The Morning After The Night Before, LV

Game starts about 7:10, maybe 7:12 and takes 2:12 so it’s over right around 9:24, maybe 9:26 and, I swear, there were 22 scathing e-mails in the inbox by 10 p.m. last night. You know what they were all about, T.J. and Sam, Sam and T.J., and the way last night’s fourth quarter unfolded.

I can’t run them all, most were simply rants and didn’t include questions but maybe what follows will help ease the considerable pain many of you feel.

But, no, no one’s getting fired and T.J. will be back in his regular role in Miami tonight. I know that’s not what a lot of you want to hear, but it’s the way it is.

On to the good stuff:

Three Things I Learned

Have at him

Lord knows there’s been enough unjustified criticism of T.J. Ford out there in the past, today, let ‘er rip.

The first nine shots of the fourth quarter in a close game? Man, that’s inexcusable. I had a feeling he was in one of his odd moods at the end of the second quarter when he dribbled in and out of traffic about three times, ignoring at least two open teammates behind the arc, and threw up that dopey prayer of a shot that went in.

Who knew that might be the high point of his night?

That fourth quarter was as odd a display of basketball as I’ve seen him ever put on. And I’m pretty sure even a diplomatic Sam (“We need him to score but he has to keep other guys involved, too.” Sam said as I typed watching TV post-game) is going to have a word with him about that kind of display.

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Where’s Rasho?

Fourth quarter, game’s getting out of hand, Howard’s going off and Sam leaves an absolutely over-matched Andrea Bargnani out there to guard him? That was a bad, bad gamble. It wasn’t like Bargnani was lighting it up at the other end or anything. And, early in the third quarter when Bargnani pump-faked and tried to draw the foul? That might have been the ugliest basketball move I’ve ever seen in an NBA game and I’ve watched this franchise of all 13 of its seasons, making me one of the world’s foremost experts on ugly basketball moves.

Talk about ‘stepping up’ in Bosh’s absence? Bargnani: 45 minutes, 4-19 from the field, 0-5 from three point range, 10 rebounds, no impact.

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What you didn’t see

And neither did I but a spy sitting courtside tells me during one timeout the Magaic mascot, a not particularly fearsome looking dragon, was goofing around near the Raptor bench.

Seems Primoz Brezec, for some reason known only to Primoz Brezec, took great umbrage at a stuffed animal having fun and slugged the thing. Then he tells him, ‘bleep you, I’ll bleep you up.’

Yeah, that’s ‘manning up’ like the best of ‘em, smacking a mascot

Bush league, if you ask me.

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Into the mailbag and let’s get this out of the way in a hurry

Q: Coach of the year calls a timeout to draw up a play for the last eight seconds of the half. Ends up in Humphries going 1 on 1 and putting up an air ball. Wow. Well at least they kept it close in the first halftime for them to get blown out, so I'll watch the Leafs. To think I was actually going to watch this game.

Grant C, Orangeville

A: This came in about two minutes into the second half, I wondered how long it would take. No, that’s not what the play was. Hump was supposed to hand the ball back off to Jose. Hope you enjoyed the Leaves.

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Now, for some good news.

If I’m Bryan Colangelo, and sadly I’m not, this summer is time to make the bold move. He’s got expiring contracts worth any combination of salary from about $2 million to $20 million and he can mix and match Rasho, Garbo, AP, Joey, Maceo and Moon however he sees fit.

I know a bit about how the GM thinks and he’s pouring over rosters finding an impact two or three from a team that might want to save some money long-term and he’s ready to wheel and deal.

So, here’s my list of guys he can, and should, go after. It’s not in any particular order.

Andres Nocioni, Mike Dunleavy, Mike Miller, Richard Jefferson, Boris Diaw, Andrei Kirilenko, Al Harrington, Jason Richardson, Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith, Michael Redd.

What he’s got to do is find a team facing possible tax problems in a year or two – a team with a lot of young guys who’ll need to be paid at the same time – or a team that doesn’t quite work as it’s constructed.

