The last missive from the road -- for now

Okay, this is it.

The last middle-of-the-night (well, Eastern time, at least) posting for a little while. I’m going to be home eventually today and back on some sort of normal schedule like I used to keep so things will be as they were starting tomorrow.

Unless there’s jetlag and I’m up all night. Then all bets are off.

Until then …

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THREE THINGS I LEARNED

So, where are they?

We all wondered how they’d come out of this difficult start, what with the nine new guys and the eight road games against the West in their first 12 games.

And I think they’re probably right where they should be, record-wise and the way they play.

It was never going to be a seamless transition from what they looked like on paper to how they performed on the court and we’ve seen all kinds of blips in the first dozen games. The interior defence, which is as much about slow rotations by wings as it is the bigs, is scary bad at times, and passable at others. Perimeter defence? Same thing. Horrible and passable, passable and horrible. Sometimes within the same game.

But, really, 5-7 isn’t that bad. It’s about what I expected and it suggests they’ve survived this stretch without fracturing.

I mentioned when the season began that something like a 3-9 or 2-10 start would be disastrous to the psyche of a team still trying to find itself and the feeling I’m getting being around these guys is that they really think the pieces are there and the consistency that’s been sorely lacking will come.

Maybe it will – I still say we need 20 games to truly assess what they’ve got and what they are – but going 5-7 through this stretch isn’t terrible.

It’s not great, but it’s not as bad as it could be.

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Now, about that house

The theory sounds great: Protect the paint, shrink the court, make teams beat you with contested jump shots.

In reality: It’s the one glaring and consistent weakness of this team right now.

One play comes quickly to mind from last night.

Think it was in the second quarter – or maybe the first – but a Jazz shot goes up and Andrei Kirilenko goes from the left elbow to the right side of the rim to tip in the miss.

Not a single, solitary Raptor even shot him a passing glance, let alone put a body on him and it’s a perfect example of them not protecting the paint.

Now, it was one play that stood out but the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming that they have to work harder at doing what the coaches want them to do.

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Ups and downs

Oh, those rookies. They can be such teases.

How many thought DeMar DeRozan had broken through some imaginary boundary with his 17 points against Denver on Tuesday night?

I know a lot of you did because dozens told me yesterday how he had to play more because he’s good and ready to make that next step.

Well, how’s two points in 15 minutes, four missed shots in five attempts, the same number of rebounds that I got and absolutely no impact on the game whatsoever.

He got lost fighting through screens, found himself standing in the corner watching on offence instead of getting involved and had one of those Rookie Nights that are going to pop up every now and then.

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And in other news …

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This is one of those ‘duh!’ stats but what the heck.

When these guys give up 100, they’re 0-7.

When they score 100, they’re 5-0.

When the other team scores less than 100, they're 5-0.

Not sure what that means but it was in the notes package we got last night so I figured I’d pass it along.

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Remember a while ago, I was making an astute observation that one thing I disliked about hotels were elevators that only had the floor buttons on one side because I always turn the wrong when I get in them?

(Yeah, that was a major digression, wasn’t it?)

Well, after four hotels in seven nights on the road just now, here’s another:

Wall plugs.

Or, more correctly, no wall plugs.

Seriously, great expanses of boring wall and you’d think they’d put a socket in there somewhere so a guy could use the iron and ironing board without having to stand in the freaking doorway to the bathroom.

Yeesh.

So, all you hotel builders who are reading this, get it together!

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So, what do you think of the Jazz?

If you’re me, after one whole game of seeing them, you think they are very much a middle-tier team in the West. Yes, they were without Okur and he’s a big part of what they do but they just don’t seem to have it all together.

They’ve got two kids – Matthews and Maynor – playing big minutes, I don’t like the offence they get off their bench at all and I think they’re behind the Lakers, Suns, Blazers, Spurs and, probably, the Mavs right now.

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Speaking of Salt Lake, here’s how the game played out in the local paper.

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You’ll never guess who I ran into in the airport on the way from Denver to Salt Lake yesterday? Give up?

How about Mike Lupica of the New York Post.

