What a strange day that was

Hey! They won! Easily! For the second Sunday in a row they rolled.

A juggernaut if ever I’ve seen one.

Just think, 12 more in a row and they might finish ninth in the East!

Seriously, the result Sunday was far better than the alternative and the fact they came out and played hard and smart is to their credit, it hasn’t happened in every game in the last little while.

As I mentioned in Sunday’s paper, that one had all the earmarks of a dog of a game and while it was one-sided and had moments of head-shaking ineptitude, at least one team gave a full effort.

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There were times in his rookie season and last year when we would privately mock Andrea’s toughness; in fact, there was a bit of public mocking, too.

But when it was pointed out that before yesterday he had played 130 straight games, it was time to re-think that position.

Maybe it was the natural maturation process, maybe he got in better shape, maybe something just clicked but he played through stuff in that season and a half that he wouldn’t have in his first year and a bit in the league.

So we’ll give credit where it’s due.

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Action: Jake starts

Reaction: How come?

Well, we’ll let Jay explain it:

“The other option is to go Pops but I like what he is bringing off the bench. We could have gone with Joey and gone smaller but I think you like to start big and go small. We wanted to make sure Camby and Randolph saw bodies inside. Jake is a veteran guy and knows defensive coverages. He did a real good job, he communicates back there and did a nice job to start both halves.”

Makes sense, since Pops still got his 20 minutes, Joey got his 24 and since the opposition was so wretched, it probably wouldn’t have mattered if you started.

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Speaking of sheer Bracket Brilliance, Super Son and I rebounded from a somewhat disheartening Friday to go 14-2 on the weekend. We’ve got out Elite Eight still intact and when North Carolina beats Connecticut 78-75 in the final and the total points is 153, are we ever gonna crow about it.

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THE CANADIAN PRESS

They've definitely improved the unis since he left.

Marcus Camby turned 35 years old yesterday – a belated Happy Birthday, kid – and he’s been in the league for 13 seasons now. He’s a grown up, one of the really good guys I’ve got to know a little bit over the years and still has plenty of skill. An excellent rebounder, good shot-blocker, some shooting range and knows his limitations.

He’s willing to come off the bench – he’s not starting every night for the Clippers for goodness sake – and loves Toronto.

Would he make a good grown up to add to this team?

Yeah, he sure would.

Trouble is, he’s got that $9.6 million salary next year and unless they can move, say, Kapono and Joey Graham for him, I don’t see how they can do it.

But they should ask.

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Again, I’d love to show you what they said about the unspeakably bad Clippers in the local Los Angeles dispatches but none of them sent a writer to cover them.

It was the second game in a row with no visiting reporters.

Toss in the fact there hasn’t been a single advance scout at either of the last two games either – and there’s usually at least one guy around checking out a visiting team that’s on a trip someone from a team Toronto’s about to play – and it’s been quiet on press row.

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Speaking the Clippers, anyone notice that Fred Jones has turned back into that slashing, driving, dunk contest-winning guy the Raptors thought they were getting three years ago?

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In just about every visiting team locker room in the league, there’s a big whiteboard somewhere on a wall that teams use to diagram plays and leave inspirational notes (Play Hard! Rebound! Bus to airport leaves at 10:40).

But the one here stands out as unique.

Not only is not affixed to a wall (it’s a sliding panel that blocks the entryway into the locker room when it’s out), it’s got very little room for any visiting coach to draws up assignments and plays.

Why? Because about a quarter of it is taken up by a diagram of a hockey rink.

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Just so I can do cynical:

Q: I just thought that your readers, (and the team) should be aware that John Hollinger's playoff odds are now predicting that the chance of the Raptors making the playoffs is now at 0.0 percent. My girlfriend is now happy, she gets me back a few games earlier this summer.

Peter L, Toronto

A: I know John, I like John, I appreciate John’s nuanced look at the game. I wonder what took John so long to come to that conclusion. Dead batteries in the calculator? A broken abacus?

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Speaking of Andrea Ironman, the fact that he missed yesterday’s game means Toronto won’t have a single player who appears in all 82.

And that’s odd for this franchise.

