Big night in the Big Easy

Happy New Year to all! Remember, drink responsibly, but have fun. But try not to wear any lampshades on your heads, that’s so 60s.

This is one wild and wacky city here in N’Awlins.

Went for a jaunt down Bourbon Street last night and it’s a zoo. Really. People on the balconies are like the visitors throwing food (beads) to the animals below. Not sure what that says about society, and this city, but it's not good, I can guarantee you that.

Don’t think for a minute there isn’t some worry coursing through the minds of upper-level management types, who wonder about the intelligence of leaving the team here tonight after the game.

But stay, they will.

I’m sorta hoping Mo Pete’s having a house party we can crash, but haven’t heard about it yet. Maybe Darrell Walker will have a place to go.

Or maybe it’ll be back to the room ‘cause, believe it or not, Bourbon Street is not my cup of tea.

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Bruce in Winnipeg wonders:

For your classic lists, here's one: What are the top five ex-Raps still playing who could come back and help this squad (your choice if you include the two superstars.)

Good question. Looking through the rosters, there aren’t a whole lot of them, surprisingly. But five do come to mind. How about:

TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Top two ex-Raptors: One a slasher and one slashed.

Marcus Camby, great rebounder-shotblocker.

Tracy McGrady, you want a slasher? Here he is.

Matt Bonner, for comic relief and three-point shooting.

Mo Pete, you apparently miss him more than anyone

Antawn Jamison, which may be a stretch but I’m the one answering the question.

Not a bad group of starters and backups, eh?

And, as a special service to him, and you, here’s five ex-Raps still in the league who’d come back and hurt them:

Rafer Alston, we need more locker room showdowns.

Mike James, they don’t shoot nearly enough quick shots.

Vince Carter, just for the angst factor and the injury theatrics.

Damon Stoudamire, point guard controversy? Add another.

Rob Babcock, it’s time for a trade.

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Speaking of New Year’s, we seem to have been on the road an awful lot over the years. I can remember one night in Phoenix and another in Seattle, both of which were off-nights that gave us a chance at a great dinner and nice time.

Games? Only one other.

It was in Washington back in 1997, the night Butch Carter suggested Tracy McGrady better smarten up or he’d be out of the league in three years.

I can also recall sitting in the arena press room typing, listening to Aretha Franklin or maybe it was Gladys Knight, singing Auld Lang Syne and thinking life was pretty crappy.

It only got crappier when I got back to the Georgetown hotel we were in only to find the lobby bar closed. Two Miller Lites out of a minibar is no way to spend a New Year’s Eve.

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Before the lads go to arrive here in the Big Easy, they had to practice in Houston because, well, because they needed it. It’s odd for them to work after back-to-back road games but Sam knew they could use the time in the gym rather than the time in the hotel room.

So, what’d they do?

Not much, I’m told. Got up some shots, went over some offensive sets, hardly intense but it was necessary. There’s really no time to put in any new plays at the moment, they will have two straight days of practice at home this week, that’s when they’ll get it done.

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Checking in around the league, I see the shocking news that Isiah Thomas is on thin ice in New York.

Wow! Who’d-a thunk that!

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Hey, ladies, wanna come to the game?

Go the Hornets website and download a coupon and you get in free.

Guess basketball on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans is a tough sell. Go figure!

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One more from the mailbag

Q: Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure you will) but it seems to me that the other team is not covering Moon when he has the ball beyond the arc. They seem to challenge him to shoot the ball from way out there where he his almost guaranteed to miss. This allows them to double up on Bosh and still cover the other three players resulting in a desperation play or Moon jacking one up for a turnover.

Christopher M, Victoria

A: Correct you? Not a chance. That’s exactly what teams are doing because they don’t respect his jump shot. And maybe they shouldn’t. And maybe that’s why Sam is so adamant that Moon drive the ball more often.

And maybe the kid’ll get it soon.

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Hey, when you're getting hammered tonight, don't forget the mailbag's open for post-game frivolity and this Friday's usual offering. Just click here to send something along, I could use a laugh before, or after, the game.

Again, kids, be careful out there tonight! We need you all back here for 2008.

The Morning After The Night Before, XXIX

So continues the roller-coaster ride and we’re getting some Fire Sam, Trade Bargnani, sky-is-falling e-mails in the wake of that dog of a game on Saturday night.

Yes, a day after all was grand in the world following a win in San Antonio, a dark cloud has moved in over the Raptors, apparently.

It’s all part and parcel of covering a team with perhaps the zaniest fans in the entire NBA. You guys, and gals, are great.

It was a pooch of a game, though. Horrible offence on both sides, sluggish and slow and boring for long stretches.

But still, they played so …

Three Things I Learned

How to fix it?

Jeez, I dunno, either, to tell you the truth. The offence has been broken for weeks now, masked by a defence that can be excellent at times.

Here’s the thing: They do have plays to get them to the rim, that little curl with AP around the elbow could end up with drives and fouls and layups; watching Jamario Moon take 17-footers instead of driving the ball makes coaches cringe. We hear Sam yell at them, we see them make comments to each other in timeouts. It’s there, they just have to do it.

So what do they do? Keep working, hammer it home, maybe it’ll sink in.

Maybe in an effort to get more free throws from the twos and threes, a huge problem with this team, they might put those guys in the post every now and then, maybe use Delfino more often slashing from the wing.

I do know they were working on Sunday morning, as much as they could coming off back-to-backs, and Sam and his staff were going to meet and talk about tweaking the sets. They’ll have two days of practice this week before they get the Pistons on Friday, the pressure’s on for them to come up with something.

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Sign of the times

I offer this for nothing more than comic value:

In the press room of the Toyota Center, this sign adorns one wall, it trumpets the:

Roger Clemens Institute For Sports Medicine and Human Performance.

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Texas two-step?

Yes, that was Clyde Drexler doing TV on the Rocket broadcast.

No, he wasn’t pestered by a visiting writer for inside info on Dancing With The Stars.

I wanted to, though.

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Three Things You Wondered

Q: Well Doug I'm have been teased by my Chinese friends with the dreadful Raptors in Houston tonight. One of the few Raptor games I get to watch because of Yao Man.

