The Goods On The Game, Vol. 16

They might have the coolest video introuction in all of pro sports here. They drop a round curtain from the scoreboard to the court and play a video on it. Outstanding.
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Raptors are wearing black, I guess to change things up. But I'm pretty sure the equipment guys aren't too happy because it means dragging a second bag of jerseys on the trip. They've got the red ones for a lesser stage later in the week.
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The "M-V-P" chant for Kobe starts two minuets in when he's shooting free throws. Which he'll do again right now 'cause Jamario just fouled him shooting a three-pointer.
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I'm pretty sure you've seen him on TV if you're watching, too, but, yes, Jack Nicholson's in his usual seat.
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Wow. Jamario just finished on a textbook break after filling the lane. Odd.
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Pau Gasol's made two 17-footers and it's a nice little shootout between he and Bargnani, who's got six points already.
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Two quick ones on Parker and he sits down for Kapono.
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Timeout for the Lakers, timeout for me.
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Lakers 19, Raptors 18 with 5:45 left.
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Kapono's first touch is curling offf a screen and he goes to the lane and scores. Someone obviously got to him, and the coaches,to make him more assertive.
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Gasol's got 10 and I like his game. Except for the lack of toughness, that is.
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Bad closeouts are becoming quite the habit for Your Raptors. They just don't get to shooters quickly enough.
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Here comes Joey, let the fun begin.
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Vlad Radmanovic is wearing the goggles not in homage to assistant coach Kurt Rambis but because he got poked in the eye in a game last week.
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Jose Calderon has two baskets and both have come from beating his man to the basket.
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I'm betting that when the voting for Most Improved Player comes around in the spring, you're going to be hearing the name Trevor Ariza an awful lot.
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Legendary Media Relations Man Jim LaBumbard reports this is the most points the Raptors have allowed in a first quarter this year.
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Lakers 34, Raptors 29
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Hmm, now there's some question what the score actually is. The scorebard says 34, the stats monitor says 32 for the Lakers. Sort of a reverse Atlanta deal.
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There is one row of seats along the baseline on the court and I imagine they cost a fair dollar. And every time the Lakers score, a gaggle of Laker Girls stand up right in front of the patrons and jump up and down. Some like it; I imagine there are those who don't.
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Kapono's got six points in eight minutes, I believe it's the influence of being so close to UCLA.
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Of course, Trevor Ariza's badly missed all three shots he's taken so maybe I'm too quick with the most improved talk.
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Good Joey's gone to the basket twice already.
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Hump just drilled Trevor Ariza with the hardest foul of the night. Not dirty. Just hard.
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Raptors just simply lost Jordan Farmar in transition and he hit a wide open three. Terrible recognition. Sam calls a timeout to talk about it. Again.
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I'm pretty sure there are rich and famous movie stars in here tonight, I just don't know any of them. Where's the First Lady when you need her? Actually, they usually pass around a sheet with the names of the big shots in attendance. If we get it, you will, too.
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Roko just gave them five pretty solid minutes. Wonder if he'll get the same chance in the second half.
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This one's in danger of getting out of hand.
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Lakers 49, Raps 47 with six minutes 'til half.
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Wow. Trevor Ariza just tried to throw a lob pass from the corner that hit the shot clock. It might be the worst lob I've ever seen.
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Luke Walton gets some rare minutes. He's been one of the Lost Boys Of The Lakers this year.
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Raptors are playing a lot of zone late in the quarter, which leaves them open to offensive rebounds, which they give up anyway.
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Of the good signs for Toronto, Jose's looking a bit quicker.
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Jose's now 41-for-41 from the free throw line this season.
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Moon's at the line for three free throws after Kobe whacked him taking a jumper and you know the coaches are dreading that that is something Moon will get used to.
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Somehow, the Raptors just let Kobe Bryant leak out for not one, but two straight fast break layups. Memo to Raps: Guard him.
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Lakers 61, Toronto 51 at halftime.
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A media room celebrity spotter suggests David Beckham is somewhere in the arena watching. No one has seen Mats Sundin yet.
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After a 5-0 Laker run in 90 seconds or so, Sam calls a timeout to settle the lads down. Sort of worked 'cause they got two stops.
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Chris Bosh just made his third three-pointer of the season. It comes in a flurry where Moon, he and Parker made threes on successive possessions. Trouble was, Lakers got one in there, too.
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Jose's getting a little fiesty with Derek Fisher. Nice to see someone take exception to something.
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Fisher and Calderon get matching technicals a minute or so later, they are jawing at each other pretty well.
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Bosh has had better nights. He's 4-for-12 from the field.
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Vlad Radmanovic just made a wonderful little pass in the lane. Directly to a Raptor.
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Now, they know how to do things here. If the Lakers hold Toronto under 100 points, every fan gets a couple of tacos.
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Lakers 73, Raptors 65 with 5:57 left.
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Far as we can tell, there are no Leaves here, despite the fact they play in the same building tomorrow.
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Andrew Bynum is too strong for Bosh to handle on the post. They could use JO. Or switch Bargnani onto Bynum and let Bosh guard Gasol.
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Here's a very cool thing they do in the player introductions. When they were going through the Raptor assistants, they made sure to make it "Hall of Famer Alex English." Respect.
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Another steal leads to a leak-oout basket for the Lakers, a game-high 15-point lead and I'm thinking this one is almost over.
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This just in: Apparently Denver's Carmelo Anthony left their game with Houston tonight with a bruised right elbow and is day-to-day.
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Joey's back and here comes Roko in a minute, too.
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Wow. You know, for a team that's 13-1 and stacked, the Lakers really give up a lot of open shots.
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L. Hornby, comic, just suggests that the way the PA announcer pronounces Bargnani's name makes it sound like the 7-footer's from Sweden. Like Mats Sundin.
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L.A. 90, Raps 81 at three.
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Had a nice chat with old friend Rick Fox before the game. He's doing about 20 games a year for the Laker television broadcasts, pre- and post-game and halftime, and doing a little bit of TV acting, too. Good guy, Rick. Played in one of the darkest television shows ever, Oz.
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Unreal. Lakers show some pressure on the inbounds play to start the fourth quarter and the Raptors have to call timeout because they can't get the ball inbounds.
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The Kiss Cam's a personal timeout fave and here they play it with the old Sonny and Cher song I Got You Babe playing over the PA and there's not a better timeout gig in the league.
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Joey's defending Lamar Odom as the Raps go small and he's battling him for every inch. Gotta give Graham credit.
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Twice now, Roko's dribbled himself into trouble along the baseline and committed turnovers. Some day, he'll learn not to go there.
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Jason Kapono's a lot of things, a ball-handler isn't one of them.
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Two straight post-ups for Joey? That's rather odd play calling.
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Lakers 103, Raptors 88
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Here's one for you: We can stick around and see the Los Angeles D-Fenders play a D League game later on if we like. We don't like.
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Bosh is out with 5:41 to go, Raps down 19 and his night is over. So is Toronto's.
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More white-towel waving. Jose's night is done, too.
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We're watching a Raptor lineup of Roko, Will Solomon, Joey Graham, Hassan Adams and Kris Humphries and we're not sure that group beats the D Fenders. It's not pretty.
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Wow. This is garbage time like we haven't seen this year.
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Lakers 112, Raptors 99

