The Morning After The Night Before, LXXVII

Weird feeling last night, wasn’t it? They win but they were supposed to win and I know that when the Buck got within 10 in the fourth, there were some Nervous Nellies (and I don’t mean Don) in the seats.

Call me a cynic but until they string together two or three good games, I still don’t see a turnaround.

But I do see …

Three Things I Learned

Still Do It

Yes, Charlie scored 38. Yes, TJ was anchored to the bench in the fourth quarter. But, yes, I still make that trade. Today, tomorrow and yesterday.

Chuck V was on fire in the first half – relatively invisible in the second half, mind you – but he still defends as if he can’t wait to get up his next shot.

The Raps ran nearly every play at him, including post-ups for Rasho which are few and far between, and it worked nearly every time.

I like Charlie as a guy but, and I’ve said this before, I suspect he will be traded three or four times in his career and be a guy with, as My Man Jack Armstrong says, Permanent Potential.

Oh, and TJ played pretty well, got in Scoring Mode a bit much in the third, but still a solid game. You guys and gals happy now?

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Why You Want Him

This is why Anthony Parker is good for your team.

Early in the third quarter, he’s got three fouls and a lesser player would have hidden on the defensive end.

But, no. Parker strips Michael Redd trying to make a shot under the basket – a surefire way to pick up Personal No. 4 and a seat on the bench – and about a minute later he takes a charge on Redd 25 feet from the basket.

That’s playing for the team ‘cause a handful of guys would have shied away from either play trying not to pick up another foul.

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Matching Up?

This is for all the folks out there who wonder why the Raptors react, rather than act, on specific matchups. In days of yore, they probably would have gone to someone like Joey, or even Hump, to try to cool off Charlie in that first half.

But Sam stuck with his 21 feet of big man – Bosh, Rasho, Bargnani – because he knew how much of an advantage he had at the other end.

Maybe he doesn’t do that kind of thing often enough to satisfy a lot of you but it was a pretty good – and successful – idea last night because the matchup dictated it. I’d suspect you’d see more of it if they had that kind of advantage at the offensive end other nights.

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Quickly into the mail

Q: First-time writer, long-time fan.
In your list of playoff lows, I note you have left out the destruction of Brew's, on East 34th St.
Can you explain yourself, please?
J Q, London

A: Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

I am shamed.

You can have your Times Square and Empire State Building and World’s Greatest (Smelly, Small) Arena but Brew’s (a fine pub right next to a good hotel in Murray Hill) was a landmark that surpassed all landmarks.

A top three moments in Brew’s history:

An April meeting of hoops, pucks, baseball and boxing writers from the far north that turned the joint into Canada South for a night, like a party at the embassy. Revelry abounds.

Hoops writers seconded to cover Gretzky’s last game (a rather big deal, as it turns out) preparing for the momentous occasion by tipping a few jars and learning all about this 99 fellow from various hockey scribes. A day game the next day was a blur.

Trying to talk to the statue of the artist in front of the hotel next door after one of a zillion nights of adult beverage consumption.

They don’t make the road trips like they used to.

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Let’s see.

Knicks suck. Fans disgruntled. Beer still on sale.

Think this idea turns into a recipe for brawls on the concourse?

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More mail

Q: Would you say Detroit would prefer facing Toronto in the first round of the playoffs than Philadelphia or Washington?

Nash N, Pickering

A: I’d presume any team’s chomping at the bit to get a piece of team that’s lost 15 of its last 22.

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Do you get the feeling these guys have to run the table, hope Washington knocks off Philly on Saturday so they finish in a tie with the Sixers and get sixth on the tiebreaker? You could almost see Washington beating Boston coming off a back-to-back but the Philly win over Detroit really came out of nowhere and if the Sixers are gonna act like that, why don’t wouldn’t you think they could win every game they’ve got left.

And how do you think the Raptors will appreciate finishing seventh by a game given what went on in Atlanta? If the NBA had a sense of humour, they’d send Erik Lewis to ref every game Philly’s got left.

Check out how Phil in Philadelphia wrote that one up.

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Really. “We Want Pizza” with 39 seconds left IN THE THIRD QUARTER! You people are nuts.

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I’m wondering which is the worst free-agent signing. Bobby Simmons? Jared Jefferies? Jerome James? Marc Jackson?

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Here’s how T. Enlund, Esq., summed up the Bucks-Raptors affair.

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More mail

Q: Loved the link to the greatest Knicks article ever. However, which organization do you think was the bigger joke? Knicks under Isiah or Leaves under Ballard?

Sohail G, Collingwood

A: Equally despicable. But I’m saying the Leaves ‘cause they got rid of guys people loved, they didn’t bring in players people grew to hate.

On ugly shots and bad memories

We got a true Basketball 101 lesson from Sam after practice yesterday, when we were talking about shooters catching the ball in the ‘triple threat’ position so they’re ready for whatever happens.

Seems what they’ve seen is that guys are catching passes up by their foreheads instead of down at their chest and the split second it takes to reload gives defenders a chance to get up on them.

The other thing to watch for to see if they’ve corrected a mistake is what moves first on a jump shot.

Look for a lift in the shoulder, which brings the elbow up and gets the legs into the shot. A guy like Bargnani, who seems to have lost most of his ability to shoot lately (which really sucks for a guy who’s a shooter) has a tendency to move is arm out rather than up to start the shooting motion and that’s part of what’s causing the flatness to his shot of late.

Correcting it is learned behaviour, like muscle memory or something, and you know they are working on it in practice and shootaround now.

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A question a few have posed

Q: Hey Doug. A couple of questions about the upcoming game on Sunday versus Detroit. I've noticed that they have changed the start time from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m. so it could air on ABC in the United States.
a) Why would ABC want to air this game when it has no real significance in the grand scheme of things?
b) Are we going to be able to watch the American feed for the game and get a perspective on the Raptors from someone other than Swirsky?

Perry K, Ottawa

A: ABC was originally going to broadcast Miami at Cleveland as the early game on Sunday and, next to that, Toronto-Detroit looks like Lakers-Celtics.

Yes, on ABC you’ll see the ABC feed, I understand it, not The Score.

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This might be the greatest article on the New York Knicks ever.

