The Morning After The Night Before, XLI

Zany game, isn’t it? Can’t make a shot or get a rebound one night, can’t miss the next and win the battle of the boards. Maybe Sam’s right, maybe it is just a matter of making shots. Everyone feel better today? Some love out there for Bargs. Sure. Today. Until the next time.

Oh, and you all went out into the night and gave your tickets to someone who could really use a slice of pizza today, right?

Here’s our regularly-scheduled stuff.

Three Thing I Learned

Coincidence? I think not.

RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

Pizza!

Did you notice that the two best three-point shooting games, and the two best scoring nights in a month (at Boston, vs. Washington) came when Bargnani got it going? No matter his shortcomings, he’s got to play because on nights he’s even okay from the field it just opens up so many more shots for everyone. Teams have to guard him when he’s on the floor and that creates space.

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Good things happen to good guys

From our department of late bloomers, we give you Roger Mason. Watching him drill three after three last night was cool. Here’s a good guy who kicked around a few years, stuck with it and is now playing a big role on a good team.

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One more Bargs

I swear on one move I saw him dribble with his head up. And the shot fake, two-dribble pull up jumper he hit in the third quarter was a sweet move.

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Okay, here’s why sometimes this job doesn’t suck.

Me and Sun No. 2 are in a cab to the airport in Washington the other morning and we strike up a conversation with the nice man driving. Small talk, mainly, ‘til he asks us what we do and we tell him we’re sportswriters.

"Have you ever heard of Oscar Robertson,” he asks?

Duh, sure, the greatest ever in the opinion of some.

Well, it turns out the driver had some stories. Great stories.

went to high school with Oscar and this might be the best cab ride ever.

The conversation, as I recall it unfolding.

"Oscar was the greatest, went to school with him,” says driver.

"When did you know he’d be great?”

"About the eighth grade, he could shoot your ass off then.”

"Did you play with him?”

"Nah, I was on the reserve team, he was varsity all the way. Did you know he had a brother?”

"Nope, didn’t know that.”

"Yeah, Bailey. Was a good player, too. Uncoachable, though, never made it.”

Wow, I’m thinking, this dude is cool. And then there’s more.

"You ever heard of George McGinnis,” Mr. Driver says.

"Um, yeah, of course. Who hasn’t?”

"Played with him, too; ran him off the playground when he was a kid, clumsy guy, couldn’t play. Guess we were wrong.”

Man, this is cool, I’m thinking.

"You guys see the movie Hoosiers?”

"Who didn’t?”

"I was at that game. Just like in the movie, Milan won, 32-30 and Bobby Plump hits the shot. We called Bobby “Country” back then. Wore a white T-shirt under his jersey. Country could shoot.”

Now we’re at the airport and all I want the dude to do is drive us around for a few hours telling stories.

"I’m retired now, my wife retired from the state department five years ago and I’m driving this cab ‘cause I’ve got to keep our marriage together. Gotta get out of each other’s hair.”

I know that the gentleman, a Mr. Proctor, will never see this but, man, did he make my day.

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Quick hit to the mailbag for a stats thingy:

Nik Wood of Ottawa wonders:

Another blowout win for the Raptors has me wondering if there is some sort of team record for blowout wins in a season. These guys seem to only win by 20 or more. How many have they had?

Interesting you ask. These dudes have now won four games by 30 or more points this year; they won three by 30 or more all of last season. The 39-point win against Washington tied the greatest margin of victory ever in a game (the last was against Atlanta on April 12, 2002).

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A quick tour of the web finds Ivan Carter’s take on Wednesday’s blowout.

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Okay, I’m going to say this once and only once. If the Nets, Portland and Dallas do that mega-deal involving Kidd it may end up that Jamaal Magloire is thrown in as cap ballast and waived.

If that happens, DO NOT SUGGEST THE RAPTORS SIGN HIM.

It is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

EVER.

NEVER.

Thanks for listening.

