Good game? Bad game? Or just a game?

Big question: How many missed the post-game video? Come on, you can admit it. You did, didn’t you?

Okay, maybe you didn’t and it was one layer of things I didn’t have to worry about so that’s okay but if you did, just let me know. Can’t imagine how we do it on the road but …

Bigger question: Good game or bad game? Or just a so-so, expected-outcome kind of game where they did a lot of things, a few bad and were beaten by a vastly superior opponent? I’m going with the last one.

Still, there were actions. And, of course, reactions. So, with an early-ish flight and because I know you like to digest some of this with breakfast, we're up in cyber space early. Can't promise we'll have it like this the rest of the trip but we'll try.

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Action: Bosh 4-13 FGs, 12 pts, 6 rebounds

Reaction: He just didn’t have it.

GUS RUELA/AP

They really could have used Jermaine O'Neal in situations like this.

Not sure why but it became apparent early that they were going to have to pull out some miracle win without a great game from their best player. He didn’t have much in his legs, it seemed, looked tired right from the get-go.

But some of you slay me. You’re killing a guy who’s second in the league in scoring, a 27-11 guy, a guy with seven games over 30 and three of 40 or more all season ‘cause he didn’t play great last night.

And I know too many of you forgetful souls say he seldom brings it against the best teams. Well, are you the same people who were killing Sam, or him, for the Boston game? You can’t have it both ways. And he did have 24 in that second game.

I’ll throw these numbers at you: Last year against Boston, he averaged 20 and 10, not bad numbers against an extremely good team; last year he went for 29 a game against Cleveland with five rebounds. Against Detroit this year he had 26 and 13 and averaged 22.5 and 11 in four games last year. Orlando? 33 and five last year, a mere 40 and 18 in the game this year. Can’t play against good teams? Don’t buy it. Never will.

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Okay, I know it’s Dec. 1 and I’m a fan of most things Marriott but I’ve been at two already on this trip – one I’m staying in, one I visited for a post-game social – and both were blaring Christmas Freaking Carols on their public address systems.

That’s a bit over the top, no?

End of mini-rant.

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Action: Lakers are good.

Reaction: Very, very, very good.

That team, barring a serious of debilitating injuries, could win 70 in the regular season; they look that powerful.

But the question that needs to be answered is if they’re tough enough to beat Boston, or anyone else with a true edge to their game, in the intensity of a big playoff series.

I wonder.

For now, though? They are soooooo good it’s scary.

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Here’s one from the mail:

Q: Hello sir, it says on ESPN.com that the Raptors have the 5th highest SOS (strength of schedule; which is opponent's winning percentage) in the league and 3rd highest over their past 10 games (Going into Sunday's game). Can this be taken as any kind of indicator about the season so far or is it too early?

Rob H, Tillsonburg

A: I think it’s an indicator, they’ve played some very good teams and also some teams that have been hot that I figure will cool off (Atlanta being the prime example) before the season ends.

And maybe it’s got something to do with their record at the moment but, as everyone likes to point out, the schedule always evens out; it’s how they deal with stretches of legitimately winnable games that’ll tell the tale.

For now, though, I think their record is right about where it should be for the level of competition they’ve played.

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Action: Bargnani defends

Reaction: As well as anyone.

Here’s one of the Bargnani plays I marked down last night. Late in the third quarter, he misses a little 10 footer in the lane and the Lakers take off. The play ends with Bargnani blocking a Farmar layup after racing back down the court.

I’m not ready quite yet to put the guy in the all-defensive Hall of Fame but if there’s one part of his game I’ve been most impressed with this season, it’s the way he’s defended, both threes on the perimeter and big men on the block. That’s just work ethic and listening to the coaches and he’s done both.

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Okay, we’ve got a few days left on this journey and I figure there’s a sports bar in my future tonight in Denver to watch Orlando-Boston and maybe the football (I’ll try to resist all urges to find the Leaves game). But Salt Lake? I need some help in Salt Lake. So, whaddya got? And don't give me only the Dead Goat. Been there, done that.