My question is When will they terminate D-Mart. Jose is great but can't play the minutes that are expected. Juan Dixon is not the answer and with T.J. out a dependable back-up is required. It is time for (Colangelo) to go get the best point guard from the D League give Jose a break.

Cam M, Shenzhen, China

A: I’m not sure they’re going to do anything with Martin, not do I think it’s really necessary, but Jan. 5 is the first day they can sign guys to 10-day deals and Jan. 10 is the day Martin’s contract becomes fully guaranteed so we may see some action soon.

Dixon has done a passable job and I don’t think some minor leaguer is going to be able to come in, run the offence and do a better job. And I do think T.J. will be back some time.

And here’s the thing about Jose’s minutes: They aren’t that bad. Starters around the league mostly play 34-36, which is what he’s getting.

So, while I'm not sure what Colangelo’s thinking is, we should find out soon.

And hope your folks over there don’t tease you too much.

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Q: I read TJ appeared on the practice. But I read on NBA game review against Rockets that TJ reportedly is considering retiring. Is that true that he is really considering it?

John P, Belleville

A: We’ll go over it one more time.

At no time in the 20-minute conversation we had with T.J. in San Antonio, nor in the 25-minute conversation we had with him back in Toronto, nor in any of the quick chats we’ve had when he’s been around has he ever mentioned that retirement is a possibility.

In fact, here’s a quote from the other day:

"The key now is longevity. It’s still early in the season we still have a lot more games left. Next time I come back I want to be able to finish the whole season and not have to break it down into pieces like I’ve been doing so far. I think that’s the mentality now."

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Q: Now that The Star has bumped your salary into the SERIOUS six figures to prevent you from being poached by ESPN And Yahoo Sports (see the article in the Dec. 24 NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/24/business/media/24sportswriters.html?ex=1199422800&en=f3851412df3cd1e2&ei=5070&emc=eta1), I have two questions: 1) Have you ever interviewed an NBA'er who makes less than you do (now that you earn the big bucks); and 2) When it comes to your adult beverages, have you switched from your proletarian fare (suds) to something more befitting a man of wealth (single malt)? And if Rick Reilly deserves more than $3 million a year to work for ESPN, then SURELY you deserve at least a mill, no?

Lee Z, Ottawa

A: You, sir, can be my agent any time. Six figures? Yeah, if you count the two on the right side of the decimal point, I’m at six figures. We need ESPN or Yahoo Canada, I guess.

Your questions: Interview an NBAer who makes less than me? That’s hilarious. I’m chuckling over here. No, not quite. A couple of guys have asked, in private conversations, what kind of coin we make and they seem stunned when I suggest it’s, well, it’s meal money.

Single malt? Nah, that’s an acquired taste I’ve yet to acquire. There are enough micro-suds to get me through various NBA cities and if there’s a clear, odorless liquid you can mix with orange stuff or red stuff or white stuff, that’ll be fine with me.

The Morning After The Night Before, XXVIII

Hey, sorry I’m late. Actually got about six hours of sleep last night, which put me behind this morning and then had the drive from San Antonio over here to Houston that took a good chunk of the morning.

But it’s the weekend so I figure a lot of you regular readers who goof off at work are goofing off around the house and won’t mind a bit of a delay.

Helluva game last night, no? Kept waiting for the Spurs to make about six shots in a row and take control but you’ve got to give the Raptors credit, they contested most of the shots while still keeping Tony Parker from getting to the rim. Pretty good game plan, if you ask me.

Here we go:

Three Things I Learned

Chris Bosh is multi-faceted

We all know the kid can play, but he can act, too.

Check out this link supplied by one of our more alert readers, David.

Pretty cool, eh?

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Sam’s pretty consistent

How’s the Fire Sam crowd feeling today? Tell me the truth, how much angst did you have in the fourth quarter last night when he left Bosh on the bench the entire fourth quarter, trusting The Hump and Bargs to bring the game home?

Lots, I bet.

But say this for Sam, it’s not the first time he’s stayed with a hot hand or two at the expense of his best players. It goes to what he does best, tell the players what’s expected of them and if they’re doing it, they’ll play. He did it his first year with Vince Carter and Jalen Rose in Utah, if you remember; he did it earlier this season with Jose playing and T.J. watching one fourth quarter.

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It’s a gridiron world and we’re just visiting

The Alamo Bowl was in San Antonio last night and the city was over-run with Penn State and Texas A and M fans. The Spurs were a decided second choice among the locals for a night or two.

So much so that the adult beverage parlour in one of the Marriotts invented two drinks to supply the thirsty football fans. The first was a JoePa, which included, among other things, Rolling Rock, lime juice and, I believe, something like cranberry juice. The other was a Gig ‘Em to honour A and M and it had Shiner Blonde, Tabasco and some other junk.

Gross, both of ‘em. Or so I’m told.

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Three Things You Wondered

Q: First of all, I'd like to give a huge shout out to the Red Rocket for a killer game in the Spurs loss. He did great credit to the now lost Bonner adult beverage game (a sip for every mark on a stat sheet) that sadly dropped from 82 games a season to 2 games a season.

Aside from that, I need to ask, did you see a little KG in Bosh last night?  With four minutes left in the game, and he's on the side not sitting, but as in the game as a man can be on the bench. You could see the intensity in his eyes like he was in the game. How significant of a win do you see this as?

Graham H, Toronto

A: The Red Rocket rules. Sounds like a helluva game, too.

Was talking to someone in the locker room after the game about Bosh not playing at all in the fourth quarter and the consensus was that he was quite fine with that, seeing how he wasn’t playing that well and Hump and Bargs were playing well.

I did see him up off the bench at every big play, cheering; also saw him taking guys aside during each time out for a little tutoring.

Significant? Well, it guarantees them being no worse than .500 at New Year’s, which is pretty good, all things considered, and as Hump said, it does prove to themselves, and others, that they can win tough games against good teams on the road when the offence isn’t going.

I’d say this year, only the Memphis game in Memphis was a more significant victory.

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Q: I don't usually complain about calls and notice the Raptors do a good job of not complaining publicly much either. That being said, when the shots weren't falling against San Antonio the Raps did a good job of going to the basket in the 3rd quarter, especially Bosh. Thats why its frustrating that he had attempted 16 shots (making only 4) at that time without a FT attempt. I'm sure you noticed many of those shots were taken inside with plenty of obvious contact. Interview the players, do you ever get the impression (off the record or not) that certain teams/arenas are most frustrating to play for that reason? Thanks.

