There's this to say about that

Tell you what, these guys are fun to watch most nights, aren’t they?

No way anyone can complain about that one last night. Great offence, high entertainment value, some sparkling plays and a win.

Not a bad night.

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THREE THINGS I LEARNED

Sure, they give up points …

But that’s going to happen.

They score a lot, there are a lot of possessions for the other team and, of course, they’re not the greatest defensive team in the history of the league.

Me? I’m fine with it, to tell you the truth.

This offence is simply going to over-power people many nights and you have to figure they’ll also have the odd night when they’re getting key stops at key moments.

Like last night.

The Pacers pull within five late in the third and the Nervous Nellies are going nuts because they’re certain the game’s going to end badly.

What do these guys do?

They get five stops in six Pacer possessions, go back up 13 by the time the fourth quarter is 2 1-2 minutes old and the uprising is quelled.

That’s doing the job when the job has to be done.

This team doesn’t have to be great defensively, it’s just got to be passable and I think we’ve seen enough glimpses of passable to feel okay.

Sure, there will be nights when they don’t get those stops and lose but there will be more nights, I think, when they do make a stand and do win going away.

Besides, I’d rather watch 120-115 than 89-85 any old day of the week.

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The little things count

All right, we all dog Andrea Bargnani for the perception that he’s a bad rebounder, right?

(I believe the standard phrase is, “Bargnani, who has to get better on the boards …”)

Well, you know what? He doesn’t suck. At least not lately. He’s had 43 rebounds in his last five games (that’s more than eight a game, the old abacus tells me) and last night he did something I don’t remember him doing for quite some time.

Fourth quarter, game’s closer than anyone wanted – although not once was there the feeling the Pacers were going to come all the way back and win – and he gets two offensive rebounds to provide second chance opportunities that Toronto capitalized on and once he kept alive another miss with a tip that ended up in someone else’s hands.

That’s just effort and it’s not something he was known for.

Now, I have no idea if he can keep this up but a whole lot of people need to cut him some momentary slack about his rebounding skill and effort.

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The little things count, 2.0

It’s early in the second quarter and Amir Johnson showed something his coaches and teammates will love and I imagine some fans might have missed.

Right in front of where we were sitting, Turk’s got the ball on the right side and he wants to go left.

Johnson comes up from the other side and sets one of the best screens I’ve seen a Raptor big set in a while.

He gets in perfect position, holds the screen a split second longer than many do and it allows Turk to get some separation, he hits Belinelli with an easy pass, Belinelli drills a three-pointer and it all happened because Johnson did one of those little things that don’t show up in the boxscore.

Setting screens, and holding them without rolling early or moving and getting called for an offensive foul, is a skill that will earn a kid lots more playing time.

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And, in other news

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All in all, I imagine the good folks who run the Canadian women’s basketball team must be feeling at least okay about the draw they got for next summer’s world championships in the Czech Republic.

Canada gets Australia, China and Belarus in the first round, from which three teams advance.

Now, Australia may end up winning the whole thing, or at least grabbing a medal, but China and Belarus are hardly among the world giants in the sport.

I think a top eight finish would be spectacular for the women, who are young but very, very good, and being able to get out of the first round with a couple of wins will go a long way towards accomplishing that goal.

They’re first round of the Sept. 23-Oct. 3 event is Ostrava, which is in the north east corner of the country, an old mining town of about 1.2 million that’s enjoying something of a renaissance. So, boss, as you read this, just let me know when I should book my ticket.

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My man Mike Wells summed up last night’s game thusly in the pages of the Indianapolis Star.

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And while we’re surfing, today in Charlotte, this appears.

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I didn’t know Abe Pollin, the chairman of Washington Sports and Entertainment who died yesterday at 85 years old.

But I’ll tell you this, I’ve seen what he helped create in D.C. and if that’s his legacy, that’s enough.

The area around the Verizon Center, the arena the Wizards owner built with his own cash, was a wasteland before the facility got built. Now it’s absolutely bustling and has revitalized an area that was dead.

The arena spurred an urban renewal that was desperately needed and if he did nothing else than convince the owners of Clyde’s to build their restaurant bar where they did, that’s enough for me.

Oh, and insisting the name be changed from Bullets to Wizards was a really good idea, too.

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So, our first look at Tyler Hansbrough last night and I will say this: I think he’s going to be okay and he’s certainly going to be in a fair share of shoving matches, I believe.

