And the fun just keeps on coming

How’s everyone feeling today? Yesterday was better than Friday and it certainly wasn’t last Tuesday but there’s still an empty feeling, I imagine.

TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR

All you can really do is just put your head down and keep trying.

Bosh looks discombobulated, they’ve lost four straight and are three games below .500 for the first time this season. They get LeBron tomorrow, an emotional game to finish a back-to-back on Wednesday and You Know Who is waiting at home on Friday night.

Buckle up, kids, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

-

Action: They were better

Reaction: But not good enough.

The played with more passion and intensity than they had, showed some good ball movement, shot nearly 50 per cent from the floor and held Portland to 44 per cent. But – and this is always going to be the big but – they couldn’t close the deal because they didn’t hustle after loose balls, got hammered on the boards and, yes, couldn’t catch the odd break.

If they play like that night in, night out, they’ll win their fair share of games. The troubling part is there’s no guarantee they’ll play like that night in, night out.

-

The under on the draft pick questions won.

But there are more than a couple that say trade Bosh, trade Jose.

Yes, panic time is upon you.

I cannot wait to see how the angst builds before and after Wednesday’s game. That’d be the one against the Indianas. And that Ford fellow.

Whoooop! And Eeeeee! That oughta be special.

-

A dip in the mailbag

Q: When a coach is fired -- er, relieved of their duties -- and the job is handed over to an assistant, is the assistant first asked before the coach is canned? Or is it just assumed that he'd jump at the chance and so isn't asked until after the firing? Presumably the GM would want to do a mini-interview with the assistant to see if their philosophies mesh. If there is discussion between the assistant and GM prior to a firing, it could provide some awkward moments if the assistant happens to talk to the soon-to-be-ex-head coach prior to the coach knowing he's toast. (And by all means, feel free to substitute the names Mitchell, Triano and Colangelo in the appropriate places.)

Guy M, Vancouver

A: I think most of the times – and I’m told it was the case in this instance – the assistant-to-be-elevated isn’t told beforehand because the assumption is he’s ready to take over.

And the general manager doing the deed – let’s call him, oh, how about Bryan – will have spent enough time around the team and the coaches to know which of the assistants he feels is best suited to take over. And not to do the GM’s bidding, but to change the aura around the team, do things differently and more successfully.

I guess on the odd occasion an assistant could be offered the job and turn it down but I would presume that would end his employment and the GM would go to his second choice on the staff.

In the case of Toronto, if you’re asking specifically, I was told that when Bryan finally put the hammer down on Sam, Sam told him he hoped that one of the assistants would get the job. And I’m sure Sam, having seen the dynamic involving everyone around the team, knew that it would be Jay.

-

Action: The last play

Reaction: Good? Or Bad?

As Jay mentioned, they had a guy “impeded” trying to get to the spot where they wanted him, which meant Bosh had to catch the ball far too far from the basket for anyone’s liking.

Not sure what actually was supposed to unfold (“It’s a play we’re going to use again, I don’t want to give it away,” Jay said) but the one thing that could have happened – and should have happened – is that Bosh should have gone quicker.

He took about two dribbles to his right, almost lost the handle and then drove. If the play’s busted on the inbounds play, he can’t be fooling around, he’s got to go quickly and either draw a second defender and get rid of the ball or get fouled.

The in-bounds play came with 8.4 seconds left, there was less than a second on the clock when the shot went up. Not good enough.

-

There’s only one writer who travels with the Blazers and here’s how he chronicled the affair.

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Action: Rudy Fernandez plays.

Reaction: This dude is going to be good.

Really good. I know everyone loves Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo’s the flavour of the month right now but when this season is over, if Fernandez isn’t legitimately in the conversation for rookie of the year, I’ll be shocked.

Good shooter, solid ball-handler, knows how to use a screen like a 10-year vet. And a calmness and maturity about him. The kid’s got it all.

