Early morning after a bad night

The 4:15 a.m. wakeup call came awfully early out here today. Pardon the typos you’re going to see, I’m sure; it’s not like I’m all fresh as a daisy.

Oh, and it’s a San Antonio-Chicago-Toronto travel marathon, not sure when I’ll get to read comments and get ‘em up, but will do it as soon as I can.

See ya tomorrow.

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THREE THINGS I LEARNED

Troubling times indeed.

The question, in the wake of Saturday’s slaughter in Dallas, was how they would compete against the Spurs.

Hmm.

Not so good.

Yes, offensively they were fine but that’s the easy part of the game. It’s doing the, pardon the expression, grunt work that separates bad teams from even mediocre ones and the Raptors failed miserably in San Antonio.

Sixteen offensive rebounds surrendered? It was like volleyball at times on the glass and all it would have taken was a modicum of effort.

And it’s even more than just putting a body on someone.

Two cases”

Late in the first quarter, a shot goes up, it bounces twice in the lane before someone, I believe it was McDyess, calmly bends over and grabs it, with Raptors on three sides of him.

Third quarter, right in front of us. A shot goes up from the wing, long rebound bounces back towards the shooter and George Hill comes from the other side of the lane to beat everyone in a black uniform to the ball.

That’s just not trying hard enough.

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Fans are? Well, fans are …

A bit nuts.

This may not be what anyone wants to hear, and it’s certainly not what many of you thought, but you’re not supposed to win games, no matter who’s on the other team.

Never mind there was no Duncan and no Parker, those were NBA players out there in the Spurs uniform and anyone who expected Toronto to simply come out and win because they had all their guys is naïve to the Nth degree.

Doesn’t work that way, never has, never will.

Doesn’t necessarily make it easier to win, either. Different matchups with different guys cause more problems than the usual, expected ones, do. Toronto has never seen the kind of small, quick lineup the Spurs had out there and that, in part, led to San Antonio’s dominance on the glass.

No, the loss doesn’t hurt more because two guys didn’t play, that loss hurts because of the manner in which it was accomplished. Against legitimate NBA players.

Hill would be a key rotation player in Toronto, so would Bonner and Blair and Richardson, McDyess, Finley and maybe Bogans. Ginobili’s outstanding against any competition.

No, the Spurs didn’t have Duncan or Parker, but that’s a pretty good team they put on the floor. I can’t think of eight that are better than them in the East.

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Odd matchups

Richard Jefferson on Andrea Bargnani? Mike Finley on Chris Bosh?

Yeah, we saw some odd stuff in that game.

And it all added up to the most entertaining game of the season. By far.

No defence at either end, lots of great shots, good ball movement at times and a game in doubt until the final minute.

No, Toronto fans didn’t get the win they wanted but, tell me the truth, it was fun to watch at times, no?

And isn’t that why we watch sports? To see good entertainment and have a good time?

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And in other news:

Oh, that zany Chris Bosh.

We’re talking about rebounding and how it’s not all that hard, you find a guy, box him out, go look for the basketball.

And, of course, an aging grunt, more than half a century old and decades removed from the days of athletic ability, suggests it’s not all that hard.

Says Bosh, with what sounded like scorn:

“You don’t have to be talented to do that. You can do it.”

Tough to do carrying a defibrillator and a six-pack but if he says so …

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A quick and rather strange chat with Matt Bonner before the game last night, he was lying on the floor in the middle of the room working some kinks out of his back and stretching while a handful of us stood around asking him questions.

Great line on the TTC fare hike (“Will the old tokens still work, though? I have some left”) and, yes, he’s still quite interested in playing for Canada next summer.

But, as much as I like Matt – and he’s a great guy and a good player – that’s not enough, in my opinion.

If he’s going to go through with this thing, he’s got to give Canada Basketball a three-year commitment.

Look, the truth of the matter is that Canada is not going to compete for a world championship medal next summer whether they’ve got Matt or not; it’s got to be about getting some young players significant international experience at the highest level.

