Little bit of this, little bit of that

What in the name of Stockton and Malone is going on in Utah?

The team that was known for years for beating opponents down – and beating them up -- with a methodical, precise offence based on incessant picks and rolls leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 111.9 points per game.

Of course, that’s making coach Jerry Sloan a tad grouchy, which isn’t out of the norm for the stern taskmaster.

Check out this story from earlier this week in the Deseret News. Sloan is right up there among my favourite coach in the NBA. Not sure what it’d be like to cover him every day but he’s honest, forthright, doesn’t really care what people think and he’s been around so long every comment he makes is tinged with the proper context.

Sorta like Sam’ll be in 15 years or so.

Best Sloan story I know first hand?

We’re out there three seasons ago, when local product Rafael Araujo was a rookie. World had leaked out that the Jazz had been interested in Haffa with a pick just a couple after Toronto’s.

Some intrepid Salt Lake City radio reporter gets Sloan after shootaround and, I’m paraphrasing here, asks him: “So, coach, it’ll be interesting to see Haffa tonight, won’t it? See how he’s coming along?”

Sloan doesn’t blink and says: ”Who?”

Me and ex-Sun beat grunt Quag stifle our guffaws.

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Think Jose and Garbo won’t have a bit of an edge to them tonight when they see Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko.

It was back in September in Madrid when Calderon and Garbo were poised to be the darlings of their nation, ready to win the European basketball championships before an adoring home crowd.

Then Kirilenko and Russia pull a huge upset in the final and Spain finishes second.

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You know, some of you are so on ball, it’s incredible.

Yes, I now know that bon-bons come in boxes, not bags. Guess I got potato chips confused with bon-bons. Which isn’t out of the realm of possibility for most sports writers.

But, you gotta admit, the whole Sam Mitchell-bag (box)-of-bon-bons thing was pretty cool.

Oh, while we’re here: Alabama 90, Mercer 83. BearNation mourns.

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Okay, Jose Calderon is a pretty funny guy.
It’s post-practice Tuesday and he’s in signing a bunch of stuff to eventually be given away, autograph days happen two or three times a season, and included is a little survey.

One of the question was, “Who’s your favourite Canadian?”

Without hesitation, Jose says “Jim LaBumbard,” Toronto’s all-world media relations dude.

Outside of Doug Smith, that was the funniest answer.

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Dang. I had American Thanksgiving in the When-Do-The-Knicks-Meltdown pool. Missed it by a week or so.

Stephon Marbury flies to Phoenix with the team, blows off shootaround and a game to fly back home, apparently ‘cause he’s ticked that his coach got mad at him and the craziness continues for the Knicks.

Not sure what they can do with Marbury, he’s owed about $42 million on his contract and there’s no way he can be traded – again.

I remember the day he was traded from Phoenix to New York. I was enjoying an adult beverage or two with then-coach Kevin O’Neill (that happened every now and then) and we’re watching junior pucks, USA vs. Canada. All day, KO’s stunned by the trade and the thing he kept harping back to, and I paraphrase again ‘cause the memory ain’t what it used to be, was “they’re going to owe him $10 million in 2009, there’s no way that ends good.”

He was bang on.

Gotta check out Frank Isola in the Daily News for a tale of, well, blackmail, it seems.

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Scary Spice lives! Yay!

Wimpy Pretty Boy Cameron is gone. I still have Mel B as the overwhelming favourite but the lady from 90210 might give her a run. Marie Osmond? Not sure the days of teen idols (yeah, I’m a little bit country) survive the intensity of Dancing With The Stars.

A sober night with the Bears

Sam Mitchell loves to recount his glory days at Mercer College, back in the day when he apparently put the tiny school on the athletic map. Well, the glory days are back and I can just see Sam now, sitting his recliner tonight, clicker in hand, an adult beverage on the side table, a big ol’ bag of bon-bons in his lap, ready to settle in for a big night of TV.

(Okay, the adult beverage and bon-bons may be a stretch).

It’s Mercer-Alabama at the school’s spanking new 3,200-seat arena (The House That Sam Built?) in what might be the biggest home game in school history.

Coming off a 15-point win over USC on the weekend, the Bears get to host the Crimson Tide, as part of a two-for-one series between the major power and the tiny school that includes two Mercer visits to Alabama in the next couple of years.

Speaking of that USC win, I owe Sam an apology. Saw a score on the TV ticker in the United Centre press room minutes before Sam's pre-game oratory and mentioned to him, quite gleefully, that his Bears were getting whacked. Told him they were down 15 and he thought that was a moral victory. By the time I found out I was wrong, he was already flying back home so I had no chance to let him know it was champagne time. According to current Mercer head coach Mark Slonaker, it’s gonna be wild.

“There’s going to be tailgating. There’s going to be bands,’’ he told The Associated Press. “The buzz on campus and the students’ excitement about this game have been incredible. We don’t have football here, so this is kind of like what the students at Georgia get to experience when Auburn comes to town for football.’’

