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?)

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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.

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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.

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

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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

[Pipit]

Jermaine O'Neal and especially Jamario Moon is playing very well in Miami. Many are saying (correct me if I'm wrong) even you that Jamario's talent won't be starting on a good team except in Toronto. What can you say about that now that he's starting on a rather good team.

Doug, does this also signify how poor the Raptors coaching staff in utilizing the strengths of players just like what happened or is still happening with Kapono, Bargnani, Graham and Ukic.

[GM]

This has nothing to do with anything here, but this is a neat video on the free throw king, who also shot 209 straight 3-pointers. In the top left corner, there are various news clips on the guy. My favourite is him in a free throw shooting competition with Rick Barry on That's Incredible (only the guy is blindfolded, unlike Barry). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzYh4CGAbCU

[DougG]

That was a pretty classless, personal attack Shaq lodged on Bosh. Bosh simply pointed out that Shaq gets special treatment. He didn't attack him personally, like some rabid right-wing partisan.
.
It is hardly a revelation to point out that basketball officials treat the stars differently than the rest of the players.

[Dan W]

I know it's not a big deal but does anyone know what Shaq ment by his comments. My guess is he's a guard in a power forwards body. That or his long hair makes him look like a drag queen.

[WSG]

Shaq is a little too Shaq'd out. Who does that Humpty-Dumpty freakaziod think he is, anyway? He owes Chris an apology, as far as I'm concerned.

[Mike]

Doug I have a question?

Really...do you get paid by the Raptors. All I see you is defending them, even when that suck!!!

[Dan W]

Either intentionally or unintentionally, you're mixing up that answer on Bosh's FG%. The reader was referring to Bosh's FG% on jump shots only(doesn't include dunks, layups etc...) while you're using his 2 point FG%. Completely different things.

The fact remains that he's shooting just 43.3% on jump shots, not an effective number. Personally, I agree that he still needs to take them since if he didn't it would have an extremely adverse effect on his ability to drive, but the readers point stands.

[Darko]

who is RuPaul?

[DA]

Actually Doug, the 82games.com stats on Bosh are for 2-point jump shots - 43.4%. No need to remove the 3-point attempts.

[Tim W.]

The difference between the good teams and the bad teams is not as much talent as it is execution. The good teams execute what they are supposed to for about 48 minutes. Bad teams do it for about 40. Right now that's how many the Raptors execute for. And before people jump on Jay for not being able to get his team to execute for 48 minutes, remember that first you have to find players who will do that. In San Antonio, its engrained in the team. A player comes in and since everyone does it, he does it, too. The Raptors don't have anything engrained.

And Shaq's comment, while amusing, highlights what I've been saying about him for years. That he's an emotionally stunted 36 year old teenager who should just be ignored. Ironically, he's whined as much as anyone over the years.

People will criticize Bosh no matter what, but he's the fact is that he's 6th in the league in free throws attempted per game (better than Amare and Kobe). He's obviously doing something right, so it's hard to argue. Bosh is able to get to the basket BECAUSE he is such a good perimeter shooter. If he weren't, defenders would simply sag off him and dare him to shoot. Bosh is scouted thoroughly and his defenders know his scouting report. If Bosh weren't an effective shooter, defenders would be told to let him take it. They aren't. And the more a player forces a drive the more offensive fouls they draw. A smart defender will know it's coming and simply get in front of Bosh and wait for him to drive.

Besides, Bosh is 9th in the league in scoring, so I'd say he's pretty good at doing what he's doing.

[Tim W.]

Darko, there's this invention called the internet that is great for looking things up. They even have it on computers, now.

[Mr. Cook]

It means Shaq is funny, almost nothing more. Doug was right to say it has more to do with how Shaq was feeling at the time than how he actually feels about Bosh. I hope / figure it made Chris laugh, and I think the actual reference has to do with his hair, and light body-weight (relative to Shaq) much more than his play. Shaq's being Shaq, just like he was when he dropped 45 on the Raps.

[Pharaoh]

Doug, I just read the Rupaul thing and all I can say is, 'Ouch!', that hurt. I see from your responses to some of the comments here that you don't think much of the whole affair, but don't you think something like this can have a psychological impact on a player? If the insult had come from someone that has never won a ring, I could see people ignoring it completely. But when one of the most dominating big men of all time calls you soft, you can't just pretend that you didn't hear what he said and carry on. I think it's entirely possible that Bosh starts to overcompensate in future games to demonstrate his toughness - and that could lead to mental mistakes, turnovers, loss of confidence, etc...

First, BBQ chicken, now Rupaul. Shaq is absolutely killing us.

Blogger's note: Psychological impact? No. No. A thousand -- a zillion -- times no.

[BB]

RuPaul is a popular drag queen in the US media. Just google her/him and you'll see tons of images...

[GM]

Darko, you may love defense, and I may not care all that much for it. But a couple of points. If you attribute Nash's offensive prowess to the systems he's played in, can't you also say that his defense is also dictated by the style his coaches implement? They obviously don't place a high emphasis on defense. You think Amare would be just as bad defensively under a Larry Brown or Tom Thibideau? The Suns, and the Mavs before them, play a system that doesn't emphasize defense, plain and simple. So you can't, on the one hand ignore what he's doing at the other end under the system while concentrating on what he does on defense under the system.

