And so it begins, another season

You know what today’s like?
It’s like the first day of school. Everyone’s back all shiny and new, everyone thinks it’s nice to see old faces and friends and it’s kind of fun to check out how everyone spent their summers.

So, what do we do?

Well, here’s how the day unfolds:
They have a dozen or so media stations set up in the practice gym, either for photos or broadcast interviews, and once the players make their way upstairs (after doing some media and medical stuff around the various locations getting their pictures taking and recording those promos:

"Hi, this is Chris Bosh, you’re watching (sponsor name here 'cause there's always a sponsor) Raptors basketball on (whatever network happens to be showing the game.)”

Then they get scrummed by the various beat grunts who ask the usual end-of-the-summer questions that will unquestionably yield at least one good story -- not as good as the year He Who Shall Not Be Named sort of compared himself to Jordan -- but there’ll be a couple of good lines at least.

The players, at least they have in the past, then do their part of the pre-game video, which is where we might find out what the song is to soothe all the questioners, and then we all pile into trains, planes and automobiles and head off to Ottawa.

Where, I must tell you, I’m pretty sure we will all be able to avoid the debates that are going on this week.

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Okay so you can probably guess what the players and coaches are going to say when they do their interviews, right? All sweetness and light, unbridled enthusiasm and optimism. But, because you’re you and I’m me, I’ve been able to extract from the minds of everyone involved what they really want to say.

You’re welcome.

Chris Bosh

"I am so going to have better hair than Oak ever did. Just watch me.”

Jermaine O’Neal

"Defend, rebound, block shots. Defend, rebound, block shots. Right, Sam?”

Anthony Parker

"Can we get this over with? I think the replay of the Sparks game is on now."

Jose Calderon

"I just want to help my friends. Right, Garbo? Garbo? GARBO?!”

Jason Kapono

"I could be on the 13^th tee right now.”

Andrea Bargnani

"Sometimes the shots go in, most times they don’t. I will fix that this year, or I won’t.”

Jamario Moon

"This is more people than there are in all of Goodwater.”

Hassan Adams

"Man, we never had anything like this mob in Jersey.”

Roko Ukic

"No Rasho? No Garbo? No Delfino? I thought these were the EuroRpators?”

Will Solomon

"Another interview from Israel? Where’s AP?”

Kris Humphries

"I’m telling you, 35 minutes a game, 35 points a night.”

Joey Graham

"Seriously, this year I’m making my mark.”

Nathan Jawai

"Next guy who asks me about shrimp on the barbie gets smacked in the head.”

Sam Mitchell

"Whaddya mean I gotta talk to you? I don’t have to talk to anyone if I don’t want to.”

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First of the mail:

Q: Is the Raptor's Ottawa training camp open to the public? If so I may go there to watch.

Wally S, Corner Brook, NL

A: That’d be a helluva road trip, but save your money and your time. Except for Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage, which is sold out, nothing is open to the public. Heck, only the last half hour or so of each practice is even open to us.

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Speaking of Sam, I’ve got the third quarter of Golden State game when we get the first curse word. Earlier if he gets into a Cranky Sam mood with the plethora of reporters who find their way to training camp.

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Here’s another reason it makes entire sense for this team, this year, to have only 13 players – all with guaranteed contracts – in camp.

Money.

If, for instance, some training camp invitee came to camp and got himself injured, let’s say he blows out a knee or wrecks his back or something like that, the Raptors would be on the hook for a salary that stretches into the season and a team with only about $1,000 to spare before hitting the tax level doesn’t want to be paying some guy who had no shot at making the team a salary all year.

It wasn’t the only reason, but it was part of the decision-making process that led them to not invite any extra bodies to camp.

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There’s been a whole lot of talk about Nathan Jawai and what he brings and what he’s got and whether he’ll be anything. No one can really say, he hasn’t even practiced with an NBA team officially yet, let alone played in a game, so take these comments from Jermaine O’Neal with that in mind.

"I knew Nathan was young and I thought he was raw. I worked out with him in Vegas a couple of times and when I got back here on Monday, this kid was explosive. He’s still a little bit raw mentally about his knowledge of the game but he can play."

Now, here's the other side of the coin:

Jawai goes to camp firmly behind two perennial all-stars (Bosh and O’Neal), a former No. 1 overall draft pick (Bargnani) and a young kid (Hump) with three guaranteed years left on his deal.

That’s going to make it awfully hard for the young Aussie to be much more than the 12^th or 13^th man on the roster.

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Never let it said we won’t help a worthy cause, and I can’t think of a better one that cancer research and support.

I was wondering if you could plug our charity to the readers on your blog. The 11th Annual Gentle Ben Golf Charity Challenge will be going to LA from Nov 28th to Dec 2nd. In LA, the participants will play 2 rounds of golf and see the Raps vs Lakers on Nov 30th, and the Leafs vs Kings on Dec 1st. The purpose of the trip is to raise money for cancer research and support. Consider the event as a sports trip with a conscience. Please visit the website www.gentlebengolf.com to get further details of the event, including registration and donation.
Yours truly,
Ping C, Toronto

There ya’ go.

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A query:

Q: Quick question: Is there any difference between a preseason and a regular game?

