This is better than the alternative, no?

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Shawn Marion: Potential glue guy.

And now the road beckons, where there’s no snow or cold but plenty of good teams. Guess you do have to take the good with the bad in this gig.

But it is better to be going out having won two in a row instead of losing two in a row. Beating the Knicks, eight under .500 at the time, or the Timberwolves, a mere 20 under .500 is hardly enough to get the playoff tickets printed or the parade route planned. But consider how many mornings you’ve woken up to remember “damn, they lost to Oklahoma City?” or “Hey, did they really shoot 29 per cent in Memphis last night?” these are such horrible times.

Oh, those times are coming again, I’m sure of that, but for now? Why not feel a little bit good?

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Action: What’s glue?

Reaction: A lot of things

Promised a gal, or maybe a guy, in the in-game blog last night I’d try to explain what I think a “glue guy” is since it’s a rather nebulous term that gets tossed around an awful lot.

To me, it’s a veteran who knows how to use his mind as much as his body to get his job done; it’s someone respected in the locker room because he’s had success and seldom, if ever, takes a night off. It’s someone who doesn’t care what other people think of him, he’s going to do his job, do it well and if pisses people off, so be it. Someone who’s been around the franchise a while and knows the people, knows what it takes to be successful in that market, has a connection with the fans.

They don’t have a true one on this team, I don’t think. Parker’s close, Marion might be if he sticks around but that’s about it. I think Bosh is held in too high esteem by management and many fans to be considered that guy, it really has to be someone who makes the most out of relatively limited talent.

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Action: 34 assists

Reaction: That’s the way it works

I don’t think anyone who watched that game last night would consider the way Toronto played “run-and-gun” yet they had a season high in assists, shot almost 54 per cent from the floor and hung a 66-point second half on the Timberwolves.

That’s how it’s supposed to work, not some kind of willy-nilly, hoist-it-soon-as-you-can offence that does nothing more than give the ball back to the other team more quickly. There were more controlled breaks – if an open shot isn’t there, get into a set – than we’ve seen in a long, long time and that’s the kind of intelligent offence that’ll win games.

Of course, they could fall victim to Phoenix’s style and lost 160-130 on Friday but at least that’d be wildly entertaining.

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Shawn Marion, bless his naïve little soul, said this last night in a post-game scrum:

“I’ve been on teams where you get down 15, 17 points and you just kind of hang it up a little bit. We’ve got some fight in this team, we were out there grinding and pulling for each other.”

No one laughed out loud, I know at least one guy who smirked and supressed a giggle.

“Fight in this team?” “Grinding and pulling for each other?” I dunno about that.

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Out in Minnesota, they woke to find this today.

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Action: Joey leaves

Reaction: He better come back

No word last night and with no practice or media availability likely no word today, on how bad Joey’s hamstring issue is but – and I cannot believe I am going to type these words – they need him healthy in a hurry to have any chance at doing anything.

Jay’s only playing eight guys – a wise decision considering what’s been available after them – and to have one of them on the shelf will lead to some serious depth issues, serious over-work for the starters and that last thing Bosh or Calderon needs right now is 44 minutes a night.-

But if Joey can’t go you’d presume Marcus Banks gets some extra playing time as that eighth guy and no one has any idea what he’ll bring. He’s not as big as Joey, not as versatile, cannot play the three. No Graham is a big blow.

And, sure, the possibility exists that Bryan could go out and sign a three-four kind of guy but that guy is going to need time to fit in, that guy is going to be looking out for that guy as he pursues either a second 10-day contract or a job for next year and I don’t think that’s the answer.

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Some mail:

Q: Thanks for all you add to an otherwise mostly unenjoyable Raptors season.

Q1. To my untrained eye, what grabbed my attention foremost about Marion was his offensive rebounding. Given this is partially due to it being so lacking from his teammates, could they somehow learn from him or would they have already learned if they could?

Q2. Bosh seems to have lost his Olympics-inspired intensity. Is he just not the kind of guy that can sustain a high level of mental intensity? Heard Coach K on PTI yesterday talk about how he mentions the work ethic of Dwyane, Kobe and LeBron to his college boys. Didn't exclude Bosh specifically of course but didn't include him either.

