Good game, bad result (lather, rinse, repeat)

Figured if I got this up half an hour later that usual this morning, not too many of you would be upset, right? After all, I bet a whole bunch of you sneak away from work for a minute to read and not many of us are working today, are we?

Anyway, that’s my reason and I’m sticking to it.

As entertainment goes, that was a pretty good game, wasn’t it? Close, lots of solid plays, lots of scoring. As the Raptors go, though, it was just another in a long list of disappointments. Don’t they just have a way of making the wrong play at the wrong time?

So, the calendar turns and the season is slipping away and you have to wonder when the other shoe is going to drop. The first was the firing of Sam, which I still say was far too early; the second has to be some trade, right? Until then, we’ll have the usual fun here, okay?

Oh yeah, Happy New Year!

-

Action: Bryan watches

Reaction: Now he’s got to act

I’m not sure exactly what he’s got on the table but one of the deals has to get done, if for no other reason than to do something. Just the look on the faces of the players and coaches in the dying minutes last night had to convince them that maybe they’re even starting to wonder what’s going on.

I’m not sure they can play much better for much longer than they did last night (yes, there were breakdowns, there will always be breakdowns, even by really good teams) and still they can’t win.

For the collective psyche, something has to change to give them a reason for optimism in the final half of the season..

-

Action: Bosh’s three.

Reaction: Lukewarm support

No, it wasn’t the greatest shot he ever took but it wasn’t the worst and it wasn’t the worst put up by someone with a Toronto jersey on their backs.

But what was interesting was the reaction of his coach:

“He makes two a couple of games ago and we win the game. He misses a crucial one tonight and we lose a game. It’s not the strongest part of his game but he has made nine so far this year.”

Hardly a ringing endorsement.

-

Hey you, the dude in the baby blue golf shirt sitting about four rows back of the court on the other side from us. When the Dance Pak lady made that really light toss of the t-shirt at the end of the third quarter, it wasn’t for you, you dope.

It was for the young girls in front of you. And never mind that you gave it to a lady two over, you stole it from those kids.

Dope.

-

And another fan bites the dust:

Q: Great blog; I read it daily with my coffee when I'm getting settled in to my desk at work. Anyway, so I think I am gonna jump ship and officially put my support behind a different NBA team. I just can't take anymore of this inconsistent ball team. So here is my question: Which team should I back? If you had to jump ship who would it be for? I'm thinkin' the Hawks or Blazers for me. Also any teams with particularly good bloggers? I need some good reading to get my day started if I’m bailing on the raps!

Rob T, Saint John

A: Well, the sexy pick right now is Portland, isn’t it? But isn’t there something to like about Oklahoma City? Besides the city, which is a drawback, you’ve got to like Kevin Durant and you’ve really got to like Jeff Green and I don’t think they’re that far away. And isn’t it better to watch a team grow that to jump on an already full bandwagon?

As for the blog, Alan Hahn at Newsday does a good one on the Knicks but then you’d have to cheer for the Knicks.

-

So it’s the first New Year’s Eve game at home ever and only the third all-time. Everyone remembers a year ago, I presume, when they won in New Orleans when Chris Paul missed two late free throws and Mo Pete didn’t invite us to his house for a party.

But who remembers the other? I do.

It was 1997 in Washington and the game’s only memorable because just before it, Darrell Walker told us that Tracy McGrady would be out of the league in three years if he didn’t start working harder. Made for a rather longer-than-it-should-be night of work, if I recall.

And the night ended pretty sadly, too.

Gladys Knight (sans Pips, if I remember correctly) played a concert in the arena after the game and you haven’t lived until you’ve heard Gladys Knight do Auld Lang Syne while sitting in a press room typing a story.

-

Action: Nice crowd

Reaction: And a great crowd, too.

After the New Jersey overtime game and the Golden State game to open the season, that was the best crowd of the year. Into the game, cheering at the key moments, no major disgruntlement.

Well done.

-

Another from the mail:

Q: When it comes to NBA trades and having to match salaries, at least within some percentage, is it possible to just add cash to the deal to even things out? Has that ever been an option in the NBA and is it possible we could see it being added to their CBA?

Lubo S, Toronto

A: No, money can’t be used that way at all. The salaries of the players being traded have to match within 125 per cent (plus or minus $100,000). There can be an exchange of up to $3 million in any transaction but the salaries still have to match.

And I can’t see changes coming in any future CBA.

-

Oh yeah, what Denver said.Here it is.

-

Action: Great catch

Reaction: Probably unnoticed.

I’m not sure if anyone remembers this play and it had no real impact on anything whatsoever but it goes to show you what kind of athletic freak Joey Graham is.

