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

[Michael]

That was another nice game to watch and they did play more a gun & run style which is so much better than watching those screen play every single play. I hope they can keep this up.

The Matrix didn't have much impact to this game and even he did I hope BC will use that $17M in the offseason to get the player they really need, a player who can do dribble penetration by himself to create his own shot or set up others. Parker looks good but if we can get the player we need then it's okay to let matrix and parker go. Hope BC won't disappoint me. Thanks.

[dp]

Hey Doug,

Please give us an update on Kris Humphries as per his health and spirit ~ still the resident joker? I believe he'll make a positive influence on the remaining Raptor games.

Blogger's note: He hurt his leg, not his personality :). He's fine; weeks away from playing but okay

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

I've got a new car with satellite radio, so I've been able to check out broadcasts from around the NBA and hands down, Jack and Matt are the best team out there. Matt understands that Jack is a character, so he goes with it. They don't even need to be talking basketball--it's just plain entertaining.

I've also done a quick survey of high school basketball broadcasts. Sadly, every single one is better that Paul "Jonesy" Jones and Eric Smith.

AG, Toronto

[Jamie]

Raptors.com had this article on the 3-pt streak...thought this was interesting:

3PM/3PA
Jason Kapono 126 278 .453
Carlos Delfino 120 314 .382

[Mr. Cook]

Alias: I was close to a Bargs hater, but I'm more realistic than that, nor do I 'hate'. I gave him the previous seasons (that is, up until the 2008-2009 season) to develop, and was understanding of his shortcomings. Like anyone else, I was frustrated by the brilliant players we could have otherwise drafted (useless, illogical, I know) and probably even more frustrated that Colangelo used his first big pick on someone who was clearly not NBA caliber in terms of his mental development. I'm only 24 years old, and Dwight Howard, Lebron James, etc are all younger than I am, and I couldn't imagine the pressure. Hell, Dwight is younger than my *younger* brother. There's something about being raised in the United States as a superstar, being prepped mentally for what is to come, and being a celebrity during your middle-teen-hood that Bargs was never afforded, and it showed in his first few seasons.

That said, during his abysmal opening start to this season, I turned on him. I was hoping he would play well enough to become a useful 8th man on the roster as a back-up 5, but was pleased that they had brought in JO since he wasn't working out. I'm more than pleased to say I was wrong, reducing his opportunities or trading him would have been short-sighted and the trade value / return player would have left this team more impotent than it already is (somehow).

Doug: What is the atmosphere like with the team after these two wins (I acknowledge you can't answer this until you see them tomorrow), are they locked and stocked to take a playoff run seriously, or has too much water passed under a fairly structurally unsound bridge this season to get the hearts back in it?

Blogger's note: Mood hasn't changed a bit, still feel like they can do it.

[Michael]

Best glue guy I have seen? Garbajosa. I could never figure out why the team did so well when he was on the court. He was middling at shooting. Rebounds were average. Decent defensively at the 3 but was too tall to guard the quick ones. But he must have done all the little things (a la Shane Battier) to make the team better. Blocking out. Setting picks. Spacing. Definition of a glue guy is the person on the floor of a winning team who doesn't seem to belong yet the team is worse when he is not there.

[T i]

Gotta agree with you michael .. when I think of a recent raps glue guy it is definately Garbo.. thing is that he wasn't around long enough to really make a difference.. His National pride to play for Spain when the doctors here told him he needed surgery basically ended his NBA career. It's too bad, no doubt about it. I remember watching him in pre-game the next season and noticing he would specifically jump off and land on the same foot.. he was not healthy by any means. It's so odd that doctors in Spain tell him he is cleared to play while a few doctors over here were adamant about surgery. How this happens in sports I have no idea. You would think that their National team would actually care about the players health a little bit more than making their team a little bit better. It's not like you get paid to play on the National teams.

[pete]

Doug, how can people say Bosh is jumpshot happy when he has the 5th most free throw attempts in the NBA this season?

[Nick M]

I think every team should be wary of signing a guy out of the Jazz system. Yes, they look good in a Jazz uniform in JERRY SLOAN's system.

Recall, Shandon Anderson, Bryon Russell and that Eisley character. Jerry Sloan made these guys a lot more money than they should have in free agency. He has a knack for getting the best out of a player!

