It's the time of doom and gloom

Well, well, well. Wasn’t that something? Not sure what, but it was something.

Despicable? Passionless? Disappointing? Yeah, those words fit.

But here’s one to think about, and some may yell at me for pointing it out, but it is best not to get too high after big wins nor too low after bad losses.

I’m sure there were people singing praises on Thursday who were booing on Friday and the mood swings will unquestionable continue for the next 34 games. It’s what makes it so much fun to read comments and questions.

Here we go:

-

Action: Team chemistry

Reaction: Is it good enough?

Now, I’m not suggesting these guys don’t like each other and there’s never been an issue of tempers flaring or fingers pointed (except for the night Chris Bosh killed Jamario Moon in Atlanta) but there just seems something amiss.

Try to remember the last time this team played with joy, with some obvious love for the game, looking like they were truly having fun out there.

There may be a minute or two during each game but consistently? Nope. And until they get that kind of all-for-one, one-for-all passion on a regular basis, there will be more nights like last night.

And that was no fun for anybody.

-

So Super Son’s checking out the paper this morning and he’s looking at the NBA standings and he says:

 “The Raptors looking really sad down there second from the bottom.”

-

Action: The refereeing

Reaction: Bad, but so what?

Yes, the crew of Monte McCutchen, Courtney Kirkland and Leroy Richardson did not distinguish themselves – inconsistency, odd calls, missed calls – but to suggest they had much to do with the outcome is to diminish the sadsack performance of the locals.

And while the call on Jermaine O’Neal for driving his knee into a Buck while trying to make a layup was particularly confusing, it really had no bearing on the outcome of the game. The Raptors were down 17 at time and unless they made the right call and made it a 14-shot foul, I don’t think a rally was in the cards.

-

It was kind of refreshing to hear Jay after the game say he’d made a mistake by leaving Bargnani on the bench so long in the first half. Of course, it would have been far more refreshing if Jay had been talking about a career night by Bargnani, which he might have got had he played a few more first-half minutes.

-

They weren’t exactly dancing in the streets in Milwaukee, but they were feeling pretty good, as this story indicates.

-

Action: O’Neal’s ejection

Reaction: First time since …

Can you remember the last time a Raptor was tossed from a game?

I barely could. It was March of last year, in Utah, when T.J. Ford went berserk during a game in Salt Lake City.

Ah, the good old days.

-

When good Chickens go bad

Check this out if you haven’t already seen it.

Best leprechaun story: M. Grange ™ ducks his head into an establishment in New Orleans during all-star weekend festivities a year ago and what’s he see? The leprechaun doing back flips off the stage into the crowd while the band belts out a Journey tune.

No, he was not in uniform.

The Chicken, I mean; not Mike.

-

A point well made:

Q: This is probably an impossible question for you to answer, but has there ever been another case where a player got ejected on his own bobblehead night? I think the fans in attendance may have witnessed history.

Alex H, Toronto

A: Yes, it is impossible to check and I can’t remember one anecdotally but it is pretty cool to think the fans might have seen history. That’s about the only good thing they saw Friday night.

-

Action: Two free throws

Reaction: A typical failing

With 7:37 left in the third quarter, Francisco Elson committed a foul that was Milwaukee’s fourth of the quarter.

Perfect time for the Raptors, down seven at the time, to pound the ball inside, get into the penalty and start living at the free throw line, right?

Wrong, Bonus Breath (A little Johnny Carson for the oldsters).

They shot precisely two foul shots the rest of the quarter, by Anthony Parker after he fouled on a fast break with 46.8 seconds left.

In that time, the play-by-play shows 22-foot jumper, 16-foot jumper, 13-foot pull up, a 16-foot jumper, a 21-foot jumper and three missed Bargnani layups.

-

Action: Jose’s streak

Reaction: You knew it had to end

With all the stories and videos and chatter these past couple of weeks about Jose’s string of consecutive free throws, I’m surprised the streak lasted as long as it did.

