Biggest game of the year

RICHARD LAUTENS/TORONTO STAR

You gotta believe, people.

It’s sorta funny. I read the comments and go through the mail and the over-riding feeling is that the series is over. Maybe it will be; heck, maybe it is, but they do have to actually play more games.

Action: So, who starts?
Reaction: Gotta be Kapono. Or Delfino, right?

Not Moon, though and here’s why.

To start the third quarter of Game 2, they went to Moon over Rasho.

All Orlando did was keep Lewis on Bosh (a much tougher matchup), put Turkoglu on Bargnani and leave Howard to guard Moon, if that’s what you call it.

Howard stood on the low block, let Moon drift out to the corner and, if the ball went to him, he moved a couple of steps out to take away the drive (as if Moon was going to drive the ball and initiate contact in a billion years).

Now, maybe it’s different if Moon’s 4-for-5 instead of 1-for-5 in that eight-minute run but I doubt it.

And I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Bosh couldn’t get going in the third with Lewis guarding him.

At least with Kapono, they have to get out on him ‘cause he’s shooting it so well, and Delfino will attack the basket.

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Action: Anything else?
Reaction: No way they change both Nesterovic and Parker, right?

Can’t see it. Parker may not have scored in Game 2 but he had 24 in Game 1 and he must have been doing something right defensively to get 38 minutes.

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Here’s what’s up in Orlando, where they enjoyed a non-practice day yesterday.

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Action: T.J. stays.
Reaction: Sayeth Sam:

"He has been better as a starter and Jose has proven he can come off the bench and give us something. To me, why would I do that? At least, I know if T.J. struggles, I’ve got Jose who last game played well. But if we do that and Jose struggles, where do I go?”

Translation: We know T.J. has proven to play like a pooch if we bring him off the bench and if he’s going to do anything at all, it has to be as a starter, even if it means only playing him five minutes a half.

How wrong is that?

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Action: Report has Avery Johnson on hot seat.
Reaction: Does he suck as a coach two years after getting the Mavs to the NBA final? No, he doesn’t.

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A quickie from the mail:

Q: Watched some of the Suns-Spurs game 2 and noticed the Spurs were playing the ol' Hack-a-Shaq game. My question is: how are they allowed to do that? Isn't there a rule (which I learned about in this blog, in fact) where if a player is fouled away from the ball, then that player would get two shots as well as possession? Obviously, this wasn't the case during that game, so what am I missing?

Jesse L, Seattle

A: You probably didn’t finish reading the sentence here, which on the odd occasion is quite all right. The team being fouled gets free throws and the ball on a foul away from the ball only in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. So you Hack-a-Shaq until that time with no worries.

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Action: Sam speaks.
Reaction: And I have no comment rather that to let it run. He’s asked if it’s a risk to keep changing the starting lineup:

"As a coach, you have to look at that thing and you can’t be afraid to try things. Y’all are going to kill me anyway. If I don’t do something, you’re going to kill me and if I do do something and it don’t work, you’re going to kill me. I’m not trying to win with you guys anyway, I’m trying to win the game. I’m not trying to win with you guys because, come on, I think I’ve been around long enough to realize I’m never going to win with y’all.”

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Action: Bosh is getting killed
Reaction: Shock.

Guy goes for 29 and 10 and six assists, a block and two steals, plays 45 minutes hard at both ends, carries the team back at both ends of the floor and some of you are dogging him?

Un-freaking-real.

You want to know why he didn’t score much in the second half? Because other guys were. Because the Magic were playing off him on the screen and roll because he was killing them and Calderon made five of six shots, because he had three of his assists passing off to Kapono or Delfino or, yes, Bargnani, who made four jumpers in that half. Oh, why’s that? Because he was more open because Bosh was attracting so much attention.

Guy misses a jumper at the buzzer (ok, maybe it was 17 feet, not 15; maybe it was 19, maybe it was 16 feet 6 inches, it’s all just an educated guess at the scorer’s table or press row) and you’re killing him?

Yeesh.

Some Game 2 mail

Very few over-the-top rants in here today, well done folks.

And lots of good questions with some meat to them.

Away we go:

Q: Hey Doug, just wondering what your opinion was about the last play the Raptors called. Lots of people I talked to thought they should have opted for a play run for Kapono or another shooter. From what Sam Mitchell said after the game, it sounded like a pretty good play call to me, Bosh did get the open jumper after all. What's your thought on it?

Sunny R, Woodbridge

A: I thought it was the only logical call and the by far the right one. Run your bread and butter play with your two best players on the night and give yourself a chance.

If Howard had hugged Bosh and the lane opened, Jose would have gone to the rim, like he did that night in Boston. If Howard backed off even a bit, it was the right move let Bosh make a play.

I’ll take a Chris Bosh 15-footer any day of the week.

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Q: Hey Doug. Love your blog. What are your thoughts on the four teams that now have to go home down 2-0, Raps, Wiz, Suns, Mavs? I think they each have a chance to take 2 at home and tie their respective series.

Nitin V, Waterloo

A: Each? I don’t know about that. Washington seems to be unraveling (and Gilbert’s got a wonky wrist) and Chris Paul is just killing the Mavs. I can see both of those series being 3-1 for sure, and maybe over in four.

The other two? I’d say it’s 50-50 they get to 2-2. I still think there’s lots of legs left in both of those series.