Anyway, we’re chatting and he brings up a point I had entirely forgotten about. When I told him I was headed to Salt Lake for another game, he mentioned that the Jazz, thanks to the largesse of one Isiah Thomas, have New York’s unprotected first-round draft pick this coming June.

How sweet is that for the Jazz?

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You know what you should do today?

Click here and make a kid’s Christmas. The Proudfoot Corner of the Star’s Santa Claus fund is one of the very, very best things we do – my man Perk works tirelessly at it – and it’d be very nice of you to make a little donation, if you can afford it.

Thanks.

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Hmm, let’s see.

No game, no chat, no video.

What’s a guy to do with all this idle time?

For real, it’s going to be quite odd to be home tonight after just a regular day of writing and traveling.

Odd. But fun.

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One more digression, and I swear that’s it for today.

Slovenia beats Russia and qualifies for the World Cup?

Just saw the highlight here on ESPN and I’m pretty sure that was Rasho I saw running down the streets of Salt Lake waving the flag.

Comments

[coachd]

On the bright side of things, they were one shot away in Phoenix and a bunch of missed open looks in the 4th against Utah from a 3-1 record on this road trip. The defence has to improve, but to expect it to be where they need it to be after only 12 games is a little too much to ask.

[LeeZ]

Doug, that play with AK you're talking about, where he glided majestically through the length of the key for a totally unimpeded tip-in? It left me screaming at the idiot box (good thing a mental professional wasn't nearby or I'd be in a rubber room right now). I rewound the pvr to find out whose man it was. Hedo's. He had totally abandoned AK and was standing to the left of the hoop, on the baseline. Just standing there, I guess hoping that the ball would magically end up in his hands. Back turned entirely. Had NO IDEA where his man was, didn't so much as shoot him a glance with a view to, oh, I dunno, blocking out? I know there are going to be lots and lots of times this year and in coming years when I'll be very glad we signed him, but man, last night (and much of this early part of the season) haven't been.

[JM]

Iron? Grunts iron? You're no Oscar Madison.

[RK]

Go Slovenia!!! :) Now if only we've had Rasho to help us in this year's Eurobasket. We would surely be playing in the finals.

[Boko]

Can we leapfrog the 76ers, Pacers, Bulls, Heat, Cavs & Bucks to end up in 4th or 5th? YES! Evans will eventually bring some of the consistent toughness we need, the schedule will be easier, and the guys will know each other's game better.

One of the concerns that I have, however, is the one-sided scoring nature of the starters, and the one-sided defensive nature of the subs. Perhaps Jay can switch to the Kansas model of using 10 guys and subbing often to get a more balanced & rested group of 5 on the floor at all times ... pressing the other team more ... start AB, CB, AW, JC & JJ ... and sub RN, AJ, HT, DD, & MBe? It's harder to play D when not one of the players on the floor is a predominantly D player. And it's harder to play consistently when the two lineups are so different from each other. Just wondering ...

[plusgroove]

Hey Doug, brutal game last night. I was gonna take a flight to Utah, buy a ticket, and slap Jarrett. Why is he trying to attempt any sort of shot when the team is down, his shot is poor, and Bosh or anyone that is hot should be the number 1 option. Just so frustrating when they don't run plays for the bigs and it exposes their defence on transition. I hope they get it together for the next game.

[doug]

you want world cup digressions what about Ireland being totally robbed against france...and tot hink refs ar eimpartial an don't influence games....conspiracy theorists will have fun with this one a obvious hand ball...and france is in the World Cup in extra time....makes you wonder...

raps can't be assessed until Evans is back and to the readers that say too much value is being put on a guy like Reggie...well if Pops is so loved and their was a clamouring to bring Delfino back...then Reggie will add a dimension the raps neeed far more then those other 2 fellows will/would contribute...

[Juan]

Doug
You're doing seious, perhaps irreparable, damage to your Grunt image by admitting that you iron your shirts! I would have expected you'd do the old "hang it in the bathroom while you shower" trick.

[Nick]

Sorry Doug,
But the lost to Phx 101-100. So they are, what 4-1? Still not bad. Just had to mention it....