-

What the heck, a coaching question:

Q: Hey Doug, where do you think Sam will resurface? I could see a strong possibility in Minnesota, replacing Randy Wittman who seems to be on his way out soon. Sam has strong ties with the Timberwolves franchise, being a popular "heart-and-soul" guy there for a large part of his career, and Rob Babcock is the Assistant GM there. Also, given his past resume, Sam seems to have considerable impact on developing budding young big men, Kevin Garnett in Minnesota and Chris Bosh in Toronto. With a star-in-waiting in Al Jefferson, I think Sam might be able to continue that trend of his success with the Timberwolves.

Travis S, Markham

A: That’s a good argument but I’m putting my money, right now, on Washington. Ernie Grunfeld is a big Sam fan (he gave him his first job as an assistant in Milwaukee when Ernie was the GM there) and I can see him looking at him again. That’s if Ernie’s still in Washington, of course.

Minnesota? I’m not sure Sam would be interested in that gig. And I’m pretty sure the presence of Rob Babcock would not be a selling point.

-

Not sure what practice will be like today (I get to miss it 'cause I've got an afternoon flight to Cleveland; the stinky Ford Focus can't be trusted with the possibiity of dicey weather) but it will be the first "real" one Jay's had a chance to run. The other day in Denver was a circus, there was a (noisy) high school girl's volleyball tournament going on in an adjacent gym and the emotions of Sam's firing were still raw.

The funny thing about the locker room Sunday after the game was that there was this odd sense of optimism. Wonder if it'll carry over to today and tomorrow.

Comments

[Alex]

I'm a big Bosh fan, and I don't care about his current offensive struggles, but the dude is absolutely porous on D. Like real bad.

On the flip side, Andrea and O'Neal = some serious lane intimidation. What did they have, 10 blocks between them yesterday?

Oh, and Joey Graham needs to start and play 35 minutes a night. He's our athletic, driving wingman. Bury Moon on the bench.

[SY]

Hi Doug,

Any truth to this T&R?

"The Raptors are looking at Ettore Messina as a future head coach, maybe even to follow interim coach Jay Triano, who took over this past week for Sam Mitchell. Messina is now with CSKA in Moscow, where he coaches Trajan Langdon and ex-Net Zoran Planinic, among others."

How good is Messina?

-SY

Blogger's note: There are those who think he's Red Auerbach reincarnated; there are others who think he's a bit a control freak who couldn't survive in the NBA

[Kendal]

Hey Doug -

Thanks again for keeping us up-to-date with the Raps. I was really glad to hear that the guys seems more optimistic in the locker room after Sunday's game - they NEED to stay positive and as fans we don't always get to see that during the games (especially lately).

I laughed out loud at this one:

"I cannot wait to see how the angst builds before and after Wednesday’s game. That’d be the one against the Indianas. And that Ford fellow.

Whoooop! And Eeeeee! That oughta be special."

Safe flight to Cleveland!

Kendal

[lulu]

That was fun game (aside of the 16 point lead thing), could you help me understand the following? Since AB is 7f (probably one of the tallest 3), why don't they have an iso play for him close to the basket? what is the point of making him work the summer to improve his post-up game to make him play from the 3 point line?

It's gonna be fun to watch them play against LBJ

[Marc M]

Coaching strategy question for you Doug: You are the coach of an arguably mediocre team composed of a couple of all-stars and borderline support players.

Do you devise a plan where shots are shared equally to get everyone involved - as this is the only way you'll have any long-term success? Or do you lean on your stud players knowing you need the wins and hope the support players buy-in to their role and eventually come around?

Blogger's note: I'd probably lean more to the stud thing and hope my GM gets me better talent in the summer. If I still have a job.

[Kevin]

I couldn't agree more with respect to Rudy Fernandez. Every time I see the Blazers play (and how great a team are they to watch?) I see him do something fantastic and then do everything else right.