Shawn M, Ottawa

A: Who gets calls and who doesn’t is a topic for almost nightly discussion – mostly off the record – between players, coaches and us. There is a feeling some guys get more calls than others, and that’s a perception that’s never going to go away. Last night wasn’t as obvious as many, though, because the Spurs were incensed at not getting calls and they are a team many think usually benefit from the whistle.

I’m of the belief that refereeing NBA games is the most difficult job for any official in any sport; they really could call a foul on every play if they wanted. I’m also of the belief that NBA referees are the best in pro sports and generally don’t have regard for who’s playing or who’s got the ball when they blow the whistle.

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Q: A beat guy has to know his salaries in order to be able to accept or reject hypothetical trades. I therefore pass this link on to you: http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/toronto.htm

It has the Raps at $55 mill which leaves them at $15 mill below the luxury tax which therefore = Josh Smith.

Josh S, Thornhill

A: Why thank you, I’d never think to look up salaries somewhere like that. Fortunately, we do our homework a wee bit better. What you don’t have on there are next year’s salary for Kris Humphries or Jamario Moon, the cap-hold on Juan Dixon will likely be about $4 million and the salary slot for whatever draft pick they have will have to be figured in, as well.

Toss in the small fact that unless you are mind-reading accountant who knows what the BRI will be next July, any guess at the tax level is simply that, a guess.

But thanks for the link, I may use it when it’s right some time.

Just like clockwork, the mail gets delivered on time

Wow, we’re pretty full this week, again.

Don’t despair if your query isn’t here, I’ll get some out in the regular blog and in the Three Things part of post-games this weekend.

This week’s themes: Do they need Rasho, a couple of wild and crazy trade ideas and – for something entirely different – an idea about moving Jose.

Q: Is it just I? We miss Garbajosa even though it is hard to put one's finger on WHY we miss him. I am sure the stats would not reveal he is being missed that much. Yet a strong if ineffable feeling remains: boy, was he good when we needed him for a pass, a deflection, a rebound, an important shot.

Doug, what do you think IS a glue guy?

What specific traits do glue guys provide? Why are they so rare and hard to define? Who are the top "glue guys" now playing in the NBA? Are they recognized for what they bring?>

Charles N, Mexico-Toronto

A: No, it is not just you at all. It’s Sam Mitchell and Bryan Colangelo and the other 14 guys on the roster who miss Garbo. A lot.

To me, ‘glue’ guys are the ones who make big plays that don’t really get noticed, they know their roles and perfect them, they are good teammates because they encourage others and set examples of hard work and a willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team.

I’d say the top one in the league right now is Bruce Bowen in San Antonio, I’d put Kurt Thomas in Seattle as another who’s helping a very young team. I’d also suggest Grant Hill’s going to do that in Phoenix despite only being there one season.

Are they recognized? Yeah, at the pay window and by sticking around the league a very long time.

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Q: My question: We keep reading about how impressive is the ratio of assists to turnovers for Jose C. It is, maybe...I just wonder if the few turnovers is very much a reflection of the Raptors being an outside-shooting team. In other words, where some point guards make turnovers trying to hit cutters or others inside, with the exception of Bosh (and sometime Calderon himself), the Raptors lack an inside game. The majority of Calderon's assists seem to be earned on hitting outside shooters. I'd be happy to see a few more turnovers if it means a surge of points in the paint. What do you think?

Richard W, Toronto

A: With all due respect, I think only a Raptor fan would want the NBA leader in assist-to-turnover ratio to commit more turnovers.

I think the few turnovers are a reflection of his intelligence as a basketball player, not his unwillingness to make the flashy play.

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Q: I had to comment on the Rasho-Andrea thing. I seem to recall about 12 or 14 games into last season you wrote "What the Raptors need is more Rasho," that was about 48 hours after I had announced the same around the office. I want to know how many games it will be before you make a similar announcement.

I think Rasho has been the unsung hero on this squad, it never shows up in the box score, but they do play better D when he is on the floor, get more rebounds, he doesn't block a lot of shots but seems to alter quite a few, he sets solid screens and while some match ups don't favour him he does defend the likes of Dwight Howard and Chris Kaman quite well. I know we need Andrea's potential offence, but one has to wonder if he can replace all or any of those intangibles that Rasho brings every night.

Robert K, Shelburne

A: I’m of the opinion that Rasho is an important player on this team, for his leadership on the court defensively. He’s been in the playoffs every year of his career, including in Minnesota and Toronto, and I think that says something about him.

I think, eventually, you’re going to see a three-man frontcourt rotation of Bosh, Bargnani and Rasho, with the Hump being fourth, used on nights when someone (Bargs) gets in foul trouble.

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Q: A few questions:

Do you think that Delfino will command a Kapano-type contract ($ wise) next summer?

Is Grunwald still with the Knicks? I never see him mentioned by the New York press. Would he survive Thomas getting fired?

Who will be the starting/finishing five for the Raptors come play-off time this year?

How much can the Raptors spend on Calderon and Delfino before they get into luxury taxes?

J.L. Toronto

A: Hey, do we have to put a limit on the number of questions per question? Kidding. Okay, here we go

Yes, a full mid-level contract is very much the kind of money Delfino will ommand.

Yes, the lucky fella’s still there in New York and I think he would survive, in the short-term.

Starters: Ford, Parker, Delfino, Bosh, Bargnani. Finishers: Probably the same, maybe a centre not currently with the team finishes for Bargnani.

Spending? That’s too hard to say, really. But I will. If the tax threshold is around $70 million and no roster moves are made, they’ll be about $10 mil below. So they could do Delfino at full mid-level and match a really good offer and stay below it. Of course, that’s all speculation ‘cause the numbers aren’t nearly final.

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Q: Re: the great Bargnani debate, I'm of the opinion that, long-term, there are players who make more sense from a chemistry and "game-fits-the-needs-of-the-team" perspective. The Raptors have a surplus of shooters and an obvious lack of toughness and rebounding down low.