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Q: I'm sorry, I've been a big Sam Mitchell fan up until now, but the Raptors have seen too many mismatches at the start of games to compete. That lack of preparation is the coach's fault, and it puts us down too much to recover. Am I crazy to think Mitchell will be on the hot-seat right away next year if the Raps continue to get dominated in the first quarter, and ultimately lose, this series.

Mark I, Oakville

A: I disagree that it’s a lack of preparation, I think it’s a lack of execution.

And, judging by a conversation we had with Bryan before Game 2, I don’t think there’s any ‘hot seat’ getting prepared for the end of the season. I could be wrong, but that’s the way I’m reading the tea leaves now.

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Q: I’m wondering on a scale of 1-10, how would rate that Orlando crowd? I was watching the game on TV, and it seems like they are kind of on the laissez faire side. I also noticed that the average age for the crowd is around 50 years, I’ve never seen so many old people at a sporting event! Could this be attributed to the quiet crowd in Orlando? I have a feeling the fans are going to have a larger effect in Toronto than they had in Orlando

Nilesh P, Ajax

A: I’d give the crowd a 5. It’s loud but not overly crazy and, yes, I think Toronto’s may have a greater impact on the momentum of the game. As for the average age, I never really noticed the old side that you did.

Some Game 2 thoughts

That was a helluva game. Tough, physical, close, intense. It may not be up the overall calibre of some of the other series going on but that was as good a playoff game as you might see for a while.

Anyway, let’s see what happened and why:

Action: Small ball works
Reaction: More change coming.

Sam, totally unsolicited, offered up the fact he’s going to change the starting lineup tomorrow and then never told us who. Caught up to a couple of guys on the way to the bus and even the ones who might have told me, wouldn’t. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” joked one.

So, let’s guess
It’s a given that the three bigs don’t start but does he just do Rasho and leave Bargnani in? I think he could very well because as bad (and I mean BAD) as Bargnani was in the first quarter, he made some big shots in the third and the Magic have to guard him. So, if it’s me, I do Kapono for Nesterovic and Calderon for Ford.

But not knowing at least makes getting the 7 a.m. flight home to go get the car and get downtown to practice worthwhile.

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Action: T.J.
Reaction: Jose

Not saying Ford was the reason they lost but this team, in this series, looks better with Calderon out there. And here’s why I think that change could, and should, be happening:

Third quarter, Raps closing and all of a sudden Jameer Nelson finds himself practically unguarded and he makes two straight threes for a 77-68 Orlando lead with about 4 1-2 minutes left. The second one hadn’t even cleared the net before Sam had Jose up and headed towards the table. Never saw Ford again.

The big question is going to be, if Sam does make that change, how is T.J. going to play? We all know how he handled coming off the bench a couple of months ago.

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Here’s what they were saying in Orlando, by the way. Oh, and while the Raptors are working today trying to figure out new starters, I’m told the Magic will take the day off. Sweet.

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Action: Magic’s coming to Toronto
Reaction: Oh, oh.

Orlando went 27-14 on the road this season, tied for second-best in the NBA with the Lakers behind Boston.

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Action: Jamario get shots

Reaction: Magic yawn.

This is why I don’t see them putting Moon in the starting lineup. Orlando really doesn’t guard him. They simply slough off him out behind the arc, daring him to shoot threes because, like anyone with access to Raptor season stats, they know he’s a brutal three-point shooter.

If they do Kapono for Rasho, or even Carlos for Rasho, at least the Magic will have to pay attention to them. They won't be able to leave them virtually unguarded like they did Moon.

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Action: Rasho doesn’t start
Reaction: It’s not his fault.

All the guy’s done for the last two months is play out of his mind and for this he probably loses his job? Yeah, for the time being. The old saying is horses for courses and if they want to get Howard on Bosh, they have to leave Rasho on the bench. I can see him getting a few minutes to give Bosh a blow tomorrow but nothing substantial.

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An aside

Down here in the United States, the sports networks actually put NBA highlights on and do substantial stories on them. Saw a clip of Houston coach Rick Adelman after Game 2 of the Rocket-Jazz series where he’s complaining about a crazy Andrei Kirilenko flop on a crucial play in the final minutes.

Of course, Adelman’s all ticked about flops and then I remember, this is the dude who coach Vlade Divac in Sacramento for all those years when Vlade was making flopping almost his signature move.

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Action: If it ain’t broke, don’t break it (to paraphrase Oak)
Reaction: Get to know this play

There’s about three minutes left in the third quarter and the Raptors are charging.

Sam looks over at Jose during a stoppage, after they’d run some other play, and screams: “Run ‘angle’, they can’t guard it.”

Angle, at its basic, is a side screen and roll with Bosh and the point guard and got them all kinds of good looks last night. Watch for it tomorrow.

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Action: AP goes scoreless
Reaction: What?

That can’t happen, can it? Well, it did. For just the second time in 82 regular season and one playoff game. And he only got four shots, which isn’t enough. But he’s got to be more aggressive.

And Sam knows it:

"We kept getting on our guys about looking to shoot the basketball, being aggressive,” Mitchell said after the game. “For whatever reason to start the first quarter, we’ve got guys turning down shots. We’ve got Anthony Parker coming off screens that we’re setting, running plays for him, and he’s thinking pass.”