The Goods On The Game, Vol. 16, the no JO edition (again)

Hello, kids. Anyone home?

If you can draw yourself away from  whatever important thing you're doing, please take note that when the Raptors tip off in about 20 minutes, Jermaine O'Neal will once again be a spectator.

That left ankle still isn't responding well enough, he worked out at the team's shootaround Sunday morning and again before the game, I'm told, but we just got word about two minutes ago that he'll miss his third straight game.

And, as usual, Jamario Moon starts at small forward.

That's about it for now, I'm off to see if there's any starlets getting some pre-game fresh air. I'm thinking not.

Back at you sometime in the first quarter.

The weekend mail, Delivery No. 2

Promised you more and here’s lots more. Doing it allowed me to avoid the convention of science fiction fans here in this hotel – replete with all kinds of wild costumes Saturday – which was a group of rather, um, interesting folks.

Have fun.

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Q: Saw you in your front row seat Wed night, but didn't notice you pounding on the wonky laptop. My question is about halftime at the ACC. Maybe they've cut back the budget, but 2 weekday games I've attended so far this year and nothing happening at halftime except the 4 corners crew playing music and saying something unintelligible. I realize you might be out for some "fresh air", but for those of us who stay in our seats, surely the MLSE can do better? Why not get one of their broadcast partners to do a little channel flipping on other NBA games going on? Show us some look-ins on other games on the fancy new screens. Even split and show us 4 games. A lot of us are actually BASKETBALL fans, not just Raptor fans. Even getting the Filipino kids from Markham to play would be better than nothing. And I await Calderon's blond dye job so he'll look like his bobblehead.

Wilber L, Toronto

A: I do tend to spend most of halftime out enjoying the fresh air but I do either see the start of halftime or the end of it and I have to agree wholeheartedly with your point.

Oh, how we long for the days of Quick Change, or the silly disc-catching dogs or, taking the danger into consideration, Fire Guy.

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Q:: Hi Doug, not basketball related but I thought I'd ask you anyways. Do you, or other reporters, get paid extra for doing appearances on other people’s radio shows or on TV? Just curious.

C S, Lakefield

A: Not all the time, no. Some regular gigs carry a regular stipend – certainly not enough to allow us to live large or anything – but a lot of the one-offs are either favours to friends or non-paying appearances.

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Q: Another writer was proposing Parker's expiring contract, Graham, and a first round pick as the best package the Raptors have to offer... What do you think?

Andrew R, Halifax

A: Probably is, but they could sweeten it with a draft pick or up to $3 million cash to make a whole lot sweeter.

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Q: Hey Doug, seriously I am a fan of yours, keep up the good work, much respect. Do you think keeping Joey in the regular rotation is beneficial for Moon? It seems to me that every time Joey tries hard on the court, Moon tries harder. I guess the internal competition is always a good thing, even if it was bad Joey on that night, perhaps Moon can motivate Joey? Your thoughts?

Talal S, Toronto

A: I think there’s absolutely something to that. Competition for a job, especially between two players who don’t have contracts past the end of this season, has a way of making guys concentrate a wee bit harder.

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Q: Whatever happened to those rumblings about getting an NBADL franchise somewhere in Southern Ontario? I'd love to see one, personally, and I bet it'd be good for the Raptors, too, but I could see how the economics might not work. Thanks again for all your hard work. And don't spend all that Mary Deanne Shears money in one place. Unless it's on your roof, I guess. :) Tim M, Kingston

A: The D League idea remains alive but these are tough economic times so it’s not exactly on the front burner, if you get my drift. It’s far more theory now than a probability in the near future.

