Finally, it’s official (well, almost, pending league approval): Jermaine O’Neal is off to Miami, Shawn Marion is headed to the T-Dot. We’re also getting Marcus Banks and losing Jamario Moon.

This was surely the most anti-climactic trade in recent memory. I can’t remember a trade ever taking this long to happen. Unfortunately, too much time has passed - when this was first reported in mid-January, the Raptors still had a shot at climbing back into the race. Now? Way, way too late. 27 games left, and how many will it take the new team to gel? And how badly is Bosh hurt, and will Jose ever get healthy? Nah, it’s too late. You’d need to add Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan to this team to help it make the playoffs.

As for next year, well… it remains to be seen what Colangelo will do in the summer, but he now has a lot more options. Instead being ~$10 over the salary cap, the team will now be about ~$10 under the cap (even with Marcus Banks). That not only means they have more cap space for free agent signings (welcome back, Mr. Delfino) but also, and perhaps more importantly, they are free to make trades that don’t require the “salaries must match between 20%” rule. Again, we’ll have to wait and see what’s out there, what’s available, etc., but I have regained some trust in Colangelo. Yes, this season was a waste, but he’s realized his mistake and no goes from weak bargaining position to a strong one next summer.

Will he get enough talent to make a deep playoff run, the only thing that will keep Bosh around past next summer? That is the question. Here’s the list of free agents for next year but as I said, keep in mind the key may be the trades BC is now able to pull off.

As for Miami, well, good thing Pat Riley isn’t actually coaching or he might have Jamario whacked after the 19th time he shoots a three with 18 seconds on the shot clock, which should be sometime next week. But O’Neal, well, he’s a Riley type player through and through. If he can stay healthy, he might help vault Miami into fourth place in the east and make them a tough out in the playoffs - but as Toronto fans now know, that if is a big one.

Overall, the O’Neal era in Toronto can only be classified as a disappointment. He played well - not great, but OK - when he was in there and in the groove. The problem, obviously, was that he missed too many games, and with each block of games (including the very start of the season) he needed to work his way back into shape. If he was making 8 million a year, that kind of production would be OK, but, unfortunately, you need to get a little more from the guy taking up a third of your salary obligations. The Raptors will miss his intensity, but again, for a guy that only played in a third of your games, that’s not enough.

And I still don’t understand why he couldn’t sit on the damn bench for games! I’m sorry, I know this shouldn’t bother me, but it does. I see Bosh out there every game, even on the road, why the hell wasn’t O’Neal there? Now that he’s gone, will the real story finally come out?

In any event, it’s onward and upward. The Raptors have a much improved (on paper) starting lineup for the next 27 games and a much improved salary cap situation for the summer. I won’t call the trade a blockbuster win or anything, but I’d say the Raptors are in a better place today than they were yesterday.

Well, the Raptors overcame one of Sam Mitchell’s worst games as a head coach to beat the Heat last night. I don’t know when I’ve ever been as angry at Mitchell as I was last night.

Seriously, this idea that a player MUST sit when he picks up his second foul - it has to stop. IT HAS TO STOP. Fucking unacceptable, to sit Jose Calderon down because he picked up foul #2. Then when he came back and picked up #3 he sat him down AGAIN.

Yo, Sam? HE’S THE POINT GUARD!!! Has Sam Mitchell even watched a basketball game? How often do point guards foul out? Rarely ever! If a guy is committing lazy fouls because he’s overmatched - like Michael Beasley’s two fouls on Bargnani in the first two mintues? Sure, sit him. But ticky-tack fouls? For a point guard? Which is the only position you don’t have a capable backup for? YOU DON’T FUCKING SIT HIM WITH THREE FOULS.

I have to wonder, does he realize the limit is six, not five? This isn’t college. And you know what, Sam? IT’S OK TO FOUL OUT. Seriously. There’s no fine or suspension or anything for fouling out. I’d rather my team give its all rather than sit meekly by, doing nothing; this team is too thin to be sitting guys with two or three fouls. ESPECIALLY THE FUCKING POINT GUARD.

Sam also decided it was OK to take Chris Bosh out with three fouls in the first half; I was actually OK with this since Bosh was clearly tired and could use the rest, but for the record, guess how many fouls Bosh and Calderon finished with? Three each. ARGH.

Moving right along, the second object of my ire - for the second game in a row - was Will Solomon. Once again, Willie tried to give the game away to the Heat. I don’t understand what is wrong with this man. I’m sorry, you’re complaining to ref after fouling Dwyane Wade? What are you, some sort of moron?

