Two down, one to go

Wasn’t that a rather blah game?

No life to it, really; nothing particular memorable about it save for J.J. Barea’s tooth thing and Jason Kidd getting his 10,000th career assist. Yawn.

But it did underscore one thing: These guys without Shawn Marion might be painful to watch, even more painful than they are some other times. I know Marion’s only been here a couple of weeks but the way he “tracks” balls creates more possessions for them, adds some effort and energy and is rather contagious, I think.

It also underscores the shameful lack of quickness and athleticism throughout the roster.

But that’s for Bryan and the summer.

Now, in honour of the passing of one of the greats, The Rest Of The Story (is that obscure enough for you young ‘uns?)

-

Action: A sudden lapse

Reaction: We’ve seen this before

They go to sleep for a few minutes in the third quarter, a manageable deficit becomes 15 at the end of three and the game may as well have been called then.

And it seems even Bosh knows it. Here’s what he said post-game:

“Yeah, we have our lapses. We have to stay mentally strong down the stretch of games. I think sometimes we get down eight or 10 points and we kind of hang our heads. It’s the NBA, 10-point leads can disappear in a matter of minutes.”

Few would know that better than a Raptor.

You have no idea how hard it was to resist to go all Sam Mitchell on him with a big old:

“Duh!”

-

You know, I’m watching the Mavs pre-game last night and every set of teammates has a different way to wish each other luck before the introductions are made and the game starts. There’s some salutes, some slaps, some hugs, all wonderfully choreographed.

And then it struck me, if some players spent as much time memorizing plays and defensive assignments as they do recalling who to fist bump, who to jump into, who to ignore playfully while the introductions are going on, it might be wise.

But here’s one thing to think about:

As stupid as those things are – and they are about as stupid as thunderstix – they do show that some teams are having fun and I don’t get the sense of a lot of “fun” around the Raptors.

Oh, they like each other and they joke around with each other and there isn’t a “chemistry issue” but there’s no outward display of fun.

And that’s too bad because it is a game and it should be fun.

-

Action, reaction and a question all rolled into one, like a post-game blog trifecta:

Q: So I watched the Raps v. Dallas game last night, and was taken aback by an 8 second violation called on Calderon in the 3rd quarter (I think) by legend Dick Bavetta.

Now I actually rewound my DVR to rewatch this play because I couldn't believe it, and still find myself confused. They called the violation after a 2 (maybe 3) count on the backcourt.

Do they add the time for inbounding the ball to the 8 secs to get out of the backcourt?

I didn't think they did.

And even if they did, it still doesn't make sense because they would have had to count the inbound play as 5 secs to make 8 (which would have been a violation.

Conas A, Halifax

A: The eight seconds to get ball into the front court starts when a team takes possession and runs despite any stoppages in play.

On that one, Barea pressured Calderon (cost the Mav a couple of teeth, too) and knocked the ball out of bounds with 18 seconds on the shot clock.

That gave Toronto only two seconds to advance it past halfcourt and they didn’t. It was close but they failed.

I’ve seen that a couple of times, actually, where the ball’s gone out of bounds in the backcourt with the eight second count still alive and teams get called for a violation.

-

Action: A clipboard dies

Reaction: More common than you think

I didn’t see it first-hand, our seats in Dallas are at the other end of the court from the Raptors bench and we didn’t have a television monitor close by, but I hear a clipboard spontaneously combusted or something last night.

Seems a few have given their lives before.

“Oh, hell no. I’m surprised that’s the first one you guys have seen.”

Well, at least it wasn’t a lamp.

-

Ah, the centres.

Some of you were quick to point out the folly of my ways by forgetting to put Kareem Abdul.-Jabbar in the list of top five centres all time in the answer to the question about David Robinson.

And it got me thinking (dangerous, I know) that the discussion of the top five at that position might be as hard as any in the game. And to get a top three? Virtually impossible.

I’d go with, in order, Russell, Chamberlain and Shaq. But I don’t know of Kareem’s better than Olajuwon or where Robinson fits. How about Bill Walton? I’d have him six, probably.

But it also got me thinking (equally dangerous) that we should do point guards, swingmen (I’m not sure you can differentiate between shooting guards and small forwards) and power forward. So, we will. One day the rest of the week starting tomorrow.

-

In Dallas, this is what they were chatting about this morning.

-

Another query, multiple part:

Q: Hey Doug, I've got a couple questions for you.

1) I know when people question you about why Bosh doesn't drive it more, you are quick to point out that him taking jumpers is a good thing because he is so good at it. However, 82games.com disagrees with you, as they list his FG% on jump shots this season at 43.3% (as a Raptor this year, Moon's was 46.5%). How do you respond to this statistic?

