Toronto Raptors & NHL

Toronto forward Denham Brown will be among a group of players the Toronto Raptors take a closer look at next week. The University of Connecticut product who will be in the June 28 NBA draft will practise at the Air Canada Centre next Thursday, along with Kentucky's Rajon Rondo - considered one of the best point guards in the draft - and Washington guard Bobby Jones. The six-foot-six, 220-pound Brown averaged 10.4 points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists in 26.3 minutes for the Huskies, who made it to the Elite Eight at this year's NCAA tournament. Edmonton's Jermaine Bucknor, a six-foot-seven forward out of Richmond, will work out for the Raptors on Friday. The Raptors have the first overall pick in the draft at Madison Square Garden in New York, plus the 35th and 56th selections.

 Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Craig Patrick knew owner-captain Mario Lemieux was feeling much better after yet another medical scare when he heard laughter in the team's executive offices Thursday morning.

Lemieux, from his hospital bed, was text messaging club employees and, Patrick said, "I know everybody was chuckling every time they read one of them."

Lemieux, whose oft-interrupted Hall of Fame career has included an uncommon sequence of medical misfortune, was released Thursday from a Pittsburgh hospital after being admitted less than 24 hours before with a rapid heartbeat. The condition, known as atrial fibrillation, is commonly treated with medication and is not expected to end his career or alter his life.

The 40-year-old Lemieux was "very happy, very relieved" upon hearing that his problem was not much more serious, according to Patrick. Lemieux could be working out again within a week, after doctors determine how much medication he needs, and he could return to the ice not longer after that.

"He's started his medication already and it will solve his problem," Patrick said. "He's in great shape and he's in great spirits. This has been something that has been lingering on and off and they finally figured out what it is."

Lemieux, whose medical problems include a bout with cancer in 1993 and a rare bone infection that sidelined him for two-thirds of the Penguins' first Stanley Cup championship season in 1991, first noticed the irregular heartbeat this summer.

He went through a series of stress and blood tests, but doctors found nothing wrong. After he experienced another bout on a road trip to Florida during the Thanksgiving weekend, doctors told him to get to a hospital immediately the next time his pulse began racing.

When his heart sped up following practice Wednesday, Lemieux went to a hospital and was hooked to a monitor. The spell lasted until about 3 a.m., allowing doctors to diagnose the problem.

Atrial fibrillation is more common among older people and causes the upper chamber of the heart to palpitate and, as a result, not pump as much blood as a normal heart. If left untreated, the condition can lead to a stroke or heart disease, but it is commonly controlled by a blood-thinning drug.

Lemieux missed two of the Penguins' previous six games through last weekend with what the team described as the stomach flu, but there was no indication until Wednesday the problem might be much worse.

Penguins rookie star Sidney Crosby is living in Lemieux's home this season, and even he was unaware of the problem.

"I was pretty shocked. It was tough," Crosby said. "I was surprised and wanted to find out what was going on, so I went to the hospital to see him -- I had no idea. He didn't say anything about it and I didn't really notice a lot."

Penguins forward John LeClair said Lemieux's teammates were worried and upset with the news, and were relieved to learn the problem is apparently not serious.

Patrick was told multiple factors can cause atrial fibrillation, including stress. Lemieux has been exceptionally busy since the NHL labor impasse ended this summer, not only in returning to the ice after a nearly two-year layoff but making numerous decisions affecting the once-bankrupt team's financial future.

And, as Patrick said, the six-game losing streak the Penguins took into Thursday night's game against Minnesota couldn't have helped.

"I'm sure this was weighing on his mind, too, because he did have some tests for it and they couldn't find anything," Patrick said. "There was no sign of anything."

Patrick has no timetable for Lemieux's return to game action, although the layoff is not expected to be lengthy.

"I think we'll take our time," Patrick said. "The doctors said he could be working out in as soon as three days, but we'll monitor it and see how he's doing when he gets back."

