best in Toronto."

The Thunder waived guard Earl Watson on Friday and Watson is expected to sign with the Indiana Pacers as soon as his one-week waiver period expires. The Thunder will have to pay Watson a portion of final $6.6 million of his contract and it gives Oklahoma City more roster flexibility.

The move may be an indication that former lottery pick Shaun Livingston has cemented himself as the reserve point guard and it gives Watson a chance to play significant minutes. That wasn't going to happen this season for OKC, which is preparing for the future.

LAS VEGAS -- FanHouse has confirmed that the Toronto Raptors are set to sign Indiana's Jarrett Jack to an offer sheet, likely as early as Monday. CBSsports.com's Ken Berger initially reported the Raptors were considering the move.

Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo wouldn't comment on the possibility of acquiring Jack, but during the course of an interview acknowledged the Raptors would like to address perimeter defense and backup point guard.

Earlier in the day, Raptors coach Jay Triano said the team struggled last season at that position after Jose Calderon went down with an injury.

Thank goodness for Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt, a historically gifted recruiter who has been allergic to scandal. He represents a segment of his profession that could squeeze inside a foul lane.

Duplicity and college basketball are now one. I mean, if you name a program that has acquired a bigger-than-life player in recent years (Memphis and Southern Cal come to mind), it's like this: The odds are greater than Dick Vitale screaming into a microphone that such a program is destined for the NCAA slammer.

Hewitt disagrees. For one, he is high profile as president of the Black Coaches and Administrators and as a veteran of the Atlantic Coast Conference. So if he decided to shove a few of his peers under the bus, others would roll the wheels back and forth across his tongue.

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

Brandon Roy and his All Star self really transformed this team fast didn't he? Portland was the NBA's biggest surprise early, and despite slowing down, you best believe that everyone is going to be picking them as the "breakout" for 2008-09. So let's get it out of the way -- they're going to be good. No using them to breakout. It's cheating. Especially if Kevin Pritchard does what he normally does and dominates this draft.

Picks: #13, #33, #36, #55

Needs: Point guard. I know they have Roy and Jarrett Jack and Sergio Rodriguez and Steve Blake ... and there's a reason they have so many point guards on the roster. They need a legit true bal to put them over the top.

Best case scenario: D.J. Augustin drops past the point guard needy Pacers, Kings and Clippers. Not likely to happen.

B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. Bookmark it and visit often.

Cup of Coffee
Consider yourselves lucky that you're getting this post today. I have made no secret of my mancrush, so my first inclination when I heard that Andrew Bynum would be out for eight freaking weeks was to end up hanging from the nearest ceiling fan by a guitar string. Then I realized the closest thing I own to said string is a fake plastic Gibson with five colored buttons. So I'm here. And Bynum is not. You can't drop him and keeper league teams out of contention should actually trade for him. He will miss eight weeks and in his fantasy stead will be erstwhile "phenom" Kwame Brown (seen here getting half-postered by the quite miniscule Earl Watson.)

Hot Cakes
Kwame posted 10 and 10 last night but it was in 38 minutes against the Sonics and everyone rebounds against them, so that's a misleading false sliver of hope. If he keeps up the decent play, I say sell, since he will not be scoring and Chris Mihm will probably reappear in three weeks for about a week or two (before getting hurt again) to steal playing time. Even if he doesn't, Chris Webber looms as a triangle offense passing presence/center option on the cheap for the Lakers who would be available in just around a fortnight. (Yeah, I rolled with fortnight and yeah, snatch him up if you need dimes and minimal boards.)

In that same game, Nick Collison registered a monsterous 24 points and 18 boards. Besides telling us that Collison is starting to heat up (add him if you can) while averaging over a dub-dub in January, this also tells us that Kwame cannot play defense. Suddenly, you want to start your centers against the Lakers in daily leagues. Did not want to do that when Bynum was in there. So there's that. Hurray tiny silver linings! Sigh.

B-Ball, B-Fast is a weekdaily look at last night's NBA action from a fantasy perspective. Bookmark it and visit often.

Cup of Coffee
Like, seriously, who doesn't have a sprained/bruised knee these days? Losers. I am going to act like I am not freaking out, okay? You certainly do not have to believe me, but just know that I am acting the part. Besides, sprained knees, like the one Andrew Bynum suffered last night, are pretty common occurrences. Right? Right? Right?????? Anyway, that is partially an act, but whatever. Bynum is guaranteed to miss at least one game, maybe more, so Kwame Brown makes a decent (you never know) one game grab for daily and a viable add option, at least temporarily, for all larger leagues. Bynum should be okay (x-rays were negative) but he is not going to Seattle with the team.

Hot Cakes
He may have come off the bench, but it didn't take Luol Deng long to find his rhythm on the floor. He played 30 minutes Sunday, shooting ten of 15 for 28 points with six boards, a dime and one block. Obviously he will not continue to come off the bench. Ergo, you should likely consider getting him active as soon as is humanly possible.

And not to go all "two nights ago" on you, but Kevin Martin made his return Saturday for Sacramento as well, coming off the bench for about 30 minutes and scoring 25 points. He too should be starting for all teams this week.

From the moment the Blazers won the lottery, it seems everyone has been talking about how Portland can trade Zach Randolph, opening the door for a LaMarcus Aldridge/Greg Oden front line. Randolph knows this ... and he doesn't sound terribly distraught. He discussed the rumors in an interview with The Oregonian's Jason Quick:

"Been hearing a lot of stuff," Randolph said Tuesday from his recently purchased home in Indianapolis. "A lot of stuff." [...]

"I want to be a part of this here in Portland," Randolph said. "If not, I understand. I've been in this league for six years, and I know it's a business, so I can't take anything personal."

Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard denies shopping Randolph around the league, but that hasn't stopped Randolph from thinking about where he'd like to wind up:

Randolph, who grew up in Marion, Ind., seems most interested in the rumors surrounding Chicago, as he often brings up the Bulls. "I'd like the chance to compete for a championship, and if I was able to be with the Bulls, I think I would be able to compete for a championship."

Randolph will make $13.3 million next year, so it'd take some awfully creative accounting (and maybe even a third team) for this to happen. Even then, it's probably impossible. While Randolph would solve Chicago's need for an inside scorer, as well as provide help for Ben Wallace on the boards, I can't figure out what players Portland would accept in return.