A little bit late but worth the wait. Probably

Better late than never, right?

Rght?

Anyway, sorry for the wee delay, airport issues but the good folks at American Airlines got me here to Dallas on an earlier flight so we’re not nearly as far behind as expected.

And given that today’s a rather busy day and the first back-to-back of the regular season (which takes some getting used to, as a matter of fact), having an extra couple of hours to get stuff done sure helped.

And, perchance, this will help you get though the start of the day.

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THREE THINGS I LEARNED

Trouble was brewing

Half way through the first quarter, with the shot clock winding down, Mo Pete hoisted a zany shot just because he had too. No way it was going in but it grazed the rim and the backboard, bouncing back up the lane and three Raptors – and my notes are fuzzy so I can’t name them without guessing – stand around and watch it.

New Orleans grabs the rebound, finishes the extra possession with a dunk and a rather miffed Jay Triano calls timeout.

It was exactly the kind of possession that kills coaches. They defended the first 22.5 seconds of it perfectly but just could not – or would not – finish it off.

It was kind of representative of the entire first half, actually. The Raptors were average to below average for most of it but it’s to their credit that the hung around and didn’t let the Hornets take control.

Down two at the half must have felt like being up six after the way they had been playing. And that Mo Pete play typified it.

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Maybe gambling’s not so bad

Don’t imagine any of you were able to see much of this but everywhere you turn in the back-of-house hallways of the New Orleans Arena, it was a gambler’s paradise.

Ads for Harrah’s Casino on the hallway wall outside the locker rooms (one slogan: After You’ve Run The Floor, Run The Tables) and a huge banner ad a couple of feet deep ran across the top of the wall in the Raptors locker room.

Now, gambling’s legal in Louisiana and there were the requisite mentions of help lines available to gambling addicts but, really, isn’t that a bit hypocritical of the NBA?

I don’t think seeing an ad would move anyone to develop a gambling problem or start supplying inside information on games to nefarious types but, really, isn’t that a wrong message for this league to send at this time.

In related news, Tim Donaghy got out of jail this week.

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Guy’s got some passion, no?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jose quite as jazzed up as he was for most of last night’s game.

In the third quarter, Chris Paul was defending like a madman, cutting off his lanes, going over screens to limit where he could go, right in his chest and Jose was cheesed. Might have been a foul in there, might not have been but Jose, who finally had to almost dribble out the entire shot clock before taking – and missing – a bad three, was all over the refs.

The Hornets in-bound the ball, Jose sneaks up behind Paul, waits ‘til he turns after taking a pass and initiates contact. The refs, quite correctly, call traveling and both guys end up on the floor.

Jose gets up, yells, talks some trash to Paul and I’ve never seen him quite so animated.

Now, don’t get me wrong, that kid plays as intensely as anyone on the floor and he’s got a bit of a temper. But he hardly ever shows it and the more he does, the more you should like it.

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And now, what else is new:

You remember that nifty contest we’re running – two tickets to Dec. 13’s game, time spent courtside watching them warm up, time spent listening to us grill Jay post-game (I’ll be the grumpy one) and time spent hanging with yours truly – right?

Well, much chagrin about the fact it’s only open to people who reside within 75 miles of Toronto, which really bites, in my humble opinion.

People who know these sorts of things tell me that’s a Maple Leaf Sports requirement to meet NBA regulations.

Not sure what those rather ridiculous regulations are supposed to do, but they’re in place.

Sort of figured the long arm of New York was involved when they used miles instead of kilometers in the fine print.

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Back in New Orleans, this is what people got up to read about the game (at least those who weren’t up all night traipsing up and down Bourbon Street).

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And while we’re tuning around the dial, the good burghers in Dallas awoke to find this in the local fishwrap setting up tonight’s struggle.

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Speaking of Dallas, here’s a trip down memory lane:

Feb. 25, 2006, at Dallas, Toronto leads by 24 with six minutes left in the third quarter and loses in overtime.

Nov. 20, 2007 at Dallas, Toronto leads by 24 with six minutes left in the second quarter and loses in regulation.

They remain the two biggest blown-leads in franchise history.

One joker says last night:

“Maybe this year we’ll get down, come way back and lose that way. Give you something different to write.”

That’d be nice; the old way was boring.

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Mo Pete says hi.

Had a nice chat with him pre-game, he’s looking really good (says his weight’s down to 212, his old Michigan State fighting weight) and that’s because he’s finally healthy after battling a bunch of nagging injuries last season.

But the truth is, he looked a bit slow on the court and was not at all an integral part of the New Orleans offence.

He only played about 12 1-2 minutes, missed four of five three-pointers and finished with just six measly points.

But at least he’s still in the league, which is all Alvin Williams could think of after they chatted before the game.

“Mo’s only 31, of course he should still be playing.”

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Comments

[Phil A]

It's nice to see Jose finally have a good game. His defence was alright (I guess "alright" is an understatement considering he was playing against an elite point guard like Chris Paul) but it's his offence and his passing that came back to his standard. It's also nice to see him emotional on the court but I think he crossed the line when he starting chirping at Chris Paul. Not only did Chris Paul have a better game then him, Chris Paul is arguably the best point guard in the league.

Blogger's note: Better game? Yeah, in the first half, for sure; but fewer points and far less impact than Calderon in the second and Toronto won. So ...