So the best thing he can do is commit to playing next year, at the Olympic qualifier in 2011, which is a huge tournament, and the 2012 London Games, if Canada gets there.

The national team program is on the right track, I truly believe that. But it can’t be about trying to grab one year of success at the expense of program development.

Having a guy like Bonner around will be a huge help; it’s just got to be for more than a one-off tournament.

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In San Antonio, here’s what they’ve written about that one last night.

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Oh yeah, the San Antonio guys were telling me the 131-124 final score was the highest scoring non-overtime game in the Gregg Popovich era.

And while I’m sure he’s glad they won, I’m also sure he was dying with every defensive lapse the Spurs made, and there were dozens.

As one of the Express-News guys said, if that game had been an important one in March, Pop’s head might have exploded. Last night, it was a good win for a stumbling team minus two of its best players.

But Pop wasn’t looking a gift win in the mouth.

“Wins are always enjoyable. If one can’t enjoy a win, that’s a real problem.”

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Know what this is like?

An eight-game road trip with one of the games in Toronto.

Seriously. Wake up in San Antonio, fly to the next city, have a night off. Get up, go to shootaround, do a game, get some sleep and get up early the next morning and fly to the next city.

Only change is I get to spend time with Super Wife, Son and Dog instead of some other grunts or Raptor types.

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Oh yeah, the floor.

With all the technology available to arena staff these days, it was odd to see about three dozen workers two hours before game walking up and down the AT&T Center floor stubbing their feet trying to dry up the oily substance that threatened the start of the game.

Reminded me of the two other times serious floor issues arose.

One, of course, was in St. John’s when they ended up canceling an exhibition and absolutely screwing the fans out there by reneging on an organizational promise to come back.

The other was the 1996 Naismith Cup in Calgary when water seeped up through cracks in the court and the game was delayed and almost called off. But because it was such a big deal as a Naismith Cup, they did everything they could to get it in.

Not sure what it is with these guys and courts but that’s a relatively large number of issues for one franchise.

Comments

[CC]

Doug,

If LBJ, Wade and Bosh will re-sign with their respective teams next summer for max dollars and max number of years, will the 3 of them have the same Salary?
Another scenario, if example they (LBJ to NY, Wade to CHI, Bosh to GS just an example) will sign to another team for max, will they earn the same money wise? or does it depend on the team they are going to.

Thanks

Blogger's note: Players make more money staying with their teams.

[Ryan]

Is it time to panic in Raptorland like the Swine Flu has invaded?

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Morning, Doug,
A bit of a familiar look to the defensive and rebounding swoon the past couple of games, isn't it? Absolutely no point to make further comparisons with last season, though—this is an entirely new team. Let's hope this edition has already learned something from it, 'gets it' and then actually applies what they've learned to step it up. Couldn't help but wonder, though, if maybe Pop also outcoached Jay last night. Seems to me Bargs could have had a career night in the post if they'd simply kept going to the wide open well that was there in the first half, with nothing to suggest it wouldn't be there all night long. Didn't notice any timeouts being called, either, at a couple of points when 'adjustments' and a change in momentum were certainly warranted. Step it up, boys. No excuses. No let-ups. No prisoners. Play ball!

[Jim K]

You're right about those guys being NBA players, but the game was there for the taking and they didn't get it. They made George Hill look like Grant Hill circa 98, and Matt Boner look like Dr. J flying in from the rafters.

Bottom line is that was an embarrassing loss. Doesn't matter how you spin it. If this team has aspirations of being a 45-50 win team that secures home court for the first round of the playoffs, they needed to bury this team in the second quarter.

[Jim K]

Gosh did Dwight Howard ever hide Turkoglu's defensive inefficiencies. The number of blow-bys I've seen this year on Hedo is staggering.

[GM]

Bonner was self-deprecatingly fun in his post-game interview. And at the end, he raised his arms in the air and said, "Go Canada!"... What makes you think he's only in it for one tournament? A guy like that would probably play as long as he could.