Share your thoughts on Emeka Okafor if you would. I see a very good rebounder, shot blocker, banger and help defender who just happens to play for a team that might balk at paying him the kind of money that he'll command as a restricted free agent. Could you see Bryan making a call, perhaps using Rasho's expiring contract as leverage?

David T, Nashua, N.H.

A: Hey, Jed Bartlett territory! Best president in decades.

I like Emeka Okafor, or I should rather say I used to like him a lot more. He is a good shot blocker, fine defender but he really hasn’t developed into the presence I, and many others, thought he would.

But he would be a nice fit, although I think he’d be too expensive as a free agent in the off-season and I don’t think the Raptors have the pieces Charlotte would want in a trade to rent him for the rest of this season. The Bobcats got their centre in Nazr Mohammed so Rasho’s out, and a package of shooters wouldn’t be enough, I don’t think.

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Q: If you could pick any player in the league and put them on the roster who would it be? Rather than a player anyone pick like Nash, Kobe etc? Like a good star player that would help/support Bosh and Bargnani?

Jermaine M, Toronto

A: I can’t pick stars? That’s a toughy. Okay, here’s three: Richard Jefferson, Antawn Jamison and Joe Johnson would be on the list. We’re not talking all-stars, right?

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Q: I'm not sure if you do the hypothetical trade forum stuff however it appears as though the Raps are only (1) impact player away from contending.  Here is my trade, tell me why the Raps wouldn’t make this deal.  TJ, Rasho, Garbo, Graham for Shaq and an unprotected #1. Miami needs to rebuild around Wade with good role players and gets cap relief next season (I think?). We use a few spare parts to get a chance to contend over the next 2 1/2 seasons.  If it doesn’t work, Bosh, Calderon and Bargnani are still young enough to continue to build around when the Diesel comes off the books. Thoughts?

Rob V, Waterloo

A: Why they wouldn’t do it? How about ‘cause Shaq’s done? And that’s way too high a price to pay for a guy who’s done and who is owed about $40 million on his contract. I don’t do a lot of hypotheticals but this one caught my eye.

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Q: I'm thinking now that Christmas has come and gone, it's finally no longer too early to start talking about trades. How about this one: Bargnani for Ben Gordon. Toronto needs a slashing/scoring swingman and Chicago needs shooting and a low-post presence. I can think of a bunch of reasons why this would or would not work, but assuming Bargnani regains his shooting form and continues to develop a low-post game after getting back into the starting line-up, could you see either Toronto or Chicago wanting to go for this coming up to the trade deadline? Not that I'm endorsing it, it's just the least ridiculous trade I could come up with ...

Andre C, Toronto

A: At least it’s not Shaq. But I don't think Bargnani gives Chicago what they want and I'm pretty sure Ben Gordon would be just another player in Toronto.

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Q: I really enjoy your blog, and I hope you had a Merry Christmas. I was wondering if you knew if the Raptor players who aren't from the U.S. were able to get home for Christmas?

Tannis T, Eastend, Sask

A: Thanks, hope you had a great holiday, too.

All of ‘em got back from Phoenix to meet friends and family and even though they weren’t in their own countries, they all seemed to have had a good time.

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Q: How does it feel to be among the list of famous "Doug's" in Toronto? Gilmour, Christie, and now Smith!!!

Okay, so my question, with regards to NBA players playing for their countries. For every Jose Calderon who plays for his country and comes back playing out of his mind for his NBA club team, there are guys like Garbo and Gasol who get injured while playing international ball. When injuries happen while playing for your country, are the teams that pay their salary on the hook for it if the player cannot play during the season?

Marino F, Richmond Hill

A: Oh yeah, the NBA clubs are on the hook for every dime of the salary. It’s two entirely different things, international ball and the NBA.

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Q: I have recently been turned on to basketball (thanks to an elementary coaching assignment) and was wondering what age a typical American player would start playing.  Is there an extensive club system in the States, or is most of the development through elementary and high school?

Steve B, Sudbury

A: Typical? Early grade school, I’d guess. Around Grade 4.

And you’ll find most the development, sadly, comes through AAU and club ball rather than the schools. I say sadly because the clubs are more interested in games, travel and shoe deals than making kids truly learn the fundamentals of the game.

If you’re coaching kids in school, make ‘em learn to dribble, pass and shoot, drill ‘em ‘til you can’t drill ‘em any more. They’ll appreciate it later.

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Q: For the people who complain about Moon, he is still a steal even if he falls back to the bench. Nothing much expected, not much of a salary (except for dumping Luke, who is just filling up the stat sheet in Miami - that's a joke youngins) but he has given at least as much as most making ten times as much.

As for a question, how is Jose's hand. I would think that injury would bother most players but a PG, has he said anything about it? (and for Jose's defence of four assists against the Suns, if you could add two Hump blew, and a couple on the many fouls on Chris, he be right there at the season average - which is high cause of some hot shooting games by his team. )

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: Jose’s hand’s okay. Asked him about it yesterday, as a matter of fact. He’s still got the two fingers taped together on his left hand and it’s limiting him a bit (hurts a bit when he catches hard passes) but he’s got to play through it. Doctors tell him it’s going to be a good long while before he’s 100 per cent but that’s something he has to live with.

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Q: Any chance the Raps change their intro music this year? I’d suggest "Sunday morning" by K-OS for Sunday games. Also, here’s a scenario: Assuming TJ is all fine and dandy, in the off-season, would the Raps contemplate dealing Jose Calderon for Josh Smith in a straight up sign and trade? There are some pretty good projected late first round point guards available who could backup TJ (DJ Augustin, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois).

Josh S, Thornhill

A: I’ll pass on the music suggestion to the powers that be.

Nope, I wouldn’t do that Calderon-Smith deal for two reasons: Even if T.J. looks great for a long time, you never, ever know what his long-term situation is going to be and you need a backup as talented as Calderon, as we’ve seen of late. And I’m not a huge Josh Smith fan. He’s good, but not great in my book. I could be wrong – and I’m sure many people out there will let me know just how wrong – but that’s my opinion.

A familiar tiny point guard returns, sort of

T.J. Ford, styling in a state of Texas pullover and Pittsburgh Pirate cap, was back at Raptor practice today.

As a spectator, not a participant, and he's still not sure when he'll be back on a basketball court. His body hasn't told him when that'll be yet.

