The winds of change blow hard; and the Best of Oak

Nice day today, no game yesterday, no mass panic in fanworld.

-

Here’s the thing about fans that, in pretty much equal parts, irks and entertains a guy.

It’s always black and white.

This guy sucks? Make a change.

Team loses game? Make a change.

They’re pretty much exactly where a lot of people thought they’d be after three games? Make a change anyway dammit.

Trouble is, it’s never black and white, it’s always grey.

Take the whole “Jose can’t defend a lick, why is he playing, how in the world can they ever win a game with him out there?” stuff I’m getting floods of in the mail.

No, he’s not a great defender but the notion than anyone can defend anyone one-on-one is, as perhaps we’ve mentioned before, silly.

Yes, he will give up blow-bys just like every other point guard or wing man in the NBA.

Yes, he has to be better.

And the scheme has to work better.

And his teammates have to be better.

As Bosh said yesterday:

“It’s not one person’s fault, it’s the whole team’s fault. Guys are going to get blown by sometimes but we have to have a solid defence behind them and it just can’t be as easy as a blow-by layup or a blow-by one pass and a shot; we’ve got to make them work for it.”

Or as Jay said yesterday:

“(Perimeter blow-bys) means guys have to help and that’s how they kicked for threes. We worked on our close-outs today and we have to be better as a team. We’re not a super-quick team, so we have to be very good at closing out.”

Or as Jose said yesterday:

“It’s not only the point guard, there is not too many one-on-ones in the NBA, it’s all about pick and roll. That’s why when we talk about defence, it’s not like one guy penetrates because you got a pick. That’s why we always talk about team. Everybody has to help each other … we just have to be better as a team.”

It’s funny how things can change in less than a week, isn’t it?

A day after holding Cleveland to, what, 35 per cent shooting, there were no huge concerns about anything, really. The Cavs got into the paint but there were defenders there to help and they didn’t shoot an unconscious percentage from outside.

Two games later, things are a bit awry, no doubt but – and I say this with all due respect – IT’S THREE FREAKING GAMES!

-

The Oak cometh.

Yes, our good friend and the most quotable Raptor ever – Charles Oakley – is back in town, I’m told, to be singled out for his contribution to the team during tomorrow’s game against the Pistons.

There are too many good Oak stories to tell here, we’ll dribble ‘em out over today, tomorrow and Thursday but here are a couple (and forgive me if I’ve told them before, I imagine some here haven’t heard them):

We’re in New Jersey, it’s pre-game and Oak’s holding court as Oak did. But, it’s also a lot of stuff we’ve heard before, about kids not playing the right way, the game’s all about the hype, marketing blows, what about the game, yadda, yadda, yadda.

So, the Toronto scribblers, and Raptors staff, leave him to go off on other pursuits.

Well, we wake up the next morning to blaring headines the Post saying Oak says 65 per cent of NBA players, or some big number like that, smoke dope and some play while high.

From that day on, there always had to be a guy on Oak Watch. Just in case

And, one more.

We’re in Cleveland, Oak’s coming back from a one-game suspension (I think it was for smacking Jeff McInnis in the head before a shootaround) and it’s the first chance we have to ask him about it.

Rob MacLeod of the Globe says:

“Hey, Oak, do you think you let the team down?”

To which Oak says something along the lines of:

“The NBA let the team down by putting it in Canada.”

Well, a couple of us do a spit-take at that one and we’re away to the races. Oak’s on a roll, and we’re prodding the bear with a stick with the Raptors media relations guru is looking on, his face ashen but you know he was smiling, too.

Not sure how the conversation unfolded exactly but it ended when Oak said, pretty much unprompted:

“Pimpin’ ain’t easy, pimpin’ ain’t dead; the ho’s are just scared.”

To this day, I have no idea what that means but it remains one of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard uttered.

-

So, Jay, been thinking about moving DeMar out of the starting lineup (as if the kid’s been killing them or something!)?:

“Not for a second.”

Good answer. DeRozan’s been as everyone expected. Good for stretches, invisible for stretches, just another guy on the court for stretches.

The same, as a matter of fact, as the rest of his teammates.

-

Now, this is a bit over the top, don’t you think?

Venture out in the pre-dawn period to The Friendliest Starbucks On Earth (Hwy. 10 and QEW, tell ‘em I said hi) and what greets me?

Christmas decorations.

Lots of them. Too many of them. Even the red Christmas cups for the quad vente non-fat lattes.

Do double-take, check calendar. It says, as I figured, Nov. 3.

Shake head in wonderment.

-

Okay, here’s the thing with Quincy’s contract.

As we know, there was another guarantee that kicked in Nov. 1 – or was supposed to kick in. The numbers are not precise but they’re close so think of it like this:

He made $200,000 for being on the roster at the start of training camp.