Only twice – in 2006-07 and 1996-97 – have they not at least one guy who dressed for an entire regular season.

Arcane stats? We’ve got ‘em.

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Action: Nate’s in town!

Reaction: Not for long, maybe.

Yes, there was a Nate Jawai sighting yesterday, the big fella was on the bench late in the game.

He’s in Toronto only for some previously-scheduled, routine medical tests, he wasn’t summoned to bail out the roster that was down a big man yesterday.

No one’s sure how long he’ll stick around but there’s a good chance he’ll be headed back to Idaho in the middle of the week, the lucky guy.

And while he’s not killing the D League, I’m told by people who’ve seem him play that he’s looking comfortable and good. He’s averaging 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 25 minutes a night in his first 10 games with the Stampede.

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Well, I got through this whole thing without once mentioning how utterly ridiculous it was to hear fans going berserk for a stinky piece of pizza starting with about two minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Seriously, it’s embarrassing.

Stop it. And I’m talking to the chain that sponsors it and the Raptors who promote it.

It’s unseemly.

Glad I got through this without going on a rant. That’s unseemly.

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Comments

[Jason]

"Makes sense, since Pops still got his 20 minutes, Joey got his 24 and since the opposition was so wretched, it probably wouldn’t have mattered if you started."

We would have had pizza before the 3rd quarter if I started.

[Jason]

I'm going on record to say that I'm a serious supporter Phoenix east, run and gun, and 100 shots a game, every game. Hopefully, the Raps can score 100+ every game and bankrupt the sponsor of the free pizza so it will stop.

[pete]

Hey Doug, seeing that the raptors came out hard against the Clippers. Could their soft play against other teams be psychological. Maybe they just don;t believe that they can win against higher quality teams? Or is this just a case of not wanting to be embarassed by the worst team in the league?

[Patrick]

Hi Doug,

While I completely agree with you that it's fairly ridiculous (and almost embarrassing) to see the fans cheer louder for a free slice of pizza than for the team, the bench's reaction was pretty funny to see (they were laughing it up, AP jumping to his feet in mock celebration).

On an unrelated note, given that you're paying a little bit more attention to the college ranks right now in light of the tourney, have any particular players stood out in your mind? Not looking for a detailed scouting report but rather just an initial impression, good or bad (Harden, DeRozan, Tyreke Evans, etc.).

Have a good one!

Blogger's note: I really like the Henderson kid; and I've never seen Harden have a really good game. But I'll get into this more later in the week

[Eddy]

Hey Doug,

Any word on how long Andrea will be out? Was it something small, or cause for concern?

Thanks

Blogger's note: No cause for concern, day to day; may be back Wednesday

[dc]

1) fred jones is still a terrible nba player
2)Bargnani should still be considered soft because opposing centers and fowards can blow by him or back him down more often than he is able to contest. As well, he is still too slow to rebound over shorter, more athletic players consistently in second rebound situations

if you want to look for toughness, look at how brandon roy responded when his teammate, the spaniard rudy fernandez, took a hard foul to the back of the neck. that is something colangelo should have drafted for. not a 21-year-old memet okur.

but kudos to the young lad for playing with the flu.
and bring back camby? maybe we should see if mike jones is available first.

Blogger's note: Whoever the heck Mike Jones is, by all means bring him back

[brennan]

i feel sorry for all clippers fan(s)....and i thought our players were disinterested...

[dc]

3) i agree. free pizza needs to end. it's only a crappy piece of plain cheese pizza anyway.
In these difficult times, it would say a lot more about the sponsors, the organization, the fans of this basketball franchise, and our great city as a whole if- when the raptors score 95+ points- a non-perishable food item was donated to the local foodbanks here in toronto on behalf of all ticket holders.
foodbanks are facing a bigger squeeze now with more people needing help to keep food on the table and fewer people offering donated food.
either that or change it to free corn dogs.

[Walter]

Doug ... stop being so grumpy about pizza and lighten up a little.

Clearly the fans love the Pizza Pizza promotion and so do the players. Even Andrea and the guys on the bench were having fun with it and laughing. Its a fun promotion that MLSE gets right!

