The Goods On The Game, Vol. 43, the MLK Day matinee

And away we go.

Comments

[Karen Price]

Bring back swirsky no matter what the question he always got back to u promptly and thought every and all questions deserved an answer

[brennan]

WHY?!?!?!?
WHY
WHY
WHY
does moon shoot 3pointers with every crucial possession in the 4th....
why!?!?!?!

[Alex]

PATHETIC. They can find more ways to lose...

[Jon]

So...those last 2 minutes? A clear indication of why I remain dumbfounded at how Moon continues to get the amount of playing time that he does. Yes, he is useful in certain situations. Crunch time is not one of those situations! While it takes a team to lose a game, his ill-advised shot definitely ruined any hope of a comeback with ~50 seconds left!!!

[Bob]

That late game performance by Moon was painful...

[Michael E]

Moon should not see another minute of playing time. He lost that game for them in the last minute.

[Josh T]

What a dumb shot by Moon, so much athleticism, but no brains.
Trade him with Oneil

[Dan W]

Do the players not watch film after the games? How many games when it is close do you see Bosh force a turnover at the top of the key or on the block. How does it take him so long to decided what he is going to do. He has a very limited game i don't see it taking that long to go through all his options.

I would love to see Moon benched for the rest of the season and not get a chance to earn a new contract. Any D league guy with a jumpshot will be an upgrade over what he does which is stand outside the three point line and try to trick us into thinking he worked on his shot this summer.

This team is really bad. BC should be the next to go if this doesn't change soon. Everytime the record gets worse his statement of this being the best Toronto team yet really makes him seem like a joke of a GM. At least Babcock came right out and said they would suck. Maybe they will go on another three game win streak and Bosh can decalre his mvp intentions again.

[sean]

Doug: I didn't get to catch the game; do you have an understanding why ONeal sat out again? Is it because of his knee again?

Blogger's note: Precautionary, nothing big, they say

[Jayo]

Get rid of O'Neal and get cap space for next season. With that money the Raptors should sign none other than Ron Artest. We all know the guy's a major pain in the behind, but this team of mommma's boys needs someone with a little intensity who isn't afraid to call people out. What do you think, Doug?

[Kevin Murray]

Jamario is not getting a lot of love right now. He is a flawed player with incredible athletic ability but he does not recognize his strengths and weaknesses.
So the first question is why is he on the roster?
He comes cheap and he has athletic ability the costs you millions in most cases.
Why does Jay play him? Nine players yesterday and ten today. Kapono, Graham and Parker cannot play 48 minutes so Jamario needs to get minutes.
Does Jay sit him down? I don't see how he can just leave him on the bench with our current situation number wise.
What does Jay do? Jamario probably does not see the last six minutes of a game again this season unless he starts to drive the ball. I think this needs to be a signature decision for Jay. He either supports this player and works with him or he tells him that he is going to have to play his way into the good books in order to finish a game.
What does BC do? Despite all of the calls to trade or waive Jamario, he is still a bargain. BC needs to give Jay options so that Jamario does what Jay tells him or he sits.
I wonder how this plays out?

[dallas]

So Bosh called Moon out for his D in the game and then continued in the Papers....wow...Hasn't he himself had a gaffe in the dying seconds of quite a few of our string of losses? And really his post defense is non-existent. He puts a hand up, but that's it, he makes no attempt to attack or alter the shot and puts up very little resistance at all...

Question Doug, since say the end of 08 have you noticed a trend in your comment where say there is a growing anti bosh sentiment?

Blogger's note: Oh yeah, no question

[Taylor]

Sounds like fans aren't the only one's angry with Moon. Bosh could be heard "displaying leadership" on camera after Moon allowed Johnson to blow by him in the 4th. I find it extremely hard to believe that there isn't a player in the D-League that could be a better fit than Moon is now. He still doesn't realize he should be the 4th option on offense at best and as his foul on Bibby showed, still bites on every pump fake under the sun. Until there are some changes I need a break from this team.

[Rosco]

Hey Come on Now, lets not go 2 hard on Jamario Jordan. Here's a player that just doesn't understand his Role. Your not the First Option on Offense your 5th. His reasoning was he was Open 3 seconds into the shot Clock, LOL. Falling for a Pump fake for the 100th time by a 6'2 guard with 2seonds left in the Clock was Genious. In a tight game, mistakes are Crucial. It's the same players making them, over and over, so what that means is,they just don't get it. No Matter how many times you tell them, watch Film, they just don't get it. So trade them all Away. Blame Coaching that allows this Guy to play 42mins against the Hawks. This team is an Embarrasment.

[Joe]

Doug,

What could Colangelo do with $14 million to spend in cap space and a lottery pick?

I hope we put together a run and get ourselves out of this "funk" but as of this moment we certainly don't deserve anything but what our record says we are. A below average team.

Keep up the great work!

[Brad]

Moon has driven me crazy all season. He shies away from anything resembling contact (the only ppl he battles for rebounds is his own teammates), takes 3's at the worst time, and bites on every pump fake every given. Today he did all of that in 30 seconds and cost the Raps the game. I know he's only getting $700k, but he does not have the bball IQ to be playing late in games or to ever be considered anything more than a 10 min a game energy guy. The only reason he plays is because there are no other options. If this Marion trade is for real it cannot happen soon enough.