With about 6 1-2 minutes left in the first half, Jose throws a bounce pass through traffic to Joey as Graham’s slashing to the rim. The pass is about half a step behind him but he reaches back, grabs and makes a layup when he began the play figuring he’d get a lob for a dunk.

I don’t know that there are 20 guys in the NBA who could have caught that pass, let alone finished with an awkward looking layup.

Joey’s a freak and if that could be consistently harnessed for the forces of good, he’d be something else.

-

That’s it for today, enjoy football or parades or whatever it is you enjoy on New Year’s Day.

Comments

[WSG]

Happy twenty-oh-nine, Doug. And Raps fans. Here’s wishing the Raptors a second half (+) that goes down in history as one of the great turn-arounds that professional sports has ever seen.

I became a REAL Habs fan during the 1967-68 season. I was 12 years old and our local team had scuffled badly during the first few months of the season, until there we were on Christmas day, dead last in the league. We didn’t of course, have blogs like what Doug Smith offers up here daily (one of the great blogs in all of sports, anywhere, in my opinion), but if we did, I’m sure the public gnashing of teeth during those early months of that season would’ve rivaled what I read here on most days. (Although, I sometimes wonder about that. Has the world of today turned us into instant-gratification junkies, spewing venom and angst at our favorite teams, demanding firings and trades after bad stretches as commonly as a grumpy old man might do, sending back his soup? [Ha ha.] Not sure, but maybe.)

A shorter version of the story of that hockey season, is that right after Christmas, Les Canadiens went on an incredibly exciting tear, finishing the season in first place and then capped it all off by winning the Stanley Cup.

Since then, I live with the knowledge that ANYTHING can happen in the world of sports if the team really gets it in their heads that they can make it so, if they’re focused enough on the task at hand … and collectively hold that focus, right to the end.

For me, that’s the magic of sports that keeps me watching.

It’s also what keeps me watching my now-favorite sports team in the world, the Toronto Raptors. Almost every game, they show me something. Just like last night. There they were in the very early goings, looking like Denver might run away with the game, much like they did the last time we played them. But the Raps got their dander up and pulled even and then went ahead. For a while, anyway. It was plain to see that they got it in their heads (for that part of the game, anyway) that they were NOT going to let that kind of butt-kicking from the Nuggets happen again … and for a stretch there, they were the better team.

That next step for the Raps to winning those games and then getting a streak going is not all that far off … in my opinion (as a Raps fan). It might be that it’s an ‘attitude of winning’ (that's needed) as some might say, but maybe it's more an attitude of ‘refusing to lose’. I don't know. But, I believe that they’re close. (I believe.) Good luck to us all in 2009. And … Go Raptors!

[Boko]

Aren't Joey's minutes being wasted on mediocre swings ahead of him (Parker & Kapono)? AND couldn't the same question be asked about Roko (Soloman)?

[Serge Papineau]

Doug, a technical question for you: I've always wondered about that whole "in a trade the salaries have to match within 25%" thing. Is the 25% calculated based on the larger salary or smaller? For example, if JO is making 20million, does that mean that they can trade him straight up for a guy making 15 million? If you take 20 million and SUBTRACT 25% you get 15million (so salaries match), however if you take 15million and ADD 25% you only get 19.25million (no match). I know it's likely inconsequential unless you have major salaries being exchanged but I've always wondered about it.

If you don't know off the top of your head, don't worry about it.

Cheers

Blogger's note: Either way.

[jimmy]

This is not something I'm asking just because of last night's game (I've observed this for awhile)... Is it just me, or does Bosh have this innate need to settle for outside jumpers in the last 3 minutes of close games? I'm glad that Bosh has the winner's mentality to try and tie/win games with clutch jumpers, but more often than not, they are rushed shots early in the shot clock that yield a long rebound and give the other team a fast break opportunity. I would rather he drive to the basket and draw fouls during late game situations. There's no doubt Bosh has tonnes of skill, but I do question his basketball IQ.

[Tree]

One important sequence from last night sums up the Raps this year: 4th quarter, about 5 minutes left, Jose just shoots a T to make it a 6 point game. Moon has the ball at the top of the 3 point line and looks like he's going to toss it up (even though he's being well defended). I yell at the TV: "Please, no! When will this guy get it?". It seems to work as he starts to drive instead, but then he stops one foot inside the line and shoots a bad shoot with a hand in his face. It clangs off the rim, straight down, no chance - Nuggets score almost immediately and it's an 8 point game again. When they show Moon after the shot, he has a look that says he'd take that shot again, like it was some sort of aberration that he missed. Doug - when do they just bench this bum? Any good he does on the defensive side is usually lost quickly with one of his idiotic shots, and we all know he's not doing what he's told to do on the offensive side. The guy came from the D league, and it's now obvious why he was there: he thinks he knows more than his coaches and team mates. One good offensive game in every 10 shouldn't embolden him to continue hoisting up shots, yet he does. No team can win with role players like this that overvalue their skills. Rant / season over.