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Anyway, just a couple hours now ‘til the cars head to the airport, check back here later this morning for some Game 2 mail.

A new day has dawned

So, what’s everyone expect tonight?

Judging by the comments, there’s not much hope out there in the great world of fans. Lots of fire Sam, bench Bargnani, trade Ford, play Moon, Bosh is brutal talk among you, isn’t there?

You may all be right, or you may all be wrong.

I still think this series has some legs and it’s sure not over.

For some reason, they’re letting us do our shootaround media before they take the court instead of after so we’ll put a few things out there now and update it after 10:30 or so when we get back.

ANDREW WALLACE/TORONTO STAR

It wouldn't be like matching up against the gang here, but Chris Bosh on Dwight Howard might work.

The gang (seven writers constitutes a gang, I guess) is heading out shortly so there’s not much time for pontificating.

Here we go:

Action: Rasho starts.
Reaction: He won’t play long.

What’s the matchup they want? Howard guarding Bosh. One, it may allow Bosh to get Howard in foul trouble, it works far better for Toronto’s pick-and-roll if Howard’s at the elbow guarding Bosh and it takes Lewis off Bosh.

So I’m guessing the first sub comes after about four minutes and it’s either Kapono or Moon for Rasho.

And, if the Magic switches up and puts Howard on Bargnani, which I don’t expect, it’ll be up to Bargnani to stay out around the perimeter and make plays if Howard comes out to guard him.

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Here’s today’s Sentinel link and what they had to say.

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Action: Kapono plays
Reaction: He’s got to play smart.

One thing Kapono did in Game 1 was, for the most part, stay outside the arc on offence and that’s where he has to operate to be successful for a couple of reasons.

All season long, we’ve seen him drive the ball after those little shot fakes and try to hit those little runners or mid-range jumpers. That’s all well and good, if he’s making them. But he’s a three-point shooter and he should stay outside and shoot them.

What his driving also does is create more congestion in the paint and that’s the last thing these guys want, what with Dwight Howard back there and all.

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A mailbag question on a point I was going to make:

Q: I was watching Raptors Today this evening and Sam said something that kind of stuck with me... in a bad way. He said that tomorrow's game isn't a must-win. While mathematically it may not be, I think it is if they want to win the series. We've seen this whole season, especially Sunday, that the Raptors just haven't come out with a sense of urgency. Now if I'm a player on the Raps, and I hear my coach say that this game we're playing isn't a must win; it probably wouldn't make me not try hard, but it might make me come out less aggressive. Why do you think Sam said that? Is he trying not to put pressure on his guys? Because I think that kind of pressure might be good for them.

Amanda F, Barrie

A: I know exactly why he said it and if you could hear me do my Sam imitation right now, this is what he’d say:

"Guys, guys, guys. We want to win every game. If this is a ‘must win’ and we don’t win, what’s that make Thursday? A ‘must, must, must’ win? Come on, guys.”

I see your point on wanting to put pressure on his players, or imbue them with a sense of urgency and perhaps he does that in private. But I know Sam and I know he’s not going to publicly admit any game’s a ‘must win’ until they’ve lost three in a series.

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The people you meet.

I was standing on the court before the game Sunday having a chinwag with Old Friend Brendan Malone, who was also carrying on a conversation with a distinguished looking gentleman next to me.

While Brendan and I were talking old time Raptors, family and basketball, he and the other guy were talking old time Mets and Dodgers and Shea Stadium and the old Polo Grounds.

Both of ‘em are big baseball fans, obviously.

The gentleman looks vaguely familiar, sure knows his sports and was greeted warmly by everyone around him.

As he walks away, Brendan says, “Do you know Stan’s father? This is Bill Van Gundy.”

Very cool dude.

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Okay, this is divorced from these guys and this series but the shenanigans in New York are continuing and it’s getting more ridiculous by the minute.

First, new boss Donnie Walsh says Isiah isn’t fired but he really doesn’t have a title and Walsh makes it clear Thomas as no place in the Knicks decision-making process. Isiah will have no one reporting to him, Walsh said the day he took over.

Now, the New York papers are reporting that not only does Thomas have no real job – but he’s not fired – he can’t even contact anyone with the team.

Why don’t they just fire the guy, pay him his money and let him get on with his life.

I knew James Dolan was a classless buffoon, I would have thought better from Donnie Walsh.

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Okay, I’m gonna post some comments and head to shootaround, check back later and we’ll have a post-shootaround update.

Some Game 1 mail

Another bit of a change. We'll try to get to all the mail specific to the game as soon after as we can. There'll still be a generic mailbag for your other queries but this might be a nifty playoff-only bonus.

Q: Hey Doug, I imagine you have received a ton of emails regarding this so if you could clarify for us it would be great.
TJ said in his post-game that he didn't know Barngani was starting until the "starting" lineups were called.
Chris said in his postgame that they tried to "implement" to many new wrinkes to start the game when they should have just played the way they had played the entire season. Is the "wrinkle" Bargnani or were their new plays as well?

Rob V, Waterloo

A: When T.J. made that comment, we were all standing around and were, quite frankly, stunned. It was inconceivable to us that it could be true and, sure enough, about a minute later, he admitted they had practiced with the “big lineup” for a couple of days. Bargnani had earlier said he knew Friday he’d start. So I’m not sure what T.J. was talking about, quite frankly. Maybe he misunderstood the question.

