So much for tardy

Seriously, am I good or what? Get to O'Hare, get through security, find the lounge, fire up the machine, finish the blog, make your morning better (that last bit may or may not be true, of course).

Everyone feel a wee bit better today? A nice, relatively easy 20-point will brighten a mood, won’t it? And the manner in which it was achieved was most significant, I think. A 20-4 run in the final 5 1-2 minutes? That just doesn’t happen with this team.

But it did, and how many people are looking at a four-game win streak today? Same number that were thinking 12-game losing streak Friday morning?

Anywho …

-

Action: 23, 10 and no turnovers

Reaction: Welcome back

Funnily enough, I did not wake up this morning to several e-mails or comments suggesting the Raptors consider trading Jose Calderon because (a) he’s a defensive liability, or (b) he doesn’t look to score often enough or (c) he doesn’t get Andrea Bargnani involved in the offence enough or (d) Anthony Parker was doing a good job as the point guard anyway.

I defy anyone who watched that game to not admit there was a different “feel” to how they played, more steady, less panic, more in control.

And that came from the point guard.

-

A question about Jose, sort of:

Q: Looks like you had a nice sleep with the Raps win, no blog and it's 8 a.m.? Joking, Doug, time to be smiling with the win. Was that foul to remove jose with seconds to go an overjoy from the coach? Should a coach be doing that on a road game or for teams with not so good winning record?

Paul M, Toronto

A: It was far more a function of a 5:45 a.m. wakeup call to get to O’Hare for an early-ish flight. But glad you were here early to read.

No, the timeout wasn’t to rub anything in or to allow Jose some applause, it was to get a guy who was just coming back from injury as much time on the bench as they could. And I’m not sure it was all Jay, I think the savvy Parker knew what needed to be done.

-

Perhaps you’ve heard I have a bit of a thing for Dancing With The Stars and while I cannot trip the light fantastic myself, I will submit that Jose Calderon should never be allowed to “dance” on a basketball court again.

Not sure what that was after he made that late three-pointer but he should leave it to the privacy of his own home.

-

Action: Bosh’s defence

Reaction: In defence of him.

You want to know why Bosh was such a great defender on the American Olympic team and the consensus is now that he’s not anymore? Teammates.

Having Kobe and LeBron in front and Dwight Howard as a safety net behind would make anyone an above average defender.

Last night, especially in the second half, Bosh defended as well as he has this season, both on the block and in the high screen and roll, which is why Derrick Rose didn’t scorch them.

And he did it because the weak side rotation was solid, the other bigs under the basket were doing their jobs taking up space.

Really quite simple, really quite a matter of effort and concentration, two things Bosh’s teammates had in spades in Beijing.

-

What they said in Chicago, where they’ve been killing Vinny Del Negro and the Bulls all week.

-

Action: Great video

Reaction: No Flo Rida (or however you spell it)

There may not be a better pre-game video than the one the Bulls show with about two minutes left on the clock. It’s a highlight montage that includes greats like Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan, Tom Boerwinkle and Dick Motta, Michael, Scottie and Phil as well as the requisite shot of Oak getting into a fight and Rodman diving for a loose ball.

Really cool, really a way to highlight the franchise history.

I believe they’re putting one together in Toronto. It shows

Opening video

Alvin Robertson to Carlos Rogers to Oliver Miller to John Salley to Alex Radojevic to Oliver Miller (again) to Butch Carter. It’s to Kevin O’Neill and Lenny Wilkens and Mengke Bateer, Lonny Baxter, Robert Archibald, Keon Clark, Omar Cook and Garth Joseph.

Ah, the history and the memories.

-

More mail, and I’ll have a few hours later today to knock off tomorrow morning’s mailbag so submit to your little heart’s content:

Q: I see that the Raptors are wearing their all-black "alternate" jerseys again tonight. They seem to be wearing them pretty frequently, wasn't there a limit to how many times they can wear them? My question is, although the all-black are indeed the coolest of all the kits, they sure seem to lose a lot in them. What is their record when they wear each of the three jerseys?

Wilson L, Toronto

A: It does seem like they’ve worn them a zillion times, doesn’t it? And I asked the guy who actually runs the team – equipment manager, travel co-ordinator, general bon vivant K. DiPietro – and they are allowed this year to wear alternate jerseys 16 times and last night was only the 10th this season.

The record? I’m not sure and don’t have my fashion-boxscores handy.

-

Action: Two sequences.

Reaction: Who are these guys?

A Bosh dunk off the Jose lob after Jose turned the corner on a high screen just before a Bargnani block of a Rose drive, a steal by Bosh that sets up a Joey break because Joey was running the floor hard.

And then, Parker misses a three but stays with the shot and gets the long rebound, passes back out to Jose who sees Bosh with his man sealed on his back in the paint and gives him the ball. Bosh sees a second defender coming, holds the ball a split second until he gets closer, dishes to an open Parker in the corner while fleeing the paint to avoid a three-second call and Parker drills an open three.