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Here’s what the L.A. Times has to say about last night’s affair. And here’s what they’re saying in Denver about the win over Houston and the possible loss of Anthony.

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Action: Bosh guards Bynum.

Reaction: Not an optimal matchup

Of course, the best matchup the Raptors could have had was O’Neal on Bynum but he didn’t play so it fell to Bosh. Me? I might have tried Bargnani on him a bit but that probably would have exposed Bosh against Gasol, who played really well.

Just two tough matchups for these guys to deal with.

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Let’s check out one more from the mail:

Q: Watching the Knicks-Warriors slugfest last night (Saturday), I started thinking about the Knicks roster that night. No Starbury. No Bar..Gallinari. No Curry. No Nate … the list goes on down and trims the roster to 7 players. Assuming a David Lee gets fouled out, Al Harrington gets tossed and Duhon gets injured, there are only 4 players that can play. Who plays the remaining minutes on the floor as the 5th man? Mike D'antoni? Isiah? Jay-z?

Gary J, Toronto

A: The last guy to get a sixth foul gets to keep playing but every foul after that, regardless of when it’s committed, is a two-shot foul. You’ll never see five-on-four. But I’d also like ‘em to suit up Spike Lee if the game’s at home.

Comments

[smitch hater]

Gotta take a page outta your books doug.

Action: Calderon 7/7 at the half
Reaction: Calderon 12/6/12 at the end of 4

Can it get any better? Yes ... can the Raptors benefit from it? No ... Why? Smitch is our coach.

[Pete]

Too many people ramble about Sam having to go and Moon not playing well but the bottom line is: They just don't have a good wing player to be a contender.

It sure looks cool when AP jacks up those Jordan-ish fade away 18 footers and nails them, but those are definitely not the best shot you can get from your starting 2.
Kapono is useless unless he is wide open or semi open.
Moon and Joey, these guys are second or third stringers on any other team.

On the defensive side, all these guys are sub-par defender, except AP - I think he is just an average however.
You know something is not right when Trevor Ariza drives and gets to the rim anytime he wants.

Also these wing guys don't help out on rebounds at all.
They should leave the short rebounds to the bigs, and try to help out on long rebounds by boxing out their men and holding their ground. Instead they all crawl over to the basket like ants on cookie crums, which leads to the oppositions PG grabbing the offensive boards.

[Steve]

Hi Doug
Like the blog... Red Rock Brewing has a couple TVs and a good selection of beers and food... http://www.redrockbrewing.com/
FYI it's near the Marriott downtown which btw is a pretty nice hotel...

cheers,
Steve

[Matt]

hey doug, i think marion will help this teams perimeter defense. We dont need kapono really it would be nice to get his contract off our books and adding marions 17 million expiring is nice. If a trade like i posted went down marion would be SF for us and could really thrive with a true point guard like he did in phoenix with nash. Cook is a deadly 3 point shooter and can play decent defense so a raptor lineup of:

Calderon/Marbury(minimum)/Roko
Cook/Diawara/Adams
Marion/Moon
Bosh/Bargnani
JO/Anthony/Jawai

looks like a great team that can go far in the playoffs, bosh gets some help and they get a nice expiring in marion to use this offseason. Marbury off the bench would be great a career 20 and 8 guy and could help everyone. Give Jose rest when he needs it and also him+bargnani off the bench would be deadly. That is if miami accepted it which i doubt

[WSG]

Holy cow, Doug! “Sam was a teammate of Marbury’s, he might be able to lend some insight into the guy.” I guess I’m more than a bit surprised (like, ASTONISHED) to hear you say that. While Marbury’s been acting nutty as a fruitcake in the last year or two (longer? Don’t know, myself), I have to admit that his abilities with the basketball are phenomenal (check U-Tube hi-lites if wondering). On the other hand, after last night, I’m frankly not as pro-Sam as I’ve been trying hard to be. Like a lot of people, I watch body-language and seeing Sam sitting there, shaking his head time and time again … well, whatever confidence in Sam I had been dredging up (daily) just … sort of evaporated. BUT – if we’re all stuck with each other for the time being (contracts being what they are) maybe Sam could buy himself out of the doghouse by getting a leash of his own around his former teammate (sorry about that). Is this all just silliness, or could you imagine a scenario where that could actually work?