[yertu damkule]

hey doug, long time...i know you missed me.

so, exactly when is the appropriate time to start 'panicking?' not that it does any good for the fans to start, but hasn't the organization already started (i mean, firing the HC after 17 FREAKING GAMES seems like an indicator). and why, exactly, is a trade involving bosh (or anyone) viewed by yourself as silly & irrational. don't tell me...there's no way they'd ever, in a hundred years, deal bosh. kinda like there's no way they'd fire mitchell before the year was out. any chance they deal one of their stalwart wings? no chance, eh? yeah, that's what i figured.

seriously though...what about the blazer game (other than the fact it was close) was different with triano at the helm vs. smitch? better defensive intensity (for a quarter), i guess. but blowing a HUGE lead, late rotations, over-helping, lack of creativity on the offensive end, etc etc...weren't those all thngs that got smitch run out of town? jose ventured into the paint, and i think i saw moon go there as well, so that was nice. i like how bosh showed everyone how he can step against a good team & carry the raps.

[Steve Graham]

I have to comment on the trade Jose, trade Bosh comments from some of your readers. Yes this sounds like a panic move and on the surface might seem crazy, but let's look a little closer.

Despite the blue sky comments of BC this team is nowhere near an elite team. They might be a middle of the pack team if they play to their capabilities. They could make the playoffs and maybe even to the second round if they play really well and get a break or too. But that's it and there are a lot of mights in that scenario. The unexpected success a couple of years ago has built unrealistic expectations for this team as it's currently constructed.

The Raptors are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They don't have anywhere near enough talent and they have only one good young player (Bargnani) who they can point to as a future asset (they've drafted badly over the years and traded away a number of draft choices). They have no cap room. And finally, Bosh is a free agent in two years.

All the talk has been about this team needing to become better so Bosh will want to stay. I'm not sure this is realistic in the time frame of one or two seasons. I see three options:

1. Tinker with the roster.
2. Sign free agents and go into the luxury tax
3. Blow up the team and start over.

There's little to tinker with. The upside of the current roster is limited at best. From a trade perspective, no teams would want anything we have outside of the core group of players. Kapono, some expiring contracts might get you something but not much.

Free agents? Toronto has always had a tough time attracting free agents (or even keeping their own drafted players) and the foundation of the team is not solid enough to attract desirable players. Most good free agents are looking for situations where they can put a team over the top. The Raptors are missing too many pieces right now. Finally, MLSE is unlikely to sacrifice profitability by going into the luxury tax even though this is exactly what they should do.

The Raptors are potentially facing a watershed moment. It would be a good investment to improve this team by going into the luxury tax. They would build credibility around the league and possibly position themselves as a destination for good players. If, however, they do what I expect and do not go into the luxury tax, then the team will likely not show significant improvement, Bosh will leave and the Raptors will be back in the dark ages for a while.

Unfortunately , the latter scenario seems more likely to me. If that happens then I think the Raptors should be proactive and trade some of the core players for assets. There have been too many situations in the past where we have lost good players and got nothing back. As much as I like Bosh and Calderon, it would be better to acquire assets now and start building from the ground up. Draft well, develop players, organically build a winning club. This will take more time than a year or two.

[Nicholas C]

Considering Portland is second in the West I think we did alright. I was at the game and didn't leave with any sort of sunken feelings.

By the way Doug, pleasure to have met you outside at the half. I was the tall guy beside the short guy that introduced himself to you in the bitter cold while you were busy emailing ... hahahaha ... I said nothing. But thanks for being interested in a few well wishers despite being obviously busy.

[Dana. Hopewell Cape]

Hi Doug,
The result was the same but the way it went was defintiely different. I think the optimism your referring to was in how they lost.
I know no one has really dug (at least I haven't seen it) in to the Raps recent plunge but it seems to me that it is related to Calderone and O'neal being out and\or injured. Neither of these guys is a 100 percent and they play a big role in the team. I think Jay is going to address that by spreading the minutes. Not sure why Sam didn't do it, maybe lack of confidence in the bench ( I can see why). There is no questiion that the core group of guys are going to carry the team but there still needs to be production from the bench.
Many agree that this team is building but the coaching change reinforces that idea because I believe what the GM said was that he didn't like the direction the team was taking. That doesn't sound like someone who is standing pat either with players or coaches. Another indicator of this is that in the past he has let the Raps work through this and they have usually rebounded. I think we will see the same this year, except if everyone remains healthy and the players they have on the bench step up then I think playoffs and even round 2 is not out of the question. I know everything has to go right but isn't that the case for every team?
I'm not going to say much on Sam but I think he did a great job of developing players and getting a lot from an average good team. I don't think he failed but I believe his credibility was gone due to a number of factors some of which goes to the GM, some of which goes to hard knocks. I think firing Sam was an attention-geting move. The GM wants the players attention and since he can't fire them all or trade someone the coach goes. I wish that there was some way of having Sam remain to work with the younger players but I know that would be just too difficult.