He made another $200,000 for being on the roster on Nov. 1 (or so the original contract said).

He’ll get the rest of the deal – about $400,000 – guaranteed if he’s still around Dec. 15.

What they’ve done is write a clause into the original deal pushing back the Nov. 1 date to Nov. 15; the December date stays the same.

Why?

No one’s saying on the record or officially, but I imagine it’s so they can see if they can find a place for him without waiving him, maybe pick up a second-round draft pick. Or maybe they’re giving his agent time to find a team that’ll take him if he’s waived, without the Raptors getting anything in return.

Given the economics of the day, I’d presume that second scenario is more likely.

I will tell you this, the coaches love the kid, good guy to have around, works hard in practice, entirely coachable and the furthest thing from a distraction even though he – and the coaches – know the chance of him ever playing is slim.

-

Tell you one thing, Chase Utley is rocketing up my list of favourite ball players.

-

Speaking of honours, I’m not sure how many of you realize this but it’s induction day for the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

And one of the true basketball giants in our country is being feted.

Ken Shields, whose record at Victoria is unparalleled in CIS history, a former national team coach who’s worked with national teams in Japan, Australia, Georgia and Britain, and one of the great tacticians of the game, goes into the Hall and it’s a honour well due.

Ken and his wife, Kathy, have been integral parts of the growth of the game coast-to-coast for decades and it’s nice to see him recognized.

Would have been even nicer if Kathy went in the Hall at the same time. Missed the boat on that one.

-

Comments

[liam]

i hope Feschuk reads your blog... or is it his mandate from the editor to be just as sensationalist as a fan?

[Juan]

Doug
I couldn't agree more with your take on the neurotic nature of some Raptor fans. Here's what I see that I think is different from last year and I like.
Bosh is showing much more swagger, meanness, and tenacity. I cant imagine him in the past reacting to Howard the way he did on Sunday. I think it's a huge step and I think the team will respond to that.
Bargnani showed me all I need to know about his desire in his quote after the Cavs win: "I still have a lot to learn and I'm not very good".
I see a lot more communication on D than I can ever remember before and this will start to show results I believe.
Hedo is not 100% there yet but I think we saw glimpses of him rounding into form on Sunday.
Let's play!

[Dave]

Fun excerpt:

(Hoopshype)
Of all the NBA players drafted in the first round between 2003 and 2007, 23 became free agents sooner than expected after having contract options declined. Among that group, only seven remain in the league today. Those would be Marcus Banks, Antoine Wright, Shelden Williams, Patrick O’Bryant, Quincy Douby, Rodney Carney and Marcus Williams. Only Banks, who has barely ever played the past two years, has a contract in place for next season.

4 of those 7 are on the Raps roster. I have no idea what that means, but it's a fun fact.

[T I]

Doug, I forgot about the Oak story about him wailing a guy in the head before a home game. Once you mentioned it in the blog I couldn't think of the player's name but had a feeling you had the wrong guy (all I could remember was that he played for the 76ers). I looked it up and as soon as I saw the name it all came back to me. He wacked Tyrone Hill of Philly in the head! I remember hearing that Tyrone still owed him like 25 grand from a poker game or something of that nature lol!!

On another quick note.. Today's Feschuk column was the first one in a long time where his constant negativity and pessimism actually didn't frustrate me. If he can keep up the quality of his column today, I'll starting reading it on a regular basis again. For a while, I was growing tired of his constant negative spin to everything, but at least today he was objective and simply provided a theory/idea. Kudos to him for a change from my end of the woods.

Blogger's note: There were two incidents with Oak; Ty Hill was before a pre-season game in Chapel Hill; McInnis was before a regular season game in Toronto against the Clippers

[LeeZ]

Feschuk and you have very different takes on the José "situation". Both of you make very good and valid points. I read his article and go "yeah!". Then I read your blog and go "well, yeah, Smith makes a good point...". I think you're both right. But I do tend to side more with Feschuk. With the team that they have now -- and that's my point of emphasis, because this wasn't the case last year -- they do NOT need José's offence. Or, to put it another way, they don't need the extra few points he would generate in comparison to Jack. What they DO need is someone to keep the blowby's to a minimum, to pressure the opposing 1 and have the foot speed to recover, even partially, if the 1 gets a step on you. Doug, you're absolutely right that it's never a one-man operation. But you're putting your team in an awfully big hole if pretty much ever possession starts with a blow-by (or an uncontested three if José plays off his man too much to guard against the bb). I know there's no way in hell Jay would (or even should) pull the trigger on flipping José with Jack right now. But pretty soon, it will become apparent that José just isn't up for the job defensively. And yet, on the second unit, he will THRIVE offensively, and won't get burned by the opposing 1. He'll give the second unit a much needed offensive boost; meanwhile, Jack's defence at the start of halves will keep the opposition at bay, allow the Raps to strike first with their superior (to most teams') offence, AND his ability to penetrate is more what the first unit needs than José's ball distribution, a role made redundant by Turk. It really is an absolute win-win. And I honestly don't think the Raps will truly turn a corner until this change has been made. Did I convince you, Doug? (I know I haven't. Let's just agree to disagree on this one, shall we?) :)

[TMF]

Doug,

The Sun is reporting that the Raptors are potentially planning a tribute to HHSNBN when Orlando's back in town on the 22nd. Your thoughts on this? Personally I think it's one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. It would be awkward and embarrassing on so many levels.