[Nick M]

AG, I agree with you about Paul Jones and Eric Smith...

I don't know if you were listening but Eric Smith was on fan590 Wednesday morning I believe. And he was telling one of the Mike's that he and Paul Jones never script any of their broadcasts (save the play-by-play, of course) while pointing out that most do. My only thought to this comment was... I think they should start!

[John]

RE: O'Bryant - here's a damning quote from the team that took him 9th:

O'Bryant became the first NBA lottery pick to be sent down to the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League on December 30, 2006. On February 19, 2007, he was recalled from the Jam. Warriors head coach Don Nelson had critical words for him: "I told him if he goes down to the D-League and isn't a dominant player, there should be red flags all over the place, and he should be the first to notice. He's not only not dominating, he's not playing very well. He's a long-term project. I really liked him the first week of training camp, but I assumed there would be great progress. [...] He hasn't gotten better one bit."

[Jeff L]

Hey Doug, Why do you think Patrick O'Bryant was drafted 9th overall? He must have talent, and I dont think people can really say he is a bust simply because the most amount of minutes hes ever played in a game was 16, and that is barely any minutes for a guy drafted in the top 10. Everyone needs a chance dont you think?

[SY]

Dan, I totally agree w/ you that Millsap will definitely command a lot of $$ this summer but how much is a lot? Just to put it into perspective, a Butler or a G.Wallace are currently being paid at 10 mill a year, can Millsap be in the same conversation as a Butler or a G.Wallace (I know they are really bargain deals....but still)? Personally, I would pay Millsap somewhere between 6-8 million a year (given the economy this year) which the Raps does have room for. Another problem is that there just isn't any good SG free agents out there this summer. I rather acquire a nice piece in Millsap, trade him later for a good deal. Gordon?? My guess is that the Bulls is likely to re-sign him.

Jimmie, unless there are some personal reasons which I am not aware of, financially, there's NO WAY Boozer is going to opt out this year. After coming off a major injury, there's no way he is able to command a salary close to the one he's due next season in Utah (a little more than 12.5 million). Even if he could, as I said b4, there just isn't a lot of teams which can give him this type of $$ (if you were Boozer, where do you want to go, Thunder or Memphis??).

-SY

[Tim W.]

Pete: "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."

I don't know what game you were watching, but Bosh drove a fair bit, and got hammered when he did. Bosh took the shots that were available and drove when he could. He shot more than 50% for the game, including 7 for 9 in the second half (not including the long shot to beat the shot clock). In case you're new to basketball, that's what you want. Where he gets his shots is not the point, not when he shoots 7 for 9. Oh, and they won, by the way.

Funny thing is, if Bargnani went 7 for 9 shooting in the second half from the exact same places, people would be calling for him to replace Bosh as the franchise player. Bosh does it and people complain he isn't going to the basket enough.

And just for the record, Bosh has a much higher shooting percentage than Bargnani, despite shooting quite a few of his shots from the very places he shot them last night. Amazingly lucky, isn't it?

[Tim W.]

Jeff L: "Hey Doug, Why do you think Patrick O'Bryant was drafted 9th overall? He must have talent, and I dont think people can really say he is a bust simply because the most amount of minutes hes ever played in a game was 16, and that is barely any minutes for a guy drafted in the top 10. Everyone needs a chance dont you think?"

Lots of guys were write-offs despite landing in the top ten in the lottery. And perhaps the reason he didn't get minutes was because he didn't deserve them. The last thing coaches should do is give minutes to guys because they are `entitled' to them. You get minutes by working hard and improving in practice and workouts. O'Bryant went to the D-League with Golden State and played poorly.

And the excuse that he couldn't get minutes in Boston because they had too many big men is laughable when you consider that Glen Davis, who was drafted in the 2nd round and a year later than O'Bryant, somehow was able to earn more minutes than O'Bryant.

[jimmie]

SY: There are personal and professional reasons for Boozer to opt out. He put himself on the sh*t list in Utah when questions arose about the severity and how long he was staying out with his injury. That led to questions of how bad Utah actually wants him, to the point that his name was hot in trade rumours at the deadline. Miami has been rumoured to want him as a FA. He will opt out, and get paid either in Utah or elsewhere.