Right. Except for one thing.

Mercer’s a dry campus – A DRY CAMPUS – so the tailgating will be tame.

“But you can bet there will be an adrenaline high there, if not necessarily an alcohol high,” Slonaker said.

Hmm, dry campus. Wonder if that’s got anything to do with the Sam being the way Sam is.

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RAY STUBBLEBINE/REUTERS

Will take a while to get used to MoPete in yellow..

So, Dancing With The Stars gets boring last night near the end (if Scary Spice doesn’t win there should be an inquiry) and it’s time to flip over the Nets-Hornets and see how our Old Friend Mo is doing. And if you could see the inbox, it’s got a lot of “We Miss Mo,” “We Love Mo,” “Bring Back Mo” items it’s important that everyone is kept up to date.

I’m figuring I can take a pass on Scary doing the Tango, although that would have been some good TV.

Watch the game for about eight minutes of the fourth quarter and don’t even realize Mo’s on the court. He looks odd in the No. 9 jersey, he’s got a black headband that doesn’t stand out, and the only time he actually touched the ball for a long stretch, he turned it over.

And then it happened. A Chris Paul offensive rebound, a kick out to Mo at the top, that short-armed release, a three-pointer, a foul, a four-point play and a tie game with a minute left.

Kid still has a sense of the moment, doesn’t he? Was the sixth four-point play of his career.

The only thing that would have made the moment perfect for you was if he’d made the shot over Carter and then playfully slapped him on the cheek.

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Also got to hear Mark Jackson killing Nets coach Lawrence Frank in the dying minutes, too. And rightfully so, in this case.

Richardson Jefferson, in the absence of Carter (he’s injured and all of you laughing right now, stop!) has 23 points through three quarters and as the Nets are coughing up a lead, he should be the go-to guy, right?

Wrong.

Only four shots, all missed, for RJ in the fourth. Seems Antoine Wright got all the big shots. Duh!

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Anyway, after a nice day off, it’s back to the grind, the Heroes Of The Hardcourt are working (what’s next? Another lineup change? Hold up your hands everyone who hoped Jose for T.J. is next? I KEED, I KEED!) and if they’re working afraid I am, too.

Will be nice to get a practice the day before the only Jazz visit of the season and not have to ask anyone about Hoffa.

Inane ramblings in the morning

Action: Jamario Moon starts

Reaction: Juan Dixon doesn't play much.

If two games are any indication -- and that's all they've played so I guess they are -- Juan Dixon is the guy who's going to have his minutes cut most nights to give the rookie room to roam.

Even though when I asked Sam before the Chicago game who might be impacted most he said it would depend on his nightly roster machinations, it makes entire sense that Dixon would be the odd man out. Trouble is, for his size issues, Dixon was, and is, the most aggressive swingman the Raptors have and he would get up into guys on defence.

There are going to be nights when he has to play; presume the coach will recognize when those are. And on those nights, I'm guess Jason Kapono loses out.

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Action: Whistle blows, someone takes a lazy shot

Reaction: Defender leaps to knock ball away at the rim

Of all the new-fangled things in the game, watching defenders do all they can to make sure those after-the-whistle field goal attempts don't go in the basket irks me for some reason. I'm just as irked at the guys who try them -- what? they don't get enough shots up in a day? -- so I guess it's a two-way street.

I can't wait for the time some guy goes up to block a non-shot, lands awkwardly and rolls an ankle, that'll be a hoot. For the first guy who misses any length of time, we'll give out the Tony Allen award because watching him last year try an after-the-whistle, look-at-me-I-can-jump-high dunk and blow out a knee should serve as a cautionary tale to every player in the league.

And I also can't wait for the time some offensive player is trying to complete a layup, somebody blocks it and he gets all huffy and puffy and a quasi-altercation starts. I'm putting my money on that offensive player being Nate Robinson, by the way. With Denver's J.R. Smith second in the morning line.

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Time to trade?

No, not these guys, other guys.

We're a couple of weeks in, things are starting to shake out and it's time to wonder which struggling team will make a move first.

I think it's got to be Washington but that's broken, big time. Not only aren't they defending (mostly because they never have) but they aren't scoring. I can't see them moving Gilbert for Kobe ('cause I can't see Kobe in D.C.) and Antawn Jamison's contract makes him difficult to deal but there's a sense something has to give.

Maybe Eddie Jordan gets it? Shoulda put him at the top of the First Coach To Get Fired pre-season list.

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Best in the East?
Don't sleep on Detroit. Caught a lot of their Seattle game last night (we are very well served in out-of-market TV games here in Toronto, I must say) and they look good.

Depth was always an issue, but I like Jason Maxiell more than I thought I would and for so early in the season, Rasheed Wallace looks engaged.