Blogger's note: Might be awkward, yes; and the fans would boo, I presume. Not sure it's the best idea but he does remain the best player in franchise history and the guy who gave the team a large measure of legitimacy; not to mention success.
I think the whole "celebration" of 15 years is contrived marketing with no real purpose.

[MC B-Rad]

Doug....thoughts on the VC ceremony that is being talked about/considered? your expectations on the fan reaction? if you were Vince, would you agree to it?

Blogger's note: If they do anything -- and I'm not sure they will -- I'm certain the majority of the fans will react with hostility, which is why I'm skeptical of anything happening. And I'm not certain he'd want any part of it.
It's a long, long way from being finalized

[Matt]

I knew I saw you at walking in the parking lot at the Hwy. 10 and QEW Starbucks! I just didn't know if it was you because I couldn't figure out why you would be in Mississauga. At least I know I'm not crazy now...

[kelsie]

'No, he’s not a great defender but the notion than anyone can defend anyone one-on-one is, as perhaps we’ve mentioned before, silly.'

I think most will agree that blow-by's do indeed happen in the NBA to many players however, it is more than just blow-by's with Jose.

It's also the failure to fight through screens or continually expect, instant switching cause you feel you cannot get through the pick to face up your man again.

It's also the annoying 'clapping' on rotations at shooters instead of a strong close-out or contesting of these shooters.

While I don't think that blow-by's happen every possesion or is even the biggest problem it's a combination of things, mainly the lack of an initial point of resistance that begs to be monitored and analyzed cause if it doesn't improve and has been this way for the past three years it affects the type of team the Raps can or will become.

Many tired to attribute his defensive performance to his hamstring last year, but before that the same issues still existed. I agree it's only three games into the season but the issue which has been a prolonged one should not be ignored. Feschuck is a self promoter and embarrasingly is always trying to stir up contraversies while promoting his new book or making personal judgements no one cares about, but I agree that if the defensive issues (and this is the biggest area that must be corrected) continue and a major source of it is Jose, than you must explore all options objectively and NOT factor in the fact that we've committed 3 more years and $26-28 million dollars into a player.

Blow-by's or not it's about team success.

[fritz]

Hi Doug,
"he does remain the best player in franchise history"
I think you could make a pretty good argument that Bosh has overtaken Carter as best player in franchise history.
By the way Bosh is third in scoring and second in rebounds in the NBA. How many games before we can start touting him for MVP? :)

Blogger's note: Not until a team with Bosh on it wins a playoff series, I won't.

[Omid]

Hey doug, what is your thoughts on this chris paul, rondo situation? I

Blogger's note: A couple of high-strung young guys getting carried away with nonsense. Just play

[Matt M]

Although I'm sure that Triano can figure all this out without the fans help here is my two cents. I'm not really sure I want to see Jack in the starting lineup. Part of the reason that Jose potentially works so well there is his ability to hit the three, and I envision that he will eventually thrive in the Hedo with Bosh/Bargnani pick and roll in the corner on the weak side. This is in addition to everything else he brings to the team, or will when he emerges from his current slump, including ability as primary ball handler and the highest assist to turnover ratio in the league. No reason to take him out after one incredible game and too pretty soft ones.

[NC]

So ... did Oak like playing for the Raptors? What do you think he mean't with his Canada comments? Did anything else come of that?

Not trying to start a panic, I'm generally curious.

Blogger's note: Yes, he liked playing here. And I have no idea what he meant two-thirds of the time he was talking.

[Ryan]

Jack has looked a lot better on the court overall than Calderon, and it's been his defense being the difference maker.

I guess if you don't want to do anything drastic, then fine, keep Calderon starting, but it's when Jack is on the court that the opposing PGs actually have a difficult time blowing by.

I simply think this team is better with Jack starting than Calderon, regardless of whether or not this can realistically happen anytime soon.

One thing's for certan though: Jack needs more minutes at PG.

[Jack]

It doesn't matter who starts; Caleron or Jack. It's a total team effort when it comes to defense. If someone blows by the point guard, someone has to switch.
Maybe the reserves will play better defense. Maybe Jay should give Weems, Wright, Johnson and Bellinelli more playing time. Maybe the starting five are just tired. It's only the start of the season. Let's see what the other team members are capable of.