Four situations jump out at me: Nocioni, Miller, Jefferson and Kirilenko.

Personally, of that group, I rank 'em Nocioni, Kirilenko, Jefferson Miller.

He can’t sell it as a purely present day basketball but if he tosses in a draft pick or two it might make it more palatable.

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Oh, right, here’s what they wrote in Orlando about the game last night and what they’ve written about the big contest in Miami this evening.

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It’s not just that they can’t defend twos and threes, they can’t score with them, either.

Did you know, and I’m sure some did, that on 14 occasions this year, a small forward or shooting guard has lit up the Raptors for 25 or more points in a game, eight times a guy’s gone off for 30-plus and one was over 40?

On the other hand, Toronto has never had a two or three get 30 in a game, only for times has anyone hit 25.

Brutal.

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We’ll end with two from the mail

Q: As a dedicated Raptors fan, I have a great deal of respect for Sam Mitchell as a coach.  However, there are aspects of his coaching philosophy that I do find fault in.  For example, I believe that he gives preference to certain players more, as in the situations with Bargnani and Moon.

I highly doubt that Bargnani would be starting on a consistent basis without the pointed push from the guys upstairs.  Bargnani seems to be constantly in Sam's perpetual "doghouse", along with the likes of Rasho and Joey.
So with this in mind I have two questions for you:

Is Sam more partial towards those players whose careers and work ethics mimic his own NBA experience as a player?

Do you think that Sam lets his personal player preferences dictate his sub choices in a negative way?

Stacey M, Winnipeg

A: I don’t think it’s a personal preference, although that comes into play subliminally with lots of coaches.

Bargnani gets a wee bit longer rope than most because they have so much invested in him, they have to give him time to get better and the only way that’s going to happen is to play.

Moon? I don’t get Moon these days, either. Unless Sam’s just got so little confidence in either Delfino or Kapono that he sees Moon as the lesser of two evils, it makes little sense to me that a starting lineup change hasn’t been made.

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Q: It seems to be etched in stone that the Raps won't get into a situation where they must pay the luxury tax. How many NBA teams are currently paying that tax? Is there a sound basketball basis for not signing players that force you to pay the tax or is it simply to save money for the paupers that run MLSE?

Eric E, Roslin

A: After checking my handy-dandy salary spreadsheet, I’ve got New York, Dallas, Denver, Cleveland, Miami, Boston, the Lakers, Portland and Phoenix paying tax this year.

The sound basketball reason is that if you look at that list, it doesn’t necessarily translate into success. Denver’s life and death to make the playoffs, so is Portland, New York and Miami are already thinking about next year, Cleveland’s hardly a world-beater and Phoenix has, um, issues. Dallas is old and not among the West favourites at the moment, that leaves the Lakers and Boston who could say they spent wisely.

Comments

[Justin Edwards]

I was just looking for fun. But Dirk was 22 in his second year & was putting up 17.5 & pulling down 6.5. Not dumping on Bargs but in the NBA it is rare that big time players take much more than a year or two before they really start showing signs of stardom. I wish the Raps slipped to the 4 spot in the draft & picked up Bargs in that spot. (yes I think he would of slipped)

[Zack]

Justin, the Raps probably could have waited until number 20 to grab Bargnani. What teams were interested in a 7-footer who plays small forward and doesn't know the meaning of defense? I honestly thought that with Bosh out and moving into playing the 4 spot would give Bargnani that needed boost to help him become the player we need him to be going into the playoffs. He's got tonight to redeem himself and it better be one helluva game or else Bargnani needs to go back to the bench for a loooong time.

[Ellie]

I'm confused, J dog. How does assaulting the mascot become *less* lame when the person inside is female?

Please enlighten us.

[Sorin]

Oh trust me Doug, I've read all stories - game and out-of-game related. I read them because I'm interested in basketball in general and Raptors in particular. And what I mentioned was only one example...Do a search on your articles regarding AP...but use a powerful search engine...it will take some time to find something.
Best regards.