Figures

-

From the department of Beating A Dead Horse:

Q: Please tell us dedicated Raptor/NBA fans that there is SOMETHING we can do to speed up these so-called 'negotiations' regarding Rogers and TSN2. If you come across any unified front (petitions, protests, mass sign making project) please inform your readers. This has gone on long enough. If you're unaware of anything, please let me know and I am going to look into starting something. If Rogers is banking on the fact that most subscribers won't go out of their way to cancel their subscription, then maybe that's just what we'll need to do. To some people this is "just" basketball, but to a loyal fan this is like telling someone they can't order their favourite meal even though it's clearly available on the menu.

Stan C, Toronto

A: There’s nothing you can do except stop giving Rogers or Maple Leaf Sports your money (you don’t give it directly to TSN so I can’t include them in an economic boycott).

You, and tens of thousands of others, are being screwed by three giant companies that exist primarily to make money for themselves and any garbage they give you about customer service is just that: Garbage ‘cause when it counts, they disappear and go count their money.

Comments

[Jerry]

I think they lack a real leader. Jose is a very good floor general but not a leader that can motivate his team. Same with Bosh , probably a legitimate all star, but not a leader.

No disrespect to Charlie V, but he averages 15 points and 7 rebounds. He basically doubled that last night. If they cannot shut him down with M Redd not in the lineup, something is very wrong.

[Nicholas]

In your post game video, you said "They score 30 points in the first quarter, then 66 in the last three combined!". That gives us 96... so we should have been in overtime? (Just teasing ya buddie)

[sg60]

Doug, I think the first point is the most important. This team's effort level has been so bad on so many occasions that it's like they don't even want to be playing. The officiating? It was crap but the Raptors didn't earn any calls and even if they got more calls they still would have lost by a wide margin. I feel sorry for Jay Triano and even BC. Everything tells me this team should be better than it is. Not as good as Colangelo seems to think but better. But after a while you have to face reality and admit that this isn't working. They've already changed coaches and it hasn't changed a thing. It's arguably worse although I don't pin this on Jay. It's up to the guys on the floor and so far they've let everyone down.

This three game win streak, although much appreciated after the losing streak, really doesn't change anything. They played bad teams and frankly didn't really play all that well (especially defensively) in the last two. The offence was mostly clicking which is what really got them the wins. Any playoff dreams are almost certainly going to be squashed in the next four games and they have few options but as much as I like JO I hope they can trade him. They need to do something and that appears to be the only thing that will allow them to start finally doing something to fix this roster.

[WSG]

In past comments, I’ve praised CB to the rafters … but something (new supplements that aren't working? new meds that are? new bad habits? worried too much about pretty hair?) has changed. Also, I don’t like to bring in what a player is paid (as a rule) … BUT, for the cool mill-or-so a month that he gets for his services, these last couple months, he’s not getting it done as we've seen him do before.
(Sorry CB, but it's time you started thinking about THIS year and THIS team.)

And while it’s nice and all that Jay questioned his own decision to have Bargnani keep the bench company for so much of the half … after scoring 13 in the first eight or nine minutes … WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? End of rant.

[DougG]

JO should have been a hockey player. I hope he noticed the standing O he received as he was ushered off the court, for having a sarcastic look on his face, or whatever mild infraction he comitted. Last night's game is the reason why so many people miss Garbajosa. He may not have been a great talent, but he didn't seem to take any minutes off. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He would actually fight for the ball and seemed to have a passion for winning. I don't recall him giving the ball away as many times as this team does either. This team doesn't have the athleticism to get by on a passionless night, and they seem to lack the leadership to get everyone motivated and focused, like an Ignatieffian HAWK. I also don't understand, like Doug, why Bargs was not out there, given the night he was having. I don't envy BC the task ahead, to try and save this season. But I guess that's why he gets the big bucks.

[Bob]

Wow. I am impressed by Triano. I couldn't believe he took Bargnani out when he did and left him on the bench for so long. You just knew he'd come out cold...

But it's refreshing to see a coach admit a mistake, a breath of fresh air amidst a sub-par season so far.

[Brad]

Love the comment about TSN2-Rogers! I agree too about the chemistry, this should be a good team, I just don't get it. Maybe the losing is just getting to everyone. There is a reason why they won the last couple years and it had less to do with talent and more to do with hardwork. They've forgotten that and just seem to coast now, no consistent passion. I keep expecting the season to turn around and for them to get on a role and start to pick up the pace. But even in their wins they seem dis-interested. Don't understand it.

[Rob V.]