Ford is being extra cautious about coming back from his latest neck and back injury -- the horrific fall a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta -- and he told us today he's simply not ready yet.

"I think now my body just needs to just recover and just relax and that’s all I want to do right now," he said. "It’s tough, being taken off on a stretcher. It’s definitely tough to hop right back into it a week later, just knowing your body went into a big shock.

"Right now, it’s just letting my body calm down and when I feel like my body’s right, we’ll go to the next step."

Ford looked cool and healthy as he watched the Raptors practice, a lot better, in fact, than he's looked since he got levelled by Al Horford late in that game.

The Christmas break back home in Houston obviously agreed with him. But, still, there's no timetable for him to get back on the court.

We'll have lots more of this in tomorrow's newspaper, just figured I'd do a little update for all you folks goofing off at work.

Checking in from Texas

What’s a guy to do on a night off on the road? Go watch a game, of course. Caught Spurs-Bulls last night in San Antonio, which provided some grist for this mill.

Here we go

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ERIC GAY/AP

Raptors better keep their eyes peeled for this tomorrow night. Or else it'll be too late.

You should have seen Tony Parker shred Chicago last night. Kid was unbelievable getting to the rim and finishing, getting in the paint and spotting open shooters and all I can think is that Jose Calderon’s in for a long, long night tomorrow.

How good is he? He could be the MVP quite easily and there’s a sense that there’s a passing of the torch from Tim Duncan to Parker as the best player in San Antonio.

Ran into an assistant coach at halftime and the first words out of his mouth (well, second after “Why are you here? The Riverwalk closed?”) was, “How do you stop Parker?”

No answer, really. The kid’s that good.

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Let’s get into the mailbag early today:

Q: Best of the season. Transplanted Torontonian living in Nashville...read you and the Swirsk pretty much every day. It's a little bit of home.

Do you think that playing the dozen or so players every night is hurting the Raptors? I think giving different offensive looks helps us, but I think the defence is being killed by it, because the rotations seem to stiffen up a bit.

Thanks a lot ... peace on earth ... yada yada yada ...

Gerald F, Nashville

A: I thought all you folks in Nashville were diehard Predators fans who couldn’t handle the team leaving for Hamilton and rallied around the pucks? That’s what Gary Bettman told me.

Anyway, on your question: Yes, I think it does hurt them and I think they eventually have to settle on an eight-man rotation. Maybe nine.

Trouble is, I don’t think they’re sure every night what they’re going to get out of their twos and threes so that’s why they get to 10, or even 11, players some nights.

Until two of Moon, Parker, Delfino and Kapono rise the occasion, I think Sam Mitchell’s gonna have to mix and match.

He’s set at point guard (Calderon and Ford, or Dixon with Ford out), the bigs seem settled with Bosh, Bargnani and Hump (Rasho has to be the odd man out, unfortunately) so trouble is, there’s not enough separation between those other four to make a decision easy.

Happy Holidays, blah, blah, blah.

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Every day, a couple of people ask: What’s up with T.J.?

Honest answer: No one knows except T.J. and he’s not talking yet.

In fact, he’s not even around.

Ford’s going to meet the team somewhere here in Texas but it wasn’t in San Antonio on Wednesday night so no one got a chance to ask him how he’s feeling or when he might be back or even how Christmas was.

Just glancing at the schedule, I’ve always thought Jan. 4 against Detroit was by far the earliest he could be back, given the lack of practice time he’s going to need.

Now I’m not even sure of that. Now maybe Jan. 9 against Philly?

Whenever it is, it’s going to be Ford’s decision. Everyone connected with the team is giving him wide berth to make up his own mind and that’s a classy move.

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Wouldn’t be a trip to San Antonio without a chat with Matt Bonner, who remains one of the game’s good guys. And with Matt, it’s always about transportation.

With no streetcars or subways down here, he was forced to buy a car last year – a white Grand Prix as you may recall – but sometimes that’s not even enough.

"Actually I drove the minivan today,” he told us Wednesday night. “My parents are in town and my dad rented a minivan so we drove that today so we could fit everybody.”

Can you just picture the Red Rocket tooling down the highways riding high in some minivan with mom next to him and dad in the back? Of course you can.

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After San Antonio on Friday, it’s Houston on Saturday and it looks like the Raptors will avoid Tracy McGrady.

A sore left knee has T-Mac on the shelf and Jonathan Feigen of the Chronicle reports it might be a week or so before he’s back.

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Cleaning out the mailbag a little bit more

James from Kingston writes:

"I wanted to thank you for posting your blog and stories early in the morning so fans have something to start their day with. I bet I'm not the only fan who look forward to coffee and Raptor news/insights before getting on with the rest of my boring life.

Now, if I could get you to realize that Calderon is better than TJ and that Mitchell can't coach offence, you would be the perfect basketball reporter.”

And Jamal of Ottawa chimes in:

"Doug, damn you’re a Bargnani apologist. The guy sucks, He can't rebound, defend and now he can't shoot 3's. I guess NBA players figured out his game and what he likes this year. I couldn't believe he was defending Stoudemire against Phoenix, too. He really needs to go to D League. Do you get some of salary to be his supporter?”

Why, thank you all. Now I have to spend some of my weekly stipend fron Bargnani.

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This just in: The Bulls suck.

Big time. Kirk Hinrich (career low 38 per cent from the field) and Ben Gordon (career low 38.5 per cent from the field) can’t make a shot, they have absolutely zero low-post presence on offence and Ben Wallace looks old. Very old.

You’re going to hear an awful lot of Pau Gasol to Chicago trade talk in the next little while but he is certainly not the answer.

It’s amazing how a team everyone thought was on the rise got so bad so fast but that’s exactly what happened in Chicago.

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Back to Bonner for a line about him, not from him.

Dude had 25 points and 17 rebounds in one game this season, prompting a guy who knew and loved him during his tenure in Toronto to remark:

"I didn’t know they played doubleheaders in the NBA.”

Told Matt what the guy had said. He response: “Tell (him) I have no comeback for that.”

Post-Christmas missives

Everyone have a nice holiday? Presents under the tree, yuletide greetings, mistletoe, egg nog, turkey, stuffing, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah? Hope so.