Blogger's note: I have neither the time nor the inclination. But, again, and this'll be it for me and you, thanks for reading.

[Jason Ohashi]

To comment on Sorin's little rant, AP is probably the best tradable asset the Raptor's have. If you were the GM of another team, and your options of wing players to get back from the Raptors are Delfino, Kapono, Moon and AP, I'm guessing AP would be the man you want unless if you're Philly and have no three point shooters in which you would probably take Kapono. AP can provide you with a little bit of everything and if you want to make a trade for a good player, you have to give up a good player as well. (unless you're Rob Babcock)

[HP]

The way TJ acted last night reminds me of a scene from Crocodile Dundee.

Mick Dundee meets Sue's boyfriend for the first time. The boyfriend is threatened by Mick and tries to make Mick look stupid. In the end, the boyfriend ends up looking like the fool.

TJ has been Sam's number one man but now is threatened by Jose. So he has these outbursts during games where he's trying to show off to Sam by doing way too much. TJ ends up looking like a fool like he did last night and pretty much all the nights since he came back from injury.

Oh yeah, that scene in Crocodile Dundee ends with the boyfriend getting punched in the face by Mick.

[Zack]

It's not like TJ was playing that way the whole game HP. He was simply frustrated by being down by 10 in the fourth quarter and having his teammates throw up bricks all night probably didn't help. I am not saying what TJ did was best for the team, but I don't think it has anything to do with Jose vs. TJ.

[Rob]

Doug, I just wanted to congratulate you on your well written comments and analysis in today's blog.

While all players and coaches make mistakes from time to time and it is not necessary to call them out for each and every mistake, it is refreshing to have the media at least identify poor play and decisions on the part of a player (TJ in this case) or a poor coaching decision.

Doug, it would seem to me that playing the 2 PGs at the same time is a completely failed experiment - neither PG knows or is comfortable with their role when playing with the other PG. Also, it would seem to me that Calderon's play has been affected at least in some part with TJ's return. Your thoughts?

Blogger's note: I think there is a time and a place for the two guards at the same time, if the other team is small, the Raptors need scoring and none of the wings (Delfino, Kapono, Moon) is going well. As a steady diet? Maybe not. In spots, it can be effective.

[shawn]

Although I love Josh Smith's ability to block shots, I have a hard time believing he offers what the Raptors need at that position. If you watch his game on both offense and defense, he is too reliant on his athletic ability, either to block shots on D or get off a shot near the basket on offense. Too often he gets beat off the dribble and has difficulty staying in front of his man, most likely attributed to his confidence in his ability to block shots. Although he has limited his 3-pt attempts recently, I cringe (similar to Moon) every time I see him shooting from outside 18 feet. When Bosh is out or off the floor, I don't see him as the type of player to create his own (high percentage) shot or opportunities for others.

That said, for reliable defense, rebounding, toughness, and ability to initiate offence, I would like to see (from Doug's list, in order) Redd, Dunleavy, Jefferson, Miller, or Kirilenko.

Redd has gotten bigger and improved his D over the summer playing with James on the US team, even guarding him when the play the Cavs, unfortunately I don't know how available he is. I think Dunleavy would be the best, most available choice. Jefferson makes a conscious effort to get to the rim and plays hard on both ends. I don't think the Raptors could go wrong with any of those 3.

[rma]

someone said "the offense wasn't doing anything" and that's why TJ took all the shots in the first 6 minutes of the 4th...
AP was shooting well all night, how about as point guard freeing your shooting guard so that he could actually (bear with me now) shoot the ball? There's a time and place. TJ makes a hard shot, draws the d and then should dish out to confuse the d and make them off balance, it's a relatively simple concept.

[yertu damkule]

zack - playing monday morning QB is fun, but fruitless - AB was very highly rated in that draft. not many 'experts' may have had him as the #1, but i don't recall any that had him outside the top 5, and most had him top 3. 'revisionist history' is what they call it, i think.

