It's calm around these guys, almost too calm

Join Doug Smith for a live Q&A at noon Tuesday, as the Raptors prepare to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That was a rather sedate Monday around THOTH (The Heroes of the Hardcourt) which I guess stems from the fact they’ve won two in a row and the angst-ometer is at a season-low.

Of course, a loss tonight and it’s right back at the breaking point and it’s Fire This Guy, Trade That Guy, Bench This Other Fellow, I Told You They Suck all over again.

And that’s what makes this gig grand, in a ‘these-people-are-over-the-top’ kind of way.

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So, what’s a good week this week?

Four games, six days but three of ‘em at home.

Remember a week ago now it was suggested that 2-2 would be ho-hum? Well, it wasn’t exactly ho-hum in the way it unfolded but it ended up a rather pedestrian .500, which isn’t bad but it isn’t great.

This week? Well, if they don’t go at least 3-1, I’m sure there’ll be some disappointed people around the team, like all the players, coaches and management.

But that might be the most realistic result.

It won’t be easy but, really, what is?

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Yes, they’ve got the white and blue Huskies jerseys out for tonight and if you like understated, like I do, they’re okay.

Nothing flashy, which is fine with me.

And somehow, they resisted the urge to do a combo throwback with, say, a white front and a blue back.

Maybe next year.

But these guys are becoming close to the league-leaders in jerseys. I think Golden State might have the most what with all the old San Francisco jerseys they can trot out but, check out the Raptors: White.

Red.

Black.

Huskies.

And, of course, the traditional green that they’ll bring out for St. Patrick’s Day because, as you know, nothing says Irish like a green dinosaur claw.

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It was odd, in a way, to listen to part of Jay’s post-practice scrum yesterday when he was discussing Jarrett’s shoe-tying move the other night in Chicago.

Not because of what he said – something along the lines of “I’d expect our guy to go over and knock him on his ass” – but that he said it at all.

He also said he’s learning how to coach the personalities his got – some guys need a kick one day, some stroking the next – and he was, while not combative, more forceful than usual.

Maybe it’s the natural progression of a guy with a new group to handle, maybe he’s showing some toughness in public that he shows in private.

It was new and a bit unexpected. But since I think he could be tougher and I think that’s an opinion shared by others closer to the team – I imagine they felt it was quite welcomed, too.

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Eric from Fredericton sent this reminder in over the weekend:

You posted a question asking what your five biggest annoyances about basketball were, what are your five favorite things about the game?

Because I like the ballet of the game, the grace rather than the power (I much prefer a triple over a homer in that other sport), here goes:

A perfectly executed pick and roll that ends with a drive and a layup for the big.

A catch-and-shoot three-pointer in the style of Ray Allen or Dell Curry. The shooter rubbing his man off the screen, squaring his shoulders and feet and letting fly. I’m not sure people appreciate the difficulty of that, the speed at which it happens, the consistency of position that the truly great shooters achieve.

There’s nothing quite like a fast break perfectly conducted. A missed shot, a rebound, a quick outlet, one or maybe two dribbles and then one or two passes that ends with a layup or a dunk.

I like the courtside anticipation before a playoff game or an especially big playoff game, more people standing around, a feeling of tension in the air, the fans filing in early, just to watch.

And little guys among the bigs. Knifing from the perimeter through the lane and finishing.

Sucky, eh?

If I remember, tomorrow we’ll do some dislikes.

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Man, it’s going to be like Old Home Week around the gym tonight.

First, we’ve got Nate Jawai in the NBA and likely in uniform for Minnesota (although a DNP-CD the other night is an indication of where he fits now that Love and Jefferson are back) and they’re bringing back Dee Brown to be the 15th anniversary honouree tonight.

But quite aside from those two esteemed ex-Raptors, there’s one guy who’ll probably out-shine them all in the minds of the franchise’s younger fans,

Yep, Darrick Martin is with the Timberwolves as the assistant director of player development – think Alvin Williams with a different title – and I cannot imagine he’d miss the opportunity to come to Toronto and see some old friends.

Everyone figured D Mart would eventually be a coach, this is the first step on that journey.

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Allen Iverson kissing the logo at midcourt?

How cute.

Sixers clubbed by Denver?

How predictable.

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Oh oh. Maybe Old Home Week isn’t going to be all it can. Here’s Phil Miller’s piece from the Minneapolis paper today and there’s a note in there that says Nate had some food poisoining and they weren’t even sure he was going to travel, let alone play. That’ll give me something to check at shootaround in a few hours.

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Oh yeah, you know me and fashion so you’ll know I’m quite okay with the fact The Heroes Of The Hardcourt have left nothing out and will have blue shoes to go with the white and blue uniforms tonight.

