Jamario Moon, the 27-year-old rookie free agent with the Toronto Raptors, got his first NBA start on Saturday night, stifling Luol Deng defensively in what turned out to be a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls. That came the night after he got his first significant NBA minutes in a road win over the Philadelphia 76ers, all of which came after attending an NBA training camp for the first time.

But he's shown enough along the way ? he filled the stat sheet with 21 points, 14 rebounds, five steals, two blocks in only 46 minutes over the two games ? that Mitchell will extend the unlikely rookie's starting role at least until tomorrow night when the Raptors are host to the Utah Jazz.

"I'm not going to change the lineup," said Mitchell yesterday. "Especially when you look at Utah, with [Andrei Kirilenko] ? another long, athletic three."

By that logic the 6-foot-8 high flyer could become a fixture in the rotation, if not the starting lineup. The NBA is full of long, athletic wing players, and if Moon can continue his disruptive ways the market for his services should remain.

"He deflects passes; he can get in the passing lanes, change shots," Mitchell said. "It's the kind of stuff we've been missing since I've been here. We're hoping he can build on it."