THE SPORT COUNT

So, the silly season is upon us, and the Count is ready to weigh in with opinions left, right, and centre on Ron, Trev, Charlie and Ben — who sound like a 1960s mod rock band but are, in fact, all basketball players.

What will he do? Get it?

Where should Turkoglu end up? Where is he likely to?

Anton: Let’s do the second part first. I see him signing with the Raptors, a poorly-run franchise desperate to surround Chris Bosh with known entities. Toronto want name players, guys with ‘championship experience,’ and they’ll pay for it. Being the league’s only non-US franchise, the Raptors seem to pride themselves on their international flavour, so securing the Turkish Jordan will blow minds north of the border.

Never mind that he’s yet another long three-point man who doesn’t rebound, sliding in next to Bargnani, who is carving out a semi-successful career without ever setting foot in the paint on either end. Never mind that he’ll be overpaid.

You know where he should end up? Orlando. He’s perfect for them. He can run the offense when Jameer Nelson isn’t on the court, and he can nail open bombs off kick-outs and screens. His sporadic defensive failures and lack of rebounding are offset by the brute interior strength of The Manchild.

Yes, he should stay in Orlando. But they can’t offer him enough money, so he won’t.

James: Turkoglu will get overpaid. Let’s be frank: he’s playing in a set up that suits him perfectly, and he’s the third-best player on his team. Without a solid, shooting 4 like Rashard Lewis, he has a lot less space to operate, and he flourished in a situation where he’s the go-to guy in the clutch.

Ideally, you’d like to see him as the final piece on a contender… but he’ll take a pay day. If Portland offer him the bucks now — and it would be a horrible move if they do — that’s where he’ll be; they’re an exciting team and probably good enough for the WCFs next year, taking a game or two off the Lakers.

I’d actually love Turkoglu at the Mavericks. Think about it. He’s a much better fit for that team than Howard is at the 3, as he can camp on the perimeter and get kick-outs from Dirk. Likewise, he’s a guy who revels on good looks (otherwise shooting woefully from the field) so he’d be fit if Kidd is feeding him the rock.

Having said that, I see him taking a pay day from the Blazers or Raptors.

Get your chisels ready, whoever does the Walk Of Fame.

How will Ron Artest fit in at the Lakers?

James: Anyone who thinks he won’t fit in ridiculously well is an absolute fool — a player’s ability to fit into the triangle is no longer the determining factor in being a Laker.

I’ve seen criticism that Ron is bad for this offense. On the contrary, Artest’s issue is his shot selection, and with two dominant bigs freeing up space he’ll get good shots. Likewise, with Kobe, the archetypal 2-guard, playing next to him, he will never, ever be forced to create offense. Ever.

He’s a defensive and offensive upgrade over Ariza. He’s a lights-out shooter when open from beyond the arc, and will lock down elite wing players and rangy power forwards alike. You could literally not ask for a better player in the MLE-range than Ron Artest.

Anton: Maybe I’m speaking as an unthinking fan of the Lakers, but I see it working, and working very well. How could it not?

With Artest, the Lakers boast two defensive juggernauts in Kobe and Ron, alongside two solid shot-blockers and interior defenders in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. That’s a lot for an opposing side to deal with.

And the depth, oh lord, the depth! Ron can keep up with small forwards, pound with power forwards, and is strong enough to keep shooting guards in place. Most nights, he can guard the other team’s best player… leaving Kobe on the weaker wing player. That’s a preposterous 1-2 punch.

The only way it goes wrong? If Ron decides his name will be made in Los Angeles by jacking up shots. His shot selection in Houston was terrible, full of forced mid-range jumpers and ill-advised long range potatoes. As long as Kobe and Phil can curb his enthusiasm for bad shots, this is a huge pick-up for the Lake Show.

Where to now for the Pistons?

Anton: Let’s just say it doesn’t look good.

They mixed and matched in the name of cap space, sacrificing a season to offload Chauncey, whilst establishing a promise to their fans: ‘we’re rebuilding, yes, but it’ll be fast. We’ve got money to spare, and we’re going to spend it.’ Well, they’ve spent it… and they’ve picked up an admittedly lights-out shooter who can’t defend, and a lanky forward who sporadically rebounds and avoids the paint like cancer.

They aren’t the building blocks of a championship squad, are they?

Having said that, the basketball public was baffled by Dumars’ signing of the then-overlooked Billups, and his drafting of Hamilton and Tayshaun. And they won a championship. But that squad was lucky to get their rings, and it’s unlikely the Pistons can contend without some superstar talent in their starting five.

As a side note, they desperately need a centre. If they’re starting Kwame Brown next year, it’s a sure sign Lil’ Joey Dumars is banking on some lottery magic.

James: 10th in the East. I like the team for the future, but they need a decent big man and a lot more to get over the hump in a strengthening east.

Villanueva is a nice role player and a good starter, and Gordon can certainly shoot the lights out.

Gordon was overpaid, but Charlie V. will be a good player in the years to come. As far as rebuilding goes, this is actually a good effort — Gordon’s offense will give the fans something to cheer and Charlie could be the 3rd best player on a contender.

Rip is going, presumably in a package with Tayshaun Prince (how else do you get any value?). I could imagine Tracy McGrady coming to town in a similar expiring style as AI did last year. None of this changes the fact that it will be a seriously long time until Detroit are back on the ball map.

Assuming they can’t attract big free in 2010 (and it’s a given, right? If Tehran had cap space LeBron would rather sign with them than Detroit), it’ll be a serious road to recover for the Pistons.

How do you rate the Ariza signing for Houston?

James: It’s an okay signing. A bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but I think they got good value for him.

Houston are going to be rebuilding this year. They’ll ship T-Mac (or let him walk — either way, he and his $23m contract are gone come February-ish) and Yao looks in trouble for the medium-term.

This said, a year in the wilderness — bringing Ariza, Scola and Brooks (with, potentially, Gortat) to the boil as a young, enthusiastic nucleus could be good for the club. I like their prospects, as far as remaining in a holding pattern for a high lottery pick and playing some relatively exciting balll. But at the same time, I think the reaction to Yao’s apparently career-ending injury is overblown — so look out for the Rockets in 2011.

Anton: Uh, a 6 out of 10?

It’s okay. Not great. They’re paying semi-reasonable money. 24-year old Trevor has stacks of upside, and his miraculous ability to develop a three-point shot shows he’s willing to work.

But he’s not a franchise-changer. He’s a nice complementary pick-up. He doesn’t change the landscape in Houston. He just makes it a little prettier.

With Yao in trouble and McGrady soon to be sent packing, Ariza represents just a small step towards relevance for the Rockets. As it is — with Tracy injured, and Ming spending his days consulting doctors — Houston boasts a weaker roster than just about any team in the league. Thankfully for their fans, they’re a well-run organisation who won’t tolerate irrelevance for too long. Ariza was their first arrival. He won’t be the last.