And thus endeth today’s fashion statement.

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A rather quiet end of the day at practice yesterday.

Andrea walked out about 20 minutes or half an hour early to get some treatment on his ankle, Jose blasted off a few minutes later to also get treatment and tend to some personal matters and Chris Bosh had left before any reporter even got there to hang around the hallways and we were told he was under the weather.

All three, we were told, will be re-evaluated this morning but I’d be stunned if any of them weren’t in uniform tonight.

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Speaking of tonight, usual in-game blog will start just before 7 eastern time and we’ll do the traditional day-of-game-chat at noon. That seems to be the most suitable time for everyone concerned, right?

Comments

[pooks]

Agree with all of those, but I really like the anticipation immediately out of a time out, late fourth quarter in a close game that is down to the last play. Loved it in Detroit where they'd play GNR's "Welcome to the Jungle". Never failed to get the crowd amped up.

[brennan]

league leader in jerseys? no way.
the lakers have gold, purple, black, white, "los lakers", MPLS blue, and 80s handwritten retro to name a few...

Blogger's note: I believe the phrase was "close to becoming"

[Lawrence]

How is it that you like the quick square-and-shoot, the fast break, the fans' anticipation of the game, and the little guy among the bigs but have such contempt for finalist, mvp, olympian, quick-releasin', ball-stealin', hype-generating, little guy among the bigs Allen Iverson?

[NC]

I think the Cavs have around 40 jerseys.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Morning Doug,
Great list. Hoops is most definitely jazz ballet at turbo speed. For me, nothing beats the perfect pass. Nash's 20-foot bounce passes on a fast break, in traffic, with English! The little dump passes and no-looks Bellinelli has been dropping for dimes are classic. And the really impressive part of the alley-oop is the alley. Takes a great eye and pitch-perfect timing to make the oop look that spectacular, considering it's the easy part by comparison.
Three-point plays, and-one style, ain't too shabby either.
Hope everyone's healthy tonight. And lively. Go Raps!

[Wilber]

Do you figure Dee Brown will be watching for Toronto's finest if he comes down the DVP?

[joe]

doug,

quick question about captaincy. the last 3 years AP and CB were the co captains of the team, but with AP gone, is CB the sole captain now? or did someone take parker's place? what's the advantage of being a captain other than being a louder voice in the locker room?

Blogger's note: No one replaced him and all you do is meet with officials before the game

[Andrew]

Hey Doug, I'm travelling from Halifax to Orlando for the game next Wednesday and I'm looking for some advice (readers please feel free to pipe in, too). 1st is a recommendation on a pre-game meal. Second is: I have an official Raptors jersey, Jose Calderon, which is autographed to me. The question is: Will I be safe wearing it to the game? I'm not familiar with the Orlando types. I really want to support my team, but I don't want the jersey (or me) to get ruined. I assume it's not all that hostile in Orlando. Please let me know. Also, I'll be sitting at centre court, about 7 rows from the floor (on the press side). My girlfriend and I would love to say "hi" to our favourite baseketball scribe if the opportunity presents itself. Thanks, Doug!

Blogger's note: It's a wasteland around the arena pre-game, I'd suggest somewhere on International Drive and, yes, you'll be fine with the jersey

[Tiger]

Coach Jay has it in him to be tough on people, every zebra that patrols in front of the Raps' bench could tell you that.
People seem to forget that Sam had 2 (real bad) years under his belt before he was given the kiss of death: Coach of the Year 2006-07. The Raps came busting out of the gate that season with a stellar 7-14 record, and fans (and most of the media) couldn't wait for BC to axe him.
Our sage Grunt pointed out that Boston was ready to toss Doc Rivers into the harbour but magically won a championship the next season.
Unfortunately for Jay, the Raps' core hasn't shown the same leadership as Boston's, but the Celts' "big 3" had over 30 years of experience when brought together. Bosh, Calderon and Bargnani have just 13 years between them.
Add in Hedo's 9 years and you still have a young core.
There are going to be plenty more dark and stormy nights this season, how Jay handles them will be the story. He dealt with his first crisis pretty well.

[jimt]

both you and e.smith lol 2 smiths haha reported bosh under the weather,but i do believe he was fine in fact so fine did a number of appearances and interviews yesterday :)
in fact bosh will go for 44,17,3,3,3.

[papa]

Bosh was out yesterday doing interviews on tv and radio all afternoon for his DVD coming out soon. can't see the head cold being an issue today.

[dave]

In your piece "Depth Helps Raptors Right Ship", it was a cutting Chris Bosh and not Amir Johnson who was the recipient of a slick bounce pass from Marco Belinelli as he drew two defenders towards him. I clearly remembered this play, Doug, it was fantastic! There is a highlight of it on Yahoo Fantasy Sports website under Highlight assists of the night.