If you're tired of the pizza deal, then think how tired we Star readers are of your lame "old crumudgeon beat writer who complains whenever fans have fun" schtick. You're too young to be that grumpy! (and this scolding is from someone older than you, LOL).

[Jenuwine]

Hey Doug, Do you think the Raps can sign Pops Mensah Bonsu in the post season? I mean, the kid is doing all the dirty work for us? If you take a look at his Defensive/Offensive rebounding, its incredible how he gets the ball with 3 visitor jerseys surrounding him. All I can say is, we can't let this kid get away. Im sure 3 years - 3 million would do the trick no? What do you think?

Blogger's note: Depends on what other offers, if any, he gets; I'm sure they'll try

[HC]

What's so bad about the pizza? It's one more thing for fans to get excited about, which is important with a team that only wins 20 games.

[Eric]

Anyone notice how the Raptors continue to seem more comfortable and happy whenever Andrea Bargnani is not with them? Granted, it's the Clippers, but they sure seem somewhat more competitive, don't they? I don't know how much longer this is going to get overlooked. Andrea Bargnani is a nice kid but he is an anchor. He is too proud to get emotionally involved with his teammates, and in this day and age your team cannot afford to feature that kind of recluse. This is not tennis or golf.

He's the one player who would not be missed if he was traded (Was he even invited to Chris' 25th?... Seriously! Was he? Not saying they don't 'like' him... just that they might've forgotten about him!) and he's the one player the team is building around. It's incredible.

Blogger's note: It's the first game he's missed all season, how in the world can you jump to that ridiculous conclusion that they are "comfortable and happy" when he's not with them?

[Pharaoh]

Doug, no comment on 'the dunk'? You had written at one point that Jose could dunk, but I didn't really believe it until I saw it. Next time I hope he adds a windmill.

[Wilber]

Doug,
Was at the game. Nice work on the AB jinx. Some random thoughts from long-time season ticket holders as we enjoyed a blowout:

Could you hear the Punjabi boys from your seat? For obvious reasons, they were easy to spot on press row from the upper deck.

If you're Jake Voskuhl, are you not laughing inside? Just playing out the string on the season and the career, cheerleading on the bench and thinking ahead to maybe coaching your kid's jr high school team next season and suddenly, you get an NBA start? Good for him. And he did what was asked of him.

Has Shawn Marion cost himself several million the past few weeks by being less than impressive? More than any other Raptor, this stretch is an audition for the rest of the league. You'd think he'd be gutting himself to demonstrate he's worth another big contract. Has he dropped his value, Doug?

Did you go to CB4's birthday party?

Would teams not try to force Roko left? Liked his driving, but seemed to favour right.

Keep up the good work.

Blogger's note: Couldn't hear the Pujabi broadcast; Jake's a great guy and I'm glad he's having fun and making money; Shawn was going to take a pay cut anyway, I think his last two seasons are making it deeper; I avoided the party; Roko isn't scouted enough but he will be

[Nick]

Doug, you know they are not going to stop the pizza thing unless the sponsors shut it down - but will MLSE ever do that? Heck no.

[Tom]

How about Pizza only in a win where we hold the opposition to under 90 points?

[Uncle Zeke]

when a team is as bad as the Raptors have been over the last couple of years they better throw as much free stuff at the fans as possible... people are already having trouble giving away tickets... i'm regularly getting half-price tickets from scalpers... not a good sign- so if it takes a free piece of pizza for the fans to cheer, then do you really want to take that away from them?

[John MacDonald]

Quick question. If you were the GM of the raps, and the team that receives the first overall pick this year offers you the pick for Bargnani would you make the trade? I think it would be a no brainer considering how good Blake Griffin kid is. Heck I would even venture to say i would trade Bosh for Griffin and a decent player.

[A Peleshok]

If I do recall correctly, even the players were getting in on the celebration for 100 pts and the free pizza (maybe the Raps were just laughing at the fans' elation). While I don't agree that the crowd should boo when it doesn't happen, what's wrong with bringing the anticipation/excitement level up when free pizza gets close?