Great blog! (as always).

Wasnt JO's move to the basket Karl Malones signature move for about 15 - 20 years???... guess the game really has changed.

Also,I agree with you Doug. After Bargnani's 13th point I was thinking... wouldnt it be great it this kid has a 40 or 50-10 night. Something ridiculously off the charts. I look down into my bag of popcorn for a milisecond, look up, and he's on the bench (seemingly earlier than his usual exit time but I could be wrong on that)... and I'm thinking.. WTF!!!! Why?? I didnt realize Traino admitted it was a mistake.

The truth of the matter is that Bosh and others just didnt play well or hard enough. I'm no longer convinced a tweaking of this roster would help...they may need sweeping changes that may have to include a more experienced coaching staff.

Oh, and I just wanted to put this out there again because I think it's worth discussing.

I was originally 100% in favour of trading JO for Marion however when you think about it, if we do happen to squeeze into the playoffs we are going to need guys who are tough both physically and mentally. JO showed again last night that he can be a tough and gritty dude!! Most everyone else (including Bosh) seemed to roll over in what arguably was the biggest game of the season (to date). Do we really think Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks are going to solve any of these problems in the short term???

If we move JO maybe they should revisit Marbury's expiring 21 million which would give us about 25 million to spend this off season to address the "sweeping changes" I had mentioned above.

Thoughts?

Blogger's note: It's impossible to do both Marion and Marbury and I don't for a second think Marbury's a legit option right now. And, no, Marion and Banks, if it's him, are not long-term fixes; the trade would simply allow the GM to make moves more quickly to improve a roster that definitely needs it.

[Bill]

Last night was the first time I thought Jay clearly did a bad job. Between the odd Will Solomon sighting, being late getting Calderon to the table in the 4th and lack of PT for Bargnani in the second quarter, which seemed to take him out of his rhythum, he certainly didn't help their cause. With that said, how many wins does he need to keep the job in your opinion? Playoffs?

Blogger's note: There's no magic number. Going to depend on how the team's playing, who's available and interested, money, loads of variables.

[WSG]

Hey Doug ... it's almost noon and no comments yet? Don't go 'all Rogers' on us, Doug ... (just kidding, Doug - I just wanted to use my new favorite expression that I just invented. Ha ha.)

Blogger's note: Super Son's basketball and life got me delayed a bit.

[Jimmy]

It seems impossible for the raptors to win over 4 games in a row huh..always stuck 3

[Tim W.]

I think last night's game gave a glimpse into why someone like O'Neal is so important to the Raptors. When the outside shots aren't falling teams have to go inside. This was a grind-it-out game that the Raptors have so much trouble with. Raptor fans have the shortest memories. It's not that long ago that fans were bemoaning the team's lack of toughness as one of their big weaknesses. It's a perfect example of why I don't like a frontline of Bosh & Bargnani. Things are great when outside shots are falling, but when they're not, bosh plays much better with a player like O'Neal who can share the load down low and clean up the boards.

[Kevin]

Hey Doug,

I seem to recall you not liking Bogut all that much but I have to say that every time I see him he impresses me. I mean, I thought Bargnani was doing a damned good job on him and he was still making tough shots over him. And when the Raps sent someone to double he was making smart passes out of the double team.

To tell you the truth, I think he is the best Buck by far and it always amazed me that the team never tried to focus on him.

Oh well, hopefully the Raps can steal one or two and show up like Bargnani did in the 1st quarter...that was a hell of a performance. In fact, even when he was missing every shot he took in the 3rd and 4th he was at least trying to get to the rim.

Okay, ramble over.

[Jake]

I know and understand why everyone is so angry about TSN2, but what nobody is talking about is Videotron out here in Quebec. Rogers at least has a chance to get TSN2 because of media attention and being a major provider in Ontario. Videotron has told me they have no plans for TSN2 and it would surprise me if they ever got it.

[Mark L]

Jason Terry does that knee thing almost every time he dunks. It almost looks like he uses it to keep the defender away. I don't think he ever gets called.

[mary]

doug, if marion/banks is pretty much a stopgap, why bother? i know you don't think the raptors have a shot to do anything this season -- they're 10 games under .500 and will certainly be worse after this next four-game stretch.

so why not trade JO purely for expiring contracts and then try to re-load quickly this off-season with a high pick and a free agent? why do it halfway?