[Roger]

Why is it that your blog can no longer be accessed from the Star's main basketball page? It's been a little harder to find...

[Nicholas C]

Happy New Year Doug! All the best in 09.

That was a great game last night. That 3 by Billups really iced it in my mind.

To Rob T ... jump on the Knicks bandwagon I say. They're still in your market. They have good bloggers (The Knicks Fix, Knicks Blog from the NYPost). There fans are just as (or more) surly than our own so it'll be easy to fit in. Thy play in NY so if you ever go to a game you get to experience North America's most amazing metropolis. And finally, even if it isn't Lebron, you know that David Stern is going to see to it that some superstars are there in 2010. So get in now and put up with some garbage play before the next NBA dynasty is born.

[Anthony]

A mirage or is that Bargnani??? 26, 5 blocks and some determination. However he is 7' and not one point was in the paint, a lay-up or a dunk (I know redundent). Bosh again settles for jumpers at crucial times and 4/5 option is spotty right now. There is no players the fans want to see succeed more then him.

An aside, when we got the #1 pick, it was the worst year and I am tired of the Gay/Aldridge/Roy comments. Bargnani was the right #1.... In the end if we had the 3/4 pick, then it would have been interesting to see what would have happened. I will repeat the glaring error was the year before taking Joey over Granger.... No one can defend that pick and the domino affect since then.

One other aside.... Anyone else paying attention to TJ Ford's minutes in Indiana? Looks like we got the better of that trade right now. Sorry for TJ though.

How many times over the past month have we missed that one shot to make a game, take the lead or deflate an opponent and we miss, the the opponent comes down and drills it. Yesterday Nene with 2 seconds on the clock on an inbound hits a 3 to put them up at the half. Billips hits a three to ice it in the fourth after Bosh misses badly 2 straight trips. Add to that Joey's inability to follow through on easy lay-ups, ill advised ally-oop to Bargnani when we are making a run, and pattycake defense and it is frustrating to watch.

While the stats looked okay, second chance points Denver got and easy points in the paint was criminal.

Thanks for the rant.

[DougG]

The Raptors may have already dug a big enough hole that the best they can hope for is to face Boston or Cleveland in the first round. In other words, they are likely to exit in the first round again, if they are lucky enough to even make the playoffs.

If BC has a deal on the table he is very good at keeping it quiet, as there are virtually no rumors surrounding any potential moves. We are told that he has no assets to get what we need. Assuming he wants to make a move, and still doesn`t want to move Bosh or Calderon, then the choice must be between moving JO or Bargnani. The addition of JO seems to suggest they want to win now. However, Bargnani, if he develops, is a big part of the long term strategy. The thing I wonder is whether moving Bargnani or JO gives you the best chance of getting past the first round, now that they have already dug the hole. It seems like the size of JO`s contract alone implies that one can get more pieces for him, and they have at least 3 big holes to fill.

The only other hope I suppose is someone out there is having economic problems and are willing to unload a contract, without getting good players in return.

[Rob]

My crystal ball is telling me that a trade goes through as early as tomorrow morning! If we lose to both Houston and Orlando on the weekend they will have to go 31-19 (or close to) which may make a trade after the fact a moot point!

What is the concensus out there guys, Gerald Wallace?, Nocioni?, Maggette?, maybe Marion?

Doug, in what order would you rate these guys defensively?

Happy New Year everyone!.

Blogger's note: All things considered, and that's need, money, contract length, everything, I'd probably have Marion, Wallace (those two might be interchangeable), Nocioni, Maggette.

[Tim W.]

I have to say, I would never recommend becoming a fan of Oklahoma after the way they were yanked out of Seattle. Maybe it's my experience with the Grizzlies in Vancouver, but any time an owner screws a city like Seattle (or Vancouver) was, he'll get no support from me.

And I do wonder whether any of those people who complain that Bosh is taking too many outside jumpers care that Bargnani had no layups or dunks and only two baskets in the paint. I'm thrilled to see him getting his points and to see him blocking so many shots, but it's frustrating to watch him not want to venture in the paint.

It's exactly why I didn't like Bosh and Bargnani playing together and why I still don't. Neither goes inside enough. And that's why I liked the trade for O'Neal. Bosh needs a frontcourt mate who will go inside. You can't have both Bosh and Bargnani on the same team, and since Bosh is better than Bargnani, you obviously keep Bosh.

[dcox]

The deal for O'Neal was not to win now, but to have an extra 20+ million extra cap space in 2010. So I say stick with the plan have two good draft picks plus an onslaught of free agents in 2010.