I repeat:

Who are these guys?

-

This piece by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated says Kevin O’Neill’s done in Memphis, which comes as no surprise, really, since he was the associate head coach with Iavaroni and was overlooked for an assistant from another team when Iavaroni got fired.

A thought: Beale Street won’t ever be the same

Oh, and put any notion of an O’Neill return to Toronto as an assistant out of your head. Let’s just say the relationship between he and Jay was, um, not good.

-

Comments

[Simon S-G]

Might Ivaroni get an assistant job here? I can't see Colangelo taking him as a coach, but keeping him warm as an assistant might happen given their past history together in Phoenix.

Blogger's note: I don't imagine that's out of the realm of possibility; depending on who the head coach is

[Mike D]

How does Robert Archibald make it in the video, but not Jerome Moiso?

Considering what we expected this year why do we celebrate one victory during one of the worst Raptor seasons in our history?

Lets get real here, Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon played good defense for maybe the first time in two years last night. Is that enough to now gloat and say well now they are great defenders? Just check the game logs over the past year an check the stats of opposing pf's and pg's, check how we are abused in the paint for the last five years Bosh has been here no matter who we put beside him. The quicker everyone stops blaming whose around them and points the finger directly at them the quicker they may relize they need to improve their weaknesses to.

This teams problems remain the same, its two best players are its two worst defenders and until they show over a long period of time otherwise I will not hand them the DPOY trophy and the Raptors will continue to struggle.

The reason I called Chris Bosh a fake all star a few years back and continue to call him that is because of his defense, no fa signing or trade can improve Boshs own personal defense, Bosh must improve on that area himself.

[CJ]

Hey Doug,
With the way Parker is developing (weird to say for a guy with his experience, I know) into a back-up point, do you still think the Raptors would be open to trading him?
To me, it seems that if the Raps have any hope in getting back into the playoff race, they need him to control the offense when Jose is resting.
Your thoughts?

Blogger's note: It really depends on what they'd get back for him. To just say, yeah, I'd trade him, or, no, I wouldn't really doesn't mean anything. And I have no idea what an offer would be

[Taylor]

While it might not matchup with the Bulls' greats how about Damon Stoudamire to Marcus Camby to Alvin Williams to Vince Carter to Tracy McGrady to Morris Peterson to Chris Bosh and of course Sam Mitchell to Chuck Swirsky and Jack Armstrong. It might not be the most heralded group around but aside from Camby it has to be one of the most loved. Well at least at one point.

Also, have you heard anything on a replacement being sought for Hump? I would love to see Jermareo Davidson brought in if the Warriors decide to cut bait with him.

[Kendal]

Oh my what a morning it is! It might be -30 here in TO, but the sun is shining and the Raptors won last night.

I have to admit, Jose looked DAMN good yesterday. I honestly think we were settling a lot when we were using Roko and Solomon as the back-up point guards. Don’t get me wrong, Roko has potential and Solomon … well Roko has potential, but Jose knows this team and the guys seem to be much more confident and comfortable with him on the floor. There were plays last night that I haven’t seen in a while (well the last 11 games) and they were happening because Jose knew how and when to make them happen.

I’m glad that today is a good day in Raptor land and as a more ‘recent’ sports fan I’m learning the important lesson of being patient with a team. Being a fan means more than one season, it means sticking it out year after year and support the team at all times.

[Michel G]

Sometimes an injury is the best thing for a team. I don't think anybody will or should ever question the importance of Calderon to the team. Doug's right, the team's attitude was like night and day. The schedule is really soft towards the end the year, so if everyone stays healthy...

[Rob V.]

Definitely agree. There was a "calm" about the game with Jose in there. Having said this, I would also say that we shouldnt undervalue the importance of AP playing the point when Calderon was out.

Experience, experience, experience! Turn overs were down and although we bent a few times... we never broke. Solid PG play all around.

As much as fans want to fall in love with Roko... he's clearly not ready for prime time minutes and WS is a 2 (in spot minutes).

What does it mean? - Maybe Jay has found a formula with the PG situation for the rest of the season, or maybe an Earle Watson isnt a bad idea. I, like many beleive Roko is a good prospect however the Raptors were not suppose to be in a "rebuilding" mode this year or next.

If the Calderon/AP formula works (thinking ahead) the poohba is going to have to make another tough decision. I'm not sure we can risk more losses by letting Roko develop so do we bring in a vet PG to back up Jose in an attempt to right the ship?

Personally, I think you have to strike now! this team doesnt have a couple of years to wait on the kid. We've locked Jose for the next 5 so really when is Roko going to spread his wings with us? We need stability at the point and championship teams always have experienced vets off the bench. The qeustion I guess is are we rebuilding, AGAIN!.. or are we in a win "now" mode. The record may not indicate it however I think we are in a win now phase meaining we may have to move the kid for his benefit (and ours).

Agree/disagree??

Doug, has Roko garnered any trade value over the first half of the season?.