Really aggressive, all elbows and shoulders and he’s going to rub a couple of veterans the wrong way, I’m sure.

That said, I’d like him on my team because he can finish in traffic and looks like he’s got an okay little jumper.

My immediate reaction: He’s like a more-skilled Mark Madsen.

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Donny Freaking Osmond.

I’m crushed.

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Over his last four games, totaling 113 minutes on the court, Jarrett Jack has committed one turnover.

Even for a non-stats guy like me, that’s pretty good.

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The astute observers among you will notice that I’m not in Charlotte, nor will I be in Boston. Just taking a couple of games off after seeing the first 15 and the last six pre-season contests because that’s more than any man should have to witness without a break. But fear not, irregulars. I figure we stick with tradition and do a game-day chat today at 1 p.m. Eastern and then I’ll find a nice comfy spot on the couch for the routine in-game stuff tonight.

Sound fair?

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Comments

[Martin Gill]

Hey Doug,

Do you think there might be a place for a Doug Moe type offence in todays game or a variation of it?

Cheers

Martin

Blogger's note: Probably but Moe had three pretty good guys in English, Kiki and Fat Lever. Among others.

[brennan]

andrea has had his moments on the glass....but he's still a subpar rebounder - even during this so-called stretch.
he grabs a lot of "under the rim" rebounds....the ones that happen to fall in his lap b/c he's the closet and biggest guy under the rim...he doesn't fight for tips, getting in the middle of the scrum, he doesn't come through traffic to steal one away. he doesn't have a nose for tracking a ball as say antonio davis/JYD/Oak did.
you either have it - or you don't. andrea doesn't - but if he could get to "okur-levels"...i'd be happy

Blogger's note: No, he doesn't have the nose for tracking the ball that Davis, JYD or Oak did. And none of them could do anything close to the offensive things Bargnani can do.
Oh, and that Turkish Rodman, Okur? Averages 6.7 rebounds per game this season; that perceived stiff Bargnani? Averages 6.7 rebounds per game this season.

[Blake Kennedy]

Doug, this Raptors' team defense is not acceptable. Nowhere near acceptable, couldn't even be mistaken for acceptable in a dimly-lit smoky room. We are currently the worst defensive team in the league (measured in points allowed / 100 possessions) - by a mile. We are over 4 points/100 possessions worse than the 29th ranked team (New Orleans). 116.2 points against/100 possessions (when the league average is 105.9) is just a joke.

The source for this is basketball-reference.com, a highly-recommended site.

[Joey]

Great point on Bargnani's rebounding the last couple of nights. Those two game-locking offensive boards he got last night, were the key play of the game, and Matt was going off about Syracuse or something; not once did he mention Bargnani's hustle and energy, on either of those boards. Terrible.

[marc in panama]

Hola Doug,

When you find yourself in the situation where you are doing the game blog from the comforts of your couch, do you turn the sound off so that your impressions of the game are not influenced by the talking heads? Do you find that the influence of the directors call of game (what camera shot is used, what replay is shown) influences what you "see" and thus what you write about?

Blogger's note: I don't, actually, because I need the ambient noise and without fans, I have to get it from the TV because Super Dog is well-trained. But I do tend to treat it simply as "white noise" to watch in my own fashion.
  

[AS]

Hey Doug,
What's with the new drummers @ the ACC that hang out in the rafters? They come down during 'crunch' time and have a little off beat/unsyncronized banging session that doesn't go along with the background music. What's with this? I must say, I heavily favour them over the old DJs that used to be up there screaming some jibber jabber. Speaking of them, who are the grunt-looking fellas who are on laptops where the DJs used to be?

Blogger's note: If you're talking about Section 105, that's overflow media seating; if it's somewhere else, I'm not sure who they are

[Matt M]

Part of me was hoping for a blow out yesterday but I take coasting most of the second half and still getting the win. Nice to see Calderon and Jack can carry the offensive load when the defense focuses on Bargnani and Bosh. Jay looked more annoyed than some of the fans about the second half effort in the post-game scrum yesterday. Of course, given that was the first post-game scrum I have seen this season I can't really say whether that is how he normally looks in post-game scrums. The Raps get to do it again tonight, and imagine it will be much tougher against the Bobcats. At least they looked up to the task last night.