Of course, there are going to be issues, eventually, with Flip Saunders 'cause there always are but they've got the talent to win the East for sure and are going really well right now.

Think that's it for now, remember, keep those cards and letters coming for The Day After The Night Before and the Friday mailbag. Just click here to get me. Or close enough to me that someone will ship the good queries on.

The Morning After The Night Before, V

Another morning, another flight, another rush job to get to the airport.

But first ...

Three Things I Learned

Over the Moon

The story keeps getting better, doesn’t it?

Watched him closely in the first nine minutes last night and what impressed me was his willingness to pass up shots. A couple of times, he had what looked like good looks but, because he knows his place and who he’s on the court with, he passed them up to get the ball back to Ford to keep the offence running.

That’s the kind of move that will not only endear him to teammates but Sam Mitchell will be like a proud papa.

Told Mitchell before last night’s game that Moon said he needed to block Iguodala’s shot after giving up the offensive rebound in Philly ‘cause he didn’t want the coach to “fuss” over him.

Sam howled. “That’s country, right there,” he said.

The more I see Carlos Delfino …

The better he looks.

The one thing that stands out is how he can track down long rebounds. It’s a skill not many players possess, being able to judge by the trajectory of the ball where it might go after hitting the rim.

He had one in Philly on Friday where he slashed into the middle of the key, about half way to the free throw line to grab a miss. Had another one last night where he went almost three quarters of the way across the court to track one down.

The knock in Detroit was inconsistency and we may still see that but, so far, he’s been way better than a lot of people expected. I’d bet he gets to finish close games more often than not.

The Bulls are in trouble.

I know it’s early and all but there’s something off with the Bulls. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune and Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum and I were all seeing the same thing last night. No spark, no hustle, no energy and seems it’s been like that more often than not.

Ben Wallace looks entirely interested, Kirk Hinrich was awful and Thabo Sefalosha – just to pick on a second-year kid ‘cause we can – makes Kris Humphries look like John Stockton, if you get my drift?

The 'Ko-be, Ko-be’ chants were cold and until they make a Bryant deal, they’ll continue.

Three Things You Wondered

Q: I am curious as to what Joey Graham’s his trade value would be within the league?

I figure that most teams would be interested in an overall athletic freak and would be willing to dish on some decent talent to see the potential of him.

I honestly feel that JG needs a change of scenery and that he would flourish with a team that is sub .500 and where he will get the minutes to truly develop and learn from his mistakes.

I also understand that Colangelo just signed him to an extension and that this idea is virtually not going to happen. Just curious to hear your thoughts on the guy...

P.S. In response to Rasho's dunking ability, I wonder who could jump higher, yourself or Rasho? I think I have my money on you Doug.

Darren Bleau, Waterloo.

A: Right now, Joey Graham is Wally Pipp (You young ‘uns google that name) thanks to Jamario Moon.

Trade value? He’s got very, very, very, very little. Cheap salary, a year left on his deal after this, no real track record to go on and I can imagine the only way he gets dealt is in a package as cap ballast.

But think of it this way: If Joey Graham, with his perpetual promise and infuriating inconsistency, is your 13th or 14th guy (and we’ve seen how well he can play in the final 16 games last season) that’s not too bad.

Oh, on that dunking thing?

Did you see Rasho throw that one done in the third quarter last night? That should quiet the hordes for a while, shouldn’t it? And I hope you don’t have much money on me, I can barely get up out of my chair some days, let alone up off the ground.

Back in the day though …

Q: I've called for Andrea move to the bench way earlier than it actually happened. But here is my concern. Is it possible that the former #1 pick in the draft has a type of game that doesn't compliment the game of our franchise player - CB4?

Anthony, Newmarket

A: I suppose anything’s possible. But I don’t think that’s the case here.

Two players of such unique talents as Bosh and Bargnani really need time to figure each other out, get in a comfort zone on the court and they haven’t had nearly enough time.

Bosh’s absence from half of training camp really set them back.

They will eventually work it out, it’s just not happening right now. I would expect later this season they’d get it done and, believe me, everyone connected with the franchise knows they’ll start next to each other some day.

And I do think they have the brains, and the games, to adapt.

Q: In reply to your comment that there aren't any slashing small forwards that can just be plucked off some team's roster, well, what about Cory Maggette? Probably the best (behind Kobe) in the league in terms of getting to the basket and making tons of free throws.

And he's on the market. And he's in a contract year.

And I know I'm a little late for the Big Three contest of yours, but how about this Big Three: Phoenix's Marks, Skinner and Banks combined (Thursday) night for 15 minutes, zero points, zero assists, zero steals, zero blocked shots and... one rebound.

Lee Zimmerman, Ottawa

A: Maggette’s an interesting case, I do think he’ll be dealt this year but not sure when. The Clippers, without Brand and Livingston, probably don’t have any expectations at all and will likely wait until February before making any move with him.

And, that’s some stat line, indeed. Classic production.