Blogger's note: Because there isn't a deal out there for a package of entirely expiring contracts

[Shy]

Hi Doug,
Just wanted to know if Jamario Moon had a post-up game. If he does, he's hiding it pretty well.
Thanks

[aditya]

i agree with mark L on the jason terry comment

[Anthony]

Was there and it reminded me of the Philly game earlier in the season..... How you can be so passionless at home amazes me. Been very complimentary of Jay for the most part, but yesterday his coaching was atrocious. What he did with Bargnani was unbelievable. He was schooling the Bucks, had 13 in 8 minutes and played I think 4 more the first half (if that). Didn't even take a shot.

Appreciate Triano taking the fall for it, but that does not excuse it.

Good news is I am not there tomorrow, so expect a better game from them.

Should I be surprised another good Sunday noon (or 1:00) game for the CBC? We have been held hostage this year by the TV schedule.

Blogger's note: It's The Score tomorrow and the rest of the Sundays at home are split between noon, 3:30 and 6 p.m., about equally

[Jerry]

Each time Charlie V plays in Toronto we hear some commentator say if only he would play that way every night. Is the reason possibly because he does not face the incredibly lax defense of C. bosh and company every night.

[Andrew R]

I have been watching basketball for a long time. But sometimes when I watch the Raps play I feel like there is so much more to basketball that I am missing, because there I have so many questions after some games, like: Why do you ignore the offensively-skilled centre you recently acquired for an entire quarter while the rest of the team shoots around 20%?

I really am baffled. The only person on the bucks who could have a chance to guard O'neal is Bogut and he didn't see the floor in the 3rd. Yet, I continually yelled at the TV "Give it to O'Neal!" Certainly the reason an NBA coach makes my entire yearly salary in one game is because they have the answers to questions like this. Oh and those sneaky reporters. They don't want to reveal the secrets to why they don't ask questions like that of the coach.

[Jeff]

Hey I remember one time I posted a comment on here wondering if we could ever get Charlie V back, and you said that hes not that great a player basically... Do you still think that? And could we ever get him back? When he plays over 30 minutes, he produces... big time. People say hes inconsistent, but if you look at all his game stats this season, hes VERY consistent if he plays over 30 minutes, when he has a "bad" game, he only played 15 minutes that game. He is consistent if he gets consistent minutes, solid 20+ points when good minutes. Charlie V...MVP.

[Boko]

Ding Ding Ding Ding! "the GM to make moves more quickly to improve a roster that definitely needs it". THAT'S the priority (leading to going deep into the second round in the 2010 playoff)(in turn, leading to a happier Chris Bosh when his option can be exercised!) DING! DING! DING! DING!

[Jeff]

If they cant trade for Charlie V, could they at least sign him next offseason? Especially if we trade JO by the deadline we wont have great backup bigmen, so adding him would help up so much and would be a crazy sixth man to add depth off the bench. Thank you for the blog.

[Tim W.]

This is what bugs me about part-time fans. They see Villanueva playing well against the Raptors and think that he's better than he actually is. Some people don't seem to realize that he has good games against the Raptors because it's his former team, and players almost always get up for former teams, despite what they claim.

And Jeff's comment about Villanueva playing well when he gets over 30 minutes a game so it MUST be that he only needs more minutes doesn't take into consideration the fact that guys like Villanueva (or Bargnani, for that matter) only get the extra minutes WHEN they're playing well. When Villanueva plays like he often does, Skiles doesn't leave him out there, The better a guy plays, the more minutes he plays. The worse he plays, the less he plays. It's pretty simple. This is the problem, though, when you only watch a team play a few times a year. You don't see VIllanueva get yanked early because he's not producing. Talent has never been the issue with him. He's got more talent than Bosh, but talent is only half of it.

And this `more minutes' argument with Bargnani bugged me, too. People claiming that he's finally producing because he's finally getting minutes a) don't remember the times when he did play big minutes and did little or b) don't remember him getting yanked because he wasn't playing well. You could use the same logic for Will Solomon. In games he played at least 30 minutes a game he averaged 10.3 ppg and 8 apg, so obviously all he needs are minutes, right?