The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they have hired John Lucas as a basketball development consultant for the remainder of the 2007-08 season. He will assist the coaching staff with the development of the players’ on-court skills.
Lucas, 54, was the first overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He played with six teams during his 14-year NBA career from 1976-90. He has also served as a head coach with San Antonio, Philadelphia and Cleveland, as well as an assistant coach with Denver.

The Toronto Sun (Steve Buffery) reports: Jose Calderon has been saying it for months, and now T.J. Ford has emphatically jumped on the bandwagon. The two point guards want to stay together for as long as possible — even though they would have a lot more to gain from a personal standpoint if they split up. “Do I think it can continue to work? Yes I do,” said Ford this week, when asked about sharing duties with Calderon. “I think we both continue to make each other better. We set high expectations for one another (and) I think we do a good job supporting one another and I think our relationship is great.” Calderon is a restricted free agent at season’s end and GM Bryan Colangelo has made it known he will match all offers. But the question remains: Will Calderon be content to come off the bench once Ford is healthy? Or, for that matter, will Ford be happy coming off the bench?

Little T.J. Ford, barely bigger than many of the young children in the stands at NBA games, has suffered another health setback. Hopefully a minor one that means nothing.
The Toronto Sun (Frank Zicarelli) reports: T.J. Ford’s year of frustration continued yesterday. Just as the lightning-quick point guard was adjusting to his new role as backup, Ford was forced to leave the team’s practice after suffering an abdominal strain. He’ll be re-evaluated today, but it’s unknown if Ford will dress for tomorrow’s tilt against the visiting Orlando Magic. Ford returned from a two-month absence (stinger) on Feb. 6 in Miami, providing a much-needed infusion with the second unit.

SportsTicker reports: Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh will start in place of Kevin Garnett in Sunday’s All-Star Game. Bosh has averaged a team-high 22.7 points and 9.1 rebounds for the Raptors and is making his third consecutive All-Star appearance and second straight start.
The Toronto Sun (Mike Ganter) reports:  Rivers was asked what made Bosh his choice. “Because of the Canadian dollar — you know, it’s grown in value, and so we figure we’d go with that,” Rivers said to much laughter. “No — I think he deserves it, I really do. I think he’s terrific, a terrific player, and I think he deserves more attention than he’s getting, so I think he should start.”

Toronto Raptors All-Star Chris Bosh is in New Orleans for 2008 All-Star Weekend. Here’s what he had to say during media availability:
Q: Can you talk about the community effort here in New Orleans?
Chris Bosh: I think with the Day of Service they’re showing they are really committed to being serious about trying to help out rebuilding the city since a couple years back. I think it’s really showing commitment, because I know we have an opportunity to help out in a couple hours too, so we’ll see how it goes.
Q: With your video, were you just trying to connect with fans like how Gilbert Arenas does with his blog?
Chris Bosh: Yeah, I think connecting to the fans in this day and age with the internet and TV the way it is, I think it’s very important because you can connect to fans that are out there and probably didn’t know very much about you, and then you can gain fans, too. So, I think putting yourself out there in a positive way is good.
Q: Were you surprised at the reaction your video got?
Chris Bosh: I was surprised at the reaction. I was expecting a reaction, but not as big. I think it really exceeded my expectations. I was trying to do something pretty funny and the minute it got out, a lot of people got a hold of it and they really played it.

By InsideHoops.com
It’s 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend, Saturday night, and we’re up to the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Jason Kapono won it last year.
Richard Hamilton is up first. He hit 2 shots on the first rack, 4 on the second, 3 on the third, 3 on the fourth, and 4 on the last — but two of his last-rack shots were discounted by the refs because Rip stepped on the line. Hamilton actually shot well but did not hit a single money-ball except on the very last rack, but that shot was one of the shots discounted by the refs. Rip’s final score wound up being 14.
Daniel Gibson went second, and started from the nontraditional left side. He struggled early, but then picked things up. Gibson hit 1 shot on the first rack, 4 shots (including a money-ball) on the second rack, 3 shots (including a money-ball) on the third rack, 3 shots on the fourth rack, and 3 shots (including a money-ball) on the last rack, getting 17.
Steve Nash went third, also starting from the left side, and was awful from start to finish, getting a pathetic 9 points. They should have let InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner shoot.
Dirk Nowitzki was next, continuing the new tradition of starting from the left side. He shot a very long, slow, high-arc release which wasn’t very fitting for this competition. After a slow start he picked it up, and on the five racks he hit 1, 5, 3, 3 and 3 shots, with money-balls on the second and fourth racks. Dirk finished with 17.
Next is Peja Stojakovic, starting from the right side. He hit just one shot in the first rack and his first money-ball attempt hit the side of the backboard. His struggles continued until he got to the top of the key, which he rocked. And then stepped up on the last rack. In the five shooting areas Peja hit 1, 2, 3, 3 and 4 shots, with money-balls on the third and fourth racks. He got 15 points.
InsideHoops.com is the best pro basketball website ever, by the way. Just a reminder.
Last up is defending three-point champion Jason Kapono, who starts from the left side. He is shooting very quickly and did well all-around, though missing the money-balls, but rocked in the end when he needed it. From the five racks he hit 2, 4, 3, 4 and 5 shots, with money-balls on the second and fifth racks. Kapono finished with an awesome 20 points.
Reaching the second and final round is Kapono, Dirk and Gibson.
Starting first is Gibson, shooting very quickly, picking up steam halfway through and again at the end. The money-ball saved him. In the five racks he hit 2, 2, 3, 2 and 4 shots with money-balls on the first, third, fourth and fifth racks, finishing with 17.
Nowitzki is up second, high arc and all, and did decently but struggled with money-balls. In the five racks he hit 1, 4, 2, 3 and 3 shots, with just one money-ball, the very last shot. He got 14 points.
Kapono must beat 17 to win it. And unleashed one of the best performances ever, hitting every single money-ball, and on the five racks making 3, 5, 4, 4 and 4 shots, finishing with an awesome 24 points.
As always, this was a fun competition.
Kapono repeats as the three-point shootout champion.