Mary L, Ajax

A: Subtle. As for game presentation and stuff, there’s really not much difference; what you get is maybe a few changes in a team’s playing rotation, fewer minutes for the team’s top stars and less intensity than you’d get in many regular season games.

Personally? If the tickets are the same as the regular season there’s no way in the world I’d recommend going to see a pre-season game; I’d suggest spending that kind of cash for a real game.

Comments

[Rags]

Brand new name. Brand new forum. Have asked a couple questions of He Who Shall Not Be Bothered. He was busy answering some really good questions others submitted.
Thought I'd re-surface this one and ask the bloggers-at-large YOUR opinions. Here goes:
Is Moon so limited offensively that it would allow teams to drop a defender off him and double team one of the starting bigs? Could see this as a problem if it allowed them to put their best defender on JO and double-team Bosh, or vice versa.
I can't see any other reason to start Kapono. The two bigs are going to need a LOT of touches. Jose is going to work the high screen and roll and get to the hoop. He's also a pretty fair shooter, that Chuck and Leo kept saying ' should be shooting more'. AP is a very unselfish player, but a good outside shooter.
Wouldn't a shooter like Kapono be a bit redundant with this group? Moon appears to be a much better defender and shot blocker. Also with JO and CB inside, wouldn't his athleticism be much better suited to the running game that their rebounding should help to generate?
The second unit will have only one of the Big Two to work inside and Ukic and Adams are unknown offensive factors. Wouldn't Kapono be a welcome outside addition to take some heat off Bargnani?
Can you help me out on this and give HWSNBB more time for a couple adolescent beverages?

Blogger's note: Moon may very well retain his starting spot but, yes, teams did routinely drop off him when he waited outside the three-point line for a shot.

[Colin W]

Doug, you 'nailed' that Sam comment right on the head - thanks for my first real chuckle of the day ;) Along with anxiously waiting to see the on-court product, I'm so looking forward to reading more from SMitch's mouth (and mind). He's definitely one of a kind, but in a good way.

[Matt]

Hey Doug, can you elaborate more on the He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named Jordan comparison? I'm sure the rest of Toronto would LOVE to hear that story.

Blogger's note: Off the top of my head, and I'm on a train to Ottawa at the moment and don't have a lot of files with me, there was one media day where He ... said, not that he was going to be Jordan, but something like he wanted to have an impact like him. It wasn't a huge story at the time but was the only bit of news out of that particular media day.

[CARLoS]

Andrea Bargnani "Sometimes the shots go in, most times they don’t. I will fix that this year, or I won’t.”

Now that's funny!! Keep them coming Doug. Hump and Joey's lines were great too!

[Ahmed B]

By the end of the season, Jawai is ahead of hump in the depth chart. Guranteed.

[neil no more last name]

Dude - awesome article on the Raps in today's paper (well online anyways). Some good meat and potatoes with JO. He sounds pumped.

Here's hoping the Raps diminish the Leafs stock this year.

[a_a_l]

so..what's the theme song? :D

Blogger's note: They changed things up, didn't do it today; am told probably not until the middle of next week so I don't know yet.

[Adam]

Couldn't find this through a search, when is the TV broadcast schedule released? Thanks

Blogger's note: I'm told "soon" by officials at the team. The three networks are still dividing it up, I bet; but we've got to see it in the next couple of weeks, I'd presume.

[Poppa Vlazo]

Heart problems for Jawai? Uh oh. Hopefully a 13 man roster is not a 12 man roster before training camp even begins. Agreed he is not expected to have an impact, but would still be great to have him either practicing every day with two elite big men or playing in the D League (though it's a guard dominated league). Here's hoping that everything turns out ok.

[me]

Has Smith ever written a truly critical article on the Raptors?

No.

It's constant nt-hugging.

He needs to be replaced with a real journo like Richard who covers the Jays without fear!

[Appel]

"Andrea Bargnani has bulked up to about 262 pounds"

Somebody (BC) told he can play 3

Yes, against Shaq maybe

Thanks Sam, you destroy a player

[Tim]

@Rags,

Yeah, agree with Doug on this one. Defenders laid off Moon all the time last year, leaving him often open on the left side of the three point circle. Some games he hit the open ones, some games he didn't. RaptorBlog's Scott Carefoot did a short analysis on Moon's three point %, which got higher in the latter half of the year, to I think he said, 36%. I'm hoping he spent the 6-month layoff shooting mid and long range jumpers to hopefully get that percentage into the 40s. Reason is, I think it's doable, moreso than getting the handles necessary to be a dangerous driver (which is what most have wanted from Moon).
Agree with you though that I'd like to see Moon get the chance with the starting unit, just to see if we can get an attitude among the top five of strong defense and rebounding, and hope Moon hits 40%+ on his open threes.

[Will]

hahhahaa.. I love the the would-be line from Sam

[vener]

Hi Doug,

This is on the assumption that there are no cap implications or situation. If Vince Carter is still on the team when BC came on board, would you think Vince would renege on his trade request and would BC be able to inspire him to play to his potential? A starting line up of JO, CB4, VC, AP & JC would have been potent.

Blogger's note: I think he would have wanted to stay for at least a while and see what BC could do.