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Mail’s in, again

Q: Hey Doug, it's been bugging me for a while, and I figured I'd go straight to the source.  After each game, you put up the title, The Morning After The Night Before XL (This is 40 in Roman Numerals BTW); but the raptors played 44 games! What happened to the other 4 Mornings After the 4 Nights Before???

Louis K, Richmond Hill

A: Maybe I slept in? Or called ‘em something else? I do know I didn’t start until about Game 3, or Game III, as I recall.

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And, finally, you can forget about watching TV tonight to find out who the all-star reserves are. I’m going to tell you now:

East

Chauncey Billups, Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh, Antawn Jamison, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler and Paul Pierce.

West

Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, Marcus Camby, Brandon Roy, Amare Stoudemire.

You’re welcome and good day.

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Remember, it's mailbag day tomorrow. Send 'em here to give me something to do while watching games this evening.

Comments

[Doug's biggest fan]

Listen, people. Doug writes this blog to inform, but also entertain us. Someone could have written "Hey Doug, list who you think the All Star reserves will be" and you'd all shut-up about his prediction. Yet, he makes a joke, as he noted several times, both in the blog (with sarcasm) and in these 25 comments.

WOULD YOU PEOPLE RELAX?!?!?!

He was only wrong about Jose/Joe Johnson in the east and Camby/West in the west. Pretty well done if you ask me.

I reitterate...CALM DOWN. If your opinion was as valuable as Doug's maybe you could rather up some of these fools and start your own blog.

Though, Doug, I do enjoy the sarcasm and rebuttle towards some of these fools.

Blogger's note: No, I didn't write this. I wish I did and thought about it but ...

[John M]

Hey at least all those people who didn't want Jose on the team for "contract" reasons are happy. I feel sorry for you Doug, dealing with people like this on a daily basis in your overflowing mailbag. Raptors fans arguably have the lowest basketball IQ and that can be attributed to the pucks converts. Not to offend anyone or anything but its the truth. People like winning so its understandable really.

Just an FYI to everyone who is scared Jose is going to be lured away, but is he not a RFA (restricted). That means we can match whatever offer sheet someone else signs him to and go over the cap in doing so, not that I think that will happen. Teams don't throw out max contracts like some of the people on here think. Mid level exception or a little more is what I would wager.

One more thing, get a grip people, really we get more info from Doug from this one blog than any other resource available to us. Stop biting the hand that feeds you.

P.S. No more Basketball 101 questions, they are killing me. (I kid, but really)

[Rob]

Can everyone just relax and leave Doug alone.

Blogger's note: Nah, don't worry about it, it's cool. Wait 'til you see tomorrow's mailbag, one dude says I write like the Unabomber. Very cool!

[fire lord]

I'll give you credit for one thing:

you've got onions sir, ONIONS!

[Zack]

Jose is still young, he will get his shot...

[Doug's biggest fan]

Hey Doug...i've seen you on tv a few times behind chuck and leo. are you growing your hair or something?

So why don't we see more of Jack Armstrong? He's on Raps TV a lot, but his insight is often overshadowed by PJ and Sherm, who ruin his good points. I'm telling you, we need a Jack, Doug, Eric and Norma show. Just get rid of the rest of them.

[Robert]

I think the issue with the sarcasm in the original blog post for some is that other beat writers around the league were knowingly giving out the players that were on the team (in Atlanta, with JJ, and in Washington, with Butler and Jamison). Instead of reading it as sarcasm, it's possible that many saw it as another beat writer doing exactly the same thing.

[Matthew Carter]

Bah...sucks that Jose didn't make the reserves; he deserved the spot over Johnson, no question! The only reason why he didn't make it is because he isn't as visible a player as our Atlanta friend. Unfair, I tells ya!

[patrick r]

Hey Doug,

Things I have learned:

- Sports Talk Radio and Your Blog prove medical science wrong...brain dead people can function in everyday life!
- T-dot BB IQ is related to T-dot Puck IQ.
- Lastly, if a Raptor isn't mentioned on US TV does that mean they really don't exist? Typical of the Canadian Insecuriority Complex I fear.

We now return to our regulary scheduled lives.