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With the playoffs just around the corner, it’s time for remembering. And since everyone’s in such a dull mood given what’s transpired over the last 21 games, let’s remember bad stuff. And we’ll leave out Chris Childs and his ciphering problem (85 minus 82 equals four) and He Who Shall Not Be Names missing that jumper in Game 7 in Philly ‘cause those are too obvious.

BERNARD WEIL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

The power of Larry Johnson defeats the Raptors in 2000.

A top five list of sad Raptor post-season moments, in no particular order:

LJ’s Three

Down two with 25 seconds left in Game 3 in 2000, Raps need a stop to have a shot at a game-tying basket. They don’t get it when Larry Johnson banks – banks! – in a three-pointer from the top of the key.

AI’s Second 50-plus

Game 4 in 2001, Raptors up 2-1 in the series, coming off two days to prepare for Allen Iverson and put a stranglehold on the series. What do they do? Take one of the days off and get scorched by AI for 54.

My bad, Iverson's second 50-plus game was actually 52 in Game 5. He was the second player in history (Michael Jordan in 1988 vs. Cleveland was the other) to have two 50-plus games in one series.

Thanks for the catch, various readers.

Dee Brown’s miss

The smooth-shooting Brown made 267 three-pointers in his time in Toronto but missing a wide-open shot from the corner right in front of the Raptor bench at the end of Game 2 in New York in 2000 was the one everyone wants back. Vince drove and kicked and Dee – playing his only eight seconds of the game – missed.

No Timeout

Not sure what he would have come up with but in Game 1 Game 2 of the 2002 series with Detroit, Lenny Wilkens let ‘em play and Alvin Williams missed a game-tying three with seven seconds left. Maybe the presence of Dell Curry on the court coming out of a timeout would have helped.

Fuelling The Fire

Jason Kidd misses a practice between Games 2 and 3 last year and Sam says something that could be construed as doubting the severity of Kidd’s sore knee. Guess that got him riled up because Kidd comes out and has 16 points, 16 rebounds and a mere 19 assists for the Nets.

Feel better?

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More mail:

Q: With the NCAA games over, which team did you pick to win it all?
Who would be your first pick in the lottery draft?

Roland M, Richmond Hill

A: Super Son and I had UCLA beating North Carolina in a Final Four that included Pittsburgh and Kansas. C’est la vie.

The draft? It’s easy. Wait and see who wins the lottery and see if they need Rose or Beasley. For this team, I’d probably take the big guy. But maybe not after I'd seen them work out.

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Bucks take the Celtics to overtime, my man T. Enlund reports. At least they took some of the other Celtics to overtime.

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Oh, from the “There’s Nothing New” department, there’s nothing new on either the Garbo or lawsuit front.

Garbo keeps working out and got medical clearance to increase the workload earlier this week but there’s no chance of a miracle comeback.

And the lawsuit the Raptors filed against the Spanish basketball federation continues to plod along in the legal process. The slow, ponderous legal process.

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Old mail:

Q: Hi Doug, Love your blog. You printed my first question way back but none since (or maybe I'm not reading to the bottom). Probably justified as I was likely ranting. Anyway, have a straight forward one for you. What is the bandage thing on Jamal Crawford's shoulder? Been wondering all year. Thanks.

Tom D, Oakville

A: Asked answered but what the heck. It’s like a heat patch to provide muscle stimulation on a previous injury.

More mid-week mail than you can imagine

This cleans out the mailbag for now, there’s lots here so don’t let the boss catch you goofing off. And, if I recall correctly, the names Calderon and Ford don’t appear here. Thanks for that.

Q: This is kind of a multi-faceted question. When reading your recent critical (blog) observations of Joey G, I'm compelled to ask out of sheer curiosity: do any of the players read your columns/blogs? If so, do they ever take your remarks personally? Let's say you find yourself having a casual conversation with said individual, would you actually bring up the things you've written into the conversation i.e. "Hey Joey, I think your basketball IQ falls somewhere between 0 and 1, and as it so happens, your trade value would fall somewhere in range as well". Is there a certain line you (or a beat grunt in general) wouldn't cross when talking with a player?

Terence G, Mississauga

A: The line is the boundary of normal human decency and respect. If anyone dared try ask a question in the inflammatory, disrespectful childish manner you suggest, they’d be doing our industry a disservice and showing themselves to be unprofessional and confrontational.

There are ways to ask difficult questions with tact and taste.

And if you treat people with respect and conduct yourself in a professional manner most athletes will discuss criticisms of themselves with civility.

I have no idea if they, or anyone connected with the team, reads this. Nor do I really care, frankly. I don’t write for them. I write for readers.

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Q: Maybe the blog is like the cell phone: we get the benefit of constant contact BUT it can be wearing to have to answer ALL THE TIME. Keep your spirits up and maybe in the off-season consider scaling down to 2x/week or something for sanity and quality's sake. You and your readers should be proud of a long and fair and thorough airing of our experiences/feeling with this year's team. One good thing is that, in a world of isolation and private lives, your blog and readers' exchanges create common identity and enthusiasm. We are more proudly Toronto because of your work on this blog.

On to a question or two:
1. What about this new template for how to play: "Princeton on Steroids" (i.e. Memphis State) - how does it apply to how teams are playing/will play in the NBA? To our Raps present and future?

2. Bosh looks tired and we are so dependent on him to play very well in order to be competitive. How do coaches try to keep such a key player fresh for playoff time? I have a sinking feeling that the double-downs and other defenses against Bosh such as we saw from Nets last year in playoffs are going to be repeated in the next few weeks. Solutions?

3. Playoffs = intensity while being very familiar with your opponent. How does this intimate familiarity with one's opponent affect how playoff games are played compared to regular season games?

Charles N, Toronto

A: I don’t think the Princeton On Steroids style (drive, kick and motion is how I’ve also heard it described) fits in the NBA because of the size of the players, the overall talent level (which puts the NCAA to shame) and coaching (I think good NBA coaches would be able to thwart it in a short while).

Bosh just has to suck it up. I know that sounds trite but, really, he knows what’s coming and he has to deal with it more decisively than he has. One thing to think about, though, there will be no back-to-backs in the playoffs and sometimes two, maybe three days off between games so fatigue, which I think is affecting him now, may not be as big a factor. The main way they keep him fresh is by pulling back on the practice throttle; he might get an extra day off here or there or just get shots up one day. It’s simple preventative maintenance.