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Q: Hello Doug, covering the Raptors in your 14th season, your play observations from well-trained eyes (plus the glasses), must carry some value to this club, even more now that you're a recipient of a Star award (Well-deserved, Doug, and congrats!). Could you name some of your suggestions that the coaching staff or management has affirmed and honored (assuming these are within-- and not far above from what Sam considers-- your pay grade)? Are they something like this, "Coach, tell Joey, whatever pair of shoes he wore the last couple of games, keep wearing them." Or "Jose is not penetrating as he did last year, the injury doesn't look like bothering him anymore, should he go back to his old set of shoes?"

Rikki C, Burlington

A: In a stunning admission, I’ll say right here and now that all of my suggestions have, to this point at least, fallen on deaf ears.

Now, most of them run to the “why don’t you take the beat grunts out for dinner and drinks more often?”

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Q: When the Raptors elect to double-team in the center, how do they guard the corners to prevent 3-shots? I'm thinking of guys like Mike Bibby.

Jack M, Toronto

A: How easy is for me to say they don’t guard shooters in the corner.

Actually, the other perimeter defenders are suppose to quickly rotate to the guys in the corner and who it is depends on how the other team is set up.

But someone is supposed to get there.

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Q: I'm confused. I've been to many Raptor games and don't recall seeing "The Chicken" that you often refer to in your blog (which is superb, BTW). I assume when you mention the Chicken, you are referring to "The Raptor". Perhaps you can enlighten as to why you refer to the dino as fowl? I must say, one can always count on the prehistoric reptile bringing it every night - wish I could say the same for the team he/she supports! But hey, it is a long season and we have just begun. Go Raps!

Davie L, Toronto

A: We’ve done this before but, what the heck, we’ll do it again.

I am of the belief that all the stuffed animals at every game in every sport are derivative of the one and only San Diego Chicken, hence they are all The Chicken to me.

That said, the one who prowls the court in Toronto might be the very best in the league and one of the top in all pro sports.

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Q: What do you think the odds are that multiple players decide to sign with the same team during the summer of 2010? Since these players all have already signed max money deals, and they make enough money with endorsements, I think it would be genius for say, LeBron, Wade and Bosh to all sign three year contracts with the Knicks for $13 million per year. This would obviously be below their market value, but it would give them a VERY good shot at winning multiple championships, while at the same time, resurrecting the Knicks franchise. (I would also think that veterans i.e. Steve Nash, would jump to sign with this team for below market value) In a worst case scenario, they can sign elsewhere after three years of playing in NYC, the 'Mecca' of basketball.

Alex H, Oakville

A: I think the chances of that, frankly, are slim and none. I know it’s a fun thing to think that two, or even three guys might all of a sudden want to be teammates but at that level I’m sure there would be issues of being “the man” and marketing and all that other stuff.

The weekend mail, Delivery No. 1

Funny what you can get accomplished in 10 or 12 hours over the course of a week, a five-hour flight to the west coast and a couple of hours in a LAX Marriott sports bar.

But because no one in the world is going to sift through about 5,500 words of questions and answered, I’m going to break them up into two files.

This encompasses the earlier part of the week, Part II will have the stuff from about Thursday through Saturday.

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Q: After a couple of bad losses, let's change the subject. I'm curious about the behind the scenes employees of the Raptors. Does someone like the legendary Jim LaBumbard (Media Relations) answer to BC? Or is he an employee of MLSE, the corporation? I guess what I'm asking is: When a new GM takes over, does he tend to clean house of people like our version of George Costanza (the assistant to the traveling secretary)? Or do the behind the scenes folks usually survive every regime change?

John C, Toronto

A: The Legendary Jim LaBumbard, along with all the other legends who work on the basketball side of the conglomerate, are indeed employees of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment who report to Bryan.

And, no, a new GM doesn’t necessarily clean house, he does move some people but he will always keep the good ones.

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Q: Doug, just wanted to get your thoughts on some of BC's moves. There is no doubt that this team is better off with BC than they were with RB, and BC has made many good moves. However, we we're all quick to criticize RB and GG for their shortcomings so wanted to get your thoughts on what I see as some of BC's shortcomings over the past couple of years: 1. Did a good job to get rid of the excess of wings this past off season but he never did address the team's need for defence and toughness out of the wing. Thought that BC brought in Hassan Adams for that purpose. If so, why haven't we seen more of him? Seeing what Jamario and Joey are giving us, would giving Adams a chance at the wing give you anything worse? 2. Correct me if I'm wrong but because BC used the bi-annual veteran exemption on Maceo Baston last year, he could not use it this year (as we remember Maceo was wearing a suit for most of the season). As a result, BC had to sign an unproven back-up to Jose in Will Solomon as opposed to being able to use the veteran's exemption and bringing in a veteran point guard like Damon Jones. Although Jones would have had a salary of approximately $1 million he would have counted the same against the cap as Solomon with the exemption. Ultimately, our issues with the back-up point guard needs to fall right in the lap of BC. 3. Is it possible that the Raps did not do their homework on Nathan Jawai before they drafted him and signed him to a contract? They say that the first time they found out about his heart condition was at training camp but perhaps the question is did they do they proper physical testing prior to drafting and signing Jawai.

Anthony B, Etobicoke

A: Adams came in out of shape, got hurt, got further out of shape and further into the coach’s doghouse. It’s absolutely debatable whether or not he’d given as much as Moon or Graham.

With the way the finances worked out, the only money they had for that Solomon spot was minimum wage so there is no impact with Baston getting the biannual exception last year. But he did get it so it’s not there this year; it’ll be available to them next summer.