By InsideHoops.com
It’s 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend, and the hottest Saturday night event is up: the Slam Dunk contest.
Jamario Moon went first, started from the right side, lobbed it high, lept, 360-jumped, caught it just as he was completing the 360, and slammed. Beautiful. He has huge extension and great hang-time. Judges gave him a 46 out of 50.
Rudy Gay is next. He started from the right side, ran at the rim without dribbling, rocked it back and forth, and missed. And then did it again, slamming with the left hand. It was sweet but not mind-boggling, and he got a 37.
Big Dwight Howard is third. And he’s starting from out of bounds, behind back of the right side of the basket. He bounced it off the back of the backboard, caught it, soared from behind the basket to the front side of it, and missed — but the attempt itself was awesome. And then did it again, this time putting it down, almost hitting his head on the rim. He caught it off the back of the backboard with two hands, swung it around, and put it down with the left hand. Absolutely beautiful. Judges gave him a perfect 50.
InsideHoops.com is the best pro basketball website in the world, by the way. That’s right, I’m sticking that in here, just as a handy reminder.
Defending champion Gerald Green is last but not least. Assistant Rashad McCants is holding a cupcake with a candle in it, and using a ladder climbs up, puts the cupcake on the back of the rim, on the support that connects it to the backboard. McCants then lit the candle. Green is apparently going to dunk, while blowing the candle out! This seems both dangerous and impossible. Yet - bam! - he got it! Insane! He caught the lob, put it down with two hands dunking on the left side of the rim and successfully blew the candle out! Judges gave him a mere 46. I thought he got robbed.
And now, the second set of dunks.
First up is Rudy Gay, assisted by Kyle Lowry. They both started from the deep left corner, with Lowry dribbling, Gay following. Lowry then bounced the ball off the back of the basket support, and Gay caught it on his left side and wrapped it around to his right side, dunking it nicely. It was impressive and creative but not quite as awesome as what Dwight Howard did. Judges gave it a 48, which may have been a point or two high.
Next is Jamario Moon, assisted by Jason Kapono. They’re putting white tape on the ground, almost a foot behind the free throw line. It would be mind-boggling if he really takes off from there. And now it appears Kapono is going to be near the basket and bounce the ball high up in the paint. And misses the first attempt. Moon did hit the second, but the tape on the ground was pointless — Moon took off about a foot inside the free throw line, which is still absolutely incredible. Judges gave him a 48.
Gerald Green is third. A ladder is in the paint again, with MCants climbing it and sitting on the top. The ladder is positioned slightly to the right of the rim. McCants is holding the ball in one arm, which is extended so he’s holding the ball in front o the rim. Just as Green launched himself up, Mccants flipped it up so Green could grab it with two hands, windmill it and slam it down. Awesome. He got a 48.
And now, Dwight Howard, assisted by Jameer Nelson. More white tape. And then Nelson reveals a red Superman cape. Then Howard, smiling, pulls off his away magic jersey to reveal a sleeveless Superman top. Howard then puts the cape on (everyone who reads the InsideHoops.com nba rumors page knew he was going to do this). The crowd loves it. Howard then stands at the baseline, center-court, right side, runs in, catches a pass, leaps from the dotted circle, soars high in the air and is up so high that rather than dunk it, he literally throws it down. A throw-dunk. Like how you might throw a crumpled up piece of paper down into a garbage can. That is possibly the most awesome dunk I’ve ever seen, aside maybe from some stuff Vince Carter did years ago. He got another perfect 50.
Total points at the end of the first round: Howard 100, Green 91, Moon 90, Gay 85.
We’re in the second and final round, with Howard against defending champion Green.
Green is up first, starting from the left elbow in three-point range, McCants, standing behind the basket on the right, is lobbing it over the top of the backboard. After some imperfect passes, and then one miss, Green came in, caught with two hands, windmilled it through his legs and slammed it down with one hand. Awesome.
No scores are being reported. It’s just picking one of the finalists or the other, after the dunks are over. Each judge has one vote, and the collective fan world, voting on the league’s official site or through text message, combine to have one vote.
Howard is up. He started from the right side, halfcourt, lobbed it, so it bounced in the paint, ran, jumped, and in mid air tapped it with his left hand against the backboard, then caught it off the glass with his right hand and dunked it. That is one of the most amazing dunks ever, second only to stuff InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner does in secret gyms against NBA players during the off-season.
Green, trying to be creative, took his shoes off, autographed them, put them on the judges table, and did a through-the-legs windmill. It was a slightly lesser version of his earlier dunk, minus the shoes.
Read InsideHoops.com every day.
For the final dunk, Howard’s assistant, Jameer Nelson, has put a little Nerf-looking mini-hoop on the lower right corner of the front of the backboard, and then rested a full-sized basketball on it. Howard is starting from the right side of the court, outside the three-point elbow. He runs in, jumps, takes the ball off the little rim and tires to slam, but misses. And then runs in, takes it off the little rim, windmills it and slams it in. It was the least impressive of his dunks tonight, and the only one he did that didn’t truly wow the crowd, but it was still very good.
And now, the voting.
The judges picked Dwight Howard. So, he’s going to win, regardless of what the fan voting says. That’s assuming I understand how the voting works this year. And the fan vote is in: 70% voted for Dwight Howard.