The other point is that the Hall of Fame is filled with wonderfully gifted offensive players who weren't known for their defensive contributions. By your criterion, should we expell players like Rick Barry, Alex English, George Gervin, the Harlem Globetrotters, Dan Issel, Pete Maravich, Calvin Murphy, David Thompson, and Dominique Wilkins? And how many of those guys won anything (other than the Globetrotters!)? So your argument doesn't hold.

[Darko]

Tim. W : would it not be easier just to answer my question, but no, you have to break my bal.. about it. Did you come up with that one on your own, or somebody told you to write that.

[yertu damkule]

andrew gregg - in beating the top centres issue to death, i think it's important that you take a full measure of walton's career before determining that his only impact was at the 'end' of his career as a scrub in boston. that season, he won the 6th man of the year award, & was an invaluable piece of that team. you also seem to be forgetting about his time in th 70's w/ portland, when he was the catalyst of a fantastic team that did win one title, with injuries likely preventing at least one other. oh, and in the finals they won, he smoked kareem head-to-head.

that's just his pro career, which was cut very short due to various injuries (and, perhaps, bad treatment). he may have had the most storied college career ever.

i realize the temptation to dismiss someone due to length of career, but i don't think anyone thinks koufax was anything other than a world-class pitcher during his peak, even if that peak only consisted of 6 seasons (played 12 overall, but only 6 were koufax-ian).

[AF]

Bosh is showing the same signs VC did before he left. Getting injured, whining and not playing 100% each night. He just doesnt seem like he wants to play on most nights now and it is sad to see because the players look up to him to lead.

[Matt]

yertu - You make good points and i agree to a point, but really the refs were givin' Shaq pretty much everything he wanted that night. I'd hesitate charging him too. That and I would rather Bosh shooting jumpshots than bangin' with the biggest, strongest center in the league. He is oft-injured after all and you can see what bangin' with bigger, stronger players did to J.O.'s career. That and Nowitzki is pretty effective playing in the exact same spot as Bosh, that is dominating the midrange game (and he has an MVP playin' that spot). In the end, the Raps do need someone to drive consistently, but that isn't necessarily Bosh's game. Joey seems to be developing into that kind of player, but it would also be nice if another player could be picked up or drafted in the offseason. Putting every loss solely on Bosh's shoulders is short sighted.

[bballer]

i used to think that allowing people to make comments on stories would be a good thing. after reading some of the comments here, i think i am wrong. shaq is just telling jokes to get attention. it means nothing. he is trash talking. obviously people have never played ball with real playas. stuff like that is said all the time.

matter of fact, shaq has said worse about kobe and now ignores dwade totally. worse yet, shaq has stated that guys on phx should just give him the ball and cut down on the turnovers. isn't that a slight on nash? doesn't mean he doesn't respect nash or others mentioned. just grow up people. it is only a game and a fun one at that.

shaq is just hilarious!

[Darko]

BB, thanks for the info on RuPaul. I'll skip the looking up part, those are not the images that I care to see.
See, Tim.W that was not so hard, if BB can do it you can too.
Now, just be nice a boy or girl or neither ( or both, wait that would be RuPaul) in the future, and stick to basketball.

Blogger's note: Can we please all grow up and let it go.
Thank you

[Mahdi]

you guys are worried about the comments he made! Im worried about who is gonna defend him the next time the two teams meet, cuz he said "I'm going to do the same thing (in their next meeting) I did before(To Bosh) - make him quit. Make 'em quit and complain. It's what I do."
he mite try to break kobe's record on us and Im not in the condition to withstand that slaughtering once again.

[Pete]

Shaq heard Bosh make a comment about camping out under the basket during the game and the refs never called it(3 seconds) Shaq reads the news. Doug how fast will Jake foul out facing Yao... you gotta use those fouls(lol).

[Ishaq Dossul]

yeesh - http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/93410-shaq-blasts-bosh-as-rupaul-of-big-men?eref=fromSI

[Doug]

i am sure you have bill cousy as your top point guard of all time....i researched on-line and the top anyone had Russell was 3rd at best..Kareem, Chamberlain far exceeded him..take note of this...

titles: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)

Honors: 19-time All-Star, 6-time MVP (1971-72, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980), 2-time Finals MVP (1971, 1985), Rookie of the Year (1970), Hall of Fame

The player: Like no other player, Abdul-Jabbar embodied the maestro team brilliance of Bill Russell and the individual excellence of Wilt Chamberlain. His NBA cup runneth over: six championships, a record six MVPs and a Finals MVP award ... at 38 years old!

Possessed the single most unstoppable shot in NBA history -- the sky hook -- but more than that, he was clutch, consistent and underrated in the toughness department.

He was the starting center on six championship teams and had the presence of mind to cohabitate with stars like Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and James Worthy.

He's the all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points; was named to the All-NBA Defensive team 11 times; and is the only modern era player to lead the league at least once in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, minutes played, field-goal percentage and PER.

your credibility is pathetic, you never even had him in your top 5....plus you still think Sam Mitchell is some sort of coaching guru who wasn't given his shot, what 3 years is not long enough...please if your going to write about basketball be a true fan..

Blogger's note: Pathetic? Because I don't agree with you? That's mature.