John P, London

A: Marion’s a freak, pure and simple. Amazingly quick second jump – check out how many boards he gets at either end on a second leap – but he’s also in his 10th season in the NBA and just has a knack for knowing where the ball is going.

I think it’s hard for anyone but the true greats, and you rattled off three of them on that list, to maintain extraordinary intensity for 82 games or even 75 games. Bosh has lost some of that, but it’s lost in part because of the physical condition his knees are in; I’m sure he wants to be at that level but when he asks his legs for some extra, it’s not there.

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So muchfor my advice to Donny Walsh, eh?

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Action: The coming schedule

Reaction: A seven-pack of toughies

At Phoenix, at Dallas, at Houston, Miami, Utah, at Philly, Detroit.

Is 5-2 necessary? How about 3-4? I think even playing important games in April will depend on them at least coming through this stretch with more wins than losses.

Of course, too much depends on what teams above them do, and there remain an awful lot of them between Toronto and even eighth, but the Raps cannot afford to lose more ground.

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An end-of-the-bench question:

Q: In your opinion what do you think the Raps have planned for Patrick O'Bryant? The reason I am asking is I am looking at this guys body language on the bench and he doesn't look too enthusiastic to be here.

Leroy B, Lethbridge

A: Personally, I think what they have in store for him is to use him only in the case of dire foul trouble- or injury-induced emergency and then either package his salary as cap ballast in a draft-night trade or release him outright before July 1. That will save them $350,000 or so.

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I will say this: Kevin McHale is a much better coach than he was a GM. Not sure what the plans are for him next year – at least one guy with some knowledge of the Timberwolves franchise thinks the Minnesota icon will walk away – but the team plays hard and there some nice pieces.

Of course those nice pieces – I like Randy Foye a lot, and Ryan Gomes – are in the West so they may be years from sniffing the playoffs but McHale’s doing a not-bad job coaching them.

And if he sticks around, it’s one fewer gig out there for Sam to try and get.

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Comments

[David]

SY - Millsap isn't signing anywhere to be a back-up...

[Darko]

Doug, do you know if Shaq is sticking to his plan from earlier this season, where he does NOT play in second game of back-to-backs. Since they are playing the Lakers Thursday, we might catch a break. Now that Amare is out, they might reconsider the plan. Either way, how effective would he be after the Lakers game, remembering what Barkley said about old guys and 2nd game of back-to-back.

[RC]

Doug

Interesting thought on Triano. He's done two massive things in his short tenure as head coach - hastening Bargnani's development and allowing Joey to blossom - but he's obviously not managed that many Ws. Assuming that the Raps flame out at somewhere in the mid-30s this season, would those two achievements factor into BC's decision re Jay as head coach next year?

[Nick]

I had a crazy dream last night that Jose and Marion had career nights in Phoenix... and they beat them by a point.
Hope it becomes true.

[SY]

David,

There isn't a lot of teams (5 to be exact) which can sign Millsap to more than a MLE next year and there are still a lot of other free agents (i.e. Odom, David Lee, Gorden and Iverson etc.) which these teams may want to go after.

-SY

[Danny Husar]

Hi Doug

Are there any free agents that could be of interest to the Raptors this summer? I assume Bryan Colangelo will be on the lookout for a 2/3 guy (especially if we can't sign Marion).

Blogger's note: Haven't talked to anyone about it and won't until, probably, late June.

[Pete]

Blogger's note: Guy gets 26 and 6, is 10-for-19 from the field, six-for-six from the line and something is "seriously wrong with him" and got "lucky?" Man, this one tough crowd around these parts.

I'm not knocking his numbers; they are solid but just the way he got them is what bugs me. How many out of those 10 shots he hit were jumpers? The six free throws - were they all earned by driving to the basket? I don't think so. He's gotta step up if he wants to be an elite player; right now, Bargs look like a guy who's been in the league for a while and Bosh looks like a 2nd year pro.