[Nicholas Roche]

Man, Rob T is a huge bum. I'm sick and tired of all these bandwagon raptors fans, and for that matter, bandwagon Leafs, Jays, Argos, etc. fans. Choose your team and stick with it through the good times and the bad. In fact, I give you, Doug Smith, a guarantee that my raptors fandom will never die, and if it does, I'm going with it. We are doing bad. So what? At least we have a team with many good pieces and three solid cornerstones with a possible fourth in progress. Worst case scenario is we don't do bad enough to get a great pick but don't make the playoffs, but even then we would still be in the top 15, which can get you a quality guy. Anyway, all I am saying is support the team no matter what.

I will say this though. I don't know who is a bigger bum: Rob T for quitting on the team, MLSE for making lower bowl ticket prices absurdly expensive, or the passionless fans who inhabit the 'good' seats at the ACC and can't be bothered to show up for games or quarters on time, let alone cheer.

Rant done.

[DH]

What about TJ's minutes. He's been injured recently with back spasms. It will happen for the most part he's been logging more minutes than Jack. TJ's actually done something this season that Calderon still hasn't done which is win some games for his team. Like TJ, O'Neal has been injured. In the end it was an injury risk for an injury risk. Raps lost more in the trade than Indiana. A weakness in dribble penetration and 1 on 1 play has become a bigger weakness.

As for the draft picks hindsight is 20/20, since drafting is a crap shoot (like picking lottery numbers). However to say that Graham over Granger is worse than Bargnani over any of the other player is incorrect. Regardless of their comparisons, Bargnani was never the #1 pick on the draft when evaluating the talent available. If Colangelo was convinced he wanted Bargnani, then what he should've done is trade down for more picks or a player and a pick with someone in the top 10 cause there was nobody else going to pick him in the top 5.

Blogger's note: Yes, I cut the race remark out of this. Don't try it again.

[Jonathan]

Nicolas Roche, I'm with you all the way.

As for TJ, it's not so much his minutes (he has been injured lately), but a quote I read back a while ago from Indiana's coach, indicating that he had more faith in Jack during crunch time, or something like that.

[NOP]

Doug, my memory isn't that great but with all this could have/should have drafted this player talk, were the Raps not scared that Granger knee was wrong bad turn away from being done and did not want to risk it and two Bosh was pretty open publically that he wanted Aldridge and never was there any talk of Roy.

So the GM went with his staff on Granger and on Bargnani they obviously felt he was gonna be better then Aldridge since he seemed to be the other choice for #1.

[WSG]

An acquaintance spent time razzing me (somewhat) about my post here, from earlier today (01/01/09). He took issue with the mention of another team, from another sport in Doug Smith’s Raptors blog comment space. In particular, he seemed to have been offended by the telling of when I became “a REAL Habs fan” … so, for his sake (mostly), if I may, the reference was meant to describe a time when I was completely won over, at a young age, by a sports team … as opposed to trying to suggest that I was Mr. Super Fan Like Nobody Else Could Be … and the telling of it involved another team from another sport, so it was mentioned as such. I was persuaded to agree to write this before the evening was out (yes, I know), so, if you do not deem it inappropriate Mr. Smith, it is posted, as promised. Cheers.
Go Toronto Raptors! And Happy New Year!

[Neil]

Hi Doug,

Great blog!

(suck up done, now to the meat and potatos)

I am just curious to know what Toronto could get in return for Bosh in a trade?

I'm not asking because I am panicking or raving mad. I am intrigued because I see Bosh as a great asset which could bring us a nice return. I would really like to see what Bargs could do starting as power forward. He may not drive much, but one day he will learn. As for Bosh,I have a tough time watching him play (no need to mention those ego driven 3's. Opps, I mentioned them)... he makes a sweet play with quickness driving the net, nice jumper, but when he tries to power straight up in the post he seems to come out looking weak, flapping his arms with a yell. It's almost funny. I never notice Bargs coming out looking weak when he does drive. Maybe Voskul will help bring out some toughness in Bargnani(he does seem to be getting a little more chippy).

Not looking for names, but of possible trade examples...

Cheers!

Blogger's note: No idea what you get for a 24-year-old three-time all-star about to enter the prime of his career.

[sean]

Happy new year Doug. A free agency question, is Dirk and Ginobli free agents in 2010?

Blogger's note: Ginobili in 2010, Dirk in 2011

[CARLoS M.]

"Iather, rinse, repeat"

I can put up with the odd typo/bad grammar but how is it that spell check doesn't catch a non-word like Iather?

Blogger's note: It actually is lather, it's the font. Just checked because even for me that's a weird typo.

[Tim H.]

"Blogger's note: It actually is lather, it's the font. Just checked because even for me that's a weird typo."

Not true - try to find both "lather" and "iather - you'll find the latter in the 'headline.'

Not a big deal, but it should be corrected!