Normally, Hedo Turkoglu is about as combative as a carton of milk. Until the past several months, his only brush with controversy occurred almost a decade ago, when as an NBA neophyte, he publicly threatened to take Doug Christie's starting job.

We all remember how that went. Christie laughed. A sheepish Turkoglu apologized. And Christie not only clung to the job, he went on to enjoy his best seasons as the Kings' primary playmaker.

But this is another of those unusual, eventful periods for Hedo. Months after leaving the Orlando Magic as a free agent, only to flirt with the Portland Trail Blazers and then abruptly sign with the Raptors, he has his guard up because of a fractured bone under his right eye - complements of an inadvertent Mike Dunleavy elbow.