"Oh, wow, Josh Childress jumped to Greece. That's wild. What a kooky thing to see. Man, what if this were to become a trend in a couple of years? How weird would that be? I mean, clearly it won't happen for a whi ... "

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

For those of you playing our home game, that brings the list of players to have signed or be considering a jump overseas to: Josh Childress, Primoz Brezec, Carlos Delfino, Jorge Garbajosa, Carl Landry, Delonte West, and Sasha Vujacic. That's in the last week. Now clearly, it's not like there's going to be a mass exodus, this is still the NBA. Plus, as Al Horford asked Team USA about today, none of the megastars are going anywhere. But whereas after the Childress signing we asked, "could this be a trend over the next few years?", we now have to ask, "Is this a trend that's taking place now?"

It's clear that free agents, especially restricted free agents, are evaluating their options, and coming to the conclusion that Europe offers them a lot more opportunities than the NBA under the current CBA. The question now becomes how does the NBA respond? Increased agreements with international leagues for great fluidity back and forth? Higher reliance on the pitifully resourced D-League? Or the customary Stern brand of ignoring the problem until it's on fire in your yard? Is this a problem? This is a situation that's evolving faster than we can understand it, at least from where we're at right now.

Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star knows what makes Primoz Brezec happy.

Brezec, Toronto's end-of-the-bench centre, walked into the locker room the other day and pumped a fist in celebration, expressing happiness in news that one of the banes of his existence as an NBAer, a coach named Sam, had just been fired.

"Sam Vincent!" Brezec kept repeating, rather excitedly.

Brezec's disdain for Coach Vincent, whom he spent all of three months with in Charlotte this season, has been documented previously. In fact, here's what Brezec said about the guy in February.

"I was like, you know what Sam? You don't need me, you don't like me and I don't like you, so get me out of here. And see how they're doing this year?"

Players and coaches feud all the time; it's not even necessary that one moves on for it to occur. But taunting a guy who just got the axe? That's a bit harsh, yes?

But hey, Primoz is a gangsta. He can't help it.

As we await the beginning of the NBA Playoffs on April 19, team mascots explain why their team will win the NBA Championship. First up: Toronto's The Raptor, pictured above getting a few pointers from master biter Marv Albert.

RAWR! Oh hey, what's up? The Raptor here (last name: Raptor, first name: THE). Excited for the playoffs, you know. My boys have struggled a bit of late, but we've got Chris Bosh! Jose Calderon! T.J. Ford!

Sure, we've slipped down to the 7th seed. That's fine; at least we're still above those CHEATERS, the Hawks. Abusing poor T.J., Al Horford -- you big meanie! Paying off the refs to get that W down in Atlanta. Worst. Call. Ever. (Bring it, Stu Jackson. Bring it!) Eighth place is for suckers, and that's all you are Harry!

It looks like my Raptors will be playing against Detroit in the first round, which is great news for Toronto. Can I introduce you to a gangster named Primoz Brezec? Big 'Moz is on a warpath this year! The Pistons will rue the day they traded him. Here's a preview: Charlotte traded 'Moz ... and he had 4 points and 2 rebounds in 4 minutes the next time he played the Bobcats. A point per minute! If he plays 38 minutes a night against Detroit in the 'offs, he'll average 38 points and 17 rebounds a game! Eat that, Sheed. Eat it and like it and floss and don't swim for 30 minutes. RAWR!

After Detroit, it's all Butterball turkey. Leprechauns and magicians cannot touch Dino Power. Yeah, Toronto's ready. We're pumped. And we will win!

Covering our ass: This is, in fact, parody.

New Raptor Primoz Brezec got in front of the media and let his hair down a little. Michael Grange of Toronto's Globe & Mail first got Rasho Nesterovic to explain why Primoz speaks in 'almost perfect gangsta slang' -- "[H]e started in Indiana. That's a pretty tough organization to pick up English." But the salvo to take from this comes from Primoz himself:

"Sam Vincent, he changed it up. He wanted to go more run-and-gun. I have no problem with that, I can run three days in a row. But I think I set a record in the NBA: out of 50 games I started I didn't get the ball, I didn't get a shot off. So I was like, you know what Sam? You don't need me, you don't like me and I don't like you, so get me out of here. And see how they're doing this year?"