[yertu damkule]

shawn - interestting group. one thing they all have in common are fairly poisonous contracts (beaucoup bucks, multiple years remaining), but i guess if they want to play with the big boys, they have to pony up the $$$. sorta sad we're already looking forward to the offseason...

[GM]

In all these trade scenarios, TJ is never mentioned. But I think he's the most valuable asset the team has, and is expendable, to boot. He's still considered a top young point guard and many teams are in need of one of those. So the ability to get something back of quality is there (providing he doesn't finish the season the way he finished the game last night). You could probably get a decent wing or big and a backup PG for him. And Bryan could say all the right things, how they really liked him but the team had deficiencies they needed to address and you have to give up something good to get something good, yada yada yada.

And I still don't get the nitpicking of Brezec, who's pretty inconsequential. He works hard, tries his best, and plays 8 minutes a game if he's lucky.

[notfit]

Sorin, see "The Morning After the Night Before, LIV" (Monday, March 3). Good question (and a good honest answer) from Ellie in Toronto about perceived media coverage of AP. First question after "Three Things I Learned". If I remember correctly the question was originally submitted in the comments section on Sunday but Doug posted it in Monday's blog so it could receive the attention it deserved.

[robin]

This team lives and dies with his King, Bosh. When our king is out , the team collapses and becomes a sort of no-man's land where anarchy reigns supreme ( Sam , where are you ? )

Andrea: he has some skills but not enough to become a decent Center. Not in the NBA .If we needed a Center we should have drafted a different player , not Bargnani. No one wonders why with Ettore Messina and David Blatt he never plaied in such position ? A good question for Gherardini and Colangelo.

[Sean]

While I can understand where your coming from I strongly disagree with your comment about Primoz, Doug. This team is pure vanilla, they NEED a loose cannon like Brezec who doesn't take crap to shake them up. I mean, I'm pretty sure the Dragon was OK, and it showed some much needed emotion from a team that seems too OK with losing for my taste.

Building on that, is it just me, or is Mr. Brezec the only Rap really, and I mean REALLY, taking these losses hard? His "soft" comment after the 'Cats game was bang on, and also something I cant see any other Raptor saying. This team is getting pretty complacent with the fact that they are all but assured of a playoff spot, and that complacency has to change by the time April rolls around.

[Jason D.]

I agree with Terry, Delfino shots weren't going in neither were bargs, you can't depend on anthony parker to shoot 25 times a game, Raps have no post presence and isn't that what jamario and kapono always do just stand around waiting for a double team and then a shot. Without Chris Bosh this team is heading to the lottery. It wouldn't shock me if Miami wins tonight, no one can stop wade or marion, and haslem will have a field day on the glass.

[Edgar]

CHICKEN or the EGG? TJ Ford took an inappropriate amount of shots in a standstill offence last night. Now i dont imagine the offence was supposed to be all spaced well outside of 18 feet watching TJ try to break down half the team and should have probably been cutting, posting up, setting screens, etc. I would imagine there were some internal politics in the end of that game but you would think guys Vets like Parker, Rasho etc should have been pushing and talking to keep them going... Not blaming anyone but it seemed like it was the team vs TJ for a bit or maybe a "how bad can we make TJ look" competition. Not blaming anyone... actually I am blaming everyone! Get it together in a short stretch in a game that was surprisingly close!

On another topic I am torn between the listed 3's for our next year aquisitions. I am not getting into the contract situations but purely on skill and chemistry I think a few of these would work out. Kirelinko is not going to be available unless Utah has some drastic changes of atmosphere - I mean they wouldnt trade him for Marion so what makes us think they will for expiring contracts? Jefferson and to a certain extent Nocioni is dependant on how deep south their team's situation gets and if their willing to pull a Minnasota/Seattle trade to blow up their roster for draft picks and salary flexibility. I dont think it will be known what is available for expiring contracts until halfway through next season... It sure does create a great situation for a push into serious contention toward the eastern conference finals...