And the tweaks on the plays Bosh was talking about weren’t very obvious to us and we didn’t get a chance to ask Sam because he’d already left before Bosh spoke. I didn’t notice what I thought was “horns down” call rather an a “horns up” set (two bigs down near the basket rather than at the elbow) and Bosh did seem to get the ball much further from the basket on the wing than he usually does.

Don’t worry, though, we’ll try to get more out of Sam today.

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Q: Watched the Raps lose to Orlando today. This team will be lucky to last for five games! The problems of this team are primarily defensive -poor perimeter defense, failure to contest 3's, soft interior defense. These aspects of the game are partly technique but mainly involve desire and attitude. Our players seem to lack both. Is this Sam's fault or are thes players just incapable of playing defense?
Two other questions I would like answered. Why did Sam leave T. J. on the floor so long in the third quarter when he was playing so poorly and why, oh why, do the Raps hardly ever send player after offensive rebounds? It seemed, in this game, that every time the Raps took a shot all 5 players immediately headed for the backcourt.

Gerry T, Brampton

A: The defensive problems have been around for months and were particularly noticeable yesterday because every breakdown was answered with a made three. If the Magic shoot 5-for-11 in the first quarter rather than 9-for-11 maybe those flaws aren’t as fatal, but they aren’t new.

On the Ford third quarter situation? It was the usual rotation, it wasn’t like Calderon was playing at an all-star level himself.

Here’s a rebounding thing: Let’s say they send a third guy (the two bigs usually go), let’s say the NBA’s best rebounder, a fella named Howard, is there. Let’s say Howard gets every imaginable rebound, fires a quick outlet pass and the Magic go off three- or four-on-two. Let’s say Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis spot up on the three-point line and drill transition jumpers like they were layups while the guys you want going to the offensive glass – guys who aren’t likely to get more than one in 10 rebounds with Howard there – are still getting back into the play.

Sending more guys to the offensive glass in this series is suicidal.

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Q: Watch the Raptors get man-handled by the Magic's superstar Dwight Howard, here’s a question. In a previous entry you said Bosh and Lewis is a bad match up for us. I know that defensively Lewis will make Bosh have to come out and leave the paint. However isn't having a smaller player on Bosh going to allow him to drive more and draw more fouls?

Chris S, Toronto

A: Bosh shot 13 free throws, I think he drove the ball well trying to take advantage of Lewis. What they have to do is find a way for Bosh to start closer to the basket to draw defenders and kick the ball.

Some Game 1 thoughts

Wasn’t that something? I swear if Stan Van Gundy had put a uniform, he’d have made a three-pointer.

Action: Bargnani starts.
Reaction: Bewilderment. Followed by a yawn, really.

It was a gamble, no doubt. Sam’s explanation – Bargnani played well in the playoffs last year, having him out there with Bosh would deny the Magic a chance to post-up Hedo or Lewis – makes marginal sense.

But it didn’t address the defensive matchup problem, which is Bosh on Lewis. And it’s not like the Raptors were doing anything to get Bargnani more involved in the offence.

One thing it did was, effectively, cut the rotation by one (Moon’s four minutes were inconsequential) and I’m all for that. A seven and a half-man rotation (Calderon and one of Delfino-Kapono) isn’t that bad in my opinion.

The move also smelled of a way to get Bargnani going and if that was the case, it certainly didn’t work. Five points, eight shots? Hardly the production they’d expect.

Not sure Moon could have given them much more, although he is a quicker defender on the perimeter.

Trouble is, now do they go back to Moon? Or stay with the group that gave up 43 first-quarter points? I’d stick with this one for one more game. But it did not cost them the game.

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Action: Dwight Howard shows up.
Reaction: Most Raptors cower.

That was the quietest 20-20 game I’ve ever seen and if the Magic had thrown the ball to Howard a dozen more times, we might have seen a 40-30 game. His ability to shrug off defenders and hit the offensive glass is stunning. I have no idea how the Raptors will deal with him, and they don’t either.

"The thing we have to do a better job of is keeping him off the glass. It’s easy for me to sit here and say it but I don’t have to do it. Our guys understand what we have to do and we’ve got to do a much better job of keeping him off the offensive glass,” said Sam.

Here’s the thing: Mitchell’s right. Howard’s going to get 15 or 20 defensive boards a game, he’s that good; if they hold him to six on the offensive glass, that’s about as good as they can hope.

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The view from the south.

How the Orlando Sentinel had it.

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Another dark day. As we’re searching the record book after the 43-point first quarter, it points out the 43’s the most in a first quarter ever and but the 60 in a first half is two off the all-time record. Those other two marks were established in the same game, a May 16, 2001 121-88 loss to the Sixers in Game 5 of that series.

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Action: Raptors play zone.

Reaction: Orlando smiles.

Three possessions in the first quarter, all after made baskets. First possession Bosh gets a steal and Raptors score. Second: Maurice Evans hits an open three. Third: Rashard Lewis hits an open three.

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Action: Kapono shoots
Reaction: We are shocked.

Yes, that was Jason Kapono taking six three-pointers and making four.

The shot he made to make it 88-83 (as close as they’d get, of course) was exactly the kind of play he should have been making all year. On the catch, he pumped faked Hedo Turkoglu, got him off the ground but instead of heading to the rim to meet big men and being forced to shoot that runner of his, he stepped back and to the side and drilled a three.