[gdr]

Doug, not sure if you would know the answer to this, but are the Raptors planning on selling "Huskies" merchandise (jersey, shirts) at Centre Sports? Thanks

Blogger's note: Oh, I'm pretty sure if there's money to be made, the good folks at MLSEL will find a way to get stuff on sale

[John Song]

Hey Doug

I just wanna thank you for doing such a great job with all the Raptors coverage. I moved to Toronto at the age of 10 and learned to play basketball while falling in love with this Raptors team. Then, our family moved to Florida when I was 13 and we never got back to Canada. Despite that, I'm still a die-hard Raptors fan and you're the first one I read every morning. My raptors fandom has made me the butt of a few jokes from my roommates (i'm in college) but I don't care, and great reporters like you make it easier to continue being a Raptors superfan.

[Matthieu]

I may have missed something but what happened to Grunt TV?
And thanks for the blog, as usual

Blogger's note: We're still searching for a magical formula that makes it worthwhile, adds value to readers and doesn't kill me

[Peter]

Hey Doug, great blog as usual.

I think the alley-oop might be one of the most exciting plays in all of sports. The skill of the well-timed pass, the athleticism of the finish. I love it! I also love the transition 3. Guys that can knock down a 3 like a lay up, that's impressive!

[anthony.mackay]

Morning D,
We need an All Grunt 3-3 game during halftime, first to 7 points wins. I know you got VC 360 windmill up your sleeve you've just been waiting to bust out!
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On a more serious note... Iverson may have made some questionable decisions during his career but one thing that can NEVER be questioned is his passion for this game. I love this guys drive and heart, fans of any team should appreciate that. I could be wrong here but once he's back in game shape I see him actually changing his style of play a little bit, his points may go down but the assists will go up.

[GM]

I don't disagree that Jay could be tougher. But could you clarify your position on coaches. You tend to think (if I'm not mistaken) that coaches take too much credit and too much blame. You said they can't really blow up on professional men except once a season. So what do you mean "tougher"? And are you now saying that how a coach presents himself can affect, positively or negatively, the performance of his players?

Here's a dislike of mine: Sportscasters who divide up alley-oop, as if the first half refers to the pass and the second half refers to the dunk.

Blogger's note: I'm talking about the once-a-year major blow-up, like a practice after four games in five nights, or a practice after a flight back from the west coast or a turn-over-the-post-game buffet explosion. Being "tougher" can just be being more vocal and demanding in the daily course of games and practices.

[Rob.V]

Duude!!

Did you happen to see the 60 Minute interview with Donaghy the other night... any thoughts- specifically on the "rogue" alleging that the NBA wanted to extend series?

It somewhat does make for good business!

Personally I believe most of what he is saying (why would he lie at this point?) however what I don’t buy is that if he is saying he made $100,000 over a 3 year period... it's probably more like $300,000!

Follow up question: Does the NBA institute a gag order and does this apply to coach Armstrong and others that are affiliated with the league through MLSE?

Maybe this is one for the mailbag

Blogger's note: It probably is a better forum over there. Can you send it that way? Thanks

[David Sidhu]

That was a really cool top five Doug!

[The J]

When counting Jerseys you forgot the Italian day and Spanish day jerseys, where they tweak the side panel of the jerseys (the white jersey with the red, white and green trim, the red jersey with the red and yellow trim). Yeah, they have a lot of jerseys, and it's obviously a marketing ploy. But that being said, fans seem to like it, so I see nothing wrong with it.

[dave]

RE: In your piece "Depth Helps Raptors Right Ship", it was a cutting Chris Bosh and not Amir Johnson who was the recipient of a slick bounce pass from Marco Belinelli as he drew two defenders towards him...There is a highlight of it on Yahoo Fantasy Sports website under Highlight assists of the night.

check it out RAPTOR FANS, a great play by Marco.

here's the link, was this the play you were talking about Doug?
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/video/player/nba/Assist_of_the_Night/17006273#nba/Assist_of_the_Night/17006273

Blogger's note: There were two; both good

[Kevin]

Hi Doug,

I loved your shooter description in your top 5.

I once saw Reggie Miller at UCLA spend the entire game trying to lose his man off screens. It was awesome to watch (he hit the winner in overtime by the way).

I also truly enjoyed a Raptors game from a private box (where you are high up but close to the floor). It was JYD's first game after being traded to Toronto and he lost Peja while helping out. Peja worked the screens all night and you could the shifts both teams made to get him open/cover him.

Blogger's note; Triple overtime against Sacramento, as I recall; JYD got caught on a back-screen, cross court pass from the far side to Peja right in front of the Raptors bench.