Check out this unbelievably awesome sequence by Solomon that started at about the 10 minute mark of the fourth quarter. And no, don’t ask me why Solomon is playing in the fourth. Most coaches rest their best players - especially when there’s no real backup - in the third quarter. Dwyane Wade didn’t sit in the fourth quarter, did he? No, he only single-handedly brought the Heat back. Sigh. Back to the sequence I was referring to:

Score is 83-75, Toronto. DeQuan Cook buries a corner three to cut it to 83-78, and this is where Solomon decides it’s time to take a dump on the court. First, he dribbles out the clock for 10 seconds before launching a jumper. He’s only on the court with superstar Chris Bosh and the best shooter in the game, Jason Kapono. But Solomon thinks he should be taking the shot without even making a pass. Naturally he misses.

Down the other way we go, and Solomon finds himself guarding Wade on a switch. He reaches in, whacks Wade in the arm - and remember, this is Wade, if you so much as flare your nostrils at the guy it’s a foul. But Solomon clearly reached in, got the arm, and gets called… and then he decides to bitch at the official about it. Actually, “decides” may not be the right word. Perhaps “continues” would be better because he’s been complaining to the refs pretty much non-stop the past two games. You’re Will Fucking Solomon. What the fuck gives you the right to bark at the official?

Well, nothing apparently. Will gets a well-deserved technical, Chris Quinn hits the free throw and now it’s a four point game.

You’d think that, since his backup - BACKUP! - point guard is suffering a Chernobyl-level meltdown on the court that Sam Mitchell might take him out at this point. After all, not only is he not contributing, he’s actively giving the opposition points, and even if Jose Calderon is completely gassed, I guarantee you Roko Ukic isn’t picking up any technicals. Naturally, Sam doesn’t think this is the time to make such a sub, so guess what happens next?

On the ensuing inbounds, Solomon goes under a screen on Quinn - whose only weapon is the jump shot - and Quinn buries a three without so much a hand in his face. This is a day after Solomon spent a game going OVER screens on Jameer Nelson, whose best weapon is the drive-and-kick game. What the fuck, man? Do you not read the scouting reports, or, you know, REMEMBER ALL THE OTHER TIMES YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN BURNED ON THE SAME PLAY!?!?

Then, Mr. Solomon completes his highlight reel evening by throwing away an entry pass on the ensuing Raptors possession. Heat ball with a chance to take the lead. At least that stops the clock - and Mitchell has apparently arisen from his nap - so Solomon finally comes out of the game.

Let’s recap. Cook hit that three at the 9:47 mark. The turnover came at the 8:53 mark. That means in 54 seconds, Solomon missed a jump shot, got called for a foul, got called for a technical, lost his man on defense for a three-pointer, and turned the ball over. 54 seconds! When I write my post-mortem on this season,”54 seconds” is going under Will Solomon’s name and that’s all you need to know.

Although, I may also mention the clear-path foul he committed at the end of the first half that gave Dwyane Wade two free throws and the ball back with 2 seconds to go. Another brilliant fucking move. Where the hell did they find this guy, anyway? Talk about taking a dump on the court… hell, I wouldn’t have been shocked if he actually took a dump on the court.

Anyway, when play resumed after that career-defining 4th quarter sequence, Wade drove the lane for another incredible dunk - one of several on the night, but clearly the most important, as the 17-point Raptor lead had officially evaporated - and it was 84-83, Miami and I thought the Raps were cooked. But, Anthony Parker decided it was an emergency and finally broke the glass on his jump shot.

In the first half, Parker looked like he looked last night - a step behind on offense. It seemed to me he was expending so much effort on D - and I give him all the credit in the world for it, I hate to think how much worse they’d be without him - that it was completely taking him out of his offense. He was 0-4 from the field in the first half, making him an awful 9-31 over the past 14 quarters.

Then it was slump-bustin’ time. He went for 19 in the second half! 5-5 from downtown, including a three after Wade’s dunk that gave the Heat the lead. He hit another with a minute to go that gave the Raps a six-point lead, and hit the sealing free throws with 10 seconds to go. He also grabbed three key rebounds down the stretch.

He also did the best he could on D-Wade, “holding” him to 4-10 shooting after The Dunk.

Kudos to Mr. Parker for redeeming himself.

Sigh. A win is a win. I just wish it didn’t have to be such a struggle. Even with Wade going off for 40, the heat looked discombobulated, the Raptors had the inside game and the outside game going (finally!) and it should have been an easier win. I say the Raptors won this one despite the boneheaded sub patters of its coach.

Other thoughts:

At least they didn’t waste another solid performance from the frontline. Bosh and O’Neal combined for 31 and 28, and Bargnani had his best offensive output of the year with 25 (9-15 shooting). The rest of the perimeter players provided just enough to get them the W.

