A great game and more of the mess that is the Clippers

Join Doug Smith at noon Wednesday for a live basketball Q&A, as the Raptors get ready to take on the Sacramento Kings.

Great, great game, wasn’t it?

Second-best of the year maybe; only after the other Laker game which makes me think a Toronto-Los Angeles NBA Final would be epic.

Now, quit dreaming and read this:

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THREE POINTERS

Back in his old spot

It was pretty much matchup driven, and as always a way to make it difficult for the Lakers to quickly run a double-team at him, but the Raptors had Chris Bosh at the elbow far more often last night than they have in some time.

It worked pretty well – he didn’t drive the ball as much as a lot of people would have liked – but it was much easier for him to get quick jump shots off and find guys open on the perimeter when wing defenders cheated over to help.

What I’d like to see, though, is more weak side movement from his teammates to make it even more effective.

That’s stuff like the weak side wing – DeRozan or Weems, depending on who’s in the game – curling off screens and down the lane rather than fading to the other elbow or the three point line.

There’s also got to be lots of opportunities for Bargnani to flash to the middle of the lane and get off that little jump hook that’s becoming a staple of his inside game.

However they decide to use it in the future, it was good to see more of it against the Lakers and I presume we’ll see it more often now.

But, and this might be what happens, they may want to save it for a bit, too, so other teams don’t get a real good handle on how to double him out that far.

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They did it right

I’m not sure they could have defended that last possession by Bryant any better and sometimes great players make great shots.

They tried to deny him the ball on the inbounds play but when you’re watching the replay, watch how sneakily he pushes off on Wright to get clear, which is a smart play any number of great players will make and not something that’s going to get called.

And once he caught it, they did what they should have, forced him away from the basket to make the sideline and baseline extra defenders and than ran a second guy at him in the corner.

Both Wright, and I believe it was Bargnani, had hands up in his face when he shot it; good defence again.

No, if you’re analyzing that last play, there’s not a whole lot more you could get out of the Raptors.

Great player made a great shot.

Whaddya gonna do?

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The staple of his game

You know what Amir Johnson does better than any other big on the roster?

Roll to the rim.

No, not roll up the rim; roll to the rim.

It gets him easy looks right in front of the basket, always occupies a second defender who slides over the help because that’s the first instinctual thing you do.

The next step in Johnson’s development will be when he stops his roll a step or two shorter after taking the pass.

Not so he can launch a 12-footer (our retinas don’t need that) but because with the defence moving to pay attention to him, there have to be guys open in the corners. And if he stops and looks around, there are going to be wide-open threes available.

I’ve seen Alex and Marc working with him on the roll, I’m sure they’ll start working with him on the passing as the next step.

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And now, the rest of the story:

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Here’s a comforting thought.

Or not.

The Raptors are 2-11 all-time in Sacramento.

They won in 1997 and they won in 2008, when this Jermaine O’Neal bloke scored like 36 points.

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So Mike Dunleavy is out entirely with the Clippers, fired in what can only be called Clipper Fashion.

Seems Dunleavy found out he’d been fired over the internet; got back to his cell phone to find a message after the news had been out a while.

Classy.

Now, I don’t know Mike Dunleavy all that well but I do know there’ve been times when he’s thought to have been quite a good coach, like in 2006 when he got the Clippers not only to the playoffs for the first time since 1997 but into the second round.

Guess he, like so many others, became a bad coach rather quickly.

I think this move says more about the Clips than it does Dunleavy, who I expect will get another gig this summer if he wants it.

Oh, as an aside, my impression of Dunleavy grew quite a bit when he brought the Clippers here in 2007-07. Los Angeles had signed Alvin Williams to a 10-day contract that spring, hoping Boogie had something left in the tank.

He didn’t – he didn’t get a second 10-day which meant he missed the Clips trip to Toronto that season – but when I asked Mike about him during a pre-game chat he said something along the lines that Alvin was one of the best guys he’d ever coached and that he deserved a chance to see if he had anything left.

Dunleavy had drafted and coached Alvin as a rookie in Portland and he’d become a big fan back then.

From that day, my estimation of Dunleavy’s character and ability to judge players grew.

Nothing that happened in L.A. – where Baron Davis would try about six games out of 10 for a couple of seasons, where the owner would get tight-fisted just about any time a significant move could be made, where Blake Grifin got hurt last fall – was Dunleavy’s fault.

Let’s look at the Clips for a second:

They fired Elgin Baylor amid accusations of age and race discrimination.

Sterling, who is a piece of work indeed, was convicted in court and forced to pay a fine for racial discrimination in a housing suit that found he refused to rent to blacks and Hispanics at property he owned in Los Angeles.