I'm the biggest Rap's supporter but this team is nothing compared to last years or especially the year before. Aside from Bosh, Andrea, Jose, Parker and Roko, I'd like to see the rest of the team completely replaced. Sick of watching stupid mistake after stupid mistake from guys that are not willing to accept their limitations as players and understand their roles.

[Michel G]

The worst part is, I've stopped caring (to a point). It's impossible to avoid the big three in the first round, so the season is basically over (although it would be fun to watch the Raps against Boston, Cleveland or Orlando). There are plenty of excuses (e.g., this team has never really being Jose's team because of injuries, etc.). Unfortunately, this is the NBA, crap happens, and things happen that are just simply out of your control. What do I have left to say but, Go Raps Go! (it's just sports, isn't it!).

[Eric M]

I've said it once and I'll say it again...Jamario Moon is NOT an NBA starter. He would be nice energy to come off the bench for defense and rebounding, but his offense is just soft, like c'mon atleast try to drive 1ce even if you travel just give it a damn try!

The only way I see him getting re-signed is to come off the bench! Same with almost all of our wing players lol

BTW did anyone hear that Chuck believes the Raps should trade Bosh? Could you imagine? He'd burn us everytime we would play him, and badly too.

[Eric M]

I just wanted to also say that I really enjoyed coming home from school to watch the Raptors play the 4th quater. they had their chance and they completely blew it, but still it was nice to stay awake for the 4th quater. The last 5 games ive been so tired by 9:00 I've fallen asleep watching these guys. BC needs his daddy ASAP.

[Kevin]

I'd like to see Jamario sit on the bench next to Jake for a few games. See Jake cheer. See Jake watch patterns and match ups. Watch Jake go onto the floor knowing his role and executing it. Ah, that would be nice.

[mw]

It is time for BC to say no one is untouchable. Even his man crush Bargnani. This team will never be successful with Bosh and Bargs together. They are both natural at the 4 position. When Oneal is traded we will go back to being outrebounded every night because Bargs spend 80% of his team outside the 3 point line and bosh spends 60% of his time just inside the 3 point line. It will never work.

Everyone is excited Bargs is getting 20 points a night. Has anyone notice he always takes the most shots on the team? He always takes as many shots as he has points. Not a good ratio. Tonight 20 points on 8/20 shots. Bosh 22 points on 14 shots.

This team needs rebuilding. Sean Marion will not make any diference. We need a good draft pick. An American college draft pick. No more Euro rejects. Enough already.

Forget this year. Try to rebuild for 2010. And remember Bargs is not the answer. BC needs to let that go.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

I caught part of the game this afternoon on TV--including the last minute. We had our beer-league basketball tonight and as we were warming up I asked if anyone else had seen what I saw. No one had, so I re-eneacted the crucial, dying seconds for them: Bosh, with the ball at the foul line, dribbles off his leg; after an Atlanta miss, Moon hoists "the" three (a singular play which may be a major nail in his coffin some day soon); and then two misplays involving Kapono, leading to a shot that will soon be pictured next to "futility" in the dictionary.

Once my performance was done there were guffaws all around. And that pretty much sums it all up.

AG, Toronto

[Murray]

Wow...Jamario I've got to hand it to you that was the most incredible hat trick of stupidity I've seen on a basketball court possibly ever. Matador defense on Joe Johnson, foul on a pump fake by a 6' guard the next time and then a 3 attempt a few seconds into the shot clock when you're down one and no rebounders around.

I think the most shocking thing about the game is that Bosh or somebody didn't punch Moon in the head in the locker room. Remarkable restraint.

[Darko Dubajic]

Doug, what happened to your game. Yesterday, you were 3rd PG, and 4th big in rotarion. That's Magic Johnson teritory, playing any position from 1 to 5. I guess those back to backs are killing you.
Since I watch 9 out of 10 games (Raps) on delay basis at the begining I did not even bother with your in game blog, as to not to find out the score.
Now, it is mandatory reading (after the game), your one liners are better than most of your colegues feature pieces.
Bravo.

[GM]

I called it. At one point in the live game blog you wrote that Moon had only taken four shots. I said he was saving it for the 4th quarter. Boy, did he ever. But let's not forget that Bosh basically lost it before that with his fumble. Why do they keep giving it to him in those situations? And he really has no excuse getting on Moon's case. He makes (almost) as many boneheaded plays. He's just a better scorer. And while I'm seemingly down on Bosh, that doesn't mean I think he should be traded or that he's all of a sudden a bad player. He's not. It's just that he and Moon should know their roles. Bosh's late-game heroics are only slightly better than Shareef Abdur-Rahim's. Both are/were fine players but not the go-to guy at the end of the game. Fair enough.

As big a Raptor fan as I am, and as much as I hate the losing, I gotta admit it's kinda fun in a perverse kinda way. If everyone would set their expectations lower -- a LOT lower -- they'll actually enjoy the games. This reminds me of the Jalen Rose era. You appreciate any win because it's unexpected and the losses are status quo.