What a difference Jose Calderon makes. Thank God he’s back. From 21 turnovers the night before to 10 last night, and that’s not even the whole story. It’s about getting the ball in the right spot at the right times, which Solomon and Ukic have not mastered yet.

Speaking of Ukic, he didn’t get off the pine last night and I say it’s time to give him a go. Even if it means you have to tweak the rotation a little - not that Sam has any discernable rotations that I can tell - to make sure there’s enough scorers on the floor with him that his lack of a shot won’t hurt them, I think you need to get him in there. He can’t possibly play any worse than Solomon, that’s for sure, and at least he’ll get some development time for the future.

Jermaine O’Neal has been impressive. In case you missed the 834 times Matt Devlin mentioned it, he’s got five straight double-doubles. That’s five straight, folks. Five straight double-doubles for Jermaine O’Neal. My expectations coming in to the season were that he’d average about 14-8 and take some of the pressure of Chris Bosh. Well, he’s averaging 13.5 and 9.5, and Bosh of course is having his best year ever. Right on the money. And if his 17/13 over the last five games - you do know he’s had five straight double-doubles right - are indicative of him rounding into shape rather than an exception, then he may just exceed those expectations. Yeah, I know TJ’s having a great year in Indiana, but I’d do that trade again in a heartbeat - even if the numbers trail off. You just can’t overestimate the impact O’Neal has had on Bosh’s game.

Can Bargnani please put together back-to-back good games? C’mon Andrea, you can’t play the Heat every night so let’s see you bring it against someone else. Seriously though, he was great last night, and his scoring came from all over, which was nice to see. He was so one-dimensional last year, to see this development, it almost makes me think there’s real potential there after all. I just need to see the consistency.

That’s three straight games the Raptors have outrebounded their opponents. OK, two of those games were against the Heat, but still, that’s a pleasing sign.

Well, if there’s any consolation to be had after that awful loss last night, it’s that the next game is already here - and it’s against the team the Raptors beat the other day. Of course this team it’s in Miami’s house and you can bet they’ll have made some adjustments since Sunday.

At least Miami played last night too, but of course, they won, so they come into the game on a high rather than the Raptors who are clearly searching for answers. And I’m willing to wager Dwyane Wade won’t struggle from the floor again, and given that Toronto didn’t win Sunday’s game until the final minute (apparently - I wouldn’t really know since, you know, IT WASN’T ON TELEVISION) I don’t expect much from the Raps tonight.

(There, I got my TSN2 dig in.)

Unlike Orlando, I don’t believe Miami is more talented than Toronto. It’s just that Miami’s strength - Dwyane Wade - flies into the face of our greatest weakness - perimeter defense. And although Toronto’s strength - Chris Bosh - is unmatched by anything on Miami’s roster… I have a feeling they’ll have devised some sort of gameplan adjustment, some early double or zone, to prevent Bosh’s touches. It’s harder to limit Wade’s touches because he has the ball all the time, and, because, you know, the next time Sam Mitchell makes an effective adjustment, it’ll be the first.

(There, I got my Sam Mitchell dig in.)

Now, Wade did twist his ankle against the Raptors on Sunday and it may have slowed him slightly last night - he scored 19 on 6-16 shooting in 35 minutes against the Wizards. But if you’re counting on a sore ankle to limit one of the greatest offensive players in the game today, well then you’re gonna be spending a lot of time tonight watching him torch the twine.

The Heat really don’t have an answer for Bosh and O’Neal, and even Bargnani appeared to give them problems on Sunday (again, according to published reports). And as weak our perimeter guys are, I don’t think DeQuan Cook, Chris Quinn or Mario Chalmers are scaring anyone; Beasley’s been impressive but is prone to rookie ups and downs, and of course, I’ve always thought Shawn Marion was overrated. Nevertheless, even marginal players should be salivating at the chance to play against our porous perimeter defense - any one of those guys could go off.

Man, I really don’t know what to think about this game. On paper, even with the assumption that Dwyane Wade will scorch them, the Raptors are clearly the better team. But I just have zero confidence in them right now. They can’t get any consistency outside of Bosh and O’Neal and that’s not enough, not on the road, not even against a weak Miami team - especially without Jose Calderon (I am making the assumption he won’t play). 19 turnovers a game since Calderon went down, and I don’t see that number dropping as long as he’s out, is just giving too many chances to the opposition - even a crappy team can’t help but take advantage of that many extra possessions.

I would like to believe that some pride will kick in and the rest of the team will step up to help Bosh, but if it hasn’t kicked in yet, I don’t know when it will… and until it does, until those guys find a way to contribute, things will be tough for Toronto.

Miami by 14.

Well, by all account’s Toronto’s 107-96 win over Miami yesterday was a very enjoyable game - and a very important one, considering there was a change at the starting small forward position and the starting point guard was out with a hamstring injury.

