FanHouse JasonKapono

PHOENIX -- The competition was there for Jason Kapono. Or maybe Rashard Lewis. Even veteran Mike Bibby might come out of the field the champion. The one thing that was certain was the second-year man from Miami wasn't taking this title, no way, no how.

PHOENIX -- Chris Bosh was voted in by the coaches as an All-Star reserve for the Eastern Conference, but a sprained knee is keeping him from participating in the actual game. That doesn't mean he can't comment on the festivities, though.

In part two of my conversation with Bosh, he gave me his thoughts on Mo Williams (who got in because of Bosh's injury), the H-O-R-S-E competition and which one of his teammates has the best trick shots. We discuss it all, after the jump.

Elie Seckbach, the AP-recognized Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

PHOENIX -- One of the main events at All-Star weekend is the Three-Point Shoot-Out. Sharp-shooter Jason Kapono isn't one of the league's most recognizable faces, but his spotlight is this contest, which he's won two years in a row. In this video we talk to him about going for a third title, and you'll be surprised who in Phoenix Jason is worried about. We also hear from Kobe Bryant and Mike Bibby.

Check out the video after the jump.

All-Star weekend is less than two weeks away, so the press releases are coming fast and furious as to who's going to be participating in all of the events. We told you about H.O.R.S.E. on Tuesday, and today, we bring you the field for the 2009 Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout.

Jason Kapono will defend his title and attempt to win the event for the third straight year, and he'll be facing a group of players that collectively have a total of zero three (and counting) prior appearances in the competition.

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

Joe Johnson's shooting numbers Saturday against Chicago won't draw blood -- 16-for-31, 41 points. But the fact that Joe Johnson took 31 FGAs, added eight assists, earned six FTAs ... and had only one turnover in 44 minutes -- that's the impressive part.

One of the more ignored facets of Mike Bibby's addition to the Hawks has been that it has allowed J.J. to relax a bit. With Bibby, Johnson's turnover rate has shrunk considerably. But because Bibby isn't the sort of lead guard who demands to run the offense every time, J.J. has kept extremely high usage and assist rates. The Saturday line isn't an every-night thing, but is telling of the overall success the Bibby move has allowed for.

Window Washer: Andray Blatche had one of his jaw-dropping games (now appearing once per month): 19 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block and zero turnovers. That's magic, man. Now do it twice in a week, please.

Unloaded Golden Gun: Jason Kapono has taken Anthony Parker's starting job for Toronto. Jason Kapono's only discernable basketball skill is shooting threes. Jason Kapono shoots threes at a career 46% clip, and shoots twos at a 44% clip. Yet Kapono has taken twice as many twos than threes this season ... even though he's in the game to spread the floor for Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh. ARGH! Saturday in Portland, Kapono The Shooter took two threes, three twos, missed them all, grabbed four rebounds and had two turnovers in 32 minutes. We need an intervention.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Raptors-Magic game tonight.

1. Sultan Of Swat: Dwight Howard had 8 blocks last game. That's today's "Matt repeats himself so you can let that sink in" phrase of the day. Dwight Howard had 8 freaking blocks in a playoff game in Toronto on Saturday. Chris Bosh can get all the mid range J's and weakside layups he wants. It's been clear from the start of this series that Howard owns the paint in this series. If the Raptors are going to pull out the semi-miracle and pull this thing back to Canada kicking and screaming, they're going to have to attack the basket and get some fouls on Howard. Because letting him sit back there, legal or not, is only going to result in more jumpers, which you can't rely on in a game like this.

2. Dónde Está Jose?: You remember Jose Calderon, right? The guy all the Raptors fans wanted to start after Game 2, before TJ Ford scored 21 points to help the Raps take Game 3? The guy who in that same game had a dou-ble-dou-ble? Yeah, well, if you see him, holler at your boy, okay? Because Calderon vanished in Game 4. 2 points, 5 assists, 1 for 7 shooting in 21 minutes. I kept searching a box score for something tangible I could attribute the Game 4 Magic win to, beyond my own observations watching the game which were a. Dwight Howard is not of this world and b. Rashard Lewis can pop off when he wants to. The only answer I can come up with Calderon. He's got to step up and be the man tonight along with Ford if the Raptors want to win. Well, that and ...

Bryan Colangelo hadn't quite recreated Phoenix North over the past two seasons in Toronto, but he did borrow the European emphasis on having a ton of shooters on the roster. Drafting perimeter-based big Andrea Bargnani with the top pick, signing Jason Kapono to the full mid-level ... Colangelo's got shooters. But shooting, oddly, was the problem with Toronto's offense in its Saturday loss to the Magic.

Chris Bosh shot 16-26 for 39 points. Everyone else in white? 36% from the field, and 14% from three. Kapono did fine (12 points on 9 shots), but Bargnani sucked got destroyed, Jose Calderon sucked, T.J. Ford and Anthony Parker weren't remotely efficient, Jamario Moon (who yanked a groin) added little offensively.

You can attribute quite a bit Toronto's failings to a monstrous Orlando defense, with Dwight Howard blocking eight (!!) shots, including the clincher with 2-1/2 minutes left when Ford took it to the bucket. Rashard Lewis hit a three on the other end, and the Raps went into foul mode. The Magic can seal it at home Monday, and you have to think that even if Detroit comes back to vanquish the frisky Sixers, Orlando will have reason to think it can get to the conference finals.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Magic-Raptors Game 3 tonight.

1. JK- OMG: Jason Kapono has been lights out in this series for Toronto, and with Sam Mitchell promising a revamped lineup, it's likely he'll get a start tonight. They need him to continue his hot shooting during this series (66% from the arc) if they want to get this puppy back on the leash. Kapono makes for a difficult matchup for the Magic because he's actually got some size on him. If the Magic decide to focus on shutting him down by assigning him a larger player (like, oh, say, Hedo Turkoglu) , then someone's going to have to step up for the Raps. Someone unselfish. Someone who's humble. Someone who's not T.J. Ford. Someone like ...

2. Joooose, Jose, Jose Jose ... : Well, then. Thanks for your time, Mr. Ford. Don't injure your neck on the way to the bench (seriously, we like you, don't want you get hurt, glad you're back) . Ford has been apoplectic in this series, and it's clearly time to go to Jose Calderon. Calderon is averaging 14 points and 6 assists in this series, and for a team that desperately needs instant offense, Calderon is the best option. He needs to produce on both ends of the floor, though, because the Magic's back court has matched the Raptors' guards' intensity.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Raptors-Magic Game 2 tonight.

1. I Believe The Andrea Bargnani Experiment Is Over: I can kind of see where Sam Mitchell was thinking. "Haha, foolish Magic! I will destroy you with my gigantic starting lineup!" Oops. That worked right up until the point where you didn't double Dwight Howard effectively. Now, a lot of things went right for the Magic that probably won't tonight. Getting your three point shooters involved or Dwight Howard going off are likely. Not both. But even so, the Magic don't need a dynamite effort from their perimeter players, they only need a small contribution. Rashard Lewis probably won't go 5 for 14 from the arc, either. Flat-out, the Raptors are going extinct if they let the magic shoot 53% again.

2. Chris, You Do Remember You're A Power Forward, Right?: Matched up against a much smaller Rashard Lewis, Chris Bosh took the bait. He settled for jumpers and driving to the basket. While the aggressiveness is good, it led to three turnovers. Bosh can destroy the Magic if he works the post. If he forces them to put Howard on him, he can put Superman in foul trouble and open up the court for his teammates. From there, it's a matter of them actually hitting shots.