2) People often press you about your own attachment to the team and you tend to skillfully evade the issue by talking about your job. If you were to switch professions tomorrow, what kind of basketball fan would you be (diehard, not-at-all) and would you be a Raptors supporter?

Thanks for your time and energy doing all this!

Jaime A, Toronto

A: This why Mark Twain, quoting Disraeli, was right when he said there are:

“Three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”

You can bend ‘em anyway you want; for instance, if you take out Bosh’s three-point field goal attempts from those stats you quote, he’s actually a 50 per cent shooter from two-point range, which is pretty good. So, I hold to my assertion that Bosh is a rather accomplished shooter from two-point range.

And if I wasn’t covering this sport, I’d probably a pretty big fan. Of the game, not of a team.

-

And now the Great Journey continues on to Houston where at least we'll be spared having to watch Tracy McGrady coast through a game.

Comments

[Alex]

I still contend that your exclusion of George Mikan from top centers is an outright travesty. I mean Bill Walton and Olajuwan over George Mikan...? Ladies and gentleman of the jury I implore you...
Sabonis also ranks over Walton.

[dave]

Thanks for another good read even after another bad game. Sad as it sounds, you and your blog may be the highlight of the season. Would it make any sense for Brian C. to come out and say something to lighten up the players? Having fun is big and the season is done. Playoff hopes done or at best wishful wacky math.

[Jamie]

Had summer job driving a truck with only AM radio. Lovin The Rest of the Story reference...that guy died? too bad...

[Ali Hussein]

Shaq called Bosh the RuPaul of big men in the AZcentral today. That's a pretty harsh statement. How do you think Bosh responds?

Blogger's note: I doubt he will.

[John]

"Action, reaction and a question all rolled into one, like a post-game blog trifecta"

What if we worked a list into that? Could we borrow from Gordie Howe and call that the "Doug Smith Hat Trick"?

Ding! Ding! Ding!, Ding! Ding! Ding!, Ding! Ding! Ding!?

[Andy]

What did you think of Shaq's comment on Bosh - calling him a "RuPaul big man"?

Blogger's note: Yawn. Nice line. But yawn.

[MJ]

Doug, did you hear about Shaq's response to Bosh? Funny line:

"I heard what Chris Bosh said, and that's strong words coming from the RuPaul of big men."

Ouch.

Blogger's note: Yawn. Nice line. But yawn

[David]

Hey Doug, I just read that Drew Gooden got Bought out by the kings, and chance the Raps will try to pick him up? Our bench is really thin (to say the least..) and they could use another big.

Blogger's note: No chance whatsoever.

[Matt G]

RuPaul!!!

That's gotta sting. You gotta love the big dude for keeping the game fun. And I can't wait for Bosh's reply.

Imagine there'll be a few signs in Houston calling Bosh to step out the closet, don't you think?

Blogger's note: No, I don't think there'll be anything, actually.

[Ryan M.]

I know you're trying to downplay the whole RuPaul comment Doug, but don't you think it signifies how many players regard Bosh? To me guys respect his game and the various things he's able to do, but it seems as though he lacks "presence"... guys don't seem to fear him. Do you think this is what prevents him from getting to that next level as a player in this league?

Blogger's note: I think it was a comic line from a guy who can rattle off a good one every now and then. It's speaks to nothing more than Shaq's mood at that moment. Really.
If you don't believe me, that's too bad, but Bosh's game and his personalitiy, are highly respected around the league. And his status as one of the top handful of big men in the league is not going to be diminished by a Shaq one-liner.

[yertu damkule]

doug - agree, stats can be bent any which way. which you demonstrated by stating that, without bosh's 3-pt attempts factored in, he's a pretty good jump-shooter.

while we'd like to believe that bosh is an elite jump-shooter, the numbers, unfortunately, don't lie. he may be above-average from the perimeter for a big, but is that what best serves the team? taking stats out of if it altogether, and as you've mentioned here before, the team feeds off of what he does. if he 'settles' for his jumper because that's what the D gives him, then it sends the message that it's ok for everyone else to do the same.

last night's game turned in the 3rd...have a look-see at the shot chart from that Q. i think the team attempted ~4 shots in the paint. everything else was from outside. it's not as though dallas is some stalwart defensive team, especially in the post (though the raps made another scrub seem like a perennial allstar).

fri. vs. the suns, when their only legit chance at a dubya was to pound it inside & hope to get shaq in foul trouble, they weakly accepted what the D offered, and took jumper after jumper. and as unfair as it is to point fingers, it starts with 'the guy,' the leader of the team. for some, putting up big numbers is enough...and for others, not so much.

at the end of the day, it's whether a team's 'best' players are also the hardest working. isn't that what separates the winces from the MJ's - the mental, psychological & personality characteristics that make one a leader, not a PR campaign and a 'well, he's the best we've got' mentality?