The problem with middling teams like the Raptors is exactly what we saw last night and in seasons past. They're good enough to compete against most teams and win their fair share of games, but not good enough to call it in against weaker opponents. So you see them losing badly to the Grizzlies and undermanned teams of the league because they expect they can just turn it on in the fourth quarter. Sometimes that can work, but not always. I've always thought that if they could just beat the teams they're supposed to beat (I know, I know, you're not *supposed* to beat any team), and compete in the others, you'd have yourself a good team. But undermanned good teams always do well in the short-term. They come out all jazzed up, every player knowing he has to bust his butt just to stay in the game. And most opponents will have a let-down, thinking they can coast a bit. I think that's where coaches earn their money. They've got to impress on the full squad the importance of getting that win while they can, showing urgency they might not usually show.

Blogger's note: I think he probably will commit to multiple summers, he truly loves the idea of playing for Canada. But I think they need to ask and be sure.

[Calvin]

Coaching is the least of the Raptors problems, can Triano have better rotations and plays out of a timeout? Absolutely, he's learning just like the players are. But in reality Jay can preach all day long to play "D" and hustle for rebounds, but it's the players that make things happen on the court. The Spurs are a good team even with out Duncan and Parker in the line up. They're a veteran laden team that knows how to win period.

The Raptors defense will take time and the defensive rotations will be better with more games under their belts. I'll take this years team (by far) over last years. They can score with the best of them and are fun to watch. I think it will be like 2007 when they won 47 games. Sometime in December things will start clicking and they will string some wins together all the way to the playoffs.

[pooks]

“You don’t have to be talented to do that. You can do it.”

Tough to do carrying a defibrillator and a six-pack but if he says so...

...another motive behind Bryan giving you that jersey???

Blogger's note: Hmm, interesting theory.

[Ryan]

Personally, I don't think it's much for Raptor fans to have expected the Raptors to beat a depleted Spurs team. This is a playoff team right? Should we lower our expectations to such a degree so as to view a depleted Spurs as not a surefire win?

I expect more from this team. I know it's early, but that is a game this team should win and I would imagine some of the players and coaching staff are p'ed off as well.

[chris]

Doug - i will bet you pints that Manu never inducted into the hall of fame. Never. He's a career 15 and 3 shooting guard. Dramatic and clutch, yes.....but so was Robert Horry.

Blogger's note: Robert Horry never did squat internationally, which is a huge accomplishment in the eyes of the Hall of Fame, which devotes an entire category to international players
We'll see

[Jim S]

Yes, last night's result is disappointing....they sure looked like they could win at the end of the 3rd quarter. But, isn't this about where we expected the record to be after 7 games? On paper, substitute Memphis for New Orleans and it looked like about 3 wins and 4 losses. I'm waiting 'til they're at the 20 game mark...then let's talk.

[jordan]

Hey Doug.
Could you chalk up the ghastly amount of points the Raptors give up each game simply due to the fast tempo they play? This could even be considered a positive, the Raptors force the other team to be just as quick and negligent on defense as they are because the raps are the dominant force in the game. The games they lose are because the other team plays better up tempo, but the raptor's wins are due to the other team being more of a half-court set team. I would argue that the raptors may have even done better last night if Duncan was playing and Manu got less time.

[kelsey]

Enjoy your blog Doug and your hard work as a sports writer,
Ah the Raptors..I'm starting to think maybe it has to do with coaching, then I flip back to players. It felt like the raptors got beat on every drive or drive and kick. Im sorry 3 scoring oriented Europeans can not be on a "Good play off team" starting line up. These guys are not athletic enough or just dont have the drive to play D. PLEASE NOBODY TALK BAD ABOUT BOSH, ONLY 1 NIGHT IN AND NIGHT OUT.

I know Raptors most likely wont make a trade as its early however there is no way this "D" gets better. What does everyone think about action Jackson. We still need more grit!!!

[Kelsie]

Blogger's note: Considering that they have , at times in the whopping seven games they've played so far, defended well, there is anecdotal evidence that they can.