That’s what they’re paying him $24 million to do.

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Oh, a word to The Chicken, who I’m told knows what goes on around here. The Orlando Dragon made his arrival coming down from the arena ceiling. Not sure you can do that in the ACC but I hope he/she/it is trying to come up with something special for Thursday.

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Action: Raptor point guards supposed to shine.
Reaction: Not so much.

I can’t remember a game when both Ford and Calderon were so normal. No idea why they didn’t guard Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling the length of the floor but that’s something I’d like to see them try tomorrow night.

Oh, and making some shots would be a good idea. Four-for-20 is not going to cut it.

Trouble is, I get sneaking suspicion that Ford might try to show everyone that he’s got his game turned around by Game 2 and that’s a dangerous proposition.

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Magic officials told us after the game there were about 3,000 tickets left for Tuesday night. Anyone coming? See you there.

Seriously, our last, last, last pre-playoff mailbag

No, really, this is it before the series starts, which is in about five hours. It was relatively calm around these parts here Saturday, I’m guessing everyone was getting nervous. Or ready. Or something like that.

Anyway, check back here tonight and tomorrow morning for the usual fare.

And have a lovely day.

Q: Hi Doug, I'm watching the Suns vs Spurs game right now and they just showed a glimpse of the Suns huddle where Steve Nash picked up the marker and started drawing up a play. Have you ever seen a player do this before? Or is it just an ultimate sign of respect between coach and player that Nash has earned

Alex H, North York

A: No, that’s not all that unusual. If a coach draws up a play and a player has a suggestion to modify it, he’ll grab the marker and do it. Or a player may suggest something and then the coach will tweak it a bit.

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Q: For a team that defends the perimeter so poorly, I find it interesting that the Raptors don't go zone more often. I know you've said that they use a variation of zone defense, but do you think they might use more of a pure zone in the playoffs? Particularly if they continue to struggle with dribble penetration?
Brian J, Scarborough

A: I think you’ll definitely see some zone. They like to use it for six or seven possessions to throw a wrinkle into the game. They won’t use it for six or seven minutes at a stretch, though.

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Q: Three quick ones for whenever:
1) Was there a main sports page link to your playoff preview article? If there was, I missed it. Luckily, I happened to notice the link off to the side of another article I was reading.
Don't the tall foreheads realize that the only reason most people visit thestar.com is to read your blog??? And then, as happened with me, before I saw the link to the playoff preview, I check out other articles. They should realize that ANYTHING you write should be front and centre if they want to keep people coming here!
2)Your playoff preview leads to my second question: You mentioned that Shane Battier is (possibly? - I can't remember exactly) the best defensive player in the league. So, a BB101 question - why? What makes a player a better-than-average defensive player in the NBA?
Finally, 3) This just occurred to me (DUH! After how many months??) - I am pretty sure that when you submit a story for the newspaper side, it's sent to an editor, who, naturally, edits it. But - and I'm guessing here - the blog (including mailbag and comments) is ALL YOU??? In other words, you do the job they pay you to do (nowhere NEAR as well as they should!), and then you add on all that EXTRA work, just so you can satisfy us rabid, pro-then-con Raptors' fans?

Tim H, Windsor

A: Oh yeah, we’re pretty much a one-man show over here, except for the excellent editor who finds the cool pictures.

Battier’s a great defender for a couple of reasons. He’s a workhorse who never seems to get tired, he’s smart because he knows the tendencies of the guy’s he’s guarding plus he’s big and strong. It’s a complete package few have.

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Q: Hey Doug, always enjoy this blog, it's really become a part of my daily routine.  Keep up the great work.
Just wanted to share a very nice interview I found on si.com with Celtics legend Bob Cousy. He gives some great insight about the Celtics today, interesting bits about Red Auerbach, and also the modern Association and its players as a whole. Hopefully this can make your blog before the game and people can take a look, it's quite a great read for a basketball fan at any level.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/arash_markazi/04/18/on.scene/index.html

Simon S-G, Toronto

A: A fine little read indeed, I pass it along gladly.

Our last, last pre-playoff mailbag

Greetings from Orlando and the luxuriously appointed Springhill Suites, where the fun never ends. Figure I gotta get a whole bunch of mail out of the way today and tomorrow ‘cause once the fun starts for real, I can only imagine the questions will fly.

So here’s some, I’ve got more in the pipeline that maybe I can knock off between practices today.

Q: What are your five favorite basketball related books? I thoroughly enjoyed Heaven is a Playground, The Last Shot, and The City Game.  But I need some new non-PhD related reading material!

Paul M, Toronto

A: Sorry it’s taken me so long to get to this one; it got buried under a bunch of other saved questions.

You’ve got the top three right there.

I’d include Pistol: The Life Of Pete Maravich on the list and probably Bill Bradley’s Life On The Run.

I’m sure I’m missing all kinds of great ones.

Oh, and if you can find an old copy of Airborne …

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Q: Okay Doug, great blog as always, fourth time writing, hope it gets in so I'll keep it short. The luxury tax is often mentioned. I am watching the 4th quarter of the Detroit game and once again hear that Detroit has big bucks in salary to pay next year? Which teams are over the cap and have to pay tax? Are teams loaded with talent like LA, San Antonio, Detroit etc. all paying tax? Are there any under cap teams that are actually competitive that are not darkhorses? Ultimately, is it possible to be a championship team without paying tax because MLSE made it clear they won't pay tax, and if that's the case, are we SOL for a championship? Flukes not withstanding.