[rob]

hey doug,
nice blog as always,,, I hear the atlanta scorers table was at it again yesterday against cleveland; they notified mike brown that West had four fouls when he in fact had only three.. did this crew change from last year (when they fouled out shaq) or from the year before (when they forgot TJ's basket)... I also find it funny that they never have any mistakes against atlanta... it is like they are doing it on purpose to give the hawks the upper hand..

[Tim H]

Rather interesting development here (don't know about everyone else) - I cannot connect to the Star website, but I can get your blog! They obviously know what the most important part of the Star is - your blog!

Blogger's note: We're having some major, um, issues back home, I'm told. But glad they got their priorities right :)

[yertu damkule]

alex - i can't disagree re. mikan, but i'm fairly certain that there weren't many (any?) posting here that were able to actually watch him play. he played during a completely different era, but that doesn't discount that he was the game's first legit dominant 'big' man (though he was considerably under-sized compared to later generations' bigs).

bill walton, love him or hate him, would certainly have been considered one of the absolute all-time greats had his career not been severely curtailed by various injuries.

[Matt]

If Bosh is shooting jumpshots it's because it's what the defense is giving him, and, he knows he can hit them, and, it would be more detrimental to the team to force something that isn't there especially if it ends in an offensive foul (two big men did foul out and a third had five fouls against shaq, I would have imagined that the game plan did indeed call for getting Shaq into foul trouble and not the other way around). Usually after Bosh hits a couple from range the defense reacts and things open up for him to drive. It's easy to sit at your keyboard sayin' 'drive, drive, drive'. I'd imagine it's a little more difficult if the player backs off of you and sets himself for the charge as soon as you catch the ball.

And as someone who used stats extensively during his master's program, I agree you can make stats say almost anything you want. There are stats out there that say Jamario Moon meant almost as much to this team as Marion after all.

[Bball]

Doug, following up on Yertu's comments, when is the last time that Bosh (seemingly a very nice guy and a good player), single-handedly won a game for this team and refused to let his team lose. While one player can't consistently win games on their own without the help of their team mates - and while the players on this Raptors team leave a lot to be desired - as the leader of this team I have not seen Bosh during the last few months impose his will on the game to ensure that this team does not lose a particular game. As the leader of this team, it is up to Bosh to demonstrate all of the qualities (scoring, defense and rebounding) this team needs in order to win. Its remarkable when you compare Bosh's play during the first month of this season (arguably the best he has ever played for this team) as against Bosh's play during the last 3 months (passive, settling for jump shots, weak defence, 3-pt shooting etc.).

My perception is that Bosh's best games during the last month have been when the team comes out and plays well. That is, more recently, he seemingly has played well only after the team demonstrates that it is going to play hard that night. As the leader of this team, he has to play hard and demand the same from his teammates - especially when the team struggles.

It would seem that Bosh at times has mentally checked out on this team. That is frankly very disappointing. If Bosh is unhappy with his team and wants to leave as a free agent in the summer of 2010 then that is his prerogative. But, in the meantime, fans rightly expect that he will do everything in his power as the leader of this team and its highest paid player to give 100% and demand the same from his teammates.

[James C.]

Two items here that represents the "lost" season for our beloved Raps. One, the 8 second backcourt violation last night happens rarely during the season but the fact that Jay called a 20 second timeout, drew up a play to get the ball inbounds and for whatever reason our "all-star(?)" PG decided to take the pass and dribble it to the half court line when everyone knew that this was futile given they only had 2 seconds to do so reflects the lack of execution and/or coaching in this squad. Two, the RuPaul comment by Shaq is a sad commentary of our "max(?)" player. Its not the RuPaul comment so much but the Shaq add-on that Bosh quit during the game and Shaq will make sure this will happen again in the next game. In a season of unintended consequences, the move to send Nathan Jawai down to the D-League just prior to the Phoenix game when we could use the 6 hard fouls and maybe shelter our star 4 from now getting all the derisive comments is again the sad state of our beloved Raptors.

[Darko]

I would agree with Alex that Sabonis belongs there, and I wish fans in North America could have seen healthy Sabonis and not the one who played last 8 years or so without Achiles.