Morning after the night before, IV

Very interesting game, wasn't it? The return of Bosh, the return of AP, the debut of Mr. Moon and DNP-CDs for Garbo and The Hump 'cause the Sixers were small most of the night.

And I'd imagine going into Chicago tonight, we'll see more Moon against those athletes.

Anyway, am about to head to airport to get to The Second City but, first ...

Three Things I Learned (actually four today)

Bargnani needs to slow down

There’s a reader out there who wrote wondering why it seems Andrea Bargnani travels so often when puts the ball on the floor. Did it again last night, on an early drive from the wing instead of at the top of the key but it’s the same thing.

The coaches have been hammering him about slowing down, if only to give the defence a chance to react to his shot fake so it works better; until that point sinks in, there’ll be more turnovers than baskets.

And before anyone wonders, he didn’t play late in a close game last night because of matchups, the Sixers were small, Bosh was going good and so was Moon. In Game 1, it was Bosh who sat down in the fourth, this time it was Bosh.

Moonies rejoice

This is probably a huge oversimplification, and an unfair comparison, but when we were talking to Anthony Parker about Jamario Moon after the game, he said he saw some Shawn Marion in the rookie. No, Moon isn’t ticked about shots or his role and he doesn’t want to get traded; he’s got those freaky athletic skills that make him stand out.

If they can get that kind of play from Moon consistently – defence, rebounding and nothing forced on offence – we may have seen the last of Joey Graham in any significant role and Garbo’s DNP-CDs will grow and grow.

All Moon has to do is realize his limitations, not force shots or force himself on the game; I think he’s one of those guys who’ll always be around the action at both ends.

Good kid, too. And I hear Jack Armstrong warbled a bit of Fly Me To The Moon after Moon’s dunk and anytime Jack sings, that’s all right with me.

T.J.-Jose, for the zillionth time

Dan West, who bore the brunt of a rather harsh answer about Forderon in the mailbag the other day – it was a tad much, and I apologize – writes again and (like many of you) suggests it’s more about the flow of the game than that stats of the season.

I see that point but momentum is no more than a one- or two-possession thing most nights late in close games. I still think Ford is a better game-finisher than Calderon right now and I have no problem with him subbing back in the game for the last four or five minutes, even if Calderon is going and the team are going good at the time.

The Orlando game didn’t end well, maybe Calderon would have done more or maybe he wouldn’t have. You don’t know, neither do I and neither do the coaches.

But history has shown us that Ford is a good finisher, he’s won more than his share of games in the final three minutes and having him on the court at that time isn’t bad.

They didn’t do too poorly with him finishing last night.

Oh, and this one, too

BA = Blocks Against. Thanks to the zillion loyal readers who pointed out my lack of knowledge. On that point at least; the folks who write incessantly to point out my general lack of knowledge are tiresome.

Three Things You Wondered

Q: Okay, here goes, sending you another question even though I never get published (but, you did publish essentially the same question I had when you did your live chat):

I like Rasho. I think he's brilliant in terms of on-court leadership and directing traffic. On offence, he does his part and doesn't screw up the team flow. But, in watching the Orlando game, I was painfully reminded about his key problem: his inability or lack of desire to dunk the ball as a seven-footer! It was downright shameful to see him blocked multiple times on the same possession by Foyle without drawing ONE foul (very typical throughout his career)!

Why won't he go strong to the basket when he has post position and then why does Sam apparently reward him for passiveness the next game (I know, I know, to get the other guys going like they used to)? Can he physically not jump the requisite 12 inches?

Omar Hafez, London

A: Persistence pays, Omar. Besides, I’ve got peeps in London, peeps who go way back, and any time I can get some web time for someone from the Old Country, I will.
Rasho can so dunk, I saw him do it twice in one game in Atlanta last year. He looked like, well, like a slowish non-athletic big man dunking.

I don’t think they get all that worked up about it, though. After all, a layup with a four-inch leap is worth as many points as a two-hand windmill and Rasho, if nothing else, is smart enough to know his body will last a long longer making layups than dunking.

The Orlando thing was funny, though. Maybe he was just padding his offensive rebounding totals. Isolated incident, though.

Q: I think I've read all your mailbags and can't believe you never addressed the following question:  What exactly are you referring to when you mention "weak side" and "strong side" in basketball jargon? I actually played a year of high school hoops and didn't really figure it out!  You guessed it -- I wasn't very good.

Luka Modric, Toronto

A: Think of the ball as the source of strength. Whatever side of the court it’s one is the strong side, the other side is the weak side.

Let’s say Dwight Howard, being guarded by Rasho Nesterovic, has the ball on the left block. And as he spins to make a shot, he spies Hedo Turkoglu wide open in the far right corner. Turkoglu is on the weak side, Howard hits him with a pass and he’s got an easy jumper because the Raptors forgot to defend the weak side.

Not that that would happen, of course.