David R, Little Britain

A: Another one I saved and lost, sorry.

According to the salary information I have, there are eight teams – New York, Dallas, Denver, Cleveland, Portland, the Lakers, Boston and Phoenix – that will likely have to pay a luxury tax after the 2008-09 season.

But teams like San Antonio, Utah and Detroit – all legitimate championship contenders right now – aren’t tax-paying teams so there is a way to be fiscally responsible and still contend.

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Q: Hey Doug, I've sent a couple of questions but they've never gotten answered.  Maybe they were too long.  Here's to hoping this one will get answered because this is really intriguing IMO. :)
If you take a look at Kenny Smith's analysis of the playoff matchup for Toronto-Orlando over at Yahoo!, you'll see that he says Orlando's backcourt is better than Toronto's; reason being that Orlando's backcourt is underrated.
Do you agree with that? I was under the impression that our Jose-TJ combo was still potent even with the lovers' quarrel.  Also, I think I'd take AP (Performance, not considering age) over any of Orlando's backcourt.

Jay C, Toronto

A: I don’t agree with that assessment, at all. I think T.J. and Jose have a clear advantage over the Magic point guards and, as a whole, Toronto’s backcourt should be considered superior. The only thing to worry about, and I know the Raptors are, is if the use Maurice Evans as kind of a three and Rashard Lewis as the biggest two you know. Then? That’s a pretty potent backcourt.

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Q: Howdy, Doug! Two things:
1) What's happening to Raptors broadcast media? Then, it was Norma Wick, and now it's Jack Armstrong's turn. Do you have inside info pertinent to non-renewal of "The Coach" contract? Does his promo "Hello" shirt have something to do with the organization's decision to bid goodbye to his services? And 2) Are you aware as to who will be officiating for each NBA playoff series?  Are the refs the same for every matchup or on rotational basis?  Can we request for Mr. Eric Lewis?

Rikki C, Burlington

A: Hello. I’m sure you read by man Zelkovich in our paper on Friday, looks like Jack’s gonna be back and that’s great news. Now, if they could repatriot Norma, the world would be a better place.

As for the officials, they’ll rotate from game-to-game, you won’t see the same crew twice in any series, and likely not in the post-season. I ran into a whole bunch of them in Chicago on Wednesday night (they were having a union meeting Thursday in the same hotel I was in) and they were all waiting for Thursday to get their first-round assignments.

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Q: Other than Micah Nori who are the scouts for the Raptors? I know Mike Evans used to be one and I believe Darrel Hedric is no longer with the organization. Is Bob Z. still on the staff?

A: I have no idea why you’d use such a bogus fake name (Negele Knight?) on this as you did, it’s not necessary. But I’ll answer anyway.

Darrel Hedric was, but he’s gone, Micah does the advance scouting at the NBA level. Other than that, Bryan uses the people he trusts and has around. Wayne Embry does some work, so does Maurizio and Masai Ujiri and, of course, Jim Kelly. Bob Z is still around, but he’s quasi-retired and spend a lot of the winter enjoying a life of leisure.

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Q: Two questions for you Doug - one playoff related, the other just a general basketball announcing 101.
Why was everybody concerned about matchups, and avoiding Detroit/Boston? I understand that those teams are more likely to beat the Raps, but basketball post-season is an elimination system; if the Raptors want to win the championship (and that's the point, right?) they'll have to beat Boston and/or Detroit eventually (unless something goes incredibly (wrong) for both teams, which won't happen).
This isn't like the regular season, where you get advantages for finishing in a better position (home court, etc.). You either win the championship (or the conference at least, and get to put up a banner) or you don't. Is there an advantage to getting eliminated in the second or third round that I'm missing?
Second question: Why do announcers often say that somebody went 'from downtown' when they shoot a three? Isn't downtown closer to the arena (and thus the basket)? It seems a bit anti-cognitive to use a place nearby for a long-distance shot. Is there an uptown?

Thane B, St. Catharines

A: The only advantage I can see to advancing to a second-round or conference championship is the experience gained by winning a series and playing in games with even more intensity and importance. Yes, the only thing that really matters is a championship but I do think teams that win a round or two have had successful years. It’s whether they learn enough to take the next step in the subsequent seasons that’s interesting to watch.

Downtown? I have no idea why most broadcasters say anything as clichéd as that. Maybe once upon a time when they were building arenas out in suburbs, someone thought it cute to reference the middle of the city.

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Q: I don't really think I am going to make your site as I have tried to post before but what do you think the Raps will have to do to take a strong hold on Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, our lack of perimeter defence could just cost us the series.
Everyone knows that Dwight Howard can be contained by the Raptors and he still struggles to kick the ball out if he is given a strong double team.
So what to do to a team that has the exact game style as the Raptors?

Imran K, Toronto

A: You’re absolutely right, the porous perimeter defence they’ve played most of the season could undoubtedly be the difference. I think you’re going to see less double-teaming of Howard as you may think so they can stay home on those shooters. Once the Raptors start rotating and running around on defence, that’s when they start losing guys and it costs them. So, they do to the Magic what the Magic may do to them: Guard the shooters and let the post guy be defended one-on-one.