No, I think the winner in this whole mess might be Dunleavy.

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Anyway, in another Los Angeles Story, here’s what they wrote about the Laker game, another homage to Kobe. As it should be.

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Speaking of other stories, here's one from the Sacramento Bee.

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Got questions?

I may have answers.

Be here at noon to find out.

(Yes, this means there will be a game-day question and answer session in case that wasn’t clear enough).

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Look at things this way:

No matter what happens tonight with Miami and Charlotte, the worst the Raptors can be tomorrow morning at this time is tied for eighth.

Or tied for sixth, depending on whether you look at your glass half empty or half full.

Comforting, eh?

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Guess yesterday might not have been a day to suggest NBA referees weren’t quite as bad as many of you thought, was it?

No, they were not good last night at all; the calls on Bosh and Wright were atrocious and I’m trying to figure out what they could have done about the fan trying to interfere with the ball Jose was chasing. Not much, actually, since it was L.A.’s ball when the incident took place and they couldn’t anticipate a save.

But, and I’ll say this knowing slings and arrows will come, while those blown calls on the fouls were bad, they did not determine the outcome of the game. Not any more than missed shots did, or bad passes did, or silly turnovers did.

They were part of it, but not the reason the Lakers won.

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Okay, I told you I’d be a bit late and I am; I have no idea how tomorrow’s gonna work with a 9 a.m. flight to San Francisco but we’ll make it work somehow, won’t we?

Comments

[jc]

could feel bad about the end of the game but really...what have we seen more often this year? Chris Bosh hit a clutch 3 to tie a game in the dying seconds or Kobe drop one in for the win with even less time left? If the basketball gods let bosh's shot fall, there's no way kobe's wasn't going to go in.

[Larry Boutilier]

It wasn't Kobe who beat the Raptors, it was Triano for playing Turnover Turk in the final 5 minutes.
Whats worse is his reason for playing Turk.
Not because he was confused and clumsy against the Lakers but because he has a BIG salary and a BIG Reputation for late game plays HE MUST BE PLAYED!
Shows a total lack of guts on Trianos part.Afraid of criticism from Colangolo probably.

[Ryan M. in Ottawa]

Hey Doug, Just wondering - Would it not have made more sense (in 20/20 hindsight of course) for Wright to have shaded Kobe towards the middle and into Andrea as opposed to towards the baseline and away from Andrea? That way Kobe would have had to shoot over a 7fter instead of having one come just late from the side. (of course Kobe being Kobe probably hits that shot anyway!)

Blogger's note: Or he gets in the lane and the whistle blows

[Glen]

Another bad night for Turk... or maybe a regular night for Turk these days. What is his problem?

[Frans]

Great game to watch last night...a bit dissapointing result..Raptors were there the whole game. A few things really irked me about last night's game. Jack Armstrong said it best....Jarrett Jack was having a great third quarter and was a major reason why the Raptors were holding onto a 5 point lead or so....the Lakers had no answers for his penetration....with about 1 minute left, Triano subs Jack out and puts Calderon "el Matador" into the game (even Jack Armstrong questioned this move). The Lakers come back and tie the game and eventually take the lead. Jack comes back into the game with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter but Jay Triano leaves Jose "el Matador" in the game...why?? I see no logic in this. Jose was having a terrible game (3-11 shooting, 0-3 in 3 pointers, 2 turn overs) and clearly was not going to penetrate the Lakers defense...not only that, it forces Jack to be covered by Kobe Bryant which takes away his advantage over Fisher...I don't understand that move...it also puts Jack in a difficult spot of having to cover Kobe on defense (yeah they played zone for a while but they switched to man after)...don't understand it...not a big fan of playing two point guards. Weems was having a decent game and so was Demar...Wright could have been put in the game as well....Jack would have been more effective down the stretch with his penetration against Fisher vs. Kobe. Why does Triano stick to his substitution game after game (with Jose and Jack)...why does he not make the adjustments based on how the game is going and based on how each player is playing? Jose missed 2 wide open (and I mean he could have had a coffee and donut before he shot it) 3 pointers that would have swung the momentum for the Raptors (yeah yeah he made a layup late in the game but that was at a time where the Lakers weren't going to foul anybody going to the hoop)...not bashing Jose...he didn't have a good game and didn't deserve to play as much as he did in the fourth quarter.

[AT]

Doug,
Those little tidbits of personal information like the Dunleavy/Williams story really make your blog worth reading.

[marc in panama]

Hola Doug,

Regarding Sterling and his legal troubles. What was the reaction of David Stern to this racist/s actions, after these allegations were made in a court of law? Were any sanctions leveled upon him by the NBA? Players are subjected to fines and suspensions when there off court action cast the NBA in a disparaging light,no? Morals clauses are part of every NBA player contract. Do the same standards hold true to the owners? The NFL fined the owner of one of their franchises, (I think it was the Titans) $250,000 for flipping the bird to fans.