Pretty slow around these parts, though; players scattered hither and yon, no practice, no news, no great debate over whether starting Bargnani is a good idea or not. And it’s been hours since I’ve seen a good Fire Sam Mitchell e-mail. Smarten up, people!

So, this won’t be the usual wildly entertaining missive but it’ll have to do while you recover from Boxing Day shopping.

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Heat? Cold

Am sitting in the comfort of the palatial in-law suite up in Beautiful Barrie and in between chatting and eating caught a bit of the Heat-Cavs game. Looked like they were playing in mud, didn't it?

I don’t know if it’s the cable company up there or what but they must have been showing the game in slow motion, right? There’s no way Shaq’s that slow. Or even Dwyane Wade, who padded his numbers in the final five minutes after looking decidedly disinterested for most of the game.

And watching Luke Jackson airball a jumper and then miss a little runner made me wonder how he ever scored 30 points in an NBA game.

Watching the Heat, 8-20 entirely on merit, makes me wonder whether Pat Riley might suddenly not feel well and have to take the rest of the season off.

Check out my man Ira in the Sun-Sentinel. Doesn’t sound like everything’s rosy in Miami, does it?

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Let’s dip into the mailbag for this one from Doug in Peterborough:

Q: Quick one - whose decision was it to reinsert Bargs back into the starting line-up – Smitchell’s or BC's? Reason I ask is that there has been a lot of bad press lately (see Bargs/Roy/Alridge debate) and maybe BC's getting anxious? Plus has anyone ever seen Rasho play better than he has this year.

A: Here’s how it went down, as far as we know having talked to the principles. After the Seattle game, Sam and Bryan are talking, as they do after every single game, either in person or on the phone. Sam says he thinks starting Bargs is a good idea because obviously he’s been brutal coming off the bench. He’s got to play and play better and maybe this jump-starts him.

BC concurs and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bad press? Dude, there’s bad press where Bargnani, Roy and Aldridge are concerned every single day (quick question: Which one has started a playoff game in his career?) so that didn’t factor into it.

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Carlos of Mississauga, who obviously has too much time on his hands, passes this along:

Hi Doug. Did you know that the current crop of Raptors is ranked 2nd worst in NBA history in FTA per game? The top 5 list goes something like this:

1. Phoenix Suns (2005-2006) - 18.0 FTA

2. Toronto Raptors (2007-2008) - 19.1 FTA

3. New York Knicks (2002-2003) - 19.8 FTA

4. Phoenix Suns (2001-2002) - 19.9 FTA

5. Toronto Raptors (2003-2004) - 20.1 FTA

A grateful nation thanks you, Carlos.

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How 'bout those Bulls, eh?

Whack Scott Skiles on Christmas Eve and still, as I type this early in the Boxing Day a.m., they aren't 100 per cent sure who's going to get the gig.

No one full-time, I'm told, until the end of the season and I'm sure you'll hear all the usual suspects -- Rick Carlisle chief among them -- among the candidates.

Read Sam Smith today in the Chicago Trib and it looks like there could be a few jobs open.

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No one gives a rat’s behind about our travel woes but you gotta hear this; and if you don’t want to, the scroll down button’s over there at the right hand side of the keyboard.

Sitting around with the family on Christmas Eve, just before the caroling started (I keed, I keed!), rings about 9:30, it’s some automated United Airlines schmoe telling me the 12:50 flight Boxing Day is cancelled and if I want to stay on the line to get rebooked, that’d be fine. Wait 30 minutes or so – missing the chance to warble Silent Night with Super Son Jacob (I keed, I keed!) – and finally get booked on a 6:25 a.m. fight to Chicago and then on to San Antonio. Sure, 6:25 bites, it means a 3:30 wakeup call but for Mother Star, what won’t I do!

Okay, fast forward to this morning, dutifully arrive at airport just before 5 FREAKING A.M., stand in line and find out the 6:25 flight, which replaced the 12:50 mind you, is delayed until 12:15.

Sweet. Nice lady gets me on 7:55 to Chicago that may or may not allow me to make connection to San Antonio, where the adult beverage parlours better be well stocked.

We now continue with our regularly-scheduled basketball stuff.

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Speaking of Shaquille O’Neal, did you know that before the Christmas Day game in Cleveland, where he picked up five personals, he had fouled out of five straight games? You almost have to try to accomplish that feat.

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Had some questioners about the unfairness of the schedule, given what the Raptors are going through right now but it seems Sam’s oft-stated contention that every team has bad stretches is legit.

Boston starts four games in five days out west tonight. They get Sacramento, Seattle, Utah and the Lakers.

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Don’t forget, it’s a holiday week but the mail still gets delivered. Just click here to get me. I may have a long layover somewhere to answer them.

Tales of a weary traveller

Back from the grind of four games in five nights, including two hellacious back-to-backs of L.A.-Portland and Seattle-Phoenix, will a few tidbits to clean up.

So before heading to the mall to shop -- shouldn't be too many people out there, should there be? -- here's a few items rattling around in the brain.

Portland is good. Really good. And with the potential to be great if Greg Oden comes back healthy.

The best thing about it: The fans there finally have something good, and some good players, to cheer for. There may not be any more passionate fans than in Rip City and it was nice to see them packing the joint last week and cheering.

Was talking to Blazer GM Kevin Pritchard before the game and he said it was a conscious decision to get good guys, as well as good players, to turn around the Jail Blazer rep. That they can play is a huge bonus and I can absolutely see them challenging for seventh or eighth in the West this year.

Brandon Roy is the real deal, LaMarcus Aldridge is right now a poor man's Chris Bosh (which isn't a bad thing at all) and the supporting cast of guys like Travis Outlaw is solid.

And here's a bit of Blazer trivia: GM Pritchard was the first player ever signed by the Vancouver Grizzlies.

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Dipping into the mailbag prematurely, we get:

Q: I'm a little worried. What's with all these articles going around of TJ being out 5-8 weeks and premature retirement. Are they true?

Drew G, Whitby

A: Premature, at best. No one knows for sure, it could be that long but I'd be surprised. No one connected with the team has as much as seen T.J. since he went to  New York on Wednesday and then home for Christmas.

We'll get a lot better idea this week when he rejoins the club in Texas but to suggest any time frame right now is folly.