Blogger's note: Roko Ukic has practically no, almost absolutely no, trade value right now in the NBA except, maybe, as a cap-ballast fill-in.

[Shy]

Hey Doug,
More than a couple times last night, when Parker was shooting from the corner, the ENTIRE Bulls bench would scream at him from behind(especially Noah). Isn't that a tech or something?

[Rob V.]

Dude(ette)! Fake All-Star??? Come on, that's just silly. You must be a Yi L fan?

[Steve Gosse]

gotta love the eastern conference... as bad as things have been and only 3.5 games out of 8th!!

[Anne MacKay]

To the poster who likes to call Chris Bosh a "fake all star" because of his lack of defence:

How do you account for the fact that Chris was applauded when he was playing with our Gold Medal Olympian team for his great defence?

Also Steve Nash is a 2 time MVP and an All Star and he is definately not know for defensive abilities.

Am I missing something here?

I would really like to know if I am missing something and I am not being facetious.

[Mike Ulangot]

Hey Mr. Smith,

GOing back to the Bargnani vs Nowitzki hype, I was just wondering if Don Nelson was the main reason why Dirk became so good? Or was Dirk, straight-up, better at the position at the time?

[Jonathan]

Noname: You sure are a downer. Why even watch the rest of the season or read the blog if you don't see a glimmer of a reason to be happy about a good win. If a good win won't do it for you, then none of the other games will.

"check how we are abused in the paint for the last five years Bosh has been here no matter who we put beside him"

While I don't think Bosh is one of the better defenders at his position, your statement is absolutely ridiculous. You mean the last five years where for the most part he had to guard the 5s on opposing teams? Which of Loren Woods, Rafael Araujo, Matt Bonner, Jerome Moiso, Pape Sow, Aaron Williams, Jorge Garbajosa, Andrea Bargnani and Antonio Davis for all of 8 days was so adequate that Bosh was the reason for us being abused in the paint? The only decent 5 we've had (no offense to Garbo) was Nesterovic and he averaged 14-20 minutes the last two seasons. Get real.

[bballer]

doug, how do you feel about toronto fans perception of bosh in toronto whereas the rest of the league thinks highly of bosh and sees him as the best pf in the east and one of the best in the league. most websites and commentators think he should be starting in the allstar game, whereas most fans in toronto think that he is overrated and should be traded.

what do you think is the reason for such differencing of opinions?

Blogger's note: When things go bad, fans here tend to eat their young, and over-react

[kx]

Doug you can't end a blog with suspense. What's with Jay and Kevin that you can share?

[GM]

Ooh, Doug, you can't just leave us with "let's just say the relationship between [O'Neill] and Jay was, um, not good." Details, my man, details! Or at the very least a for example.

Blogger's note: It's at the top of the mailbag that I'm just about finished

[dallas]

Hey Doug,

Bosh didn't have Howard backing him up, Bosh played the 5 and did not share much court time with Dwight. I find it funny that you did not think to mention the fact that Bosh was option 5, add his role on that team, versus this team. I don't know how you would think to miss that. Also, other than Argentina, and Spain, was the competition NBA level? China, 3 nba'ers Australia 1 (soon to be 2 with Mills). In my opinion, defensive effort on his part, quick hands, which he shwon last night, and good hedging is what made Bosh a better defender. To blame his teammates seems cheap to me, why do that, unless you really believe it? Sure Moon makes mistakes, but he's not holding Bosh feet to the ground when Rose is in the paint.

[Robert Freitas]

Hey Doug, you've already probably done this, not sure if you read ESPN or not, but if you check out their "Weekend Dime" article, number 8 is a picture of Dirk doing exactly what you said (and Jack Armstrong for that matter) Bosh should do against KG's defense, just using his elbows to clear KG out of the way.

[chris]

Wow, not many comments after a good game. Looks like the boo-birds have nothing to say. I thought the Raps played a good 4 quarters all though it was close at points throughout the game. Nice to see the Raps put their foot on the Bulls throat in the last few minutes.

[christine]

Since everyone asked the players, do you have a name for Jose dance?

Blogger's note: The Retina Burner?

[Anthony]

Why was the relationship between O'Neill and Triano not reported in the news? I guess they did a good job at keeping it under wraps (pardon the pun), or possibly yourself and the beat grunts didn't see the point at letting the public know about the story?

Blogger's note: Gonna get into it in the mail in a minute.

[Anthony]

Just so I don't seem like a complete jerk, I also wanted to let you know that I love your blog, Doug.

[D. Walker]

Doug: Every time I read about the Raptors someone goes into the fact that Jose can not defend opposing point guards. The more important question that should be asked is which of those opposing point guards can defend Jose? In two meetings with Chris Paul, where Jose has been a starter, the Raptors won one and the Hornets one. In the meeting this year Paul had a few more assists while Jose had several more points. Last year when the Raptors won Paul had more points but Jose wore him down and outplayed him at the end of the game.

Again the question---Who can guard Jose?