[CC]

any word on Weems?

Blogger's note: Ah, he dressed Sunday

[Hooman]

Quick question for you Doug - when Triano made the substitution of Calderon for Wright with 4 minutes left in Sunday's game, did you think it was the wrong move? Wright is quickly turning into my favourite Raptor with his scrappy defence and clutch shots, why in the world did we need a line up change? We were on an amazing run, Orlando called a time out to figure us out ... and we did it for them - put back in your struggling point guard (that 3 he missed sealed the game in my opinion). Don't take this as Jose bashing, just a simple question - at the time (not in hindsight) did you think it was the wrong move?

Blogger's note: I have no recollection of what I thought; or if I thought anything, actually.

[TMF]

I think honouring Vince at the 25th anniversary celebration would be appropriate.

[A.J.]

hi

who is the team in 2nd place in the consecutive 3 point streak. Also how legit is this record, like i can’t remember the last time i watched any level of basketball and not see at least one 3 pointer.

Blogger's note: As I recall, Dallas is second, not sure of the number. It's a cute little fact that, to me, means very little and it's nothing I really think that much about

[anthony.mackay]

Whoa, everyone needs to take a breath or 3... you would think we are a bunch of Cav's fans or something.
Lets give it another couple games for Hedo to get his game legs back and adjust to our system and let Jose shake off the rest from a full off-season of no basketball activities.

I'm liking the play of Wright and intensity of Bosh... to put thinks in perspective the Magic are the deepest team in the East (or league) and probably the 2nd best team in the league behind the Celtics. We will be fine and I still expect us to grab the 4-5th seed. Not every team is gonna score like the Magic, once the blow by happens we still got 3 guys at 6'10"+ waiting... Jay will get things settled down.

[graham]

I like Jack as a player and think he will be a great addition over the season but in the game against Orlando his defence was not different from Calderon's -- the only time the Raps defense tightened up was when Wright was on the floor. If there's a difference maker on defense right now it is Wright. Earlier in the season, the Raps have missed Evans being the first big and an energy guy off the bench. This is a team still undergoing development: give them 10-15 games once Evans is back and then see how the balance between offense and defense is.
Still Jay has it easy: imagine the help fans are giving Mike Brown!

[Boondock]

Why your justification of Calderon's attempt at defence is brave and noble, it's worth noting that he also plays with Bargnani and Turk. With two other starters who suck so much at defence, Calderon's crappiness becomes even more obvious.

[Darko]

Morning Doug, since you mention that Starbucks on QEW,
don't know if you remember but we met there few years back.
I was in Ottawa in another Starbucks ( I do blinds for them
in Ontario) and they were doing the same with Christmass decor.
Hey nothing wrong with a little cheer in these tough times what
with flu, economy, crappy Raps D....
I missed Cavs game, had to fly home urgently to see my dad,
he had a realy close call but it's all good now. Was all set to
tape the game, but good ol' Miss. Hydro and power outage took
care of that. What realy irks me with two loses is lack of effort
on D, starting with Chris and on.... It's one thing to have a letdown
in Memphis after a big win, which is baloney excuse anyway.
But to come out with even less effort next game, at home Orlando
without their 3 best wing players, beyond pathetic. To allow JJ Redick
and Andersen to score 50 pts. Andersen just made 4 threes and
on his fifth for Chris not even close out or put up his hands.
That was lazy or stupid or both. There should be a bylaw, if you
give up career high to stiff like JJ Redick, whole team gets docked
one paycheque to start with.

[Aditya]

hey doug, when jose calderon came back around the 5 minute mark in the 4th quarter against cleveland and memphis (i believe memphis or may be it was orlando), did you think it was a wrong move since jarett jack was doing a solid job running the point....i was honestly surprised since the team was going good....we did win the cleveland game while we lost the other one....but the question is did you think it was a wrong move at that time?

Blogger's note: Thanks for the tip, but I fully understood the question and have no recollection of the specific point. But thanks for pointing it out again

[dc]

I believe Dave Feschuk is the reason so many Raptor fans fall into depression at the first obstacle the team faces. Through a prominently placed article, he basically gave total legitimacy to all of the insane rants the fans post to you, Doug. You are the one who has to deal with the fall-out from such contrived and superficial analysis.

To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Feschuk does not handle the daily responsibility and interaction of a professional sports team blog and would probably be making your job easier if he kept his poorly constructed and unsophisticated opinions to himself. His sample size on the effectiveness of Jose Calderon vs. Jarret Jack is simply too limited to be justified as a headline article, with a front-page teaser in your newspaper.

I value your opinion more than any other sports reporter, with respect to the Raptors, because you clearly demonstrate an understanding of context, historical knowledge and involvement with the game and it's players. I suggest you smack him up-side the head when you see him, a la our hero Oak.