[NRapz]

doug,
are you having a pregame chat today?

Blogger's note: No, not today. Decided not to do them on weekend games for staffing reasons and a chance for me to catch a bit of a break on a back-to-back

[Jeff]

Just read an article a couple of days ago talking about how Aldridge was the best big taken in the Draft that year. I know it's early in the season but by the stats Barg's is killing Alderige so far this year. Though Aldrridge had a better year last year.... who would you choose today if you had to do it over again and you had to choose a big. Aldridge or Bargs?

Blogger's note: Nothing's changed in four years, would have made the same choice today as I suggested back then, Bargnani was the right pick

[Alan Squires]

Phil A:

What does Paul having a better game than Calderon and being the best PG in the league have to do with anything? Trash talk is a part of the game and good trash talkers can get into the head of good players and take them off their game. Status of a player has nothing to do with getting up in someone face. I say bravo to Calderon, Paul was completely ineffective in the 2nd half and perhaps Calderon's chirping had something to do with that.

[coachd]

Count me in as a Jose fan. All this drivel being directed at Jose must come from those fair weather fans that jump on and off the bandwagon as often as I change my underwear. Jose has, is, and will always be a fierce competitor. When healthy, he's one of the best and smartest PGs in the league. Toronto is lucky to have a PG of this quality. I loved the way he played last night and I don't see why that won't continue. Finally, Jose has never needed fans, reporters , coaches or teammates to tell him when he's not playing up to speed. He's knows it and has never been afraid to admit. That is probably his greatest asset.

[Tim W.]

Phil A.

Last time I checked, there was no rule that a player had to have a better statistical game and be a better player to get upset at another player.

And as anyone who plays basketball knows, it's the score at the end of the games that determines everything. The Raptors won and I would bet anything Paul would have changed places with Jose last night, if he could have.

[HopeCaper]

Hey Doug,
How's Dallas? Warmer than New Brunswick I am sure!!! I watched the game last nite and was impressed with Calderon's defence. Now several poeple have commented that he was OK or adequate but I wonder if they checked Chris's second half stats. You know elite Chris and poor slow footed Calderon who was, according to some, going to get chewed up by Paul. He gets the flack when opposing guards get the glory so it is only right Jose gets the glory when opposing guards get shut down or produce less than their average output. Especially elite guards.

Blogger's note: It's about 18 C here; cloudy but warm. That beat N.B.?

[Jon K.]

Hey Doug,

Love the blog. You truly provide a dose of personality to your writing...as opposed to other bloggers that just plain write. Love it

Also love seeing Jose displaying his passion. Give me a talented player with passion over a more talented player without passion ANYDAY! PS anyone regret trading TJ now? Nope, didn't think so.

Question, how does one go about entering this contest you speak of? You know, the one involving tickets, the whole 75 miles thing, and of course...time with you!

Hahah, thanks for the info

Blogger's note: This is the link
http://dougsmith.thestarcontests.com/StaticPage.aspx?id=3d160ce7629a348399fd03187d3d8b9e&tid=1&pid=2

[jim t]

hey doug whats your take on the new rims the nba is using,any feedback from players?how come it hasnt been mentioned in this vast land of the great dr naismith?Also can u see if the red rocket has any pull in vetoing the proposed ttc fare hike,thx,lol.oh and a story of our fav grunt giving out beads on bourbon st would be cool for next year if you can throw it in for your male followers :)oh and get this the leafs won,haha incredible!!!

Blogger's note: Haven't noticed a thing about the rims, same as the overwhelming majority of players

[Back in Black]

Was it really a travel, or was it a charge but the ref wanted to keep Paul in the game?

...yeah, I read the excerpt from Donaghy's book. It's pretty cynical...

[Justin]

How do I get in on this contest?

[Bernard]

Hi Doug,

1)Do you see any lingering symptoms of fatigue in Hedo?
I thought he would be more of a force with the Raps.

2)Don't you think that NBA players should have to commit to their NBA team and not play in the summer. Fatigue and injuries come back to bite them during the regular season.

Blogger's note: No. And no

[HopeCaper]

Hey Doug,
Just a little time to game. I thought I would share a little meteorological (word?) Canadiana and follow up on your query about our day here. Plus one, sunny, a little skiff of snow when morning arrived (which didn't melt where the sun didn't shine)and just a slight bit of stiffness to the ground. Three deer trundeled by my house about mid-day but tbis is hunting season so they didn't hang around. Who are you picking for x-factor tonite? Catch you on the blog later!!

[GM]

I wonder why NBA regulations would care about where a winner comes from. And Toronto might be a bit different from the other NBA teams in that it represents the whole country rather than just the city.

[BigPD]

Mentioning the Harrahs ads - guess you have to wonder about MLSE as well - taking advertisements from Casino Rama in the ACC.

Same thing.

Money talks - hypocritical or not.

[Tom]

Hi Doug,
You talked about the getting used to playing back-to-back games throughout the season was something that they were going to have to get used to. The majority of this raptors team has played in the league now for a bit and have played back-to-back many times before.I was just wondering if you could clear that up a bit for me about the playing back-to-back. Do you mean as a team together now or for all players in general it takes some getting use to.

Blogger's note: It's all players in general, it takes a bit to get accustomed to doing anything "again" after five or six months.