And, finally, the playoffs are a matter of adjustments. And with teams so heavily scouted, it will be up to coaches to come up with a wrinkle or two to get an early jump and force the other team into making changes. On a player-by-player basis, a lot more animosity builds up a lot more quickly when you’re seeing the same guy and the same moves four nights in seven. They get cranky, so to speak, and it’s the guy who doesn’t lose his cool who generally wins. That’s mental toughness, not something we’ve seen a lot of from the Raptors.

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Q: Just a quick one for you, more or less unrelated to the Raptors: in a recent mailbag, someone asked about retiring numbers and you mentioned that it shouldn't be done lightly (i.e. that Bosh might not be a player of the "retire his number" calibre).  So, to the question: with the Jays now having retired 9 individuals, are there too many names on their "Level Of Excellence" to your mind?

Mike D, Toronto

A: No, I don’t think nine is too many for a franchise that has two World Series championships, a handful of other playoff appearances and so many great players in its past. I think when the Raptors are 30 years old and many of the players who’ve made significant contributions are retired, maybe a Ring Of Honour or Board Of Greatness or something like that would be appropriate. And maybe by then, we could come up with nine.

Bits and pieces, all of which you must read 'cause there'll be a quiz

What a boring night, some dancing, some Corner Gas, some college hoops. No NBA, no invite to the Red Party (musta got lost in the mail) and no Leaves playoff preview.

Dull.

But it did give the mind some time to wander, so …

I will preface this by saying I haven’t seen nearly enough college basketball (I don’t really like the game because it seems like it’s always a three-man weave for 25 seconds and then someone jacks up a three-pointer and there are about a kazillion timeouts per game; besides, I work too much as it is) to have a huge grasp on who’s good and who’s not. I have seen a handful of tournament games, mostly Davidson ‘cause I was interested in Dell’s kid and I saw a huge chunk of last night’s final.

So, all of you who’ve asked who I like as a potential draft pick, I offer the following opinions from that background, I don’t usually start thinking seriously about the draft (talking to scouts, checking old games, watching workouts) until June.

Of the bigs, I’d take the Hibbert kid over Thabeet because I think he’s got more offensive skills and better hands.

I do really like this Rush kid at Kansas, he’s long, athletic and, I believe he’s 22, he’s pretty grown up. The only thing I worry about is fundamentals. If I was drafting, I’d take him over the Douglas-Roberts of Memphis because Rush looks more physically able to handle the NBA.

The one guy a lot of people have asked about is Dorsey. If he’s a first-round pick, he’s a late first round pick and I can’t see these guys all that interested in moving back to take him. I wonder if he’s big enough for the NBA.

Again, those are early, early opinions. And without benefit of having spoken to any scouts at length to find out what people who’ve seen these guys play a lot think.

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Oh, and besides, I’d say, right now, it’s 50-50 they even make a first-round pick. I can see Bryan dangling that draft pick in trade talks.

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Dark day yesterday, very dark.

Word finally leaked out publicly about something that’d been in the works for a while, I’m told.

The Walter Herrmann Era of Argentina basketball is over.

Read yesterday on FIBA’s site that Herrmann has announced his retirement from the Argentine national team, making me wonder if it’s going to be worth watching basketball in Beijing after all.

Was talking to Jose about it yesterday (he and Walter are friends, Herrmann’s also really tight with Garbo) and apparently he’d decided to hang ‘em up a few months ago.

MIKE CASSESE/REUTERS

Needs to extend arm more, but not bad for a rookie.

I will never forget the way he played all throughout the Athens Olympics, frenetic and effective and entertaining. It’s where I became a fan. Not just me, either, more than a handful of American writers came away from that tournament impressed.

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So, we’re just about to be entertained by Sam in his daily scrum/soliloquy when Jose motions a couple of us over. He did so by reprising his first-pitch effort of Sunday afternoon at the ball yard.

"How’d I look?” he wondered.

Told him he had to extend his arm a bit more, he throws with a bent elbow, and he said he was only worried about not bouncing the ball, not what he looked like.

I didn’t see it, but am told he didn’t embarrass himself, which is not bad for a kid who grew up playing basketball, soccer, handball and volleyball. “No American football or baseball, we didn’t have those,” he said.

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Here’s an odd one from the mailbag but at least it’s a change of pace

Q: I`m writing from Japan. I watch all the Raptors game and I enjoy reading yours and Mr. Grange ™ blogs. I have 3 questions, but only one basketball related.

Please think hard about these questions.

First off, I have been watching basketball for about 20 years and my favourite position has always been the point. Who do you think are the top five point guards of the past 20 years? I’d definitely put Stockton and Kidd in there, but who`s the 3rd, 4th and 5th?

Secondly, I know you are a fan of adult beverages, so please enlighten us fans. What kind of beer do you enjoy? Myself, I enjoy a good Pale Ale or Blonde.

Finally, if you had to eat one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner for the rest or your life, what would it be?

Bruno D, Miyakonojo, Japan

A: Okay, I’ve thought long and hard.

Top five point guards, last 20 years: In no particular order, Magic, Nash, Kidd, Stockton, Isiah.

Beer: A nice pale ale indeed, or a Stella.

Meals: Breakfast would have to be eggs Benedict and a nice bagel with an herb and garlic cream cheese, orange juice with ice and a Starbucks triple vente latte; lunch, I’m too full, sorry; dinner has to be a nice bone-in ribeye steak, medium rare with a nice fresh pasta and a white clam sauce. (And you wonder how I keep my girlish figure!)

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What’s your favourite memory of the Linton Johnson era? The few minutes of okay play against New Orleans backups here or the two minutes of two turnovers against Charlotte starters down there.

Next year, can we not get at all pumped about a 10-day guy?

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Here’s another one from the mail:

Q: Hi Doug. Simple question: can this season be viewed as a success or a failure. Or do we need to see how the Raps fair in the playoffs to make any judgment? Will you do an end of season report-card. I am sure all us Rap-obsessed would love to read your valued thoughts.

Jamil B, Sydney

A: Right now? A failure. But, as I’ve said since training camp began, this season will be judged on what happens in the playoffs and they’re not here yet.

And I’m sure there’ll be some kind of report card thingy when the season’s over.

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And, finally, they had the big Red Party thing last night at some ritzy nightspot and I’m sure it was a blast.

