NBA toronto Raptors

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.

It's not every day that we get to see a player hit for 40 points or more in an NBA game. So on Sunday, when we had three different players meet or surpass the mark, it's definitely something worth discussing.

Especially when two of them did it in the same game.

Couldn't help but notice some interesting box score lines from a busy Friday night of NBA games. Among them ...

Rome was not built in a day. But in two days, the NBA's version of Camelot sure has looked like the barbarians are at the gate.

OK, I'll try not to lob anymore historical metaphors at you. But you might want to get ready for a whole lot of consternation from the great state of Ohio, because the team with the best record in the league last year has started out 0-2. The Cavaliers fell to the Raptors in Toronto 101-91 to remain winless, and the same problems that surfaced Tuesday night in their loss to the Celtics reared their head again.

Saturday is Halloween, but don't expect many NBA owners and general managers in this shaky economy to dress up as Bill Gates and throw money around.

Oct. 31 is the annual deadline for one-time first-round picks entering their fourth seasons to be eligible to sign extensions that would kick in for their fifth seasons. For stars, it's a chance to land their first really big contract.

But much is silent as the deadline approaches, meaning the overwhelming number of eligible players from the 2006 first round will become restricted free agents next summer. Three players from that draft -- Andrea Bargnani of Toronto and LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy of Portland -- have inked extensions, but not a lot more activity is expected.

DENVER -- Defending champion Spain is planning to have its best players for next year's World Championships in Turkey. The nation's top point guard is recommending that the Americans do the same.

"I think they've got to do that,'' Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors told FanHouse. "You cannot just play for the Olympics. I think that, if you want to be on the team, you've got to be in all the good tournaments, and that is a good tournament.''

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how many members of America's 2008 gold-medal Olympic team will return for the World Championships. Several top players, namely Cleveland's LeBron James, Miami's Dwyane Wade and Toronto's Chris Bosh, are wavering about committing.

FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The great thing about innately efficient players is that even in a down year, they can contribute. Raptors point guard Jose Calderon -- the man who vanquished T.J. Ford from the weirdest platoon ever -- dealt with nagging injuries and an unkempt coaching situation in 2008-09 ... but still provided value to the Raptors through excellent shooting and mistake-free playmaking.

While Calderon's gaudless production of 13 points and nine assists per game hasn't brought much acclaim, Toronto knows the value of the efficient manner in which Calderon gets those numbers. Specifically, 13 points on only 10 shots and nine assists with only two turnovers. If Calderon makes a play, there's a better chance than usual it will produce points. That's such a boon.

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The Raptors made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason by signing free agent Hedo Turkoglu. That move alone upgrades the Raptors' talent level and should make them better.

But perhaps as important are the lesser, more-under-the-radar acquisitions Toronto made since the end of its 33-49 season. On their own, these moves didn't register very high on the impact meter. But when taken collectively, they should dramatically improve the team's depth, which was a problem area a year ago.

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Tuesday, there are 14 days remaining.

For everything the NBA has done to level the playing field -- the draft lottery, the salary cap, the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax -- only a select handful of teams have a legitimate chance to win the championship in any given year.

I know optimism is supposed to reign supreme in October, but here's a harsh dose of reality: in the past 26 years, only seven different organizations have hoisted the Larry O'Brien, and six of those teams have won more than once. In fact, in a league where fluke success is rare and dynasties are the norm, there are 14 teams that have yet to win a title.

Will any of these perennial losers buck their unfortunate losing streaks in the near future? While the Lakers, Spurs and Celtics (winners of nine of the last 11 titles) would disagree, it's a very real possibility.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams all have publicly committed.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are on the fence.

Now, add Chris Bosh to the latter group as 2008 Olympians are deciding if they want to play for Team USA in next year's World Championships.

The Toronto star forward said he isn't ready to commit to going to Turkey for the event. He might not want to play next summer if his contract situation is unsettled.

"I don't know, with the possibility of becoming a free agent next year,'' Bosh said in an interview with FanHouse prior to Friday night's preseason game at Minnesota. "It's a whole bunch of things that haven't been addressed yet. ... It was fun playing in the Olympics, but it's going to take some time, though. I'm sure I'll be better able to assess the situation after the season. ... But I'm definitely considering it.''

The Raptors have undergone a minor makeover this summer in an attempt to convince Chris Bosh to stick around up north and not take off for greener, less tundra-like pastures.

They've added Hedo Turkoglu and beefed up their frontcourt with bigger bodies. Needless to say, the Raptors need to produce to prove that the investments were worthwhile.

Unfortunately, they're off to a rocky start, as training camp will begin with the franchise on the sideline.