[jimt]

hey doug r u still smokefree if so keep up the good work,if not well no one likes a quitter...lol anyhoo i was wondering what the percentage is the craps bring back delfino is it better than 50%,and also why is it necc for LA to have two teams are the clips really that profitable anyhhoo nice win as for the pizza i say keep it and get out some salami and cheese ready for next sunday.

[David]

I'm going to side against you on the pizza thing. As a season ticketholder, it means a nice walk to the local Pizza Pizza the next day, and I'd be opposed to abolishing it until we have an elite team. In recent years, MLSE has wiped out the half-time entertainment, the draft party and other benefits that used to enhance the total experience. Oh, did I mention that my season ticket prices are 60% higher than they were in 2000.

Please, leave well enough alone in this 25-win season.

We deserve better than having you campaign for ways to save MLSE even more money!

[Eric]

Is that a serious question? It may seem like a "ridiculous conclusion" when you look at a figure like games PLAYED- but some people manage to look beyond such oversimplified metrics. With Andrea, I'm talking about games he's partly missed (flu, etc.), games in which he's been benched, games in which he's been forgotten about- I mean, whenever this team appears to be having fun, Andrea is not on the floor. This is not a coincidence to me, although it may be to you.

When Pops goes off for 21 and 8, everyone is smiling, having a good time- Andrea is on the bench. AB had a good first half in that game, granted, but who noticed other than the boxscore? When Pops came in and went off, EVERYONE noticed, EVERYONE got behind him and the team flourished. When Jermaine O'Neal goes off to dominate in Sacramento, Andrea is on the bench. When they make the surprising run against Detroit a couple weeks ago and almost squeak out a win (a loss I didn't mind so much- can't deny it was entertaining), Andrea's in the locker room getting fluids.

I have never seen an honest smile on Bargnani's face. I have never seen one on anyone else's face when dealing with him. When Rasho Nesterovic was giving his post-game props to all the Raptors a few weeks ago, he looks in Andrea's direction with a welcoming grin and Andrea just turns away pretending he can't see him. Rasho's not the most social guy in the world but in that instance, even the big Slov couldn't help but be taken aback, "What is that about?"

It goes beyond this season, of course. This is three seasons in the making. It's a little easier to draw "ridiculous conclusions" after you see it played out dozens of times. The looks on the players' faces are confused: they don't know how to celebrate with Andrea. Think of Jason Kapono, a happy-go-lucky dude: when he gets hot (doesn't happen anymore; coincidence?), it's natural for him to joke with his teammates on the way back to the bench- he jokes with three of them before meeting eyes with the Italian recluse and putting his head down in a "Sorry, Andrea" reaction. We've seen this many times. Maybe you haven't- or maybe you WON'T.

I think the Andrea Bargnani experiment has failed. That's my opinion. You say it's his first game in street clothes? That's true, but it only confirms my statement, doesn't deny it. I've long been of the opinion that this team RARELY gets hot, RARELY gets excited, RARELY seems to smile (RARELY attacks the glass- coincidence?)- and this year, Andrea Bargnani has RARELY missed a game. Hmmm...

[elwyn jennings]

the pizza thing is causing a huge over-reaction

[Rob.V]

Have to agree with Walter.

Personally I could care less about the slice of cardboard they give away with every 100 points however most of the excitment comes from the kids (and there are plenty of them on family day)... so why not at least make them happy.

Doug, I'll give you a pass on this one as you've somehow had to endure this season along with the rest of us chumps, however!.

The only EMBARASSING thing in the ACC this season has been the TEAM!.

It's not the PIZZA's fault that it too somehow has mananged to outshine the Raptors.

Frankly, there would be more value in paying $500 a game to show up and watch kids baking bloody pizza's for 48 minutes rather than what we've had to witness on most nights in that building this season.

The players, coaching staff, and poohbas at MLSE should be the ones SEETHING with embarrassment... but I imagine they're not. Just another "acceptible" day in Raptorland.

Just make sure to get those renewal cheques in everyone!!!

[Simon S-G]

Is it just me or does Marcus Camby look almost exactly like Chris Rock in that old picture?