Back in the day, when they needed us, they used to invite the beat grunts and spouses and such. Best time? They had it once on the Saturday of the Final Four at the convention centre I believe it was and they had this little area cordoned off as a cigar lounge.

They also had some TVs in there so some of them, er, us, spent most of the night in there watching the games and enjoying a cigar. Didn’t do much for the spouses, though. You don’t think it could have been them that got us disinvited, do you? Nah, they wouldn’t do that. Would they?

The usual fare for an off-day, and a clariifcation on a past draft query

A few lists, a couple points, a comment or two and then it’s off to the final 10 days of the regular season. Bet you all can’t wait for the playoffs to begin, right?

Had a whole lot of “chemistry” questions over the weekend, and not periodic table of elements crap, either.

You know what helps chemistry?

Winning helps chemistry.

In his little post-game rant Saturday night – which was vintage Cranky Stressed Sam – he did bring up a point that a couple of wins, or even one good performance, can turn around a team’s mental approach.

He’s dead right, of course.

I’ve seen teams go from horrible to good almost overnight, which is as inexplicable as going from good to horrible as quickly as they have right now.

Now, it’s a big ‘if’ but if they can simply play well and get on a roll – and with the five games left against generally weak opponents that’s not asking a lot – the momentum they take into the post-season will do them wonders.

Remember this: They have the same guys running the same plays and playing the same defence as they did when they were eight games over .500 on Feb. 27.

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A list:

Julian of Burlington wonders:

If you had to select one player from each of the last five drafts to fill all five positions, what would your line up be?  Let's assume that the players are playing at their current skill level.

Five drafts? Five players?

Easy, peasy

PG: Chris Paul.

SG: Brandon Roy.

SF: That James fellow from Cleveland.

PF: The only tough one, LaMarcus Aldridge over Al Horford? Or vice-versa. And I explain Chris Bosh below.

C: Dwight Howard.

Not a bad club, is it?

And since it was brought to my attention in a comment that I didn't have Bosh listed, let me explain.

One, I wasn't sure if the question meant players on other teams.

Two, I still see Bosh very much as a centre, since that's where he spent much of his first three years playing and, right now, he still does things centres do, like operate in the low post, initiate offences out of double teams. It's like Tim Duncan? What is he? A centre or a power forward.

If it's strictly by today and what they call him, Bosh is obvioulsy the top power forward of the last five drafts.

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Lots of suggestions – none from anyone who’s actually talked to anybody, of course – that Sam has somehow “lost” the team.

What’s “lost?”

They’re not trying? Ridiculous.

That they somehow tune his voice out? Hasn’t happened.

It’s really quite simple: Right now, they’re in a collective slump. And, I believe it was Yogi Berra, or Yogi Bear, who once said: “A slump’s like a common cold, everyone’s got a cure but it still takes two weeks for it to go away.”

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Here’s an early mid-week mail submission:

Q: Doug, there are two legitimate NBA starters on this team, and only one of them is starting: Bosh. The other being José. Rasho's playing out of his skull, but he's a backup on any team with legitimate playoff aspirations. Ditto Moon and Parker. In fact, we are full of good-to-excellent backups. And while it's possible that Bargs will one day be a good player in this league (big men take longer to develop, yada yada yada), let's face it: this guy is a sullen, soft sub with no drive to get better and a personality as flat as the arc on his jumper. I think BC is going to have to blow this team up in the off-season or by the trading deadline next year. To my way of thinking, there are only two untouchables on this team: Bosh and José. Do you agree?

Lee Z, Ottawa

A: I think you’re assessment is bang-on but I do think Moon and Parker and certainly capable backups, as is Rasho and I’m not ready to give up on Bargnani yet.

So, with Bosh and Calderon, that’s six guys of what I think should be an eight- or maybe nine-man rotation so “blow this team” up may be an overstatement. A couple new starters – or three if you don’t start Rasho or Bargnani – and one backup are needed. That’s more a tweak than a reconstruction.

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Lots of questions about the playoff schedule and I wish I could answer them. All we know for sure is the playoffs will start April 19 or 20 and these guys will be away.

But here are a couple of tips and guesses:

If it’s Orlando, they cannot start until the Sunday because there’s a Bruce Springsteen concert in the arena down there on the Saturday, perhaps giving some of us something to do.

The games on the Saturday and Sunday (four each) start at 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. I’m guessing unless these guys get Orlando or Detroit, they’ll be the 8 p.m. game, if it’s Cleveland, they might get one of the 3 p.m. starts to showcase LeBron. If it's Boston, they'll get prime time network coverage 'cause they love the Celtics.

And – this is important – there’s a skating show in the Air Canada Centre on the 25^th and a Rock game on the 26^th so those nights are out.

In past years, they’ve really strung out the first round but I notice this schedule has the first round finished by May 4. That might mean we don’t get anything stupid like a Sunday-Thursday-Sunday; or maybe Saturday-Wednesday-Sunday start.

Could they go: Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday-Sunday for the first four? That’d be outstanding.

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Some dude from Amsterdam using an assumed name – and possibly an assumed location – writes:

I liked the blog, now I love the blog. My question is how has blogging changed your approach to writing about the Raptors -- because it has changed how I follow the team.

It really hasn’t changed the approach much, I still have to come up with topical, interesting off-day stories and cover games much the same way.

What it’s done is created a fair amount of extra work (mornings begin about 7:15 these days) what with all the mail and the daily obligations here. A year ago, I did one Nothing But (Inter)Net notebook a week, then we added the Friday mailbag, now it’s a daily blog and mail at least three times a week, often four in addition to the other stuff.

I guess it’s called “engaging the readers” and making a connection that never existed before. They tell me that’s good but, let me tell you, being ripped in comments and overwhelmed by mail can sometimes get to a guy. You know what also takes a fair amount of time? Posting the comments.

But we are, at our very heart, a service-based industry as well as an educational one (give the readers what they want, try to teach them something or inform them about something) and if this is what we have to do, this is what we have to do.

Just my luck to get a beat that’s got so many passionate (sometimes zany, every now and then downright rude) readers. Luckily for me, there are far more good ones than bad ones out there among the masses.

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Now, I’m going to post some comments and get ready for a day of work.

Sunday, Vol. 2 of 2, and I mean VOLUME!

Another mailbag, another collection of interesting questions. And I have even got to the ones that came late Saturday or through the night to Sunday morning. Maybe later today but I will get to most of ‘em eventually.