They did all the homework they could on Jawai leading up to the draft. Players don’t go through nearly as rigorous an exam in the one or two times a team can see them before the draft than they do before training camp. Is that a good way to do business? Probably not. But it is the way business is done.

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Q: Are they still having problems with the stats section of the scoreboard at the ACC? They seem to disappear for extended periods of time to be replaced by a Raptors logo.

Kelly A, Toronto

A: I don’t look up that high that often, don’t want a crick in the neck for the night’s TV gig (he said, jokingly) but yes, I’m told there are still glitches that are popping up every now and then. They don’t make $8.5 million TV sets like they used to, I guess.

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Q: The canned reply from Rogers Cable:

We are hopeful to be able to offer TSN2 to our customers at some point in the future, however, at the present time we have not been able reach a business agreement with the channel. As with all channel negotiations, they take time. These discussions are confidential. When we consider offering a new channel, it is not a matter of receiving emails or requests, but rather reaching a fair and equitable arrangement with the programmer.

Has a team ever leveraged games in the past to get themselves positioned onto cable carriers?

Craig S, Toronto

A: Isn’t that some bureaucratic, media relations garbage or what? Seems they are admitting what we’ve known all along, it’s about money and screw the complainers.

Maybe more e-mails are in order. Maybe that wakes someone up. I doubt it but you never know. The word I got Friday was there is “optimism” in the talks; I remain skeptical.

And since Maple Leaf Sports signed a contract with TSN and its other broadcasters (far too quickly as it turns out, in my opinion) they have little or no leverage in the issue.

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Q: Hey Doug, I've got two questions for you. I've read that a lot of NBA execs aren't exactly displeased with Mark Cuban's insider trading, they actually find it quite funny. I was wondering if you knew how Colangelo and Cuban got along? Secondly, do you think that Derrick Rose is the most NBA ready rookie to come into the League since LeBron? 19 5 and 6 (rounded) he might be the best point guard in the East, as a rookie

Alex D, Toronto

A: I think they’ve got a good relationship, nothing special but certainly nothing antagonistic.

Derrick Rose sure looks good but so does O.J. Mayo, whose game seems well-suited to the NBA. But don’t sleep on Rudy Fernandez out in Portland, that kid’s going to be good and looks pretty smooth already.

Quips, queries and the usual junk

That was sort of entertaining, no?

Close game, pretty well played, had some jaw-dropping moments and the locals won. I’d say the angst level among you might be close to a season-low. Of course, the death march and possible three-game losing streak that awaits starting tomorrow in L.A. should get some all revved up again.

But until that’s over, enjoy the day and the spectacular view from a game above .500.

Oh, and enjoy this, too:

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Action: Fans chant “Jo-ey, Jo-ey, Jo-ey”

Reaction: Ears bleed.

Nah, not really. The chant was actually sort of cool if entirely unexpected and not something any of us ever figured we’d hear in Toronto.

But you’ve got to give Joey Graham credit, two games, two solid outings and instead of moping when he lost pretty much all chance to play, he’s stayed ready and prepared for when his name got called.

That’s a measure of professionalism that’s welcome, and sometimes unusual in this man’s NBA.

Oh, there were moments (when he sort of ran away from, I believe, Joe Johnson to go guard the paint as Johnson drifted back for a wide-open three caused much Mitchell consternation) but there’s no way they can’t keep playing him. And playing him a fair amount.

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Okay, this is a bit old but have you seen the Jose Calderon bobblehead they gave out this week?

Oh.

My.

God.

It does not, at any level whatsoever, look like Jose Calderon.

And that’s a fact not lost on Jose himself.

We stopped him before the game to suggest he might want to sue whoever created it and he agreed wholeheartedly that it bears no resemblance.

“I know,” he said. “That is not me. I don’t know who it is, but it’s not me. Maybe Matt Bonner?”

Now, I know there are people out there, smart, fun people, who are grateful for anything Jose but, seriously, shouldn’t someone have to sign off on it before they make 10,000 of the things.

Super Son just saw it:

“I don’t think Jose Calderon has a moustache and a beard. He looks like he’s 45 years old. Who is really supposed to be?”

Digression over.

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A piece of mail on two very contentious issues:

Q: Hey Doug; congrats on the award!! Just a quick question. What do you think has a better chance of happening before Christmas - an actual working scoreboard at ACC, or TSN 2 on Rogers Cable?? The fact that neither is fixed and we're almost into December is just sad.

Kent S, Toronto

A: I know, that scoreboard blows, doesn’t it? Had a handful of calls and letters over the course of the game last night about it. When I ask, which is about every day, they say there is some glitch in the computer synchronization between the stats machine and the scoreboard. I’m thinking with all the tall foreheads they’ve got over there, surely after four pre-season and now eight regular season games, they should get it to work.

The TSN2-Rogers situation muddles along. I was told last night they are still in negotiations and there is some optimism that things get done but, frankly, that’s what I was told in early November. Next game is the one in Jersey on Dec. 12 and it being Jersey and all, there is going to be some righteous indignation if they don’t get it resolved.

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I’d love to tell you how the game played in the Atlanta papers but the Journal-Constitution didn’t bother to send a reporter to the game so there’s really no inside stuff to check out.

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Action: Jason Kapono ices win?

Reaction: Jason Kapono?

Yes, seriously, that was Kapono out there in the final few seconds, mostly in a defence-offence substitution pattern with Joey Graham (a nice thing to see from the bench), sealing the win with the two free throws.