[Juan]

Doug
I had to catch a flight to Charlotte at an ungodly hour this morning and was surprised to see Feschuk on the plane - surely there's a later plane to catch for a 7PM game? Sorry it wasnt you as I would have said hello. Enjoy the break.
You've been making a lot of Orlando's team defense, for obvious reason. I know Howard has a huge impact on it but how much of their quality D do you think is based on superior schemes? Or would you attribute it mostly the athleticism of their personnel?

Blogger's note: I'd say it's more personnel and ability than schemes, most of the schemes are consistent throughout the league

[jp]

Doug, love your blog, Read it every morning, and it's the best part of my day.

I agree, last nights game was awesome. No defence from either team but a fun game to watch. I think all the negative talk about this team is still unwarranted. we are only 13 games in with a brand new team and they're 6-7!! In my opinion thats fine. I think they will go on a nice little run now and then start to really get rolling around the middle of december.

I agree with your assessment of Andrea. I think he has been fantastic this year. even though he's in a bit of a slump right now, he's still playing solid man-to-man defense and he's rebounding very nicely for a player of his style).
I especially liked how he altered his game when he was struggling offensively last night and moved closer to the basket and used that 10-12 foot pull up jumper to beat the shorter indiana defenders. Andrea and Chris are great together and when one plays good the other benefits!

[Striker77]

Great offence!

I agree with you, Doug, that I would rather see a higher scoring game, rather than a lower scoring defensive minded game. I love seeing big blocks and steals and contesting of shots, but its even more fun to see effective pick and rolls leading to open j's and runs through the lanes..
I am also glad that you pointed out that the Toronto defense did what it had to do at the right time... I think we have to be realistic. No team can play perfect D for 48 minutes a game. The great defensive teams are great because they put out fires when the other team starts to make a run. Last night, the raps stopped the pacers when it was getting close.. I m sure Triano, and all of us fans should be happy with that.

[Ken]

Don't forget Dan Issel when you refer to those Doug Moe led Denver teams. I believe at least once Issel, Alex English & Kiki all averaged over 20 points a game or darn near close to it. Of course, they were also involved in that insane contest vs. the Pistons that ended 184-182 or something. That was a team that shot first and asked questions later. But terrific to watch.

Blogger's note: You're right, Issel should have been on the list

[Jack]

You think an average of 6.7 RPG for a 7 foot center is great? He ranks 45th among all players and 19th among all centers in the league. Just proves my point that he's afraid to get hurt if he plays more in the paint.
And Channing Frye has a better 3 point FG percentage than him.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/3PointS.jsp?league=00&season=22009&conf=OVERALL&position=1&splitType=9&splitScope=GAME&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&splitDD=

Blogger's note: Great? No, but thanks for putting words in my mouth.

[Joe]

English, Kiki and Fat Lever, no mention or love for that uber athelete David Thompson who was Air Jordan before the world knew about Michael Jordan.

[Errol]

Hey Doug do you have any comments/thoughts on Tim Legler's report in this mornings Daily Dime about the Raps "The Raptors get this final spot by default. Nobody else is worthy. In many ways this team has been a huge disappointment. I looked at a team with Jose Calderon, Hedo Turkoglu and Chris Bosh as a Canadian version of the Celtics' Big 3. But that team is just so bad defensively. Giving up 108 points a game is not going to get it done, not when you lack depth"

Blogger's note: The next time I pay any attention to anything Tim Legler says or writes will be the first. So, no, I have no thoughts

[WSG]

Very nice description of the Johnson screen (allowing Turk to hit Belinelli who drained the three). While I (also) do enjoy the inter-active type of blogs that are out there, with all that you single-handedly do, you’re still in a class by yourself. King Doug.

[Eddie Chan]

Hey Doug, heard you on the local sports radio yesterday and you were dead on about two things:
1) The schedule has been brutal as the raps have been playing top tier teams on the road pretty much from the beginning of the sason...6-7 is great for a team still learning how to play with one another.
2) Of cours Calderon is a starting PG in this league (people....calm down!!!). Jose will never be the best defensive PG but neither is MVP Steve Nash. Winning will take care of his defensive critics. Jose also needs to shoot more and you proved prophetic after last nights game.

Since you're on a roll, can you tell me the winning numbers for this week's lottery please?

