"You can just call me Johnson!"

The Toronto Raptors on Thursday signed forward Linton Johnson III to
a 10-day contract.

After a college career at Tulane University, Johnson began his
professional career as an undrafted free agent playing 41 games
including 20 starts for the Chicago Bulls.

The 6-8, 205-pound Johnson has appeared in 139 career regular-season
NBA games. He is the nephew of former NBA player Mickey Johnson, so
he comes with "good blood lines"!

Johnson has played for the San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, New
Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.

He is 28 years old...ironically identical to the age of hard working
un-drafted Raptor rookie "Super" Jamario Moon, born just a month
apart in 1980; and exactly identical in size (205 lbs and 6'8") too!

Johnson replaces Derek Martin, the wise but seldom used (under-sized)
12 year NBA veteran point guard from UCLA, who is rumoured to
be "being promoted" to an assistant coach; perhaps after a little
vacation, to watch those top rated UCLA Bruins' "one shining moment"
at the NCAA "March Madness" tournament.

Toronto's greatest needs are said to be rebounding, defence and
general "toughness", due to the season long abscence of "1st string
NBA all star rookie" starting power forward Jorge Garbajosa of Spain
(6-9 245 lbs)...the same country as point guard Jose Calderon (so
they can speak the same language).

He is known as a tough defender, aggressive rebounder and an
impressive athlete; but he supposedly "lacks offensive intensity".

Another wise, "professional" move by Bryan Colangelo, Toronto's
reigning NBA "GM of the year" (a two time winner of the award); who
is the true "Franchise" star of the Raptors!

The last player moved was trading away (under-sized) combo guard Juan
Dixon, to Detroit, for big Primoz Brezec, an energetic 7'1" center
from Slovenia in Europe...the same country as 7'0" starting center
Rasho Nesterovic, so they can speak the same language.

TONIGHT the Raptors look to move closer to gaining a playoff berth
Friday night when they try to hand the visiting New York Knicks their
eighth straight loss in Canada....to be seen ONLY on Raptors NBA TV.

I blogged on this, with photos at...
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ISngy3A9bqulHVeLd5G2JKpsN.kz7g--?cq=1