Enjoy your updates on the games and the post mortems as well.

[Joe T.]

Hey Doug, there's a report on Hoopsworld today that the Bulls may be looking to move Tyrus Thomas in exchange for some outside shooting. With Bryan's recent statement that the Raptors are looking for another big, do you think a call to Chicago is in order? Or is Thomas one of many players who look great against the Raptors but not so great against the rest of the NBA? He's always seemed to me to be just the type of player Toronto needs -- young, athletic and full of potential. He may even play some defense!...

Blogger's note: Entirely unrealized potential, yes, but he would be intriguing at the right price

[Lola]

Well the Minny coach just got fired. May be McHale is going after Sam?

[Chris]

Hey Doug, I thought the Raps lost the game by giving up a ton of open three pointers. It seemed at some point their rotations got slow and the man in the corner (usually Blake) was wide open for the short three. I thought this had more to do with their loss than hustle after loose balls and rebounding (other than that last possession).

[Andrew]

Hey Doug - 2 questions,

1. Why did Jose try and defend the penetration against Blake (who killed from deep several times)? Why didn't he think "I'll let my help defend on the two, and the tie, but you're not getting a 3 on me"? To me, it was the lapse of the game. O'Neal was doing a great job of stopping the points in the paint.

2. Could Colangelo get involved with some creative accounting and make a case for going into luxury tax today? Can't he show the MLSE the effect of losing their franchise in two years, and how they would lose a solid chunk of their fan-base (ticket and merch sales) if Bosh walked? Can't $10 million over the next two years (assuming spent wisely) earn the MLSE much, much more over the years if they can prove to Bosh they want to win and lock him up long-term, after 2010?

Thanks!

Blogger's note: On the last play? Maybe he got pushed off, maybe he backed off a step too far.
And if there's a deal that makes sense and gets 'em in the tax, Bryan will take it to the board, that deal doesn't exist yet.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

What is all this trade stuff? You could trade everyone including Mop Girl and the Chicken (okay, maybe not Mop Girl) and it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference. The Raps don't have an on-court identity right now. It got muddled last season and never really emerged this season. What is a Raptors offense? Where are their rotations on defense? They are just not there and until there is a "Raptors System," nothing is going to work.

There were glimpses yesterday when the Raps cleared the defensive glass and ran, opening up Graham and Kapono. I imagine BC wants Triano to play fast break basketball like they ran in Phoenix--open up the court, Euro- style (JO will get down there eventually). But until it's sketched out, practiced and drilled into the player's heads, the Raps will not be a smooth-flowing unit. It should have been tackled in pre-season but it wasn't. Still, there's no use panicking now--the goal needs to be a 6, 7 or 8 seed by April. Forget about the Atlantic crown or any talk of CB4 being MVP. Those things may come in time, but they can't be the point of emphasis now. Triano's job is to take this step by step.

Also, Matt Devlin and Jack should do every game together--no exceptions.

AG, Toronto

[Andre]

Hey Everybody... do you want to see a GREAT game? Watch the pacers vs the Raptors... its gonna be off the chain! i believe our favorite PG TJ Ford is going to kill the raptors, and may even put up 30-40 points... I cant wait, i love the raptors, but i still think they shouldnt have traded TJ, or traded him for more then what they got (2 injuired big men)
Blessings.

[Tim W.]