GM, sorry little tardines, like sheppard (Doug) like sheep (us), and I was not shoveling any sunshine. Kids hockey rules,
or rocks, as my older son tells me. If somebody 10 years ago told me that I would be freezing my behind in comunity hockey arenas 5-6 times a week, I'd tell him whatever sh.. he is smoking is reeeeealy good.
Anyway, Steve Nash, I do not see people who absolutely can not defend you or me in HOF. As for his ass's and pts, I consider style of play coached by Don Nelson and M D'Antoni to be steroids of game of basketball. Therefore, numbers achieved through this "he who is stuck with the ball with only 6 sec. gone on the shot clock, is an idiot and buys dinner for the whole team tonight" system, are same as Bonds or McGwire HR totals.
Jason, MVP award is OPINION of few people who vote on that, FACT is that your HOF player has never won didley in college, NBA and national team. Never even played in the Finals.
JWK award is great, but we are talking bball here not nice guys competition. And I do not get your international remark, he played all his career in the US (college and NBA) his Canadian passport is irelevant here.
Anyways, yes he is nice guy and good PG (on offense) only, but to me Defence is above everything.

[yertu damkule]

matt - it's not about 'drive, drive, drive,' it's realizing that doing what the D wants you to do is not playing to your strength...it's playing to theirs. why does pheonix run? because it forces the D to do something they don't want to do. why do opponents prefer bosh taking jumpers? because they'd prefer he not post/drive, for whatever reason. against the suns, it was 'cause they didn't want shaq getting in foul trouble, so they'd prefer he slough off bosh, knowing that he (bosh) would be content to take jumpers. that's ok, for the suns, since it keeps their primary weapon (w/ nash & amare out) free to relax on D & focus on killing them on offense.

there's a fine line between taking what the D gives, and acquiescing.

[Jack]

Q: How are the Raptors doing?
A: Same old, same old.

Bosh gets the ball, goes one-on-one against a defender.
Bargnani gets the ball, shoots from far away.

Don't these two ever pass the ball?
The reasons why other teams are successful is because they pass the ball around looking for an open man. Last night, granted that Dallas has better outside shooters, it doesn't mean that the "Killer Bees" should not pass the ball.

Bosh: "Hey, I'm the best player on the team. I'll take a shot whenever I want."
Bargnani: "Hey, I'm the number one pick. I'll take a shot whenever I want."

Same old, same old.

[Pete]

Bosh gets no love from his fellow NBAers. We've heard Manute Bol from Stephen A, now RuPaul from the big cactus! Also, when guys like Lebron or Dwade are asked about the olympic experience, they always say "It was great playing with guys like Kobe, Lebron, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard..." but they NEVER mention Bosh. What does that mean? He lacks in character. People don't recognize him. People don't give him credit.

Blogger's note: Perhaps you missed LeBron all-star weekend talking about how good it would be to be Bosh's teammate.

[Conas Allen]

Forget the RuPaul comment. I would be more taken back by the next line that came out of Shaq's oversized pie hole:

"I'm going to do the same thing (in their next meeting) I did before - make him quit. Make 'em quit and complain. It's what I do."

That comment would get my back up, and I'm not sure I could stay quiet if I were Bosh.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

I think putting Walton at six is too high because he lost so many games in his career to injury. If he played past 40 the way Jabbar did, then I think he's in there. But by the time Walton was winning a championship with Boston, he was a sub. Jabbar was starting on a championship team till the end.

Also, you have to consider Walton's post-NBA career, in which he's been pretty much been a dick the whole time.

I wouldn't put Robinson in the top ten. I'd even put Moses Malone ahead of him. And Mikan. Robinson might have won the MVP, but he didn't win a championship till he had Duncan by his side. And even that didn't happen without Robinson ceding leadership of the Spurs to Duncan.

And I don't know if you saw any of the Phoenix game yesterday, but there was a moment when Shaq came to bench for a breather. Nash was sitting next to him, wearing a suit, listening intently as Shaq muttered something from behind his towel. Within seconds Nash was doubled over guffawing. I think playing with Shaq would be like going to the circus every day of the week.

AG, Torontoi

[D-Wade]

RE: Moon shoots 46.5%

If you play 10 minutes a game and shoot 1 for 2 are you not shooting 50% ? Bosh on the other hand plays about 35 mins a game and shoots about 20 shots a game ... if hes 9/10 out of 20 I could care less. I rather see Bosh taking a jumper whether it be a 3 or a 2 than I would like to see Moon with his "high" percentage shot.

[john]

What does the RuPaul reference by Shaq mean anyway ?