Q: Only one thing is killing me more than the standing around play of the Raptors ... and since you were home for the Milwaukee game, perhaps you can relate.

What is with the new scoreboard graphic that all of the broadcasters have switched to?

My wife and I (we're in our 30's) laugh at how bad it is, since we cannot read the score or the clock. It is horrible.

This is clearly out of your bailiwick, but you seem to know what is going on.  Who gets the blame for this one?

Where do I send my complaint?

Chris Marshall, Toronto

A: It is ugly, and virtually unreadable, isn’t it? Too small, too crowded, in the wrong place on the screen, I think.

Dude, I’m closing in on half a century, when I was home watching the Milwaukee game on TV, I almost had to get the binoculars out to read it. Either that or m y bifocals, um, I mean progressive lenses, need replacing. If mere pups in their 30s are having a hard time seeing it, imagine how old codgers like me feel?

Who to complain to? Well, RaptorsNBA-TV does all things TV around there, if you want to find a generic e-mail address for them, that’d be a start.

Sid the Kid; no, really, a kid

The things you see.

Standing around the Wachovia Center this morning, waiting for another another intermimable shootaround to end and here come the Pittsburgh Penguins down the hall, all dressed in their gear, carrying their skates, to walk across the parking lot and practice at the Spectrum.

We're all waiting to see Sid Crosby, 'cause I understand he's good or something, and sure enough, he wanders down the hallway, in uniform, ready to go.

What makes him stand out?

Maybe it's the bright yellow Crocs he's wearing.

They look a tad more colourful than the blue ones my 11-year-old wears.

They sure made Crosby stand out.

That was about all the news to report, talked to Rasho and he's okay with starting if that's what Sam wants, Andrea's cool with whatever the coach asks and Sam says that's the only alteration he's planning to the starting five, said he hadn't considered doing anything with the twos and threes.

Too early, he said.

Keep the cards and letters coming

If this is Friday, it must be mail time.

But people, really, come on! Grammar and punctuation count and over the past week, I’ve seem some usage of the English language that makes me fear for our future as a literate society. Okay, end of sermon.

This week’s themes: Carlos’s dietary habits, AP’s missing piece and an answer we need from one of you.

Q: Quick question about contending teams and the salary cap. It seems like Phoenix will hit a wall soon, in part because (and correct me if I'm wrong) they are running into cap trouble from having so many good (and high-priced) players around. At the same time, it seems like San Antonio has been able to manage the cap well enough to stay consistently good for several years without having to pay the piper.

So my question is what has San Antonio done that Phoenix hasn't? And do the Raptors seem to have learned from San Antonio's example (on the surface, with $30M in cap space after next season, it would seem so)?

Appreciate the blog!

Asher Mercer, Toronto

A: There really are two issues at play here, the cap and the tax.

The Suns are under financial constraints – which is why they’ve traded away almost every draft pick for the last three years – because they don’t want to get over the tax threshold.

The Spurs, on the other hand, locked up guys like Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and even Fabricio Oberto to long-term, rather inexpensive deals at the start of their careers and reaped the benefits.

They also aren’t entirely afraid of the tax, I remember R.C. Buford telling a few of us at the final last year they would pay about $250,000 in tax.

I know the Raptors aren’t going to be a tax-paying team ever so you’d better hope Bryan Colangelo spends wisely. He sure has so far and has constructed the roster in such a way that he’ll have a lot of money to spend in a couple of years.

Q: I have an unusual question for you. In the game vs. the Celtics last week, I noticed Carlos Delfino was chewing gum. There is nothing wrong with that, but who plays high intensity sports with gum in his mouth? Are there lots of players who chew during the game?

Simon Couvrette, Ottawa

A: I must admit I never noticed him chewing but if you say he was, that’s enough for me. It is a bit unusual, I can’t remember another Raptor who chewed. And if I remember back in the day, my Mom always worrying that’d I swallow my gum when I ran, can’t imagine what Delfino’s family thinks.

Q: Early this week you said Anthony Parker is missing 'something'... Can you elaborate? Also, I read (your article I think) that Garbo is upset with his playing time.  Do you think this will have an impact on the dressing room? Or do you think he'll just come more motivated each practice and wait for the opportunity to shine?

Frank Butara, Ottawa

A: I’m not exactly sure what that “something” is but there is something lacking. Maybe it’s confidence, his shot doesn’t look as free as it did at times last year, but I think he’ll get it back.

One thing that may have affected him adversely is/was the presence of Andrea Bargnani in the starting lineup. There’s only so much room on the court and Bargnani occupied some that Parker was used to using and it takes a while adapt. I imagine the insertion of Rasho Nesterovic in the starting five will help Parker get over the funk he seems to be in. That and seeing a few of his shots go in, of course.

And the Garbo story wasn’t mine but Garbo’s a pro, even if he’s ticked, he’s not going to let it fester and become an issue in the locker room.