[Joachim T]

Doug,
What's your assessment of Jack thus far?
I'm still don't like the signing (which I pointed out previously when he signed). He can't shoot, he's not quick enough to guard (now that Jose looks "fine", Jack doesn't look like he's a better defensive option), his "court-vision" on both ends isn't very good, and he makes up his mind before things play out what he's going to do offensively. There really isn't even one thing he does really well. Sure, people keep saying he's "tough" but that's not really working to the Raptors advantage. I still think there are other options to be had for his $5mil/year salary.

2 plays last night with Jack. First play, he was on the floor with Amir, Bosh, Marco and Turks (in the 3rd Q or perhaps early 4thQ). In a transition play, he drives in the lane against 3 defenders and wildly throws it up (obviously not getting it in). Marco was wide open camping on the 3pt line near the corner and Turks was also wide open around the line at the top of the circle. I thought that was a turning point against the Raptors. Second play was earlier in the game but it was similar. Jack drives the lane against 2 defenders (with a 3rd coming over to help) and throws it up wildly (without a chance in the world of making it) while he had 2 other guys completely open.

Blogger's note: My assessment is like everyone else's, including his: He hasn't played well. But I'm not about to make rash judgements about him or his role after 12 games.

[Lawrence]

didn't they win a home game one point shy of pizza pie?

[Nick B]

hey doug, there's a typo in this post.

when they give up 100 points they're 0-7.

when they hold teams to below 100 points they're 5-0.

they've SCORED 100 in 10 of the 12 games thus far, and are 4-6 in those.

my 'duh'-style analysis: since they usually score 100, holding opponents below that number is a good idea.

[snyper]

Hey Doug, sorry to correct you, but I think you made a slightly misleading statement. The Raps are not 5-0 when they score 100 points this season - in fact, they are 4-6 (in their other win against Chicago they topped out at 99). Just another condemnation of their to date, porous defense - they scored over 100 points in 6 games and still lost.
Thanks for your work, love the Blog, read it every day.

Blogger's note: I blame the notes I read

[Matt M]

Good game by the Raps. They needed to start with more intensity and they had a lot of open looks in the third and early in the fourth that would have normally gone down but, all in all, they played better than I thought they would. Their chemistry is starting to come around on the defensive side of the floor. When their focused they have proven a few times they can shut a team down. When they find a way to do it consistently, from the start of the game to the finish, they will beat a lot of teams this year.
Quick question, how do the Spurs handle Ginobli's minutes? It is starting to appear that Belinelli is going to be the best option to finish games but yesterday he was full of energy in the third and looked tired in the fourth. How does Popovich keep Ginobli fresh for the end of games or is it that Ginobli is just the rare player that can go from about mid-third to the end of the game?

Blogger's note: I don't see San Antonio enough to know

[George]

I think the 'duh' stat is when opponents score over a 100 Raps lose, when the Raptors hold them below a 100, Raps win!

Blogger's note: Yeah, I blame the notes I read

[AS]

Hey Doug,

Speaking of the "house" defense and its weaknesses, especially in the last 2 games, have teams not figured out how to beat it by just overloading one side of the baseline with both bigs? Do you think protecting the 'house' gives up the baseline meaning dump off passes for open dunks/layups? The way Boozer/Millsap and Nene/Martin were scoring off baseline dunks was devestating. How can a guy like Turk can just rotate and be able to stop a guy like Boozer if he has position... Has anyone on the team spoken about this or is it just a case of match-ups/fatigue?

[David]

Hey Doug, was it just me or did I notice that the starters seem to have more menatl lapses on defence last night than the bench? The bench seemed to have so much more effort. Now the bench may make more errors but their energy level and effort seemed to be much higher.
After the first 4 minutes of the 1st quarter, I was ready to see substitutions. Is it unrealistic to see a quick benching to "wake" the starters up mentally?
P.S. Ironing? Do you make the bed to?