[martin]

First of all, i truly believe that if we don't replace Sam Mitchell by another coach the raptors aren't going anywhere.He can 't lead the team to the next level.We need more than jumpshoot shooter like Moon, Anthony parker and even Bargnani who i don`t like i find him very lazy,the guy can`t post always looking for 3 pts,on top of it he can`t move his feet.We don`t need that i`ll will definitely start joey graham i don`t think he`s a star but he show the willingless to play inside.We need someone who can drive to the basket and draw foul,it`s so obvious.As long as we don`t do that we are going to be this sub 500. team i guess.

[Jay C]

Just like to mention that your support in defense of Bosh's performance against "elite" teams are all numbers agaisnt Eastern conference "powers".

Not to say that I doubt you (however I have to admit I was on the ship saying that Bosh doesn't perform against big teams) but do you have the numbers he posts against the Houstons, San Antonio, etc?

Blogger's note: 20 and 11 against Houston last year, 18 and 10 career; 10 and 8 vs. Spurs last season, 15 and 10 all time.

[eric]

The reason for the re-post and snark was that I took the time and effort to make a similar post last week that never surfaced. Just wondered why -- too long?boring? whatever.
Don't send in many questions. You have a full plate and I enjoy reading them -- the well-thought-out and the not-so-much. Most comments seem to get posted. Just wondered what I did wrong on that particular one.
Have witnessed numerous games against top opponents over the past couple of years, where the Raps shots just aren't dropping. Also numerous circus finishes against pretty weak opponents. I think if they concentrated on playing and finding their own game and approached every team like they're the Celtics or Lakers, we'd see the subs get needed exposure, the starters get needed rest and a lot better performance in crucial games. You don't play how you practice -- you play how you play. Maybe the Lakers are good enough to turn it on and off. The Raptors aren't.
I'm done. Thank you for your time. I enjoy reading your blog.

Blogger's note: I've looked back 250 comments and don't see one I left off. If I missed it inadvertently, I apologize, I certainly didn't mean to not run it. Anyway, thanks.

[Appel]

Hi Doug
You told "Bosh guard Bynum.Not an optimal matchup"
Ok
And "probably would have exposed Bosh against Gasol, who played really well. "
OK, he can't guard Bynum and Gasol.
And Odom is too fast, i suppose
Seriously, WHO damn can guard ? Mbenga?
We can write to Phil "Please, next game put Mbenga as starter, so Bosh can guard him"

Another phrase
"Bargnani's played well against a few people this year"
Can you tell me against WHO Bosh's played well defence this year?

[CARLoS M.]

I did miss the post game video. Maybe I can tag along for road games and show you how to record a video using your phone, then post it to youtube? I'm sure you could maybe spend some of your prize money to make that happen. Good idea?

Blogger's note: Um, there might be better ideas, now that you mention it. But thanks.

[Jonathan McLoughlin]

I'd say go somewhere to make you think you're not in Utah anymore. The Bayou has 212 bottled beers and 31 drafts, live jazz/funk that Friday, free wi-fi and a kitchen offering the likes of alligator cheesecake.

http://www.xmission.com/~bayou/home.php

Some links to various bars here: http://www.slctravel.com/nightlife.htm

[Altaz]

Doug,

Your defense of Sam has finally worn out its welcome. Even BC had enough of it and I bet the players only meeting was basically for the players to come to a common consenses that was to ignore Sam and play their game. The man knows nothing of X & Os. He's just tough (not smart).

Blogger's note: Considering how the players meeting was actually after the firing, I believe your interpretation of it is quite off base.