Q: I wonder if when the Raptors play teams that have star wing players that they cannot match up to defensively, they can slow them down by running relentlessly on offence and coming off screens a la Rip Hamilton. I think Ray Allen and his surgically-repaired ankles wouldn't have had as much jump in overtime if he was on the run for all of his 49 minutes.

Marc L., Scarborough

A: To run like Rip Hamilton, you have to have skills like Rip Hamilton and no one on the Raptors does. That might be one reason they don’t scoot off screens and make defenders work extra hard that way.

I’m sure Toronto would love to have a guy like Rip, or Reggie Miller in his day, but they don’t; to ask players like Parker, Kapono or Delfino to step so out of character is unfair, and counter-productive.

Q: 'Raptors ready to ring a few bells?’ Thanks for the article, which I thought was very good, and more so, it's encouraging to hear Sam finally speak up a little about an aspect of the game he was familiar with.

Is this new for you to hear Sam talk about this aspect of the game? And do you think that without this part of the game the Raps could ever be anything other then a mid pack team?

Steph Regnier, Glencoe

A: Sam does talk about the need for toughness – stuff like setting good screens, fighting hard through screens, going after loose balls and rebounds aggressively – often; it’s one of his consistent themes.

And I do think they can be much more than a middle-of-the-pack team as presently constructed and I also think him hammering home that message about toughness will get through to some guys, who’ll start setting hard screens and doing all those other, little things that help so much.

Who? I think Delfino’s got it in him; I think Bargnani’s got it in him; I know Garbo does and I think Humphries does, too.

Q: Long time reader first time inquirer. Just a quick thing I noticed in the nba.com boxscores new this year. What's the stat column between blocked shots and total pts? My friends and I were toying with a couple (like broken ankles, oh wait Kaman had 3 last night, forget it...)

Brian Chan, Etobicoke

A: You know what? I have no idea and there’s no one around to call at the moment. I’m sure one of our alert readers will send a comment to the blog and let us both know. And I’m sure there are several of you saying right now, “See, I knew Smith didn’t know a dang thing. The dope."

Q: Hey, Doug. I'm a big fan of Anotine Walker so you can just imagine how happy I am that the entire Raptor team has decided to mold their game after him. Too many players in the league now dribble the ball up the floor and run a play or make a smart decision based on what the defense is doing. That's an all right way to play if you enjoy winning and don't mind working for your millions. Why should they waste all this energy on defence and trying to get to the basket. It's so much harder to shoot over a defender when your tired. Anyway here's my question, why does Sam always put TJ back in the end of the game when Jose was the one running the team when they made there run?

Dan West, Newmarket

A: You do sarcasm well. Very well.

T.J. Ford is averaging 14.8 points per game, 7.6 assists a game, has an assist-to-turnover ratio of almost four to one and has the single highest one-game scoring total for the team this year, a game that included a huge layup late in regulation and a gutsy game-tying three 4.4 seconds from the overtime buzzer.

You’re right. How DARE THEY PLAY HIM!

Q: Hi Doug. Love the blog. I've noticed a disturbing trend in two of the Raptor's recent games. (Wednesday) against Orlando, Dwight Howard was forced to sit with five fouls early in the fourth quarter. The same thing happened Sunday against Boston with Garnett getting into foul trouble early in the fourth. Both players came back into the game around the five-minute mark of the fourth but neither picked up their sixth foul. Can you tell me why the Raptors wouldn't attack these players and try to get them to foul out or at least get some easy baskets? They could have won both games if they had been more aggressive against big time players in foul trouble. Is this the players fault, Sam's fault or both?

Perry Keleher, Ottawa

A: It is a disturbing trend, indeed. Oh, they knew, and they tried, but they couldn’t get either of them out of the game. The one thing they don’t do well, as has been oft-discussed, is attack big men in the post. But to say they would have won? I’m not sure about that; Boston still had Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and Orlando had future Hall of Famers Hedo Turkoglu and Keith Bogans and that might have been enough.

Got a question or comment? Click here to access Doug's mail bag, and he'll answer a selection after every Raptors game, and more in his regular mail bag every Friday.

A good move?

No question, the Nesterovic for Bargnani switch makes sense, and may even work.

Here's the reason, as least as far as we can discern after a quick scrum with Sam before their flight today:

The offence, particularly in the first quarter, was bogging down. There was no movement, the signature high screen-and-roll was too cluttered with Bargnani and Bosh and the court and this should get them back to where they were last year.

And Bargnani is going to benefit because I bet he's the first sub off the bench, replacing Bosh, and he can come in firing, much like he did last year.

Defensively, it helps, too. Nesterovic was playing out of his mind in the pre-season, defending his own man on the block and helping to direct traffic in the paint like a veteran should. Bosh can now guard power forwards and let Rasho do his stuff under the basket.