[Gavin]

Doug, did not going on this trip have any to do with the US Thanksgiving tomorrow? You don't want to be waiting in various congested airports I assume. Anyway see you at the pre-game chat!

[Tabber]

Given some of the posts so far this morning, it seems you have a few perfect readers, Doug. These people must have perfect lives, perfect wives, perfect children, jobs, houses, and they must never do anything even slightly wrong. So, given the perfection of Brennan and Blake Kennedy, I'm sure they devote all of their free time to helping the less fortunate, so how do they even find the time to watch the games? Oops, must be they aren't perfect, so they should just STFU until they meet their own standards.

[Matt]

Doug, I know you get extremely defensive (pun intended) about people being overly harsh on the raps, but to be "ok" with the defense they play is crazy. The offense looked great last night and I have no complaints about a solid win, but this team is going nowhere (especially in the post-season) with a league-worst defense. It's easy to say you're ok with it after a home win against a mediocre team, but there aren't going to be many games with 70+ points in a half against good teams or on the road. You have to hold this team more accountable for their (near historically) bad defense.

[Tiger]

One thing I learned:
He is an unconscionable volume-shooter, a black-hole in the offense to whom defense is a foreign policy, and he should be traded before the rest of the NBA learns who he really is.
That's what some Pacers fans think of Danny Granger, and that's AFTER he lit up the Raps.
Ain't it funny how the grass only looks greener on the other side of the fence?
BTW Mr. Smith, your links to foreign grunts' articles are invaluable, they should be required reading (unless one wishes to have Raps tunnel vision)

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

I took in last night's game at the ACC--first time this season. Seats were behind the Raptors bench and I was struck by how huge Bargnani is. It's easy to forget his sheer size while watching on TV, but he really is a monster. And in spite of criticism, the kid is coming along nicely. He's managed to concentrate and improve under the weight of high expectations and that's admirable, because that kind of pressure has crushed other men (see Brown, Kwame).

A point about Bosh and his future here: I read an interview the other day where Bosh mentioned that he's tired of not getting attention south of the border. It seems the American sports press always loves to run with the idea that being a Toronto Raptor is akin to playing for a gulag. But when Carter was here he was the #1 vote getter in all-star balloting, had his own shoe and sold tons of personalized merchandise. And I've always been struck by how that all slowly slipped away once he went to New Jersey, right next to the largest sports market in the world. He should have been able to cash in on the endorsement market and the massive media spotlight, but for whatever reason, he didn't.

I hope that the people who advise Chris Bosh are reminding him that there are no guarantees that life will be automatically be better on a US based team. And that it's unlikely he'll find another place that will be willing to build so much around him. Maybe Toronto isn't on ESPN every week--they haven't really deserved to be yet. But that was a good home team on the floor last night, playing in a very good market, under strong management with an excellent fan base. So unless Bosh goes to a real contender--and there are only maybe a half dozen of those--you would really have to question why he would opt to leave.

AG, Toronto

[Chris]

Another move by Johnson last night that not all may have seen: I believe it was Turk that missed a jumper and Johnson got all over the rebound for an easy two under the net. Like the screen he created to get Belinelli a 3...he also made the screen for that missed jump shot. Very smart 22 year old.

[ANM]

Just a response to the person who decided to compare Andrea Bargnani to Channing Frye;
CF has thrown up 20 something more 3's than AB. And the reference to AB being scared of the paint? Did you not look at the stats? CF has attempted only 58 2's compared to AB 135 2's. I'm sure within that stat AB has been in the paint more often. Don't try to compare players, especially if it contradicts your point.

[Jamie]

I know you said that you didn't want to re-open the TJ / Jose wounds from a few years back, but I've a brief, semi-related question nonetheless; When TJ first signed, much was made of his friendship with Chris Bosh, yet you've hinted a few times that their relationship 'cooled off' by the time TJ was traded.

Was there something in particular that caused this? With the way he handled his demotion to backup PG, as well as his run-in with Jack last season as mentioned in Perkins' column, it would appear that he's no stranger to conflict.

Blogger's note: Sometimes, friendships just dissolve without any one specific breaking point.

[Errol]

Thanks Doug for answering my question this is the second time I have posted to your blog and you responded in a resonable time thanks again you make work go by alot faster keep up the great work. And reading the comments on espn I feel alot of people (including me)have the same opinion as you Tim's talking trash.