Idle thoughts and media day leftovers

Well, it ain’t Rome.

Nice enough, though, and I can highly recommend Ottawa's The Honest Lawyer (no cheap shots about the name, I have friends who are lawyers) as a neighbourhood place to hang your hat, gobble a wing and gulp a cold drink while getting the lay of the land from the ever-helpful staff. Am sure we’ll strike out to other necks of the woods during the journey on our never-ending quest to spread good cheer to the people. All recommendations gladly accepted.

Anyway, on to, you know, basketball.

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Sucks about Jawai, no?

No one saw it coming (we got word of it about Kingston on the train ride up) and no one really knows what’s going on except he won’t practice this week as he undergoes more cardiac tests.

The trouble with things like this is very little information will be made available because of privacy laws and that’s going to leave a few of us in the dark. We’ll try to get more information, maybe he’ll let us know what’s going on after practice today, but for now, all we know is something showed up in the tests that gave cause for concern to the doctors.

Now, I’m no doctor, and I don’t even play one on TV, but it strikes me that any time anything’s remotely wrong in the cardiac area, you take extreme caution.

But isn’t it funny, or coincidental, that not only are the Raptors holding Jawai out for more tests, they wouldn’t let Nicolas Batum work out in the weeks leading up the draft?

Cautious, indeed.

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What’s Jawai’s absence mean?

Nothing, really, until we know how long he’s going to be out. As Bryan Colangelo has made it abundantly clear, he’s loath to add anyone to the roster for tax concerns and I don’t imagine anyone gets anything close to a guaranteed deal to replace the big Aussie for the time being.

So, it’s a Dirty Dozen that’ll take the court at Carleton this week to work out the kinks.

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TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR

Sam easing into the pre-season.

Sam’s eyes.

Dreamy, aren’t they? (I keed, SERIOUSLY, I keed!)

Actually, the deal has to do with some Lasik surgery he had a few weeks ago that he’s still getting used to. Bright lights bug him still, yesterday was a particularly bad day so he had those cool shades on.

Good look, though, wasn’t it?

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Oh, right, the intro music.

We don’t know yet. The dastardly game ops people didn’t do it yesterday at media day; a guy sidled up to me and said it’s not going to be taped until the middle or end of last week. Sorry. So I guess that means it’ll be the old one, or none at all, or something generic, next Wednesday for the Knicks game.

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It’s almost getting tiring hearing these guys sing the praises of Toronto. The latest? Will Solomon.

"Toronto really gives me the atmosphere of a European city, so living here, there’s not too much of an adjustment. It’s a great city.”

I’ve got Solomon as the big surprise of camp. Listening to players and coaches talk, I’m getting the sense he goes into camp as the favourite to cop that No. 2 point guard spot and it’ll take a big effort from Roko Ukic to beat him out. It’s not cast in stone, that’s for sure, but there’s a healthy competition going on there.

Speaking of Solomon, a couple of websites – including the team’s own – have him as Willie Solomon. Asked him about that and he prefers Will. So Will it shall be, here at least.

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Mail time:

Q: I just finished watching the clips from Media Day and must say you looked extremely enthused during the interviews! However, Bargnani takes the cake - talk about abrupt answers to questions - it was hilarious as it appeared that beat grunts were scrambling to keep the questions coming! Which left me wondering...
As you attend media day, year-in and year-out is there any preparation on the part of reporters with respect to the questions directed towards the players, coaches, etc? Do certain media types come prepared with specific questions or themed questions, or is it more likely to be on the fly, 'go with the flow'?
A X, Scarborough

A: Enthused? Not grumpy and cranky and tired? Why, thank you!

I think almost everyone who shows up has some idea of what he or she is going to write or talk about and they go and gather specific information for that story.

In fact, that’s what you have to do because of the sheer volume of stuff that’s available on a day like yesterday. Between coaches and GMs and players, there are more scrums than you can shake a stick at and if you don’t have an idea of what you want to do, you can get bogged down in a surplus of information and angles.

In fact, even knowing the two things I wanted to write, I had about 3,000 extra words of transcribed quotes to wade through and it really put a crimp in the relaxation time on the train ride up here.

Now, sometimes during the season, when you’re at like the third practice between games and there’s no news and nothing really to write, you might show up and just “go with the flow:” and piggyback on someone else’s idea and questions but, generally, you arrive at a workout with an idea and pursue it.

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This is by no means a definitive statement on the style of play we’ll see this year but here’s Sam yesterday on offence:

"We’re going to a run a lot of the same stuff we’ve been doing. Yeah, we’re going to add some stuff because of Jermaine, to make sure he gets the ball.

“The thing I’m telling our guys is, your first look is going to be inside, your second look is going to be inside and if they throw it back out, your third look is going to be inside.

"Then if they throw it out, then you shoot the basketball.

"We obviously have to make teams pay.”

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Action: Minnesota signs Rafael Araujo to a training camp contract.

Reaction: Rob Babcock does not give up easily.

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Hope you all saw Bryan's contention that this is the best Raptor team “on paper” since he got here. I don’t think you can really dispute that, even the team that won the Atlantic Division was a surprise and probably not as overall talented as this one.

That team over-achieved, no question about it; it was a nice ride but there were no expectations. There are expectations this year and it’s going to be very interesting to see how this group holds together.

But best team in history? Even on paper? I don’t think that’s the case. The 2001 team, the one that actually won a playoff series, was probably more talented 1-12 than this one and had just as good chemistry.