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday that their local television ratings for the 2007-08 season have increased by an average of 22% over this same time last year.
Rogers Sportsnet has enjoyed a 46% lift in audiences in its first seven of 12 Raptors televised games, averaging 157,000 viewers per game. The Score is averaging 122,000 viewers per game, a 20% increase in audience size from November to January of last season. The channel has aired 19 of its 30 Raptors games so far this season. TSN’s average of 158,000 viewers per game represents a 6% increase, with 9 Raptors games remaining on its schedule.
The largest ratings gain was recognized by Raptors NBA TV which saw a 197% increase in ratings for its Raptors broadcasts. The basketball-themed sports network also added 700,000 new households to its subscription base from last year.
“The Raptors’ success on the court is starting to translate into success off the court in virtually all areas of our business, and certainly the significant growth in television audience reflects the ever-increasing interest in the team,” said Tom Anselmi, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment executive vice-president and chief operating officer.  “Our broadcast partners have done a great job of showcasing the tremendous excitement of Raptors basketball. We’re confident these numbers will continue to grow even more.”

The New Jersey Nets are in Toronto tonight to face the Raptors and Marcus Williams is starting at point guard. No Jason Kidd.
This isn’t surprising, with reports that Kidd is soon to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks, but it’s still significant seeing things start to materialize.
And the Nets started slowly, down 9-2 early and then down 21-11 with 4:19 left in the first quarter.

After winning their previous four at the Target Center, Minnesota dropped it’s third straight, losing to the Toronto Raptors Sunday night, 105-82.   Andrea Bargnani led a balanced attack for Toronto, scoring 16 points and hauling in six rebounds.   Four other Raptors were in double figures and both Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford each had 10+ assists.
Sunday evening’s contest started on the right foot for both teams, each team connecting on over 50% of their shots in the opening stanza.  Toronto nudged ahead after one, 29-25.   Guard Marko Jaric had a strong quarter for the Wolves, tallying nine points on 4-4 shooting.  The tight play continued into the second with both teams continuing their superb shooting.  Toronto pulled ahead 39-27 thanks to a 10-2 run to start the quarter.  The Wolves answered, using a 15-4 run to tie the game at 45 before Toronto’s Jose Calderon connected on back-to-back three-pointers to pull Toronto head by four, 51-47 at half.  Things would turn south for the Wolves in a hurry, starting with a 12-4 Toronto run to start the third to pull the Raptors ahead 63-51 just four minutes into the quarter.
The score continued to go in the wrong direction for the Wolves; Toronto bumping their lead to as many as 18 points, eventually taking a 77-61 lead into the final quarter.  Toronto continued their hot-shooting into the fourth, leading by as many as 26 before eventually defeating the Wolves by a final of 105-82.  Toronto shot 50.6% from the field for the game and dished out 31 assists on their 41 made baskets.
Pacing the Wolves efforts was once again Big Al Jefferson.  Big Al finished with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds.  Marko Jaric was the lone Wolf to join Big Al in double figures, scoring 11 points, only two coming after his nine-point first quarter.  Sebastian Telfair led the Wolves with eight assists.  The Wolves will look to end their three-game losing streak tomorrow night when they head to New Jersey to close out their season-series with the Nets.  Tip off is set for 6:30 PM.