Did a player who has been traded twice this year and has played a total of 365 minutes in 2007-08 just call 'scoreboard' on a former employer? Touche, Primoz.

(On the impact of your first franchise on non-native English speakers: The next time you listen to a Hedo Turkoglu interview, do so with the knowledge Jason Williams taught the man English.)

Prior to this week, I bet only NBA die-hards had any idea who Primoz Brezec was. But all of a sudden, his fifteen minutes have come a knockin'. First, Brezec defended the defensive honor of himself and, by extension, his fellow international players. Then, he was traded to Detroit, which made for unprecedented exposure.

Now, Brezec is worked up and ready to rock. From the Daily Tribune:

"I don't mind. I'll do anything," Brezec said. "The first years in Charlotte, I was the first or second option on offense. This year I was a starter but getting no shots. I was doing the dirty work.

"I hear a lot of guys in the media talk that I'm not a very good defender. I don't want to sound arrogant or cocky but I became one of the best defenders on our team."

I'd actually forgotten that, in 2004-05 and 2005-06, Brezec did put up his fair share of twenty-point games. But those were also some totally barren teams, that barely knew the meaning of victory. It's just not something you put much credence in.

And then, that defense thing again. Look, I don't mean to sound cruel, but Brezec is deluded. For one, the Bobcats were desperate for a big man. If he could score a little and was indeed "one of the best defenders," you think they'd have hung onto him. Plus, between Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace, the bar for defense on the Bobcats is pretty high. Even if Primoz came in third, it was a very, very distant third.

It's December 15, ladies and germs, and we have a trade. Charlotte swapped out underused but saucy Germanic Argentine Walter Herrmann and defensive workhorse Primoz Brezec for Detroit's one-year-old mistake in Nazr Mohammed. Charlotte gets the big man not named Primoz they need; Detroit loses a contract they've wanted to lose since they drew it up while adding a potent bench threat. Win, win, win...

... except it seems Charlotte could've used Herrmann, too, but didn't. He was brilliant last season as injuries ravaged the Cats. And guess what? Injuries have ravaged Charlotte this year, too. But Jason Richardson's addition at the two has pushed Gerald Wallace into more frontcourt minutes, and Sam Vincent clearly prefers Matt Carroll to Herrmann as the substitute sniper. You'd think with Adam Morrison and Sean May on ice through April we'd have seen more Walter. No, he hasn't been shooting as well as he did last season. But you have to remember he really came on when he was getting big minutes last spring, not in miniature stints... bursts of playing time few players can excel in.

Mohammed's contract is the only major piece of currency in this deal -- both Brezec and Herrmann are unrestricted free agents this July. The move costs Charlotte about an extra $1 million this year -- much less than they would've spent on any replacement big out there anyways. But the real fiscal movement comes over the next three years, as Nazr is allotted another $18 million. No sweat for sane Charlotte; huge news for Detroit. Mohammed's contract has been an albatross for almost a full year. Slipping out of that noose gives Joe Dumars plenty of flexibility heading into the final year of Rasheed Wallace's contract. Joe Dumars with flexibility? Frightening.

It's funny, when first our shores were littered with basketball imports, they were supposed to save the game. They knew their fundamentals, were unselfish, and appreciated what mattered. Yet -- and I never understood this -- their lack of defense didn't hurt this reputation.

But while many international players struggle to keep opponents from scoring, at least two have made it a priority. What's more Gordan Giricek and Primoz Brezec have, in unrelated incidents, had it up to here with the stereotypes. First Giricek, from the Deseret Morning News:

"I don't want to hear it no more because I was in Europe best defensive player. I always guard the best. And now I'm in NBA, from the first year of my career, I was guarding the best players on the team, so I'm sick of listening any more that I am not playing defense because that's not true ... I read all the newspapers and stuff, and I see what people say, and it's stupid perception."

And now Brezec, in the Charlotte Oberver:

"I'm not a lousy defender," Brezec said Tuesday, addressing the most common complaint from fans. "I bust my (butt). I'm not a high-jumper, but I understand offense."

It's never too late to set the historical record straight.