Have a lovely spring day.

Q: As a hoops fan languishing in hockey-mad Iqaluit, the news that The Score become THE basketball network really sucks. Iqaluit Cable doesn't even carry The Score. Can you help me shame them into picking it up?

Chris W, Iqaluit

A: Hey, Iqualuit Cable: GET WITH IT!

That help?

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Q: I was just wondering what the players do in the off season (and how long is it?)? Do the Raptors keep tabs on their physicality over the summer? Or run some kind of fall camp to whip them back into shape?

And how many of the Raptors have families (kids etc.) that come into play?

Julie M, Toronto

A: The off-season is much shorter than you think but, around these parts, it’ll be longer than anyone hoped, I would venture to say.

Generally, teams are eliminated from the playoffs in May and June and they’re off until the first couple of days of October. But, with so many guys playing for their countries in the summer, or summer leagues, it’s not like they aren’t doing anything.

And teams will generally send someone from the training staff or coaching staff to see every player at least once, sometimes twice, over the course of the summer to check in on how they’re doing.

On this team, there are four or five guys with families and kids to deal with and everyone has other family considerations, like vacation, spending time with spouses and significant others that need to be addressed in the summer months.

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Q: Always a pleasure reading your blog. I've written to you from various parts of the world and it's nice to have a piece of Toronto Sports to touch back to. I'll be flying off again soon, this time to India and Singapore so keep up the good work or I'll be high and dry.
The questions:
- You mentioned that Walter Herrmann might take more money and go play in Europe. We've been hearing a lot of that lately and I was wondering if the allure of the NBA was still strong enough to draw the top players to this league. Will we be seeing the likes of Rudy Fernandez eschewing the NBA in favour of Euro-riches next year?
-  Have you ever seen a team get fired up and start playing better upon being booed by their home crowd? Does that actually work?

Thanks!

Nik W, Ottawa

A: You’re probably going to see more players staying longer in Europe because European teams are getting ticked off about losing guys and making buyouts to leave prohibitively expensive. Let’s say a guy was a mid-first round draft pick and has a $3 million buyout. The maximum he can make in the NBA under the rookie salary scale is about $1.8 million a year (averaged over the first three years of the deal). His NBA team can only ante up $500,000 to that buyout, meaning the guy is really playing for nothing in his first couple of years. That sucks and will keep young players in Europe for the duration of their contracts.

And, no, I cannot recall a team rallying behind the boos of its home fans.

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Q: Do you regularly read the columns/blogs of other local NBA writers?  You've mentioned that you frequently read articles from some of your out of town colleagues, but I was wondering if you keep tabs on what your local friends/competitors are writing?

Mike K, Oakville

A: Sure, I read the three other papers and the wire every day, gotta keep up on what the other guys are doing.

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Q: Just a quick question but when did you actually start covering basketball on a fulltime basis? Was it before the Raptors came into existence or after?

Kelsie M, Toronto

A: I actually started covering it on a quasi-full time basis back in 1992 when there were three groups bidding for a franchise. Covered ‘em as a full-time gig at Canadian Press until June, 1997 when The Star made its greatest hire.

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Q: I'm a dedicated Doug Smith Blog reader, but I just realized that you now provide links, at the bottom of most of mail bags leading to more emails being answered. So one of my previous emails may have been answered but I had not noticed. Now for the question. There have been a few player-coach in the history of the NBA. Most notably; Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkens. Why don't teams in this current era also utilize this type of coaching. If you had to pick a player from a current NBA roster to coach their own team, who would you chose ? I'd go with Kevin Garnett, he's a true leader and the superstar players on Boston don't need much coaching anyways.

Frank B, Ottawa

A: Different eras. There are so many more demands on coaches now, media, dealing with lots of stronger personalities on the roster, dealing with outside issues that being a player-coach would be virtually impossible.

And while KG might be a good choice, he’d probably end up so frustrated at the work ethic of teammates he was in charge of, he’d scream. You know who’d make a good one I think? Eric Snow of Cleveland. Doesn’t play much, well respected by his peers and a keen basketball mind.

Sunday, Vol. 1 of 2 'cause you write too much

About 3,200 words worth of queries and answers and only one tiny paragraph about Jose-TJ. And I was able to dodge it because that subject is just about dried up, wouldn’t you agree? It is to me.

And don't worry, there's another load to come in a bit. Must go get coffee first.

Q: I haven't had any luck with you yet, so maybe this one will be my lucky question for you.

Despite all the Raptors shortcomings amidst a season that has unfortunately been plagued with both injuries to key players and lapses of defensive intensity (especially on the perimeter!), questionable effort and minimal mental toughness, do you think the Raps need yet another makeover during the off-season? They barely have any cap-space left and they need to sign Jose back (with obviously a higher salary).  But are the Raps really at a point where they need to change a bunch of pieces again, or do we just need to improve on all the faults I noted above? Do you think that we just don't have the right pieces put together, or will it simply take longer than one year to create a solid identity for this team with the players that we already have?

Thank you! And I love this blog! It's really helping to keep my mind fresh after reading countless Shakespeare plays!

Melissa D, North York

A: Sorry if I’ve missed your questions before, it’s nothing personal.

I don’t think they need a major makeover, at all. I think they need some tweaking, a two-three who’s more athletic than they guys they’ve got and a good young big – someone bigger and better than Hump – who’ll be the third big if Rasho has to go or the fourth big if they can remake the wings without losing Nesterovic.

The end of the roster, 11-15 is going to have new players but, really, they don’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things.

Reading Shakespeare? On purpose? (I joke, love The Bard) Although it can be a tad dry at times. Lucky for you there are blogs.

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Q: Here is a basketball 101 question. Could you please explain tie-breaker basis such as head-to-head; division record; conference record; Record vs. Playoff teams, own conference and Record vs. Playoff teams, other conference.
Just for the sake of a conversation, any comment on the Lebron James Vogue cover?

Patricia M, Toronto

A: For two teams tied: Head-to-head, division record (if they’re in the same division), conference record, record against playoff teams from the same conference, record against playoff teams from the other conference, points differential.

For three teams: Head-to-head-to-head, division record (only if all three teams are in the same division), conference record, record against playoff teams from the same conference, points differential.

Now, for the LeBron-Vogue thing, which is apparently a controversy in some circles.