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Is Juan Dixon the real deal as a backup point guard until T.J. Ford gets back?

Could be. He didn't look out of place in either Portland or Seattle and seems to have supplanted Darrick Martin in that role.

And for all the Nervous Nellies out there who worry about the minutes piling up on Jose Calderon, let me point out a couple of things.

Among the top point guards in the league, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Deron Williams all play more than 37 minutes, Mo Williams in Milwaukee plays 36 so asking Jose to play 35 or 36 is hardly onerous.

The thing, I guess, that has some people up in arms is that it's a departure from what Calderon normally plays but it's not like he can't handle it. And it sure doesn't look like it's bothering his performance.

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Mark wonders, over in the comment section, what a lot of you are wondering.

Whether or not Roko Ukic could be here this year if something catastrophic happens with T.J. Ford.

Short answer: No.

As Bryan Colangelo told us in training camp when we saw Ukic, his buyout from Roma is so convoluted and expensive it's prohibitive for this year. And possibly next. It's going to take lawyers and accountants -- and likely the negotiating talents of Maurizio Gherardini -- to get him free to even possibly come to camp next season.

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Memphis for Vancouver was the worst trade in the history of the NBA, perhaps the worst trade in sports history but let me say this:

Oklahoma City for Seattle would be 1A.

But the Key Arena's a dump and the Sonics can't survive there. Unfortunately, that'll mean the thousands of Raptor fans who make the trek down will be robbed of a chance to see their boys. And judging by how many we saw, that'll be a large number of disappointed fans.

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Remember when Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph were going to dominate all over Eastern Conference front courts?

Uh, not so much.

Check out my man Frank Isola in the NY Daily News today.

Guess that Curry-Randolph experiment has failed.

And, in a nice contrast to what's going on in Porltland, here's what one Western Conference scout told me: "They (the Blazers) got better trading away 25 points a game. What's that tell you about Zach?"

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With the lads off now until Dec. 26 in San Antonio, it's going to be quiet times around the blog, too. But don't forget, we've got the regular Friday mailbag to worry about. Just click here to send something.

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Hey, everyone: Have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Be safe, hang with the family, do nice things for others.

The Morning After The Night Before, XXVII

Sometimes you lose games right after halftime, sometimes you lose ‘em in the dying seconds and sometimes you lose ‘em in August when the schedule comes out. As I mentioned in the paper, this was a loss waiting to happen and maybe that’s why the mood wasn’t too dark after the game.

One thing is for sure: These guys can use a break and as they trundled off to various corners of the continent, they were done, mentally and physically. They've got two days to refresh, just like we do, before regrouping in San Antonion for a Boxing Day practice. Until then ...

Three Things I Learned

Guess it’s time

We’ve all seen Andrea Bargnani struggle as a backup so I guess moving him into the starting lineup makes sense. He looked hugely more confident last night than he has all month although he wasn’t actually a terror on the boards or anything.

There is no doubt, as we mentioned as early as training camp, that he and Bosh are the cornerstones of the front court for years to come so they better get used to playing alongside each other now.

One thing to look for, and we only saw it once last night, but Bosh at the elbow and Bargnani on the block is something they could exploit. The one time Bargs got the ball in the post in that situation, he made a nifty move and scored, bringing Sam off the bench to applaud the effort.

I have no idea now long it’ll take Bargnani to get back to the form he showed in the middle of last season but this seems his best chance to do it quickly.

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A worn out man

You know who needs these days off more than anyone? Chris Bosh.

There’s about four minutes to go in the third quarter Saturday night, Bosh is absolutely bagged. The Hump’s at the table and when he gets called into the game, a weary Bosh walks from the lane towards the bench.

Ah, nope. Hump’s there to get Bargnani and Bosh has to stay in, despite being absolutely worn out. He didn’t complain, though, just turned around, went back to the game and busted his butt for about another five possessions before he finally got a blow.

I know things are going badly and all, but that kid is playing his head off every night.

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One of a kind

Regular readers will know I’m not a big fan of the extraneous crap that’s passed off as “entertainment” at games but the Suns really know how to do it.

They ran this video Saturday night was a send-up of one of those old K-Tel ads (I know, I’m dating myself substantially here) with “a thousand greatest hits for eight bucks.” Had all kinds of Suns singing Christmas carols and until you’ve seen Sean Marks warble ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ or listened to Leandro Barbosa sing ‘Frosty The Snowman’ you haven’t lived.

Give ‘em credit for creativity, it had us bitter, tired, cynical, worn out beat people laughing out loud sitting in our seats. Best thing I've ever seen on a scoreboard.

Guess it’s easy to get guys to ham it up when the team’s going good.

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Three Things You Wondered

Q: Hey Doug. I think everyone realizes the problem is defence. Ever since Jamario Moon was 'discovered' he's been guarding the best perimeter player. It used to be Anthony Parker. But for a few games now, the best player from the other team has gone off in the first half or so. And in the second half, we see AP guarding that player. I can think of T-Mac, Brandon Roy, Durant (Friday) night. My question is, why doesn't Sam just always start with AP guarding the best? He's not as long as Moon, but he plays tight and he's consistent.

Nicole T, Toronto

A: Even more than AP, you’re going to see, and have seen, Carlos Delfino on the other team’s best perimeter player late in games. And judging by the way Sam criticized Moon in the wake of Friday’s game (“Rasho takes the best inside guy and Jamario takes the best perimeter guy and the last couple of games we’re letting those two guys … get off to a good start and then it makes it tough,” Mitchell said) don’t be surprised if you see less and less of the rookie.

He got 11 minutes Friday and 14 on Saturday and that’s the level you might see him at for the next while.

They like Moon’s length and athleticism more than Parker’s size and basketball IQ but I think, soon, IQ wins out when it comes to the big assignment.

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Q: The part of Bargnani’s "natural game" that Raps' schemes appear not to take advantage of is his passing. If we ever succeeded in creating more slashing 2's and 3's would not Bargnani be a great passer from the 'power point' positiom.

Charles N, Mexico via Toronto

A: That’s an excellent point that Sam alluded to right after the Phoenix game, the players have to get used to a five who can make passes off the dribble and the coaches are going to have to tweak the offence a bit to take advantage of that skill, too.