Kapono’s 10 shots – and six makes – were a huge boost and so was the way he got them. A couple of times curling off screens, at least once floating back to the three-point line and two that I can recall in transition. That’s precisely how he has to play to be effective and it seems like he and the coaches have figured it out.

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Poll time: How many people had a bad flashback, a seriously bad flashback, when the Raptors had the ball out of bounds with 16 seconds to go and it looked like Parker was going to have to call a timeout before he got a five second violation?

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Another question about the game:

Q: I'm watching the game against the Hawks right now, and Solomon just got into the game. Why not Ukic? I thought his play justified him at least getting some time as the backup point guard. What does Mitchell see in Solomon that we do not?

Dave R, Markham

A: What they saw last night in the fourth quarter was a need for speed and tempo and thought they’d get it best from Solomon. And, frankly, they did.

I don’t think it represents a seismic shift in roles. I’d hope Ukic, who has far more long-term potential than Solomon for this team, is back in his usual job Sunday in L.A.

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Speaking of L.A., the Lakers are on a bit of roll themselves, no? That team might very well win 70 games this season if they all stay healthy. Here’s what the L.A. Times said about the latest triumph.

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Action: Bosh has 30 and 10.

Reaction: Yawn.

Yes, it’s come to this. The dude has another dominant game and it’s sort of lost in the shuffle. But he’s now played 15 games this year and scored 30 or more points seven times and 20 or more 13 times. He’s averaging like 25 and 11 and defending. Not sure how long he can keep it up but this is the best concentrated effort by a Raptor big man ever. Not even close.

Oh, and the elevator story was pretty cool.

He’s stuck for almost an hour 28 storeys up in his condo, hangs with a couple of strangers just chilling and figuring out life and gets to the arena about an hour before tipoff.

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Okay, I’ve got to go pack and catch a flight to L.A. to begin this rather drawn-out road trip. There’ll be a little bit of time zone hell to deal with, late starts and early flights but because you’re you, I’ll try to stick to the same schedule and the same shenanigans you’re used to around here.

What we won’t have, though, is post-game video. I know. You’re crushed.

See ya.