Thanks,

marc in panama

[yertu damkule]

woohoo, moral victory! wait, those don't count? who gives two hoots about whether it was a 'good' game or a'moral win?' there are only wins or losses, and any game ending in a L isn't 'good' by any stretch, unless you're just a casual observer.

dunleavy, huh? i know you back coaches, so sure, why not. nothing was ever his fault, his GM was horrible (never mind he's been GM for the last few years) & his owner's a loon. woe-is-me. i'm sure he'll get another chance - the NBA loves to recycle it's garbage, very progressive - and i'm pretty sure that he'll be as successful wherever he lands next as his career record would suggest.

as for the non-call on the fan interference, while it's true that the refs could not have assumed jose would have recovered the ball, at the very least, would not a jump-ball at centre have been in order? we see it all the time when the refs can't determine possession.

[Jean-Marie]

I don't know, maybe Jarret Jack is asked by Triano to look first for points once on the floor, but sometimes he seemes more a Nate Robinson than a point guard.
I'm not expecially in love with Calderon, but, with all his flaws, you can tell he's a real point guard. And he knows, more often than not, which spots to be in to have a clear vision of the traffic around him.
Maybe you agree.

[Penny]

Doug - is there nothing in the rules to cover the fan interference? He basically touched the ball before it was dead.

[Darko]

Morning Doug, I click on TV and catch last 30 sec's of the 1st
where Pau got 6 FT's last two with 0.1 left. Sweet. I get back to the
game to watch 4th qtr. and shut it off with that TO 2 1/2 min left
when "Kobe to the FT line on any missed shot" was in full mode.
What's the point of watching WWF , NBA version.
I'm sorry, but that many phantom FT's will determine a game for you.

[Marco]

Just for your information, the guy interfering with Jose's attempt at recovering the ball was Lapo Elkann, nephew of Gianni Agnelli (whose family owns FIAT, Ferrari, and most Italian car brands), notorious troublemaker and gossip-column habitué. Without getting into the more serious stuff, once (while drunk) he "jokingly" stole a cab from a bewildered taxi driver, claiming that since the cab was a FIAT car, he had every right to confiscate it!!! Nice to see he hasn't lost his touch...

[Steve]

I know they played great defence and Kobe did what he does best but do you think there would have (or should have) been any thought given to fouling right off the inbound pass. At worst LA goes up two and we have 9ish seconds to tie or win it.

[greg]

co-incidentally all those blown calls were against the raptors, with the exception of the charge called against Kobe in the first. I think most fans in the league has more bad things to say about refs in the NBA than fans of any other league. Im not sure players and coaches has to work the refs and earn their respect in any other league in Pro Sports. What is this the Mob?

Refereeing is always a tough job but thats a little too much. We shouldnt even have to know the names of these guys , go in make calls, control the game, be invisible otherwise, and if you call one play against one player call it against everyone else who does it. Is that a lot to ask?

[Hope Caper]

Hey Doug didn't see much of the game as it is too late here but just a comment on refereeing. I disagree that refs are not responsible for who wins and who loses. They absolutely are. The wrong call at the right time for the opposition and runs die, pace slows, people sit, and the character of the game changes. No they don't put the ball in the basket but they determine who does. I've written to the NBA a number of times and that was a waste of time. It is not on their radar and unfortunately it makes the NBA look more like WWF and diminishes the game, athletes and credibility. Which is why people should not take this sport that seriously. All you have to do is take a look at college or international ball and the consistency in calls is markedly different. Don't confuse pro ref's ability (they have lots) with consistency. I just hope that the lack of consistency is honest and not part of a larger scheme that has more to do with money than the sport.

[Ecnerwal]

The Ref's and the whistles definitely had ALOT to do with the final outcome of the game. ie. Tie game down the stretch with 9 seconds to go...Kobe drilling the game winner at 109-107. Beat by 2 points. A few minutes before the game ended Kobe clearly missed a layup with absolutely no contact made...and a foul was called on Bosh, which infuriates Bosh as he clearly states his case...and mind you the whistle was blown like 5 seconds after the shot was made. Kobe sinks both free throws. Just one of many examples of how the game was turned by the refs. The game should have at the very least gone into Overtime.

And talk about the lakers having 6 people on the court at the same time...stupid laker fan. He should have atleast been kicked out of the arena.