[Jack]

Hey Doug,
I know the reason why the Raptors are playing lack-lustre-ly this season. It's the uninspired play calling by the new guy, Matt Devlin or whatever his name is.
I miss the "Onions" and "Are you kidding me?"

[Dan W]

Milsap would be a great addition, but he will command alot of money and if he doesn't stay with Utah I would assume he would be seeking a starting role wherever he goes. Even if the Raptors had enough money to sign him I think that money would be better used for a guard. Millsap would create a similar rotation problem as JO did. Having him though would give the Raptors a great three man rotation at the pf and c spots. He would actually fit better then JO because he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective on offense. Again though any money the Raptors have needs to go to a guard who can create his own shot and cover his position.

[Mike M.]

Come on now Doug, you should know by now that it's completely realistic that Bosh should pattern his game after Shaq and pound it inside (despite lacking 3" and 95 pounds) rather than after KG (who is practically his right handed, slower, older brother) and shoot jump shots and fade aways, which he can make at a high percentage, to set up his drives.

It's common sense.

[Tim W.]

"Tim, I think you meant his 'shooting' percentage(?) LOL...."

Well, I've been conducting an experiment about how players bowel movements relate to their play on the court, but it's far too complex to get into here.

On a side note, apparently my auto-correct on my ipod isn't perfect.

[GM]

Yes, O'Bryant washed out with two other teams, but you have to take into consideration who those two other teams were. One was Golden State, and Nellie has a long-standing rookie bias. Two was a stacked Celtics team. I think the Raptors owe it to themselves to get their own gauge on how he plays rather than relying on those two small samples.

[Tim W.]

Jason,

I didn't notice the link. Thanks. The last I had heard was Marbury would never give up more than $1 million. I guess he backtracked a little. It's hard to feel bad for a guy who just walked away with more than $25 million for basically wasting his talent and being a douche. If he goes to the Celtics, may they lose in the second round.

[jimmie]

SY: Millsap won't be going anywhere. Boozer is opting out and is likely done in Utah. They will trade Kirilenko if they get half a chance, and Harpring will be trade bait with his expiring, so they can hardly afford to let a young, rising star like Millsap leave. He's due for a massive raise, too -- rookie contract to $8-9M, I bet.

[C]

Phoenix has scrapped that plan, as far as I know, because of their battle for the final playoff spot in the west.

To the previous reader hating on bosh for taking (and making) jumpers:

I dont know what game you were watching but in the one I saw .. he was going to the rim. The 15-19 footer IS a big part of his game and it keeps the defense honest. If three guys are in the key waiting for you, you're probably better off taking a jump shot to keep them honest (especially if youre like him and can MAKE it) instead of stumbling into 3-4 defenders.

[Tim W.]

An interesting article for those who agreed with Doug about Marbury, or even for those who disagreed: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9262800/Marbury-would-surely-derail-Celts'-repeat-bid-

I loved LeBron's quote:
"I don't know him that well," LeBron James once said of Marbury. "But I couldn't have a guy like that on my team."

Ouch!

[sean]

Even the Raptors are up two games, it is strongly encourage that fan shouldn't be jumping onto the bandwagon yet. They did pull out a win on the T-wolves, BUT, let's not forget about the first quarter. Folks, Toronto gave up 37 points to a 18-37 opponents on their home court, 37 points. Yes, Raptors made a come back, but could you afford to give up 37 points in the first quarter to Detroit, Miami, Utah? Moreover, recall that their best post player Jefferson were out. There are serious issue with Raptors' defence intensity; aside from Marion, who's quite active on both ends of the floor, the intensity has to be there for young guns like Bosh, Calderon, and vet like Parker and Kapono. Defence drives offence; a team could be off on a night at the offensive end, but defence has to be solid and stable. It's all about effort, communication, and mental toughness on the defensive end. The lackluster defence in the first quarter (intensity wise) created open shot opportunities for guys like Foye and Gomes, and once the open shots are going down, momentum favoured wolves and even guys like Telfair got off a wild shot and in.