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Suitably chastised, I offer this with the comment that the writer is correct:

Love the blog and read it daily. I'm also fond of the occasional lessons you dish out beyond basketball.  Guess that's why I was a little disappointed by this:
"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."
There's enough voter apathy out there, especially among young people, and the fact is, the right to decide who runs a democratic nation is a little more important than hoops. Hope you'll not be so dismissive in the future of real problem in what are supposed to be democracies both here and stateside.
Hope to see a little less jaded an attitude as events unfold in the Canadian and US federal elections. While perhaps not as awe inspiring sometimes, like sports, at least they're competitive, and you don't know the final outcome till the last whistle blows.
Look forward to seeing you and the Raps back in full swing.
Regards,
JP M, Dubai (via Toronto)

Comments

[AJ]

hey, when araujo signed the training camp contract with t'wolves, i also thought about how rob babcock doesn't give up easy...anyways, doug, please update the blog as often as you can....

[ro]

Did we just sign somebody? That heart problem Jawaii has must be really serious then..

[Patrick]

Hi Doug,

Jamal Sampson. Simply camp fodder until they've got a better idea regarding Nathan's health?

Blogger's note: For now, just a body to keep them at 13, the league minimum

[Ivan H]

Doug, does the signing of Jamal Sampson push the Raptors over the tax threshold? I remember you mentioned that they were slightly under it and didn't want to have to spend money to sign another player to the roster.

Blogger's note: No financial clocks start ticking until the opening night of the season so there's no impact right now.

[Kingbill]

Willie Solomon...I can see why he prefers Will, In high school we had a kid named Willie and his nickname became Willie Survive...That was the question...

[AC]

Minnesota signs Rafael Araujo!?!?!? Excuse me for a minute...

Haahaaha haahaaha haahaaha...

Ok, now I'm back. Good luck Minnesota. Good luck Hoffa.

[Richard S]

there's a place on (I think) Elgin St in Ottawa near a young kid's bar called Griffin's and they serve - i swear i am not making this up - pizza slices with gravy on them.

after a couple of pints, it really tastes amazing. sober? not sure if the sound of it would turn you off.

but the hunt for Red October should include a slice of gravypie.

[Rags]

Just wondering, still -- JO, CB and Bargs -- three bigs with offensive flair and various skills.
Is this combination unique enough to warrant various sets to take advantage of skills? Bargnani's outside shot and Bosh's quickness could provide special problems to certain defenders. All can play both 4 and 5. Will the Raps abandon relying heavily on the screen and roll in favor of different approaches?
Will Sam mix and match according to opponent or will he try to perfect fewer sets and make em work. Is Sam, or one of his assistants, strong enough with the x's and o's to put multiple sets in place according to opponents? Who would be the best current NBA coaches in this particular area?

Blogger's note: Am scurrying here to file, I'll move this over to the mail

[Justin]

Re: Intro music

Last year they did not debut the new intro music/video until opening day. During the pre-season they used the "Vertigo" by U2 music/video from the previous season.

[Jon]

We recently signed Jamal Sampson, are we over the cap now?

Blogger's note: Officially, no, because no salaries count until the regular season begins.

[Chris Clarke]

Jamal Sampson? I guess the front office expect the worst of news on Jawai's test results

[Edgar]

Jawai must have some heart murmer/ Eddie Curry thing etc because he's been officially replaced by Jamal Sampson. The timing etc spells that BC and group have serious doubts he wont be on the court for a long time or else they wouldnt rush to find a 5th big man just for camp (as the season isnt for another month). It looks bad - possibly career ending before it begins bad... hopefully i'm dead wrong.

[Cubist]

Yo Doug, check out Shawarama Palace on Rideau St. Get the chicken plate.

[Nevin]

The Honest Lawyer? When did you become a frat-boy?

Go find the Manx on Elgin St for some real beer and fine collection of whiskey.

And when you're on the Carleton campus make sure you find Mike's Place, the grad pub (named after Lester Pearson). An excellent collection of local micro-brews, at least when I was pouring beer. Tell them I sent you and you'll get to pay the same as everyone else...

[Wes]

Long time reader of the blog Doug, and I've gotta say that as a hoops fan in a nation filled with hoops haters (puck lovers), its refreshing to hear a journalist that knows something about the game they are covering. Ive actually turned off the TV when Rod Black covers the game and switched to Eric Smith on the radio. And by accepting the chastising you got about the debates, you give me one more reason to respect you, well done doug! oh, and what happened to Norma Wick?

Blogger's note: Norma's fine, traded e-mails with her this week, teaching and living the fine life, I'm sure

[christine]

I saw Kathryn H gave Sam a friendship bracelet...what did you get him

Blogger's note: Was thinking of a nice necklace made of beer caps

[NiagaraHoops]

Hey Doug,
Tell JP M, Dubai that the 'real world' is a few tabs over. I don't think you suggest that hoops is more important than who is elected to run the nation.

But for those of us who like to read about hoops on a daily basis, it is short lived as we all have to go back to the our own little real worlds'.

[Strenge]

The comment about about Griffin's is wrong - it is now called Sir John A - and the place that does pizza with gravy is up the street...anyways...all this to say that you should probably head to a little place called "The Vineyards" if you want to sample some non-standard beers from around the world (no tvs though). It is in "The Market" under the restaurant "The Fish Market". Go through the back door if you don't want to smell the fish, hahaha...if you can venture out a little further, on Preston St (Little Italy) there is Pub Italia. Awesome beer list and usually showing all the Champions League matches on the small TVs...and if you get a chance, can you ask Mr. Calderon what he looks for in a basketball shoe?

[John]

I would second the recomendation for the Manx on Elgin street. Try and get in there for breakfast if you can; it's awesome.