Our last pre-playoff mailbag

Hope all of you who needed to went and checked out Flat Stanley yesterday. We’re still trying to nail down exactly what we’re going to do over here for the playoffs but, rest assured, the mail will get answered. Maybe a few a day rather two or three times a week? The tallest of foreheads (well, me and the guy who actually runs this) have got our thinking caps on.

But first, some of this week’s submissions, and there are some left for a weekend mailbag:

Q: I don't expect this to be published but I happen to be Orlando next week and just got a ticket to Game 2.
Is there any particular bar or restaurant where Raptor fans/reporters/family go pregame (or postgame)
I'd rather go somewhere I won't be the only fan in Raptor red.

Philip S, Toronto

A: Here’s the thing: There’s nowhere really around the arena except the sports bar in the downtown Marriott across the parking lot from the gym. I can recommend Wolfgang Puck’s place out at Disney but it’s a ways away, you might see a beat grunt or two there on an off-night but not post- or pre-game.

Let’s throw it out there: Surely some of you have some recommendations. Toss ‘em in the comments section and help a fella out. This is a community of sorts and someone should be able to give you a few ideas. Lord knows I got some of the best restaurant/bar recommendations I’ve ever had by asking about Rome (and I still owe the couple that gave M. Grange ™ and I the fish place a huge debt) and Madrid.

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Q: I finally managed to get time off work and playoff tickets to the Raps on Thursday night next week.
This is a prime example of the manic state of passionate Raps fans. One week you hate them, the next week you pay a small fortune to come home and see them in the playoffs.

Dean E, Whistler

A: Ding! Ding! Ding!

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Q: What will Jamario Moon need to work on during the off-season, in order to improve the natural ability he has? I love his ability to come out of "nowhere" and get the "putback". However, there are times when he goes totally AWOL!
Also, I'm with you re Bargnani.  I really enjoy seeing him attack the basket- amazing agility for such a big person.  I believe he's playing injured or suffering from second year jitters.

Cath D, Kitchener

A: The first thing Jamario has to work on is his dribbling ability. I’m more convinced every day that the reason he doesn’t drive the ball is that he can’t handle it well enough to get past anyone.

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Q: Ever since Bosh called out the fans to make some noise, I was wondering if you knew which arenas in the NBA are known for creating artificial noise (on a consistent basis) in their house to pump up their players and to create a good atmosphere?

Bria T, Toronto

A: I’m not sure all of them don’t. But the one place that stands out for me is New Jersey, where you hear this cacophony of noise and look around and no one is clapping or standing or yelling. Quite comical. Atlanta also comes to mind.

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Q: Hi Doug, Could there be a co-MVP in the NBA? Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant are both MVPs in the NBA. Has there ever been co-MVPs in the NBA?

Nash N, Pickering

A: Sure, the vote could end in a tie. It’s never happened, but it could. Last tie there was for a major award was in 2000 when Elton Brand and Steve Francis tied for rookie of the year.

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Q: Hiya Doug - I've only been addicted to the Raps for 5 years (and) I know of three playoff appearances. I remember Philly several years ago (who wouldn't with the Wince/graduation controversy!), last year against NJ, and this year. Did I miss any before my addiction kicked in?

Sherry E, Toronto

A: I’m guessing you might not be quite as old as some of us, well, me. They were in the playoffs in 2000 when they were swept by the Knicks, the infamous 2001 Philly year, 2002 when they lost in five first-round games to Detroit, last year and this year.

Now, cure that addiction. Addictions are bad. Or so I’m told.

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Q: How far in the playoffs do you think this team would go if we could trade Graham for Granger and Hump for Iguodala.  Which was the bigger draft blunder

Dan W, Charlottetown

A: I have no idea how far they’d go, it’s a silly debate to have. And I presume you mean Hoffa for Iguodala and the answer that’s the winner by a resounding margin.

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Q: Every question I ask you don't respond and I understand you're busy but not once have you. I doubt you will answer this one either for reasons we both know but have you ever played the game? Coached the game? And how long have you been around the game because for a guy who spends all day around the team your articles have no depth really and your opinions on basketball matters are dumb founding to me. I wish we had guys north of the border who could write about this sport with passion and experience for die hard fans like myself.

James G, Toronto

A: Now that I’ve printed one, do you promise not to write any more? Thanks

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Q: Hi Doug, I am a regular reader of your blogs and an ardent Raptor fan. I can't agree with you though when you said "Do not read anything into last night’s game. Nothing." Three reasons:
1) Going into the playoffs is also about building up a momentum. You don't want to go in on a losing note. Winning as well as loosing is contagious.
2) Detroit whipped us with their bench in a game that meant nothing to them. It shows the Raptor's lack of depth when they couldn't beat the Bulls with their second unit.
3) Lastly, the same bad habits that caused us to lose so many games in the regular season, were very much there last night. That does not give me too much confidence to think that the playoffs are going to be any better.

Allan A, Toronto

A: I’m not going to win this one but I’ll try.

Nothing that happened Wednesday night will matter a lick on Sunday. If they’d played well and won by 20 I’d say the same exact thing.

