FanHouse RashoNesterovic

Most of the Olympic men's basketball field has been set, with Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Angola, China, Spain and the United States preparing for the August Games. The top three teams in the Olympic qualifying tournament -- which begins today in Athens -- will also compete in Beijing. Here's a quick look at the tourney.

The Favorite: Greece. The Greek team famously beat Team USA in the 2006 World Championships, setting off the maelstrom of righteous indignation which promised to (but didn't) revolutionize the way USA Basketball chose its teams. Greece boasts no current NBA players, but could beat a half-dozen NBA teams. Guard play makes the Greeks the favorites. Theo Papaloukas should be well-known in America, and Dimitris Diamantidis is one of the best perimeter defenders in Europe. Add good size up front and home court advantage, and it'd be a surprise if the Greeks didn't win this outright.

The Contenders: Germany, Brazil, Puerto Rico. At least one of these teams won't make it (unless Greece crumbles). Germany famously boasts both Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman now, though little else. Brazil will be without Leandro Barbosa, but has Tiago Splitter and some good guards. Also, Brazilian two-guard Alex Garcia shattered a backboard in the pre-game lay-up line in an exhibition last week. Awesome. But never count out Puerto Rico, with an assortment of former and current NBA players like Carlos Arroyo, J.J. Barea, and Peter John Ramos, as well SACRAMENTO STATE! product Joel (pronounced "Joe .... El") Jones.

Most of the Olympic men's basketball field has been set, with Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Angola, China, Spain and the United States preparing for the August Games. The top three teams in the Olympic qualifying tournament -- which begins today in Athens -- will also compete in Beijing. Here's a quick look at the tourney.

The Favorite: Greece. The Greek team famously beat Team USA in the 2006 World Championships, setting off the maelstrom of righteous indignation which promised to (but didn't) revolutionize the way USA Basketball chose its teams. Greece boasts no current NBA players, but could beat a half-dozen NBA teams. Guard play makes the Greeks the favorites. Theo Papaloukas should be well-known in America, and Dimitris Diamantidis is one of the best perimeter defenders in Europe. Add good size up front and home court advantage, and it'd be a surprise if the Greeks didn't win this outright.

The Contenders: Germany, Brazil, Puerto Rico. At least one of these teams won't make it (unless Greece crumbles). Germany famously boasts both Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman now, though little else. Brazil will be without Leandro Barbosa, but has Tiago Splitter and some good guards. Also, Brazilian two-guard Alex Garcia shattered a backboard in the pre-game lay-up line in an exhibition last week. Awesome. But never count out Puerto Rico, with an assortment of former and current NBA players like Carlos Arroyo, J.J. Barea, and Peter John Ramos, as well SACRAMENTO STATE! product Joel (pronounced "Joe .... El") Jones.

With all the Alex Rodriguez and Madonna nonsense going on, it's brought up a lot of debate as to whether or not a player's personal life is something that should be covered with such zeal. Personally, I'm more on the side that says somebody's family life should be exactly that, and unless they're breaking the law or endangering others, it really shouldn't be any of our business. I don't care whether your A-Rod or Rasho Nesterovic, your home life should be just that.

Still, I understand the coverage of the story. I mean, it's baseball's best/highest paid player reportedly having an affair with an aging pop icon as his wife leaves him for another rock star. It sounds like an epically bad movie of the week, and it's the kind of thing people are interested in reading. So while I generally don't like reporting on stories like this, I understand that readers want it, so I'll do it and just shower afterwards to feel better.

Tabloids aren't always bad, though, as there are times when they save a lot of people quite a bit of pain. Like any of you New Yorkers out there who complain about the Post or Page Six, you should probably be grateful they exist, because if they didn't you'd likely have to be watching Barry Zito pitch every five days.

The rumors had been fluttering for the past 24 hours, and it's apparently a done deal.

Jermaine O'Neal is headed to Toronto, in exchange for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the #17 pick.

For O'Neal, this is the fresh start he's been waiting years for. He's still a capable big man, and working in tandem with Chris Bosh means he doesn't have to shoulder the load under a body riddled with injuries.

For Ford, this settles the question of whether the Raptors wanted him or Jose Calderon. Ford has still proven he can be capable, and he goes to a team rebuilding, again, but with a lot of talent, again. The Pacers are very quietly building a considerably deep backcourt. Now they just have to do something with it. There's a lot of talk about how this is a win-win situation, but that's only if O'Neal stays healthy. If he does, though, the Raptors will have a frontcourt that could destroy small worlds. Likewise, TJ Ford has to prove his neck is up to go full speed. So many questions, and we're not even to draft night yet. Hang on to your hats, folks. This one's about to get rocky.

Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the on-again, off-again deal that would send Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford is officially on, and has been agreed to in principle by both clubs. The Raptors will also send Rasho Nesterovic and another player to Indiana to match O'Neal's huge salary that he's owed, about $44 million over the next two seasons.

Both O'Neal and Ford have a history of medical issues, so the obligatory team physicals may yet have something to do with this deal actually being completed. But if all goes well, the Raptors can have Jose Calderon running the team without any drama, and the Pacers can begin rebuilding with a solid point guard in place, along with the 11th and 17th picks in the first round of Thursday night's draft.

Tom Ziller called the T.J. Ford part of this deal back in April, as Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo all but guaranteed that Calderon would be staying in Toronto, and also mentioned that he wasn't sure if the two point guards could happily co-exist. This seems to be a good deal for both sides, and is probably just the first trade of many that we'll see between now and the end of tomorrow evening's Draft festivities.

While Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski says the deal is off, two local reporters closer to the situation -- the Toronto Star's Doug Smith and the Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells -- indicate talks remain alive in a swap which would send T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic to the Pacers in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal. Two beats one, so let's assume this could happen.

Dwyer at Ball Don't Lie explains why this is such a good deal for Toronto, which needs some defense badly. So let me explain my thoughts on why this works beautifully for Indiana, with an assist from Indy Cornrows, who writes:

Forget all the numbers, cap space, draft picks and expiring contracts for a moment. A deal like this has an aesthetic impact on the Pacers that is hard to quantify. When the two strongest personalities in the organization don't get along, it's a drag on everyone, fans included. I love Jermaine O'Neal and I love Larry Bird, but when it's apparent they don't get along you're almost forced to pick a side. It becomes an unmentionable black cloud hanging over the team and has to have at least a subtle impact on the team.

Sometimes, these clean breaks cause ephemeral periods of holy enlightenment for Earthbound teams weighed down by an old general. Remember Philadelphia? The post-Iverson burst had little to do with reality; in retrospect, I'd venture the mere removal of the long franchise shadow allowed the rest of the team to see the sun for the first time. While the terminal glow can't support itself, it can support future growth, as it has in Philly.

Also: Indiana really needs a point guard. The Pacers already play at a high tempo; Ford's one of the most efficient high-tempo lead guards in the league. And if you're worried about injury risk, um, you're trading Jermaine O'Neal, who played 42 games for the low, low price of $19.7 million last year. Considering Rasho has an expiring contract, and Ford's deal is not too long, this baby needs no more thought.

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 today in Raptors vs. Magic, game 1.

1. Guard FAIL: There's FAIL. There's Epic FAIL, and then there's the Raptors' perimeter defense. Here, take a gander at opponents' three point field goal percentage. What's the worst playoff team on that list? If you guessed the ones named after a Michael Crichton film, you are correct, sir! I keep trying to watch the Raptors game because I genuinely like their roster. But then there will be a sequence that usually involves two, possibly three perimeter defenders that are not only out of position, but are utterly and completely lost in terms of what they should do defensively.

2. The Most Subtle Dinosaur You'll Meet: Chris Bosh is usually a great player. Against the Magic this season? He's a beast. 33 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3 assists. The lack of a true power forward causes problems for the Magic with Bosh's versatility and athleticism. And Bosh also gets a genuine kick out of facing the kid that's taken the title of "premier young big guy" from him. It'll be interesting to see what SVG cooks up against Bosh, whether they immediately bring the double or try and muscle him with Dwight Howard.

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
Rasho Nesterovic had a brilliant run in March, averaging nearly 14 points, seven boards and a block per game for the month. However, Chris Bosh is now back. And that means a) the end of Rasho's monster (relatively) fantasy run and b) the Raptors should stop being so awful. Not that it matters to you as much. However, Rasho should only be used as a number two center at best while owners in daily leagues should only start him for favorable matchups (see his 10 points, three boards and one turnover in 25 minutes off the bench against Denver last night).

Hot Cakes
Jamario Moon is also benefiting from Bosh's return. He has three straight games with double digit rebounds and posted 15 points, 15 boards, three blocks and a steal last night. It's entirely possible that he's unowned if your league is shallow enough, so notice the resurgence.

Dirk Nowitzki will miss the next two weeks. If you own him, I'm sorry, but you may have just been booted from the playoffs. Brandon Bass is the best bench guy the Mavs have available, but it will probably end up being Malik Allen that fills in because of his size. Expect Jason Terry and Jason Kidd's scoring to go up while field goal percentages go down. Josh Howard will have to step up his game too, if the Mavericks want to think about making the playoffs.

Gilbert Arenas thought he was returning last night, but it wasn't to be. He could be back as early as Tuesday at Portland. In fact, he was so confident he was playing last night, that he showed up without a blazer to the game against the Pistons. It's risky to play him in his first game back, but if you're desperate, I'd take the gamble.

Brandon Wright scored six points and had three blocks last night ... in 11 minutes. That's ridiculous per 40 production, but it's also a decent lower end forward total. Wright's still not posting every day big numbers, so he can be had, and he's a nice source of blocks.

It would probably be worth giving a shout out to Lamar Odom for last night's line: 19 points, 22 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. Disgusting. Playing the Warriors is good for fantasy production.

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
Stephen A. Smith rolled over in his vocal-chord enhancing cyborg chamber last night as Rasho Nesterovic posted a very nice line -- 16 points, five boards and three blocks -- with Chris Bosh beginning to sit out a week with a knee issue. Nesterovic isn't going to set the world on fire, but he can be a nice option in deeper leagues for boards and blocks over the next week, and as long as Bosh stays injured, he's a cheap filler. Plus, he kind of looks like Dwight Schrute, so that's a bonus.

Hot Cakes
It's safe to say Devin Harris is going to take that starter's job in New Jersey. He scored another 21 off the bench last night with five boards and two dimes in 35 minutes; Marcus Williams had eight points with three boards and two dimes, plus four turnovers in only 18 minutes. Get prepared to see Williams' minutes continue to dive.

Luis Scola went off for 18 points and 14 boards against the Nuggets. With Yao Ming done for the season, you could really see that Scola felt a need to carry the offensive load. Unlikely he's available in your league, but if he is, get ready for a boost in value for the remainder of the season.