The Goods On The Game, Vol. 15

If Chris Bosh is a little slow getting going, it's understandable. He didn't get to the arena until about an hour before the game and, no, he wasn't pulling an Iverson. Seems he was stuck in the elevator in his apparently-not-so-posh-or-functional building for about 50 minutes.
Yep, that's another sure sign he's leaving in 2010, I'm sure. If he was rescued by Donnie Walsh, that just seals the deal.
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The Flo Rida thing? Still not digging it.
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Oh, and when they introduced Atlanta centre Zaza Pachulia (still one of my favourite names in the league today) as from Georgia, they meant the country, not the school.
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The Hawks are using Joe Johnson on Jose, Marvin Williams on AP and Mike Bibby on Jamario Moon. Surely to all that's good in the world Moon has to be able to take Bibby, no?
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I'm not entirely sure what I just saw. Andrea put his head down, drove, took about six steps with no whistle and threw up something I suppose was supposed to be a layup. Graceful it was not.
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Mike Bibby just hit two tough jumpers in a row. He's the wild card; if he's scoring, the Hawks are winning usually.
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Bosh has missed all three shots he's taken. Not going to have those 15-for-20 nights every game.
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Hawks 13, Raptors 10 with 5:40 to go.
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Yes, the brace on Bosh's knee is new. He's been wearing it in practice but it's the first time it's come out for a game. We're told it's a precautionary move only. We believe the Pistons are ordering some for 2010 right now.
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The First Lady Of The Beat, our resident celebrity spotter along with being a fine reporter, can spot none. So I'm guessing there are none here.
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Bargnani is way assertive on offence tonight. Just had a pretty nice drive on the baseline for some finger roll thing. But he's just now picked up is second personal, a rather cheap one.
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You know who's sort of under-rated? Maurice Evans. Good pro.
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Wonder if Brian Burke's in the building.
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Hmm, a check of the old stats monitor shows 10 rebounds for the Atlantas and four for the Torontos. That, in my esteemed view, is not a good thing for the Torontos.
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Hump's in for Andrea, who got a few minutes with two fouls in something of a change in strategy.
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Atlanta's shooting a somewhat miserable 35 per cent. And, honestly, it's got something to do with good Toronto defence.
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Bosh seems reluctant to attack the basket tonight.
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Joey's in, for Bosh, and playing the four alongside centre Hump.
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Toronto 24, Atlanta 21 at one.
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Had a very nice chat with Jim Todd before the game. He's living large down in Atlanta, where he can work on paring his handicap almost year 'round. That's when he's not hard at work coaching, that is.
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Jose's got a bit more energy tonight, I'm thinking the hamstring's getting better.
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Yes, that was a Jason Kapono catch and shoot bucket. You don't see that too often.
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Good Joey's here it seems. And it's a welcome sight. For now.
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Atlanta's shooting 29 per cent at the moment. Bad. Very bad.
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The Chicken and some little urchin did a cool timeout gig where the kid holds up signs that say he loves the Raptors, the Hawks stink, refs are great and, of course, The Dance Pak digs him. It's like never ending hilarity around here.
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I believe the people from Springfield are on the way to get Joey's jersey after this acrobatic layup he just made.
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After four whole minutes of rest, Bosh is back.
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We are obviously occupying some strange and unknown universe. The Raps just ran a perfect in-bounds play that got Kapono a quick jumper he made. Seriously. I asked someone sitting next to me. It did happen.
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Raptors 35, Hawks 31 with 5:55 'til half.
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Bargnani's back, even with the two fouls. Sam said a couple of weeks ago he might roll the dice with the big kid and fouls, guess he meant what he said.
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Jose just through about a 27-foot lob pass that Bosh dunked after getting a great screen from Kapono --  mean, a great, great back screen -- that might have been the best play those three have pulled off this season.
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When Atlanta drilled Toronto a few weeks back, they made 12 of 20 three-pointers. They're 4-for-11at this point.
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Jamario Moon, meet Kris Humphries. But if Moon's shooting it every time he touches it, at least he's making them, he's 4-for-5 from the floor.
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Gamble doesn't quite pay off when Bargnani gets his third personal with three minutes left in the half.
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A series of bad possessions by Toronto and all of a sudden it's a game 'cause they didn't bury the Hawks when they had the chance. Haven't heard that before, have you?
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Another JK three off a screen and a catch-and-shoot. Well played.
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Hawks 50, Raps 46 at half
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In conversation with a friend at halftime, it was pointed out that the scoreboard here, um, sucks. At least the part at the top that should be used exclusively for stats and the boxscore, not ads. Right now there are logos of the two teams and a ticket sales pitch up there.
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This just really happened:
Jamario Moon got caught guarding Mike Bibby on a switch and Sam yelled, loud enough to be heard in Atlanta, I presume:
"Stay, Jamario"
Joe Johnson drives, gets under the basket and kicks it out to -- you guessed it -- a WIDE OPEN Mike Bibby, who hits a three-pointer, entirely uncontested.
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It's a rather dead crowd in here at the moment.
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Bargnani just got his fourth personal fighting for post position with Al Horford.
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This is about the time my computer blows up for a bit so I better post this now.
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Hawks 59, Raptors 55 with 7:13 left.
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Chris Bosh now has six assists, his career high is nine. If he was rebounding better -- he's only got three -- I'd suggest we might be about to witness a triple-double. But don't see that happening.
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Hump just tried some sort of jump hook in the lane, fumbled the ball and I believe he shot it with his wrist. Stunningly, it didn't go in.
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But he does have five rebounds and is defending as best he can so we're not down on The Hump.
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Toronto's gone stone cold from the field so Kapono's at the table and now in the game.
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Hey, Stumpy got parolled from the pucks for a night to write hoops. Feels like old times around here.
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Joey's in for AP in the last two minutes and he'll guard Joe Johnson.
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And that looks a lot likie Will Solomon at the table about to check into the game to give Jose about 90 seconds off.
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I'm not sure Solomon's first play should result in him shooting a 20-foot jumper. I'm pretty sure his coaches would feel the same way.
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Toronto 69, Atlanta 65 at three.
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A nifty Hump put back of a Joey miss on Toronto's first possession of the quarter has Sam up, clapping and cheering like we've seldom seen.
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And then Bosh scores, Hawks call a timeout and the crowd's in the game.
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Of course, the excitement goes entirely out of the moment when they do the cheesy beachball thing during the timeout. There is absolutely no sense of excitement here. They should have someone dancing and music playing loudly.
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The Chicken, bless his fowl soul, just dropped off some cookies and a bottle of champagne. I love The Chicken.
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Good Joey rebounds a Kapono miss and gets a putback. Then a breakaway dunk that brings 'em to their feet. Dude's been way more Good than Bad tonight.
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Ooops. Couple of possessions later, Joey leaves Joe Johnson all alone, Johnson hits a three and there's no joy on the bench.
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Jason Kapono just made a great pass to the basket stanchion.
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Bosh's brace seems to be growing every quarter. Looks like he's got a t-shirt wrapped around it.
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Okay, we all must be going stark raving mad. We all think we hear fans chanting Jo-ey, Jo-ey, Jo-ey.
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Raps 83, Hawks 74 with seven minutes left.
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Stumpy, who hasn't been around much, is quite impressed with the new uniforms. No, not the black ones. The white ones. On the Dance Pak.
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That is indeed Ty Hill who's working as a behind-the-bench-assistant-coach for the Hawks. No, neither Charles Oakley or any of Oak's, um, associates, is sitting behind Hill, menacingly.
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Bosh, as I type, has 27, 8 and 7.
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Kapono. Catch and shoot. A three. In the corner. Where has that been all year?
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Bosh just converted a three-point play and he's got 30 now, it's the seventh time he's scored over 30 in a game this season.
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Hawks have only committed one team foul in the first 10 minutes of the half, the Raptors simply haven't been going to the rim aggressively enough.
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Two straight Bargnani misses, couple of Hawk makes and the stress level goes up.
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Hmm, Raps up three. With ball out of bounds and 16 seconds left. Wonder if they can inbound it right. They do. Narrowly. Very narrowly. To Kapono.
-
JK ices it.
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Raps 93, Hawks 88

 

The Goods On The Game, Vol. 15, the numbering is correct

Good evening ladies and germs. Welcome back to the fun that never ends.

Except if you're Jermaine O'Neal, that is. He's a no-go again tonight because of the sprained left ankle but there were indications before the game that he'll practice Saturday with an eye towards returning to face the Lakers on Sunday.

Jamario Moon starts but about half an hour ago, Sam assured the assembled grunts that Joey Graham's going to get some run tonight for sure.

One thing to watch for? Everyone's talking about Toronto's poor transition defence (like their halfcourt defence is all world or something) so the key may be for Toronto to get three, sometimes four guys back right away to eliminate easy Atlanta baskets.

Anyway, that's the pre-game dope. Here's hoping the computer gremlins take the entire night off and we'll be back at regular intervals. 