I honestly think people have to chill out and relax a little bit. When I first saw it, I saw nothing wrong with it, when I started reading King Kong-Fay Wray I almost laughed out loud. It’s a nice picture, nothing more, nothing less. People really take things too far sometimes, I think.

What do you think?

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Q: Do you get a chance to chat with coaches off the record? If so, can you sneak in a suggestion that Joey would look better than Kapono or Delfino right now and it may well be a good move if they face the Pistons in the 1st round. You need someone physical to match the Pistons and the Raps are pansies compared to them.

Note: See, I've kept my promise not to rant on a game like tonight. I'm calmer now that I know the Raps will somehow find a way to lose the game.

Jeff U, San Diego

A: I talk to the coaches on the side all the time.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Joey Graham cannot play. Has no Basketball IQ on the defensive end, busts plays on the offensive end for no real reason, that’s if he’s in the right spot to begin with.

Believe me, if he could do anything, they’d probably trot him out. But he can’t right now. At all.

Good non-rant, too

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Q: Hi Doug, just wondering why whenever the Raptors lose, Sam Mitchell says, "we just didn't make enough shots" It seems like that is the excuse for every loss. Even when they scored 120 points in Atlanta. But enough about the negatives - I'm curious to know .. who do you think was the Raptors best ever perimeter defender? And who do you think is the best perimeter defender in the league today? All this talk about the Raptors not have good perimeter defence and I am interested to know who around the league is thought of as a great perimeter defender. Thanks a lot Doug!

Wilf G, Newmarket

A: I don’t know if that’s his excuse, or explanation as much as it’s what he says for public consumption. Trust me, he knows better than you and I what went wrong each night but he’s never going to kill his players publicly. Just not going to happen.

Best perimeter defender the Raptors ever had? Doug Christie.

Best in the league today: Bruce Bowen.

The Morning After The Night Before, LXXVI

The people are angry today, my friends -- like an old man trying to return soup in a deli.

And I mean all the peoples, the players, the coaches, the fans.

The sense that this whole thing is slipping away has never been more prevalent. They can’t defend, can’t score, can’t play like a team. Other than that? Bring on the Pistons!

So …

Three Things I Learned

Whither Bosh?

I don’t know what it is about New Jersey, but they defend him better than any team in the league. Trenton Hassell? Really? You could see Bosh getting more tired, and more slow on his decisions and passes as the game dragged on because just about every time he caught the ball, there was someone in his jersey and a second defender coming.

But, fact is, he passed out of the double-team enough times that his teammates should have made open shots and getting to the free throw line 16 times proves he tried to make something happen.

The legions of you out there killing him this morning might want to look elsewhere.

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You don’t want to hear this

Vince was great, wasn’t he? Attacking the basket, getting teammates involved, scoring, passing rebounding. He made two spin moves in the lane and finished left-handed that brought back memories of 2001.

You’ve got to admit it: When he’s got his mind in the game, he’s still pretty special.

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A lesson to learn

You know why Rasho’s scoring like a madman, don’t you? Because he’s smart and he knows how to find open space on the court. If Bargnani’s doing nothing else on the bench, he better be sitting there watching Nesterovic dive in the paint when there’s an opening, watch him drift out on the baseline to create space for himself and for Bosh or an attacking guard.

So much of big man play is ‘smarts’ and the kid’s got a golden opportunity now to see how a smart guy operates.

The thing with Bargnani has always been getting him “engaged” in the game rather than have him sit out on the three-point line and wait. He’s seeing a centre fully engaged right now.

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A protest mailbag query

Q: Hi Doug, what is your take on the Raptors' decision not to file a protest in the time clock botching in Atlanta? I read that Colangelo decided not to file because the organization did not see any precedent for anything being overturned. I believe the Raptors did nothing on the "scoregate" issue last year as well. Miami certainly did not take this approach with the Shaq foul situation and got ruling overturned. I heard David Stern say in an interview that the reason Miami got the ruling was because it was the second situation in Atlanta within a year.

It seems to me that this unwillingness to fight and do everything possible to help your team is eerily similar to the attitude of the Raptors on the floor.

Filing a protest would have sent a message, not only to the players but also to the NBA, that Toronto does not take being messed with lightly. (whether or not the NBA did anything about it).
I guess the reluctance to fight flows from the hardwood, all the way up to the top.
Colangelo blew it. The protest could have been used as motivation for the team (as when a coach gets thrown out of the game defending his players), while the decision not to protest reinforces passivity. The $10,000 would be a drop in the bucket if the team were motivated by the idea that Colangelo was willing to stand behind his team at all costs.

Patti H, Toronto

A: Interesting take. I think they probably should have filed it, if for no other reason than to find out why referee Eric Lewis didn’t tell anyone connected with the team on the court at the time that he started the clock because he thought Al Horford deflected the in-bounds pass. Would seem to me that if he had said that originally, a lot of this issue would have been cleared up.

It looks shady the way things worked out and the one thing David Stern promised after Donaghy was a more transparent process. This is anything but.

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First quarter:

T.J. Ford makes a layup, Ford jaws at ref not hustling back ‘cause he didn’t get a call. Devin Harris hits a pull up jumper, Ford goes back down the court, doesn’t even look for a teammate and hoists an off-balance 15-footer that misses.

Just sayin’

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Here’s how Dave D saw last night’s affair.

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No, I have no idea why Sam left Jose in during the second quarter to pick up his fourth foul with less than three minutes to go. But, to his credit, it didn’t have an impact on how he used Calderon in the second half so in hindsight, no harm, no foul.

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Let’s get one more out of the mail before I go and do the mail, of which – shockingly – there is a lot.

Q: Doug, I enjoy reading your blog every day. I'm looking forward to the next two weeks of regular season, whatever the playoffs bring, and also what the off season will bring for the Raps and those of us who just can't get enough of them. I have a question about something I've read here and in other sources that has to do with our swingmen - and which of them are most likely to be here next season. Why Kapono and not Delfino?

I get the inconsistency factor that Delfino has shown this season - but I just don't see that Kapono has offered much to the overall offense a lot of the time and rarely, if ever, on the defense end. While Delfino it seems, when he has it on, has often brought something to the game on both ends and in terms of guts and passion. Are there money or contract issues here that would make Delfino the man to go? Or are these forecasts based more on the play and skillsets of these guys? Thanks.