[Matt]

The game wasn't poorly officiated until LA took a couple of technicals at the end of the 3rd. If ever there was a stretch of game that needs to be sent in for league review, it was between the 7 and 4 minute mark of last night. As Doug pointed out the phantom calls against Bosh and Wright were atrocious; but that offensive foul called against Johnson was one of the more mind blowing things I've seen all year.

[Ryan]

I didn't see the game, but from what I've heard, Kobe got some real cheap free throws... and considering the game took a final shot from Kobe to win by, cheap free throws would make all the difference.

Don't be afraid to say the refs cost the Raptors the game if this is the truth. I have a strong feeling that you would never utter those words, even if the evidence was that the refs cost the Raptors the game. Maybe you just don't want to be seen as a homer (blaming the refs is a favourite past-time of us homers). But sometimes, it can be true.

I'm getting the feeling that this game was decided by the refs.

[Rob.V]

Ryan M - I agree with you (and was going to ask Doug his thoughts on the exact same question).

Kobe started the play with about 6 seconds to go... I would have preferred to drive him left similar to what Miami did about a month back. He made that unbelievable shot to win that game anyway however - Kobe going to his right is like a "lay up".

Duude! Anyone ask Triano postgame why he was out of time outs, and did he feel it was an error not to have had one stashed away for the final 1.9 seconds?

[DR]

If not for the typical special treatment Kobe gets, the Lakers would have lost.

A disgusting display of NBA offciating.

[Kelsey]

@ yertu damkule... I really cant believe you would make those comments. Jack is the best person on this team to drive, this allows drive and kick. He is a solid point guard. Jose is good, but not a Jack's level. May I dont have all the inside details, but I think maybe Jack sometime needs to just stay out there from late 3rd to end of game.

I have went to 6 home games and I noticed this trend with Triano's sub pattern. (4 of those Raps lost)On that note, truthfully we know Hedo was big last year, but honestly 60+ games and we cant keep hearing "Hedo just needs more burn or ball" IT WILL HAVE TO COME TO A POINT WHERE JAY MUST SIT Turk in certain game's and situation's. Turk needs Bosh condition trainer. No more excuses for Turk,Also I really dont like his body lanuage most times, when your live at the game you can see it more than on tv, shrug shoulders, complain's. Not possible to trade, but if something come's in summer do it BC PLEASE!!!!!

[Andy]

I blame Feschuk for this loss.

[Rob.V]

Oh, and also.

Still not convinced Jack and Jose on the floor together works.

Jarrett attacks the rim with frequency when he is running the show solo however with the Jose/Jack tandem we seem to settle for jumpers. I'm not putting this all on Jose however both Calderon and Hedo seem to have us moving away from the basket however when Jack is directing traffic... we "appear" to attack more.

Doug, am I way off base by suggesting this (and just bitter about a tough loss) or would you agree that you see some of this as well?.

In any case, that's my logic for not playing Jack and Calderon together. I know you dont like the tandem either... what are your reasons?

Blogger's note: I think there are some defensive issues with prolonged use mainly

[doug]

I have never agreed with two goalie system in hockey, 2 quarterback situation in football or 2 point guard rotation in b-ball...Jack-Jose situation has turned into a problem not on their parts at all as their professional about it , but rather in Jays handling of it...earlier in the season he seemed to coach to the situation going on on the floor, and adapting to it...lately he seems to have lost his confidence or is listening erromeously maybe to a assistant coach or just trying a new approach....he's not recognizing the flow in the game its baffling, he is affecting the games ebb and flow by his sub patterns with those two, he needs to go back to his early season form right now what he is doing is not working......also Hedo's problems are also point guard related as hedo was in essence the Magic's point guard in last years playoffs due to jameers injury and he was very effective...., he needs to have the ball in his hands more its when he is at his best....so the point guard situation needs a resolution, and Jay needs to be a big part of that

[Rob.V]

One last post:

I'll preface this by saying I despise the Lakers, always have. Seriously, everything about them.

Having said this, most of you are just "sour grapes" today because good teams play above the refs.

I will also point to the play where Gasol's jersey was almost ripped off him by Johnson that went uncalled. The Lakers got (2) technicals... and had that obvious call not gone missed it was an easy layup, (4) point swing in our favour right there that should have never happend.

The Raptors had their chances and although they played a strong focused game they simple were not good enough. They are not "owed" wins.

If anything, the players and coaching staff need to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves why they haven't brought a sustained defensive effort like last nights over the past 3 weeks. It's cost them games.

Hey, I want them to win as much as the next guy... but you typically get what you deserve. If the Raptors bring last nights effort for the remainder of the season good things will happen. If they bring the effort like the game against teams like Philly the other day then they are making their own bed for the outcome of their season.

Don't whine... they just have to bring that same foucs for tonights game.