Obviously, all that really matters is the Raptors won; still, it’s hard not to be disappointed with the fact that, as a fan in the team’s hometown, you don’t even get to watch them play. Sigh.

I did manage to see some of the second half on Raps TV - thank goodness for that - enough to see Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon force Dwyane Wade into some very tough shots, and to see Jermaine O’Neal with two huge blocks, one of which set up a terrific transition play where Jason Kapono flashed to the right arc and Roko Ukic hit him - and Kapono let fly with that beautiful quick release and nailed the triple. Fantastic play.

As for the lineup change, well, I for one was doubting it, but it seemed to work out OK against Miami. The big lineup helped the Raptors outrebound the Heat and although Andrea Bargnani’s numbers weren’t great - 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls - according to published reports he played better than the numbers indicated (and according to said reports, one of those fouls was an awful offensive call), including his continued solid play on D. I watched one play in the third where he used his feet to stay in front of a driving Michael Beasley, forcing Beasley to try and clear space with his forearm and shoulder - offensive foul, Beasley. Excellent defensive play by Bargnani.

Jermaine O’Neal struggled once again on offense, but somehow managed to snag 18 rebounds. 18! I can’t recall the last time a Raptor had that many. Of course he may have taken some away from Bosh who only ended up with 7, but Bosh did his work on offense, scoring 27 (13 from the free throw line).

All told, it was another solid performance from the “Big 3″ - 50 points, 29 boards. This lineup also enabled Kris Humphries to get some minutes, and he contributed with 14 (5-6 shooting) and 9 boards. I thought it odd that he was in the doghouse since reports from camp were that he looked good, so I’m happy to see him getting minutes and contributing. Size, right now, is the Raptors’ strength. It’s time to show it!

As for the point guards, Solomon appears to have played well; 15 points on nine shots, with 11 assists. Four turnovers seems a bit high, but you take the bad with the good. Ukic didn’t look all that comfortable in the minutes I saw, and didn’t score, but he picked up 4 assists and a couple boards in his 14 minutes, with only 1 turnover.

Certainly I don’t expect this team to have much success with Calderon on the shelf - and most competition is going to be better than Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn - but for one night, Solomon and Ukic appeared capable.

Defensively, it’s hard to say, not having seen 70% of the game, what worked or if it was just bad shooting from the Heat, but when the Heat’s two best scorers - Wade and Beasley - are a combined 17-47 from the field and gave away 8 turnovers, well, something must have worked right. Looks like Moon had a couple of blocks and Kapono had three steals, so maybe the message is getting through?

Now the question is, will the new big lineup stay? To be honest, my main concern with this lineup was that Sam Mitchell wouldn’t allow it to be effective. Sam is notoriously reactionary - one mistake and you’re done - and with a lineup like that, you need patience and commitment to allow it to work. If one athletic small forward blows by Andrea and Sam pulls the plug, you will never realize any advantage from it. You have to have patience with it, and believe that, although you might give something up, the benefits you get back will eventually outweigh that. They did yesterday, with the big 3 getting 29 boards - 3 less than the entire Miami team. That’s the advantage you get when you give up speed for size, and, if Andrea’s shooting touch is on, you get the advantage of him scoring, too. If Sam had yanked Andrea early, it wouldn’t have made any difference.

As long as Sam is committed to it, it has a chance to work.

Couple other thoughts:

• I don’t think there can be any doubt left that Shawn Marion regrets forcing a trade from Phoenix, do you? The guy went from double-double every night, on a perennial contender with one of the best point guards of this generation, to 10-8 on a playoff-maybe team with no point guard. Even last year, when Dwayne Wade wasn’t playing, he only averaged 14 with Miami - his lowest scoring output since his rookie year! His shooting is down to 45%, this after being above 52% the past three years in Phoenix. Think Nash had something to do with that? He’s also costing himself a lot of money; if he keeps up that output, he’s not going to make anywhere close to the $20 million or so he wants. Never shoulda left Phoenix, Shawn.
• Joey Graham got the DNP-CD. I’d imagine that comes more because Andrea got time at the 3 and the other wings played pretty well; Had Moon stunk it up, I bet Joey woulda got in there.
• Kapono shot 4 threes! Moon shot 5 free throws! Praise and hallelujah. Message sent?
• Dwyane Wade is really something. Even though it wasn’t his best game, that guy scares the crap out of me every time he touches the ball; I feel like he could score just by looking at the net. If he stays in Miami (and stays healthy) long enough for Chalmers and Beasley to develop, and for the Heat to maybe add another piece or two (perhaps through a Marion trade) I have no doubt in his ability - again, assuming his health - to lead them deep into the playoffs every year.