Roxanne G, Markham

A: It will be a money-contract issue. Kapono’s locked up for another three years, Delfino’s a restricted free agent which means he could very well be gone.

Me? I’d probably try to trade Kapono and sign Delfino to a two-year deal with an option on a third ‘cause it’d be cheaper in the long run. But, shockingly, Bryan doesn’t ask my advice.

Skill-wise? Delfino’s been inconsistent at times and Kapono’s been invisible at times. Delfino’s probably a better defender, although he’s terrible at boxing out, but if they get Kapono going from beyond the arc, he’s a deadly three-point shooter.

The Morning After The Night Before, LXXV

First, a favour.

The comments section of this place blew up this week, you gals and guys were great but I need some help. We need to tone down some of the vitriol. Posts are great, the level of discourse is generally very high but name-calling (of me and each other) and the profanity I had to edit out diminishes the whole thing.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you people are among the most passionate fans in all of sports, I feel like I’m getting to know some of you but what generally sets you apart is your intelligence. It really takes away from the whole exchange-of-opinion thing when you have to read through swearing and name-calling.

Okay, sermon over.

And one other piece of advice: Never try to give a cranky Boston terrier a bath early on a Saturday morning while Super Son’s playing the soundtrack to Alvin and The Chipmunks. Quite scratch-inducing and headache creating.

Now, on to the more pressing matters.

How’s Boston in the spring? Better than Orlando, Cleveland or Auburn Hills? We may find out.

Three Things I Learned

Quite the quiet scene

Befuddled might be the right word for the locker room after that mess against Charlotte. And quiet. Eerily quiet. We usually have to wait around 15, 20 minutes to talk to some players and Bosh is generally the slowest but by the time we got in the room last, Bosh was dressed and waiting for us, the majority of others were already dressed and gone and the whole place felt like a funeral home.

To which I can only say:

Good.

Maybe someone needs to turn over a post-game buffet, maybe someone should start yelling and screaming. Something has to happen because they seem lifeless, as if stunned that this is happening.

It was interesting, though, to hear Bosh lament the lack of intensity and urgency. And then seconds later, T.J. said this:

"I think guys are trying hard, I think guys are giving a great effort, I’m not questioning anybody’s focus, energy. I think as a team, it’s not one person’s fault, I think it’s everybody as a team.

"Are we going to make the playoffs? Yes. But we definitely need to take advantage of our schedule to get a better seed.”

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That was some effort

If you didn’t know the Bobcats were done for the season, there were two clear indications some of them weren’t really taking the game, um, seriously.

Twenty seconds left in the first quarter, Charlotte up five and everyone in the building figures they’ll play for one shot. Except, it seems, Jason Richardson, who hoisted about a 27-footer that missed, maybe the worst shot-game-score decision in a Raptor game since Chris Childs and 85-82.

If that wasn’t enough, watching Gerald Wallace inbounding a ball after a timeout while still wearing a towel over his shoulder, or playing the whole first half with his mouth guard hanging out might have given it away.

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One bright moment

I swear I saw Andrea Bargnani roll to the basket after setting a screen. Twice!

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You know the mailbag’s overflowing, here’s one left over that’s sort of timely.

Q: Raps, Wiz, and 76ers are all 38-37 as of Apr 03. But the standing is Wiz-Raps-76ers. How does tie-breaker work in this case?

John P, Belleville

A: Expecting a Raptor turnaround, are we? The first tiebreaker is games between the three teams, right now Toronto’s 4-4, Washington’s 4-3 and Philly’s 3-4 and the Sixers and Wizards have a game left. If Washington wins that and the three end the season tied, Washington will be fifth, Toronto sixth and the Sixers seventh. If Philly wins that and they are all 4-4 in their own round-robin and also tied overall, it’ll go to records in games against Eastern Conference teams.

Right now, Toronto’s plus-6, Washington’s plus-4 and Philly’s plus-2. But they all play exclusively against the East and it hurts my head trying to figure out the permutations.

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Any radio listeners have a hard time finding that game last night? You weren’t alone. Jays home opener trumps playoff-bound Raptors, I guess, and I can sort of understand that.

What I don’t really understand is why next week for games at home to Jersey and Sunday afternoon in Detroit, they have to be moved all over the dial. Jays play 162, right? Is Game 9 or whatever really that vital?

Anyway, as a public service to and because I like Jonesy and E. Smith, here’s where they’ll be. Tape it to the TV or the dashboard because you couldn’t find some of these stations with a search warrant.

Wednesday they’re on The Fan, Friday it’s 1150 CKOC and Sunday afternoon it’s 820 CHAM.

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This is why I love Jerry Sloan:

A friend sends along this conversation between the Utah Jazz coach and Deron Williams from earlier this week:

Sloan was talking to reporters Wednesday when Williams walked past and playfully yelled"

“Congratulations, coach of the month.”

Jerry: “What?”

Deron: “Congratulations, coach of the month.”

Jerry: “For what?”

Deron: “For coach of the month.”

Jerry: “Oh yeah, that's big.”

Then Jerry turned back to the group of reporters.

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Here’s a report from David of Toronto

Giorgis Printezis, the Raptors' other overseas-based prospect, had a heckuva game for Athens-Olympiacos against CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague quarter-final game Wednesday. His team lost, and plays the decisive game of the best of three series next week, but Printezis was 6-8 from the field and 4-4 from the line for 17 points with seven boards. He had the first seven points of the fourth quarter to keep his team in contention. The Euroleage playoffs are about the best competition you can get in Europe, and he came up big when it counted, which is always a good sign. And he's a tall small forward who plays inside a lot with a bit of an edge. Think the Raps could use a guy off the bench who could play small forward with a bit of an edge?

David wonders whether Printezis could be here next year. Since The Gangster’s gonna be gone, why not? There’ll be a spot deep down the end of roster and it may as well be filled with a young kid who might get better than someone just filling a uniform. Not sure about Printezis’s buyout but I’m sure it can’t be too big.

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Here’s how my man Rick Bonnell chronicled last night’s glorious Bobcat victory. And Dave D's man Dave W down in Newark had this to say this morning about the Nets. Oh, spoiler alert: Vince is hurt!