If Bargnani ever gets to the point where he takes those two or three dribbles and can hit the open shooter in the corner instead of dishing a little pass to Bosh under the basket, his contribution will go up exponentially.

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Q: The only thing more pathetic than the 10 total assists for such an unselfish team is the 30 trips to the charity stripe - with Bosh (again) taking the lion's share. Wish someone else could take one (or two) for the team. At this rate, Bosh will be a bruised and broken man unless someone else can step up and be aggressive on the offensive end. Question: Other than Bosh (or Jamario who the coaches have singled out) who do the coaches feel should be making trips to the free throw line the most?

Marc M, Mississauga

A: Interesting thing about the assists. About midway through the fourth quarter a couple of us looked at the stat and were shocked, it seemed they had lots more than that and it might have been a hometown scoring thing. In fact, at least one Raptor, glancing at the boxscore after the game, was a tad perturbed at the number. I’ll chalk that up to scoring, rather than pathetic play.

On the free throws, you know Sam and his staff are climbing all over Moon to get to the rim, and the line, more often and I know they’d prefer Carlos Delfino attack with a bit more abandon. I think they’ll get more out of T.J. when he gets back and if Bargnani ever really gets going, he should shoot some.

But right now, everyone except Bosh seems allergic to the paint.

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Okay, it's Christmas and all that (think the malls will be crowded when I head out to shop this afternoon?) but the mail always has to get delivered. So click here to send along a question 'cause we'll have the usual Friday mailbag later this week, we've got some dead days to fill between now and the Dec. 28 outing in San Antonio and you know how much I love to hear the rather unique insight provided by many of you.

The Morning After The Night Before, XXVI

Remember when the Raptors could defend? Like earlier this week in Los Angeles? Not sure if it’s the rain up here in the Pacific northwest that made their brains short-circuit or what but that was as bad a defensive game as they’ve played in years.

Funny thing was, it wasn’t like a real road game. There were so many Raptor jerseys in the joint, it was like being at a neutral site game. Too bad they didn’t get a better show.

Anyway …

Three Things I Learned

Who’s to blame?

There were so many mistakes by so many people, it’s not fair to single out any one or two guys. Except that Sam did.

He was ticked, it seems, at the efforts of Rasho Nesterovic and Jamario Moon, and rightfully so.

Here’s Sam post-game:

"Rasho takes the best inside guy and Jamario takes the best perimeter guy and the last couple of games we’re letting those two guys … get off to a good start and then it makes it tough."

I can’t see a change to the starting lineup coming tonight or anything but I’m also not sure how long until Mitchell will go with the status quo.

What’s he do? How about Delfino at the three? Maybe Hump at the five? That’d be a different look, wouldn’t it?

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Yes, that was Juan Dixon you saw

Why last night? No one knows but if Dixon can provide that kind of 11- or 12-minute relief nightly for Jose Calderon, Sam has to keep playing him. He’s a threat to score in a couple of different ways, his shoot-first proclivity seems to have disappeared – for now – because he’s getting other guys involved and, while small, he’s a passable defender.

So Sam should keep playing him.

And while we’re on the subject of point guards, how about Jose? Sixteen assists and one turnover! That’s playing.

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At least they checked this time

There were 31 seconds left in a five-point game, the Sonics were in-bounding the ball and every single player on the court looked over at the bench to see if Mitchell wanted them to foul.

If they’d done that the other night in Portland, who knows what would have happened.

They did foul the Sonics and they did ultimately lose but it’s apparent something good came out of the Portland loss.

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Three Things You Wondered

Q: I agree with you on Bargnani, he is soft but fans should leave him alone and let him work on his game, he is only a sophomore. My question: I lived in Seattle from 69-73 and they had a fantastic player Spencer Haywood, whatever happened to him. I seem to remember that he had a bad knee injury and I heard he had done the Lew Alcindor thing and changed his name. Is he still around?

David, Ottawa

A: A good Sonic question for after a Sonic game.

Spencer Haywood is still Spencer Haywood, we got to hang out with him a lot in Italy and Spain during training camp. He does some ambassador work for the NBA and was with the Raptors over there, on the same commercial flight as us from Rome to Madrid, too.

He’s got a lot of different business things going and looks like he could still play.

And if you remember him, he was unbelievable when he first came into the league, a great, great player.

Oh, and some Spencer Haywood trivia: He was married once to Iman, the woman now wed to David Bowie.

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Q: Can’t blame this one at all on the coaches, this was all on the players and their execution. How many layups and dunks did Seattle have in the second half? Too many by my count. Tomorrow night will be ugly in Phoenix.

My question: How long can you see BC let this team slide before pulling the trigger on a deal? It would not be a shock at all if the Raptors went 0-4 on the rest of this trip and that brings them back under .500.

Chris, Toronto

A: If there’s one thing Bryan Colangelo hates more than an ill-fitting suit, it’s losing. I would imagine he’s working the phones now trying to find out if anybody’s got anything to help. Not sure what’s out there, or what he’d have to offer besides the predictable – Joey, Juan, maybe Rasho – but you can bet he’s looking.

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Q: All summer I heard that Kapono can play D.  The argument was that if he played for Miami and slick hair than necessarily he can play D. Evidently that was not true. He is a horrible defender, shockingly bad.

Jordan, Toronto

A: Shockingly bad? That might be an overstatement but it’s true his defence is lacking. Sorely. Funny thing is, we were told he was a good ‘system’ defender in Miami; guess they’ve got a different system.

But his offence is so good, there’s going to be room for him to play and he’ll get a little latitude because of it.

Watch him, though. Usually within seconds of entering a game he commits a foul, often a silly one and that’s what drives Sam mad.

However, if he keeps shooting like he has been, he’s going to play.

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Thanks everyone

A dozen or so folks e-mailed this in from NBA.com after I fumbled the ball on the consecutive games with a blocked shot question:

Atlanta’s Josh Smith has now gone a full calendar year (beginning Dec. 12, 2006) without failing to record a blocked shot in any game he’s played. His streak of 75 consecutive games with a blocked shot dwarfs the next-longest active streak (Marcus Camby, 18), and is the longest in the NBA since Dikembe Mutombo went 116 consecutive games with a blocked shot between Jan. 20, 1995 and April 2, 1996.