And don’t mistake depth for end-of-the-bench-warm-bodies. Yes, the Detroit backups beat Toronto for a quarter, just as Toronto’s starters beat Detroit’s starters for the quarter immediately preceding that one.

And the bad habits, which I agree are there, were not going to get broken if Bosh et al had played 18 more minutes in Chicago. They can get broken by greater concentration and attention to detail in the intensity of a playoff game.

The Morning After The (Last) Night Before

Okay, please, everybody, listen up: Do not read anything into last night’s game. Nothing. It was a going-through-the-motions affair, Bulls going nowhere, Raptors playing not to get hurt. The starters looked okay, the main backups – Bargnani, Calderon primarily – were okay although Delfino looked pretty average.

They got a run in, they worked on some things and then they watched. It was no big deal. At all.

Still, there were some moments, as usual

Three Things I Learned

Thank you NBA

Now, that’s a great schedule from a purely selfish point of view.

Two afternoon games in the first four lets us sit back and put some context to the next day stories for the newspaper and the two 7:30 p.m. starts for Games 3 and 4 ease the deadline pressure. And a game every other day for the first five? Outstanding for the rhythm of a series.

And it’ll be good for the web, too; get game stories up quickly, maybe we can do blogs the night after the afternoon games and then get to some mail in the morning. We’re still trying to cipher exactly how we’ll do it but you’ll be well served.

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Shield your eyes

You can tell it’s the 82^nd game of the regular season when you look up in the first quarter and see Jose Calderon, Jason Kapono, Kris Humphries, Andrea Bargnani and Primoz Brezec on the court.

No, you will never, ever see that group again. Ever. I hope.

That’s the kind of night it was.

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Stop the cards and letters

Please, the next time anyone out there is prepared to write and ask why they don’t play Joey any more, or whether they should re-sign The Gangster or whether The Hump’s getting a raw deal, take a DVD of that game and watch it.

And then delete the missive you were about to send.

All of those guys may be great guys and their athletic ability and basketball skill are so superior to anyone you know that it’s not even funny but if there’s ever been a reason they are the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th men on the active roster and to be used only in emergencies, last proved it.

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Here’s a quick look at what B. Schmitz wrote today.

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And one from the mailbag:

Q: I'm a basketball player and I understand the concept of playing how you practice. Recently the Raptors have been slumping (that might be an understatement) but could it be that they haven't practiced hard enough, thus they have been playing poorly? Also I have another question: When playoffs come around do teams practice more or take days off? If they do practice is it more intense than regular season practices?

Stephanie C, Toronto

A: I hope you practice a lot, enjoy the game, have fun every time you play and shoot hoops for years and years to come.

The fact of the matter is they practice as hard as they can, as often as they can but in the grind of the regular season there’s not nearly enough time to get into the gym as often as coaches would like. Back-to-backs, three games in four nights and the bumps and bruises that pop up late in the year all conspire to cut practice time down. What they do, generally, is a lot of shooting work and other drills with maybe some scrimmaging thrown in. But the last thing any coach, or player, wants is someone turning an ankle, tweaking a groin or twisting a knee in a practice scrimmage with such short time between games.

Now that the playoffs are here and the schedule is out, I know they’ll go hard and long on Friday because they’re taking Thursday off (although I’m sure a lot of players will either get in the gym or the trainer’s room for treatment) and then ease off a bit Saturday.

On the off-days between games, practices will include a lot of video work and a lot of walking through their own sets and working on defending what they saw the night before.

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You know, refereeing in the NBA is, as I’ve mentioned, the toughest officiating job in all of sports in my opinion. No home games, a judgement call on nearly every possession, and a physical grind.

Must be nice to relax when you’ve got a chance. And be a helluva dad in the process.

I’m told by Someone Who’d Know that a couple of NBA refs, in Chicago on an off-night Wednesday before a pre-playoff union meeting on Thursday, managed to find themselves at Wrigley Field.

One, well-respected ref Scott Wall, took the opportunity to do something so cool for his kids that it can’t go unmentioned.

Flat Stanley, one of the great kids ideas of our time, took in the game, too. And will no doubt provide all kinds of great stories for Scott’s two kids.

That’s a very cool dad thing to do.

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I now believe with all my heart that thunderstix are the second-worst in-game schtick ever invented. Morbidly obese men taking their shirts off and jiggling is No. 1 by far. Someone, please, ban that. My retinas hurt.

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There’s nothing like seeing an opponent up close in personal.

Not only did the Raptors have advance scout Micah Nori in Atlanta on Tuesday night to scout the Orlando Magic, they also sent assistant coach Jay Triano down there to see just what the Magic are doing these days.

Triano flew down, caught the game and then headed to Chicago early Wednesday morning to get his report ready for Sam and the rest of the staff and be in his usual place for the game against the Bulls.

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Last one from the mail, the wakeup call’s coming in about two hours I gotta crash:

Q: Doug, if you were given one choice for your franchise point guard, who would it be among: Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, D. Williams, Steve Nash (Prime), or Jason Kidd (Prime)? Thanks for answering my question

Ty D, Hamilton

A: That’s blatantly unfair because I don’t think we’ve seen Chris Paul or Deron Williams at their prime and no one has any real idea how good Derrick Rose might be.

So, I’m going Nash, Kidd, Paul, Williams, Rose. That’s a bit of cop out and maybe one day Paul moves to the top of the list but not at the moment.