JO a no go

Just sitting here in an ante room across the hall from the Raptor locker room waiting for some pearls of wisdom from Chris Bosh (yeah, they'll be pearls, indeed) but the wait's given us time for this update:

Sam just stopped into say Jermaine O'Neal's moving around a bit better on his sore left ankle but not good enough to play against Atlanta tonight.

Guess there's zillionth of a per cent chance things change before 7 p.m. but the really smart money has Jamario Moon back in the starting lineup, Andrea at centre and O'Neal in a suit.

Just thought we'd keep you up to date.

Of minutes, Joey and the train wreck in New York

Great. Now there’s a standard to meet. I kid.

Seriously, the thing yesterday was a great honour and totally unexpected and very, very, very much appreciated. So, too are the various kind words and nice notes from so many of you. Very cool. Very nice.

Oh, and Mr. Roofer, to say nothing of Miss Harbour Sports Grille, are quite all right with the financial repercussions.

Okay, enough sappiness; let me type so I can say something odd and generate some of the hate mail some of you are so good at.

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How many minutes are too many minutes? Is Bosh’s 42.1 minutes per game (second heaviest workload in the league behind Stephen Jackson’s 42.9) too many?

Bosh doesn’t think so.

Sam doesn’t think so.

I don’t think so.

Many of you do think so.

This was Sam yesterday:

“We watch his minutes, we try to. We try to make sure we rest him in between games and if you’re in shape, you can play. Obviously we’re not trying to set a record of playing him 48 minutes a game but he’s not tired.”

I don’t believe in the theory that says extended minutes can lead to injury because a guy can get injured just as easily playing six minutes a night as he can playing 40 and there is no doubt that Bosh is getting rest.

Sure, the fear is the cumulative effect of playing so much every night is a concern but they are managing his time away from the court effectively.

He doesn’t take part in full practices usually (yesterday he did about half the stuff, I’m told) and he is becoming much more aware of the need for treatment and recuperation now that he’s growing up

And it’s certainly not like his extended playing time is causing any drop off in his play, that’s for sure.

Now, should 42.l be 38.1? In a perfect world, yeah, it probably should. But this is not a perfect world and if they need him to play that many to win, he’s got to play that many.

Maybe there’s a slight reduction if Hump provides the kind of effort they need from him every night but until that time, the workload will remain heavy.

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A quasi-list thing:

From Tony K. of Halifax:

Top five deadliest 3-point shooters in Raptors history?

Dell Curry, Walt Williams, Mo Pete, Donyell Marshall, Vince Carter. That’s a pretty good group of shooters. And you’ve still got Dee Brown, Anthony Parker, Tracy Murray and Damon Stoudamire to think about.

Oh, I hear this Kapono guy’s a pretty good long-distance shooter but I haven’t seen it first hand. (Seriously, he’d replace Carter on that list with a greater body of work).

-

Real quick, let’s see what Cousin Sekou’s up to in Atlanta.

-

I’ve got 65-35 Bad Joey at least makes a cameo appearance tonight.

But, regardless, you will see a bit of Graham, at least, a point Sam reiterated yesterday at practice.

Not as a starter (Moon remains if O’Neal can’t go but it looked yesterday like the big centre’s close to being back) but Joey is going to get some burn off the bench. I’d presume it will come at Moon’s expense as Sam once again extends the rotation one more guy.

Toughest thing Sam’s got to do is try to figure out which of those two guys is going to bring it every night. He never knows, you never know, it’s a crapshoot the coach has to make each and every game. That can’t be easy.

Sayeth Sam:

“It’s been up and down for him but if Joey keeps coming with the energy and the things that we’re trying to do and be focused like he was last night, the opportunity is there for Joey.”

Will he seize it? He has, once, in his career, when he played consistently replacing Garbo two years ago. Other than that? Continually confounding with his inconsistency and I have no reason to expect anything otherwise this time around.

-

Welcome to a first-timer

Q: Great Blog I read it everyday. This is the first time I have posted a question though. I have been a Raptors fan from day one. But when is someone gonna step in and make some changes before we ARE too late in the season and nothing can be done?

Karen P, Whitby

A: I firmly believe no major changes should be made before at least a quarter of the season unfolds. Oh, and don’t forget that no one who signed anywhere as a free agent last summer can be traded before Dec. 15 so you might hear about more action after that day.

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What a cesspool in New York, eh?

You’ve got to figure that the Stephon Marbury thing is going to come to a head any day now, either with a suspension, a release or some sort of buyout of his contract.

Could it have been handled better? Sure. And, like with anything, there’s more than enough blame to go around.

The Knicks had to know it would become a circus, and a distraction, sooner rather than later and if they weren’t going to play the guy, they should have pulled a Tinsley and just told him to stay home.

And Marbury, who is operating with only guidance from a players’ association lawyer, should have hired an agent to find him a place to land and taken that proposal to Donnie Walsh long before now.

I will say this: If the Knicks did ask Marbury to play and he refused, that’s about as serious a breach of professionalism – and contract – I can imagine.

So where’s he land?

Not here.

Marbury may still have talent – he’s looked good when I’ve seen him play over the last two years – but he’s a five-month rental and all the extracurricular crap that comes with him isn’t worth it. Not for a team that’s looking to the future rather than one searching for an immediate fix to get them to the NBA final.

-

And a question about you. And you. And you, too.

Q: I have just been reading some of the comments on your blog and some of the articles, wow what a bunch of downers. I'm not saying I've got rose coloured glasses and all is right in Rapsland, but are other fans in other cities this "unbalanced" (up and down)?

