A small dose of links today and we'll start as usual with the topic NBA story of the moment, the lock-out.
Talks broke down on Tuesday of course, and we're now days away from the cancellation of first two weeks of season.
Tom Ziller of our own SB Nation argues that David Stern is now so close to NBA lockout success that he can taste it, while delving into the "NBA Lockout Power Rankings."
How to get past this current labour impasse? Sports Illustrated Zach Lowe argues that a 50/50 split may be best deal out there, while over at Grantland, Jay Kang and Bill Simmons go in another direction, creating The Oracle Basketball League to save the NBA from itself.
What do we do if there's no season?
That's a damn good question but what about playing a fake one out with readers on NBA2K12? We're floating that idea around the HQ offices right now, and from the looks of the new game released on Tuesday, which showcases Patrick Ewing's Three-Point Shooting, perhaps this idea would be a lot less painful than watching the Raps through 82 games anyways!
In terms of Raptors' news, it sounds like Andrea Bargnani is considering signing with Italian basketball club Virtus Roma.
And some of the Raps have turned up on ESPN.com's list of the top players in the league. They're currently counting from number 50 on down, but we'll take a look back on Friday at where some of the Dinos netted out.