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I have no idea if this is legit and I don’t care because it’s a pretty good story:

Every Thursday night I'm in a bowling league and one of my teammates is a big Raps fan so we spend a good chunk of the night talking about recent games and how much we hate TJ Ford. Well last night at the beginning of the 3rd game he starts talking about Ford's lack of effort on the Bibby 3 and he's visibly agitated about what happened. So just as he finished his rant, it's his turn to throw and steps up and immediately throws a split. On his way back, I told him that it was all this Ford talk that was upsetting him and thus affecting his performance. I told him to focus his energies on the positives and thing about how great Jose is. He immediately makes the split. So we decided to think about Jose every time we're about to throw. This was the 2nd frame and I ended up striking and giving the Jose antlers on my way back. Next thing you know, I end up throwing my first 300 game! On the last strike, my teammates all have their hands up doing the Jose after he hits a three. It was awesome.

The lesson; if Jose can take me to perfection like that, imagine what he could do if given the chance to be the number 1 PG!!

Tommy P, Windsor

More mail than you can imagine, or I can carry, Bag No. 2

And here’s some from earlier in the week to wind up today’s mailbag. And maybe we won't need to do one on the weekend (yeah, right!)

Q: Hey Doug, I'm trying to settle an argument, who was the better player? Charles Barkley or Dennis Rodman?

Chaz E, London, UK

A: Chuck. Hands down. Could do way more on the court. Not even close in my opinion.

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Q: I know your answer already but I'm going to post the question to you anyways.

I think the entertainment value of the Raptors has fallen off over the years. I've been a diehard fan since Day 1; gone through the good & bad times. But one thing that a lot of people are agreeing with me on is that the Raptors are tough on the eyes in terms of entertainment value. "Where amazing happens" doesn't happen very much at the ACC. I think the patrons appreciate a winning team but also want to be entertained at the same time. The toughest part of the game for me to watch is the offensive sets where it's pick and roll after pick and roll and not much else going on. Sure the intensity gets amped up 200% which is makes up the difference during the playoffs, but during the regular season it's been tough.

And even the in game experience has dropped off. I've been going to 3-4 games every year but have decided to stay away and wait until the playoffs. The atmosphere isn’t what it used to be and again the product on the floor is redundant and the in arena boombastics are the same every game...again ho hum...

How do you feel over all about the overall entertainment value being at the games and being so close with the team?

Depressed Raptor fan,

BS, Scarborough

(Your answer here:  you should be happy they are winning; what good is it to have an really entertaining team that's not winning; you can be Denver, one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA but not make the playoffs if you like...)

A: You know, I’m at so many home games, I’m sure of inured to the shenanigans that go on outside of the game. All I can say is I think it’s gotten louder and more intrusive, which could just be me getting older.

But if you feel that way, I’m pretty sure there are others who are having the same experience and maybe they can jazz it up, or change it up somehow.

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Q: My question for you is regarding Mr. Jay Triano. Last summer I believe he was an assistant on Team USA, which I thought spoke volumes (even though Canadians needn't wait for that to appreciate his contributions to the sport in Canada). Will he reprising his role this summer leading to the Olympics? Keep up the great work Doug - Have you been to Ghana? Over the last little while I've read entries from you where you have referenced a reader who is from there. I am a son of Ghanaians.

Richard A, Markham

A: Actually, Jay worked for the USA Basketball development team, the group of kids who worked out against the Olympic team. He and P.J. Carlisemo coached it. There’s a chance he’ll be back at it again this summer – definitive schedules aren’t done yet – but one thing I’m pretty sure of is that he’ll be in Beijing doing TV for CBC.

And I don't have any blood relations in Ghana, just a friend who seems to be quite enamoured of Accra (except for the days when there's no running water) and who speaks highly of Western Africa. And, besides, I need a football team to cheer for so why not the Black Stars?

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Q: Question on purchasing playoff tickets. For the Raptors, of course.  Not those lowly Leafs.
Watching the Raptors games of late, I hear Chuck telling me to log onto Raptors.com to buy playoff tickets. Once on the web site, it seems to only be available to those with season tickets. Would you know when the tickets are available to the general non-season-ticket-holding-public?  Am I looking in the wrong place?

Tina C, St. John’s, NL

A: You’re coming from the Rock? Cool.

I don't believe they've set a definitive day for single-game, general public sales yet, I’m told. But they’ll let you know the minute they do, I’m sure.

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Q: Hi Doug. I read somewhere last week that Sportsnet might drop their coverage of the Raptors in the next season. As a big Raptor fan who can't afford paying for RaptorsTV, this really concerns me. My 4 yr old son (who knows 10 Raptors by name and their number) and I always look forward to their next scheduled game on TV. Is there truth into this? If so, will TSN or The Score pick up the slack? Is CBC going to air more games next year? Hopefully you can answer this question. Thanks.

Arnold B, Mississauga

A: Your four-year-old’s pretty bright.

Nothing’s definite about who’ll pick what up but I know The Score is interested in becoming the basketball network of record (which is an excellent idea, methinks) and CBC has an option to more than double its broadcasts next season. I think you’ll still be able to find the vast majority of games on over-the-air networks rather than have to worry about spending on RaptorsTV.

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Q: Love the blog. I now read it over your print stories - sorry.

First a statement/question. A certain morning radio show I listen to on Canada's national station keeps mentioning that the Raps need to stay in 5th place so they can avoid playing Orlando. I swear I've read it here and elsewhere that Toronto is better matched against Orlando?!

Also, if the Raptors do wind up playing Orlando is there rivalry between Moon and Superman over the dunk contest? I think if Jamario made it to the next round he would have won.

Raf K, Toronto

A: Personally, I think they match up far better with Orlando than Cleveland because the Magic don’t have that LeBron dude, who is pretty good. So, I guess the lesson is don’t believe everything you hear.

And I've got a feeling Mssrs. Moon and  Howard will be concentrating more on winning games that doing dunks. I don't believe any rivalry will enter into it.

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Q: Any chance, and I know it's a longshot, that the Raps or Wiz could knock off Cleveland for the 4 spot? If so do you think home court would help stop in any way LeBron from dominating that series?

Graham H, Toronto

A: A very big longshot. The Cavs, as I type this, are three games up on Toronto and Washington with eight to play, it’d take some kind of collapse for them to fall out of No. 4.

And I don’t think it matters a lick where LeBron plays, you might want to check with the Pistons on how he does in the post-season without home court advantage.