Key for the raps down the stretch is not for Bosh to score 20 pts, not for Kapono to drain 3s after 3s, it has to do with team defence and intensity.

Doug, wouldn't you agree that defence intensity would be a key to Raptors playoff hunt? You follow every game and probably has a better idea than I do. Giving up 30-40 pts in any quarter on crucial winnable games like Minnesota shouldn't be discounted.

Blogger's note: Defensive intenisty is the key to every game. And I'm sure they would point to the 19 points they gave up in the second as much as you and others would to the 37 in the first

[Leroy]

Doug, Another glue guy in Raps history - JYD!

[anthony.mackay@gmail.com]

Doug,
I know when Yao came in the league he could barley bench 70 pounds (not joking) and now he can apparently bench around 270 which I believe helped his rebounding and confidence... yet his frame still appears rather thin unlike the hulking Howard.

Do you see Andrea making similar progress over the next 2-3 years, I know he worked his butt off this summer and real b-ball fans will be happy to know the kid is developing a solid work ethic to go along with his natural talent.

PS - the league is in trouble when LBJ finally gets his man strength

[UK]

Hey Doug,

Totally unrelated to the Raps, but since you are now an internet sensation I was wondering what your thoughts are on the extinction of actual print copies of newspapers. Think it will happen in your lifetime, or anytime soon? With your daily blog, in-game blog, mailbags, etc you are definitely ahead of the curve.

Blogger's note: I truly believe reading remains a tactile pursuit as well.

[jordan]

I can understand that the raps are five games back of a playoff spot but ummm....just six games back of the pistons?! They might give the raps a run for most disappointing team. Couple of things from the Minny article; didn't see the game last night but their paper said the raps got it together once they stopped squabbling with each other. They didn't seem to be referring to bosh-cardinal so what did I miss? Also, did you think you would see the day when the opposing sports section would refer to Bargs as a "nightmare"...in a good way?

[Paul]

James: "But I like the energy and chearleading Jake brings to the team, and always seems to be happy just to be on the bench. He makes little contribution on the court, but I think his willingness to play the 13th man role with enthusiasm is something that should bring him back again next year."

Is this girl's high school basketball? I know they play like it sometimes, but geebus... :)

Reader's Note: Some readers are crazy!

[PK]

Any word on the Joey injury yet?

Blogger's note: Nothing too serious, day-to-day, will likely try to practice tomorrow

[steve hallman]

Doug what's the latest on joey G?

Blogger's note: Day-to-day, not terribly serious, will try to practice tomorrow probably

[T i]

Hate to see Nash get injured but yes, last night he left the game with an ankle injury.. came back for a couple of minutes to test it late in the game then left again.. Steve said post game that he doubts it'll be anything that keeps him out long-term. This is good news for the raps.. steve might miss the game for precautionary reasons, or at the bare minimum play fewer minutes. This news, along with Amare being out is good news for the Raps who need all the help they can get on this west coast trip... Hopefully the raps can get some more momentum going.. it is vital if they want to save the season.

On another note, I've been a believer in the saying that you must give young 7 footers a while to develop. So basically, when lots of fans in Toronto have been complaining that Bargnani was a bust, I always believed it was far too early to give up on him. There is no doubt that Andrea has come a long way to showing his true potential this year. Some big differences that are starting to show are his on-court decisions - his BBALL IQ is now night-and-day from what he showed the past couple of seasons. Everyone knew Andrea could shoot the ball, but now he is making decisive moves to the basket to mix it up as well as making the vet-savy move of getting a defender off his feet with a pump fake and drawing a foul. Last night we even witnessed Andrea dish it deep down low when a defender came out at him. One more point about AB is that he is realizing when a defender has say 3 or 4 fouls during the game and driving on that defender. These are all great signs for Andrea showing that he is blossoming before our eyes. If I still read posts about how he's garbage and a bust I think I may just flat out stop coming on msg boards and forums such as these. Stick to hockey if everyone is adamant on being negative all the time - I understand the frustration with the Leafs not winning in over 40 years but leave that pessimism out of the Raps talk.

T i