Mich G, North Bay

A: Let’s just say that it’s my experience talking to writers around the league that Raptors fans are, um, unique in their passion, and disgust, with the team.

Of Roko and Bargnani and Kapono, among others

Nothing like a seven-point win over a 4-10 team to ease the cranky old mind, is there?

Okay, okay. Sure, a win’s a win’s a win and it beats the alternative for many but those were the vertically-challenged Charlotte Bobcats the locals beat up on by a whopping seven points.

Maybe reserve judgement on the “dark days are behind us” stuff?

Anyway, there were some actions. And, of course, some reactions.

Like …

-

Action: Roko’s getting it.

Reaction: The job has to be his.

The behind-the-back dish and the little floater in the lane were the highlights but it was the pace at which Roko Ukic played that has to keep him as the team’s backup point guard.

He only got seven minutes in the second quarter but they were played at a tempo the Raptors desperately needed at the time. And for a rookie who has been pretty turnover-prone at moments in his development, not giving the ball away while playing quickly was the thing that was most noticeable.

I’m thinking it’s a while before Will Solomon gets another shot

-

Yes, there are still some glitches with the big scoreboard. Looked at it last night a couple of times only to see advertising logos where the boxscore should be. No, that’s not good.

-

We have to talk about Joey, right?

Q: As I write this the Raps are holding on against the bobcats with a couple minutes left. We have seen Good Joey tonight and it has really been a huge boost! I know we have asked this before but is there a chance that we could have Good Joey for maybe 3 of 5 games for the rest of the season? If he can play this well for 60% of the time he really should play over Moon. Any thoughts? P.S. Thanks for all the hard work you put in each day to keep us crazed raptor fans at bay.

Blake H, Provo, Utah

A: Sam promised last night in his post-game chat session that Joey earned a chance to play on Friday off his performance on Wednesday. We’ll reserve judgment on what that means until we see how he does on Friday but, yes, if they get that kind of effort and production out of him 60 per cent of the time, I think he has to play ahead of Jamario.

After all, the thing that set Jamario apart last year was his defence and rebounding and that’s been lacking too many nights this year.

I’m certainly not about to suggest Good Joey’s going to be a regular around these parts but I can’t see the problem in giving him five or 10 games to see what he can bring.

-

Yes, Bryan was back in his usual spot visiting with the coaches after game. You’ll recall he didn’t stop for a visit after Sunday’s loss to Boston.

-

Fashion alert

Comical moment of the night.

Joey Graham and Jamario Moon are getting dressed, one locker apart, after the game and they’ve got on exactly the same shirt. I mean exactly. A Sean Jean thing (no, I didn’t know that, someone told me)  in green and blue.   Seems I may have been misinformed.

Much hilarity and it begged one question: How did Jamario get into Stephen’s closet?

-

This is why I love Larry Brown.

In a little chat before the game, I mentioned that the first time the team’s met, he was lamenting his small frontcourt (the Bobcats were starting 6-7 Jared Dudley at power forward back then) and while it’s bigger now with 7-0 rook Alexis Ajinca in there, it’s still not an imposing lineup.

Here’s Larry’s verbatim reply:

“It’s a process. The French kid’s not ready yet, even though he’s got great size, he’s just so thin. He’s going to be fine in time, I don’t think it just happens overnight. Other than that, we do have some tall guys but … We have some tall guys.”

How can you not like a coach who offers that kind of honest assessment.

-

Action: Bargnani can’t shoot.

Reaction: But he still plays.

Not that it’s a turning point or anything but Bargnani found a way to help his team despite a 4-for-15 night from the field but defending, rebounding and blocking shots.

Now, that’s not something we usually say around here, is it?

Nine boards were impressive and so were the three blocks and his effort allowed Sam to, um, rest Kris Humphries, who was in one of his “I’m Michael Jordan” moods it seems.

-

Here’s how the game played in Charlotte.

-

Wait! What was that byline on that Charlotte story? Who is this guy? Oh, he’s just an interloper helping out a Carolina beat grunt who wanted to spend Thanksgiving at home. We do favours for each other when we can.

-

Action: Jason Kapono, 3 FGA, 15 minutes

Reaction: More time at the whiteboard

Guess it takes longer to practice and implement any new plays for Kapono, it was the same old, same old last night.

He did have a patented pump-fake-and-travel move on what I think was his first touch and then used that hair-trigger release to hit a jumper curling off a screen a minute or so later.

But other than that? The usual decoy rule, which has to be really infuriating for him, not to mention the fans.

They really ought to make him more of a focal point when he’s on the floor, no?

-

Speaking of:

Q: A few years ago, one of my favourite Raptors was Dell Curry, the dude could shoot. If I recall correctly, there were quite a few similarities between he and Jason Kapono, deadly shooters with quick releases who don't do much else. It seems though that Dell Curry would always get his shots when he came into the game but Kapono seems to have a ton of difficulty doing so. In your opinion, what are the differences between these two players and their respective situations that made it (seemingly?) easy for one to get his shots whereas the other struggles so mightily?

Serge P, Ottawa

A: Dell Curry is the single greatest shooter I ever saw in purpose. His stroke was like a “How To” video on quick release and deadly accuracy.

The differences? Dell was almost a decade older when he got here than Kapono was when he arrived and there was a craftiness about Dell, an ability to get open on his own, that Jason hasn’t yet mastered.

And, yes, the coaching was better in regards to getting clean looks for Curry than it is for Kapono.