Blogger's note: Not unrealistic at all; and, no, that's why hotels employ cleaning staffs

[anthony.mackay]

Doug,
I don't want to get too hung up on a single game but I keep seeing the same thing over again and list night I must have seen it almost a dozen times... as good as Bargnani's offensive game is watching him on the other end can be very frustrating.
I admit he shows flashes of good Defensive positioning and a couple games at the start of the season were fantastic... but so many times last night he was UNDER or BEHIND the rim guarding noone and then a Jazz player would simply stroll into the paint for an easy layup just like in practice.

He must show better focus and realize he is a 7 footer and last line of defense if there are breakdowns, a few swats into the front row would be nice but I would be MORE then happy if he at least stood tall with arms up so the driving player at least has to adjust or risk being called for a charge. I'm worried that Bosh will soon realize his 30 and 15 or whatever he got doesn't matter anymore and we will see his play drop off while he starts looking towards the summer.
Andrea needs to start playing D like a man! Please tell Reggie to talk to that kid!!!

[Peter]

I missed the game, so I watched the "game in six" on the Raptors website. Interestingly enough, the video, which usually lasts six minutes, doesn't get more then about 3/4 of the way through, before it ends. I guess that's about as accurate a portrayal of the game as their is, no?

[Don M]

Our starters were tired from the previous nite. Why in the world would Triano not bring in the second line to start the game. First of all they are better defensively and secondly they have more zip in there legs. Also a player or two from 11th to 12th spots would give them fresh legs. You can't keep pushing our starters in the 2nd of back to back games. You really have to start trusting players no. 6 thru to 12.

[T I]

I have always been a Jose supporter through thick or thin, but back to back in the west coast or not, he was abysmal last night in my opinion. He couldn't shoot, got no assists, was horrid defensively yet they still played him 30 minutes?! I understand players will have bad games, but if your shot isn't going i think it is important to recognize that and try to be effective in other areas, yet Jose was real bad and they continued to play him. If he plays even half of that game better then the raptors have a chance to win. It's not like Jack has been any better of late but to be honest, for games like last night where it was a nightmare for me watching Jose, i wish they kept douby to give him minutes to send a message in-game. What a tough game to watch last night. WOW

[Viktor]

Hey Doug, sorry to correct you, but I think you made a slightly misleading statement. The Raps are not 5-0 when they score 100 points this season - in fact, they are 4-6 (in their other win against Chicago they topped out at 99). Just another condemnation of their to date, porous defense - they scored over 100 points in 6 games and still lost.
Thanks for your work, love the Blog, read it every day.
Blogger's note: I blame the notes I read
-----------------------------
Doug, your notes are right, you just typed it in wrong. It's they're 5-0 when the other team scores less than 100. I know it's a typo in your blog cause you got it right on your article. So yeah you might want to fix it before more people point it out (you've probably already had enough after this one)

[Boko]

Don M., what are you saying? Against inferior players, our subs have the following +/-s ... SW -1.4, AJ -1.8, RN -4.5, PMB -12.0, JJ -13.5, MBa -14.5, AW -15.5, PO -41.4. THAT'S why Triano should do nothing of the sort! Starting them against starters would become a disaster!! I would, however, consider starting MBe (+7.5) instead of DD (-0.3) .

[stickhandle]

Chill folks - live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot. Simple as that. First up, a positive. The boys came back from significant deficit TWICE to get close. The last one died on the in-and-out balls -- was it 12 in a row?? Stuck at 82 (i think) for like 6 minutes. That sucks, but its not typical of these shooters - they were good looks, and many were good shots -- bad luck with the rim. DD needs less time (definately not more). Hedo needs some fitness (come on man - its your job). Jack needs to be looking of the hot hand. Tell him an assist > field goal. The Reggie talk needs to lighten up too -- when he gets back playing, he'll still be weeks from his best. And at his best, he's just good - not Superman. Doug - the fitness level got exposed on this trip ... i mean, it was a tough sched with altitude, but really ... i always like players who decide that they simply will NOT be outworked. This is an attitude from the coaches and players. Any indications the Raps have that mentality in practice and/or off the court?

[chris]

Doug - what do you think our record would be if Jose at least tried to play defense?