Lemieux's list of injuries and medical setbacks is nearly as long as that of his accomplishments in one of hockey's most storied careers.

Lemieux sat out the 1994-95 season after having Hodgkin's disease and severe lower back pain that reoccurred even after he had the back surgery in 1990 that led to his bone infection. He retired for 3½ seasons following the 1996-97 season before unexpectedly resuming his career in December 2000 -- a year after buying the team.

The NHL's No. 7 career scorer has seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 25 games this season, but recently had a four-game streak without a point that was the longest of his career.

Raptors point guard Alvin Williams underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week, the team announced Wednesday.

Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., removed bone spurs and cleaned up scar tissue from Williams' knee on Tuesday.

Williams, who had microfracture surgery last year on the same knee, is out indefinitely. He missed all of last season and has played in just one game this year.

 Hey, call me crazy but after watching a spirited, enthusiastic, hungry team operate against the Hawks, Nets and Wizards I thought for sure the Raps would take care of business on their home floor Wednesday night against the Lakers. I was wrong.

I saw a team running on fumes in the first half giving up a Kobe Bryant three as time expired. The players left the floor dejected with their heads down as they took that slow walk from the court to the lockerroom. The Lakers then put the hammer down and scored 31 third-quarter points. Ballgame over. On to Charlotte.

E-mail photo | Buy photos Chuck's still lovin' the play of Jose Calderon. (Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)

There have been a number of positives. The play of Chris Bosh, Mo Peterson, Jose Calderon and Charlie Villanueva have created a certain "buzz", not only in Toronto, but around the league. The fact that two 21-year old players in Bosh and Villanueva play well off each other bodes well for the future.

The down side to rebuilding? Fans are impatient. I understand that. However there is no magic cure. If the Raptors had instant cap room, that would be one thing, but they don't.

The Raptors must stay the course and, while painful at times, all of us need to give these young players a chance to grow, develop and make mistakes. The team has played a quarter of its games. Now is not the time to berate the young players and place each and every loss on the rookies.

You win as a team and you lose as a team. The veterans will be the first to admit they shouldn't get a free pass on criticism. I love broadcasting winning basketball, but to tell you the truth I am having a blast following the trials and challenges of Jose, Charlie V. and Joey. To see what CB4 is doing on a nightly basis is uplifiting. No, I 'm not drinking the kool-aid. It's still 3-17, but as a fan of the game and a fan of watching young, hungry players get after it, I love it.

Incidentally after reading Lakers head coach Phil Jackson's remarks on Bosh I would hope the NBA office sends him a note reminding him that there is such a thing as tampering and with that comes a stiff fine.

Defence remains a concern and until the Raptors get that corrected they'll struggle. Don't misunderstand the following remarks, but I'd like to see the Raptors play a more physical brand of basketball .

I'm not talking about the "Bad Boys" Pistons era of the late 80s, early 90s. I'm not advocating a "rock 'em sock 'em" style of play. You never want to intentionally injure a player. That's poor sportsmanship and there's no room in the game for that.

I'm talking about a no-lay-up rule. Hard fouls are a part of the game. Too many opposing players have gone to the rim without feeling the presence of a "love tap". When I see Wayne Embry, I can only imagine what he must be thinking when he sees a guard penetrate through the heart of the lane and score at will. Embry's nickname was "The Wall." Opponents knew where the "Wall" was and avoided it every chance. I am NOT a stat person, but these stats tell the story of Toronto's 3-17 season.

They are giving up 103 points per game. That ranks next to last in the NBA. Teams are shooting an NBA high 49% against the Raptors. Numbers like that merit a discussion with the "Wall" about toughness.

Hopefully the Raptors can take care of business Saturday in North Carolina. The Bobcats fell to the Nets Wednesday night and dropped to 5-14, having lost five straight. Charlotte is going about it the right way. They're taking their expansion lumps and saving their cap room money for the right players. If you're going to shell out the big bucks you have to make sure you get it right or you're stuck with a bad roster for years to come.