The second unit gets better because Bargnani is a far more potent offensive force than any of the bigs -- Rasho, Humphries, Garbajosa -- who had been coming off the bench.

I can see Nesterovic playing six or seven minutes in each of the first and third quarters and ceding the rest of the time to Bargnani and Bosh, which is just a redistribution of what they'd done in the first five games of the year.

Guess you have to give Sam and his staff credit; they saw something wasn't working and are doing something to change it.

Morning after the night before, III

Better, but really, still not good enough.

Slow start, bad finish with some good in the middle? That's the sign of a .500 team, not a 50-win squad.

Anyway, there are still 77 to go so there's plenty of time. The season remains young. Very young.

And off last night we have:

FRANK GUNN/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Stop standing around and get all over that ball!

Three Things We Learned

It's little things like hustle

Want to know what drives coaches, and fans, bonkers? Down six in the third, Raptors are making a wee run. Andrea Bargnani ties up Dwight Howard driving the middle, ball comes loose and bounces away and everyone's thinking fast-break opportunity. Um nope.

Five guys in white stand around, watching the ball bounce, Jameer Nelson, I think, picks it up, two passes later Hedo Turkoglu hits (another) uncontested three.

Time out Toronto and I swear there was steam coming out of Sam's ears.

It's little things like time remaining

End of third, down four, they get the ball with 40.2 seconds left after a Carlos Arroyo basket. Perfect time to go two-for-one, right? Get up a shot in eight, 10 seconds and be guaranteed another possession with enough time to do something, right?

You'd think so.

Except, with Sam screaming to go, go, go, Jose Calderon dawdles, dawdles, dawdles, they don't get a field goal attempt until there's 28.9 left and a good two-for-one chance is blown.

Conflicted fans?

We all know you fans are an odd lot; some angst-ridden, sky-is-falling, everything-is-great-until-they-lose folk among the group. And it carries over to games, too.

Three minutes in last night, it's 9-2, Toronto hasn't made a field goal and won't for about five minutes and the boos start. Oh, and so does the "Let's go, Raptors" cheer.

Odd. Entertaining. Typical.

Three Things You Wondered

Q: When will the Raps realize the mistake they made, and put Garbo back in the starting lineup?

Garbo was a starter for the Atlantic champs last year, and at 2-3 currently without him, I think it's actually quite obvious what needs to be done. Let Kapono be the Kyle Korver of the Raptors, offence off the bench.

Rob Freeman, Toronto

A: I'm not sure it's that obvious about Kapono, or Garbo for that matter but I imagine some kind of change will be contemplated if the losses continue to mount and the starts continue to be slow.

The thing with Garbo is some nights he looks okay (he was effective in a short stint against Boston, so-so against Orlando) and consistency is what they need more than anything.

I do think there's a larger role for him, though.

Q: First off I have to add first hand support to your statement that (Tuesday's) game was far from the worst ever (I was at the game you mentioned in 95 against the Magic that featured a lineup of Dwayne Whitfield at C and Martin Lewis at PF).

I know it's early in the season and that our guys are just trying to find a groove but without more consistent penetration I don't think we will be getting the open looks we want. I'm a huge fan of Parker (loved him at Bradley) but if he isn't going to take it to the bucket then what is our solution? Is it the offensive philosophy? Or should BC try and find us a slashing wing?

Parker Findlay, Kitchener, Ont.

A: There aren't a whole lot of slashing wings out there, my man; Colangelo isn't just going to be able to pluck one off somebody's roster.

They do need to get the basket more _ watching Juan Dixon drive on Dwight Howard and Adonal Foyle and whoever else was in the paint was great to see Wednesday night _ but they don't really have guys who do that.

They are a jump shooting team; some games (Philly, New Jersey) they'll make shots; some games (Boston, Orlando), they won't.

It's a simplification but it's a fact, they just have to shoot better.

Q: The Raps need to take a page out of Kobe's book!

Did you notice how few fouls the Raps draw when in position to shoot the three.

When defenders come charging at you too recklessly - the Magic last night - jump/lean into the defender AND DRAW THE FOUL even if it means a wild three-point attempt.

Doug, I need your two cents. Is it that obvious or is Kobe just that good at initiating contact?

John Jakelic, Toronto

A: Kobe's better at it than most, yes.

And they, well, Bargnani, has had two four-point play possibilities this year already, which isn't bad since Toronto's only completed 15 in its 13-year history.

They could draw more fouls by driving the ball, I think that's what has to happen more than pump-faking a guy outside the three-point line.

The morning after the night before, II

Fire this guy.

Trade that guy

Bench this other guy.

Feel better?

In the cool dawn of a Mississauga morning, I can feel the angst, feel the frustration swelling, feel the anger and resentment and the suggestions that perhaps they should tank the entire season and get in the O.J. Mayo sweepstakes.

(And wouldn’t that be a whole new layer of stuff to deal with, play Mayo, Ford or Calderon?).