Agreed (to a certain extent), but when you analyze it, they were all against low scoring teams (Cle, N.O. and Detroit) that are struggling. Was it good defence or did we just run into poor offensive teams?

When other teams are dropping 115-130 points on you and shooting high percentages not to mention getting to the line frequently, a reasonable argument can be made that the opposing teams offence was the issue not us defending well.

[doug]

i agree with your comment...its entetainment and last nights game was just that entertaining...and if Parker and Duncan were playing I bet Raptors win that game as it would have been played at a more methodical pace, easier to coach against...as you say teh lineup the Spurs put in was a tough one to prepare for as you never knew what you were getting....does anyone enjoy anything anymore??...from 24 hours news, to sports channels everything is analyzed to death...it's a game, it was a good one...we lost so be it, let's move on...

[Juan]

Doug
For some reason my memory escapes me re the circumstances of Bonner leaving the Raptors - was it for Rasho? He had great energy and attitude while here but was more of a grinder. Do you think his game has changed that much or does his PT in San Antonio have more to do with filling a specific role? Does anyone on the Raptors staff wish they still had him?

Blogger's note: No, not really. And they traded him to get a big.

[Dave]

Hi Doug,

First time writer, long time reader. I really enjoy your work and insights. Do you think the Raptors are entertaining a trade for Stephen Jackson? I heard about 10 teams have expressed interest. Not sure who GSW would ask for but I would assume for a big - maybe for Hedo. I think he'd add some grit to the defense and he can handle the ball too.

Blogger's note: Not being entertained in the deepest recesses of anyone's imagination according to everyone that I talk to in the organization. And Hedo's a base year compensation guy anyway so we need to forget all about trading a guy they gave a five year contract to less than three weeks into his first regular season.

[Troy Phan]

After yesterday's performance by the Raptors I now truly believe the philosophy of defense wins games. The Raps made almost 60% in field goals and 65% in 3pts while the Spurs made 48% and 50% respectively, and the Raps still loss. I'm not saying the Spurs play great defense but I'm saying the Raps played horrible defense.

[CC]

So much for all this "good guys"... its time to get Stephen Jackson. He is available...

[GM]

I gotta say I'm impressed with most of the comments today. I was expecting gloom and doom and gnashing of teeth.

[Aditya]

first of its richard jefferson (not richardson)

second of all, i told you yesterday if san antonio has ever scored these many points....ofcourse, the raptors (old habits dont die easily) just give up career highs in either points, rebounds, assists against their opponents. this time it was spurs with their highest points in the pop era.....wow.....

i don't know if its time to beat up the raptors drilling defensive concepts in practice....i would may be have a half-decent practice in their next practice (but not go so hard that they have no energy for their next game)....and have a die-hard practice where i don't care if the players are tired or not....make breathing hard for them (i see they have no more than 1 off day till december 5), but on the eve of yesterday's horrendous practice, a die-hard practice better get done by jay triano and his coaching staff in the next week. PERIOD

[CC]

let me rephrase it doug, is Bosh $$ equal to James equal to Wade if the 3 of them re-sign with their current club?

Blogger's note: Yes. Maximum value deals for free agents re-signing with their teams are set at a percentage of the salary cap which, we all know, is the same for every team

[matt]

it might have been entertaining last night, but there was football and tv on. if they wont show the basic effort to box out, go to the floor, or maybe keep a man on ginobili beyond the arc, then Ive got better stuff to watch.

[Matt Kovacs - Age 12]

The lack of defence was horrible for the raptors in the last two games. But if people ask me why they are losing, i will just say its because they are tired of the west, and need some sleep.

[Mike B]

Is there any Point Guard Jose can cover one on one. It seems to me he is the problem with the defense. He gets burned and everyone collapses to help and then they pop the ball out (unless they get the easy lay-up). And while I am on my Jose thing, is there any PG more timid at attacking the basket? He gets lots of assists but they are usually the "give the ball to Chris and let him play one-on-one" kind. He rarely creates any offense or forces any other defender to help.
He seems like a great guy but he is a back up point guard.