It's pretty simple. When the offense goes through Bosh and O'Neal, the Raptors score consistently. When it doesn't, they struggle. And this is a season long thing. While it's encouraging to see Bargnani posting up, he simply doesn't score consistently from down there, even when he gets good looks. He's not a good initiator. In fact, the two Colangelo pickups I have the biggest problem with are Bargnani and Kapono, both shooters who don't do anything else consistently enough to warrant minutes when their shot isn't hitting.

Colangelo is tired of reading what the team is missing, but what he doesn't seem to understand is that it is his fault the team is missing something. Overpaying Kapono in 2007 meant that the Raptors were unable to use their MLE (without going into luxury tax territory) this past summer when better free agents were available. Whatever limitations Carlos Deflino had, he's better than any bench player the Raptors currently have. And Delfino is really not that good.

I like Colangelo and think he is a top tier GM, and I'm glad he seems to realize that the teams needs more toughness and fewer one dimensional jumpshooters, but the current roster does not have the pieces to win in the NBA consistently. They'll be great nights when people are hitting, but good teams can win when they aren't shooting well. The Raptors don't have the pieces to do that. Good teams grind out wins.

[Camilo Pascual]

Hey Doug: For those of you who did not agree with the firing of Mitchell, look at what happened to Wittman, and see what is going to happen to Iavaroni and Theus and possibly to Maurice Cheeks.This only validates what Colangelo did. If there was going to be any hope that the Raptors can salvage this season it had to be with a new coach, but obviously there is no guarantee that the ship is going to turn around. Everybody in the NBS wants to win NOW or at least get better now.

And I think the roster has flaws and Colangelo is being a bit arrogant by not accepting it but in the end I think we will see the Raptors making a trade around the February deadline, as long as they within reach of the Play Offs. Otherwise, Trading Bosh has to be a possibility

[eni]

good read "Steve Graham"
good points, couldn't agree more

[Roll With Tha Clan from Chicago's northside.]

in the next 13 games of the month, the raps have to go a minimal 5-8 so that makes us like 13-19, and then when the schedule kind of turns around, we have to straight up destroy the league.

if our december results in 10 games under .500, we go for the lottery, i'm talking about tanking games, watching ukic, andrea and graham play 42 minutes type. like 20-62. guaranteed top 3 in a weak draft, but who cares its progress.

lets say the raps finish 38-44 and we finish 8th, that's like counterproductive in my opinion. an extra 4-6 games against boston gives us the 16th pick. not really liking that. the team knows what the playoffs are about already.

[sams fan]

To everyone suggesting trade bosh. I say just enjoy it until he decides to leave in 2010 anyways. I can already picture him in front of the media on the first day introduced by his new team. "I just want the people of toronto to know that it is nothing personal, n it was a business decision for what is best for my career at the moment" "Toronto is a great city with great fans bla bla..." n when he returns to toronto to play against us the "idiots" will start the booing again. god wish there was another nba team to follow in the toronto area. fans just kill it for the rest of us.

[SY]

I say we send Kapono and Hump to Bobcats for Gerald Wallace (I think it works salary wise) and sign a min veteran big man....

Starting lineup -
Bosh/new big/Nathan
O'Neal/AB
Jose/Ukic
Parker/Moon/Solomon
Gerald/Graham

I wonder if this dream will ever come true....haha

[GM]

Nice one, Sams fan. Hypothesise on what Bosh will do and say and how the fans will react, then say the fans are idiots. Well, I guess they are if you say they are.

Can't wait for the Pacer game. Those mighty Pacers under the stalward leadership of TJ Ford, who have one fewer win and two more losses than the Raptors. I hope Ford lights 'em up and that the Pacers lose. That usually what happens when he tries to do everything himself.

[gus]

Bosh & pick to Atlanta for Johnson, Williams and Zaza. Raps make it to ECF for sure. Bosh's offence is covered and defence surpased. No way Bosh walks in 2010...if Colangelo even senses this he will deal him.

[d]

Must trade value for value; Kap & Hump for Wallace doesn't appeal.
I've been hearing...
'

'
BARON for JOSE & PARKER.
'

$ works, as well as value.