Yes, they stunk last night; yes, Chris Bosh was far below even average; yes, the wings defended like you and I. Yes, they have 79 games left.

Three Things I Learned

Mix and match time

If you’re sitting on the couch watching (the colleague had the pleasure of being in attendance) and you get back from a breath of fresh air to see Jamario Moon and Kris Humphries on the court in the first quarter, things are bad. Really bad.

No offence to either of them – The Hump actually played with energy he’d been lacking for a week or so – but if Sam Mitchell has to go that deep in his bench that early, it’s trouble.

But we know now Mitchell isn’t afraid to experiment if the starters are horrible. And that’s a good thing because it sends the right message: Play or sit.

Yi? Ha!

Kid’s gonna be good, maybe very good. Maybe quickly. Didn’t see too many obvious flaws in his game, although the token resistance given by the Raptors all night made it difficult to get a true read on him. Funny thing is, Toronto might have had him. There was a deal offered draft night for the No. 6 pick (it probably would have cost Toronto Jose Calderon) but the Raptors had no interest in taking back Dan Gadzuric, who had to be included in the deal.

Imagine Bosh, Bargnani and Yi? Pretty multi-faceted.

Don’t share, don’t win

Even when the game was marginally close, like for the first eight minutes, the one bad sign was the lack of ball movement. And don’t put it all on the point guards, although they were a bit too shot-happy. When these guys are their best offensively, it’s two, three, maybe even four passes before a shot goes up. Not one, a couple of dribbles and a force.

It’s a trust thing, and it has to be constant.

--

Three Things You Wondered

Q: What, in the holy name of Rafael Araujo, is happening to Bosh during first halves of basketball games?

Vladimir Oljaca, Belgrade, Serbia

A: I dunno. Well, I have a theory, but that’s all it is. I think maybe he’s a bit worried about his knee and he’s tentative to start games because he’s wondering how it’ll react. That may explain why he seemed to get stronger as the Boston game wore on. Last night, the two fouls in the first four or five minutes had him out of the game early and he never really got in rhythm.

Q: Doug, can you explain any conceivable reason that Juan Dixon continues to get consistent minutes? He brings nothing extra to the table over Kapono, Delfino and Parker? The other three can also refuse to pass while hoisting up terrible contested jumpers (even though they don't, which is novel), but they can also rebound and play some D

Please explain, without saying something about what he does in practice.

Ian Toye, Seoul

A: The one reason I can offer is this: Watching the various wings on this team, the one thing Dixon has over the others is the quickness and desire to drive, draw contact and get to the line. I don’t see it often enough from Parker, Kapono or Delfino and maybe the coaches see the same thing.

He is a concern on defence because opponents just post him up and that means the Raptors have to give him help they wouldn’t generally have to give the other three.

But on a team dominated by spot-up shooters, a slasher can’t hurt.

Q: I know it's early to jump on Sam but here goes! Raps are only down by seven after about seven minutes (last night) and are playing poorly, then Sam puts in five subs? In the second quarter while still down, instead of bringing Bargnani and some starters back on, he opts for Jamario Moon & co. and the Raps find themselves down 20-plus? Please, please explain why he gave this one away? Was he trying to teach the starters a lesson (this isn't college ball)? Did he legitimately think the subs give them a better chance to win?

Ben T, Richmond Hill

A: He gave it away? Yeah, right.

Think of this: After seven minutes of any game, he’s got at least three, maybe four, subs on the floor: Calderon, Nesterovic, Dixon almost for sure, and often Humphries.

Moon was in early last night because Desmond Mason was abusing whoever guarded him and they needed to try and get an athlete in there to defend. Would have been Joey had he been dressed.

And the way the starters were being abused, and how little they seemed to care, in the first quarter, why wouldn’t you give some other guys a shot?

It was a bit of a gamble, it failed.

--

Worst? Not even close

Now, having been subjected to this team for as long as it's been alive -- becoming, in my opinion one of the world's foremost experts on bad basketball -- I'm going to give you some context through which to veiw last night's horror.

Think of this as List Time from back in the day of Nothing But (Inter) Net

Here are three I witnessed that were far, far worse than what transpired last night.

March 13, 1998

Clippers 151, Raptors 120

A 48-minute L.A. layup line (Clips were awful and shot 68 per cent from the field) made worse by the fact the game was in L.A. Sports Arena, an emporium with such a unique odor it was affectionately known as The Pee-Pee Palace.

Nov. 1, 2003

Minnesota 73, Raptors 51

That's when we knew Kevin O'Neill may be a defensive genius but having to watch that team's offence made one look for a sharp stick or some scissors to run with.

March 29, 1995

Orlando 126, Raptors 86

Brendan Malone played five two-guards for a large chunk of the second half, perhaps trying to point out roster flaws to general manager Isiah Thomas, who was not amused.  Neither were the people who paid to watch it.

Now, those were bad games.