Bet you can't wait to see what happens tonight

Join Doug Smith at noon Friday for a live basketball Q&A, as the Raptors get ready to take on the Denver Nuggets.

What do you think they’ll do tonight? Show up? Compete? Play hard?

It’s like Forrest’s box of chocolates, isn’t it? You never know.

Guess that’s kind of fun, although you’d like more of the fight they showed in the Atlanta game not too long ago to surface and you’d like fewer of those utter capitulations like they put up against Oklahoma City and Utah.

The trouble is, no one can really come up with the one answer to the one question that’s on everyone’s list:

Why?

There are theories, of course, and the one that I keep wondering about is if this group really gets along. And by that I mean do they trust each other on the court to make the right play or do the right thing or be there to get a teammates’ back.

The off-the-court chemistry is so over-rated, it’s not funny. A couple of wins and everyone’s happy, a couple of losses and everyone’s surly and it’s been that way for eons.

Here’s how one insider put it to me Thursday:

“It doesn’t matter if they like each other. Do you like everyone you work with? Do you think Ron Artest and Pau Gasol go out for dinner? How about Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut, you think they hang out? Just play.”

And that’s the one thing they haven’t done nearly enough. Just play.

The confounding thing to all concerned over there is that they’ve shown the ability to play a fair amount. Times are horrid right now, no question; but there have been moments of good that make the moments of horrid even more confusing.

I don’t think anyone has a simple solution. It’s not just coaching, it’s not just mental toughness, it’s not just physical fitness, it’s not just Inside Basketball stuff like rotations and help-side defence.

As Bryan put it in Dave’s column today, it’s like they’ve emotionally shut down for a few weeks.

Everyone’s talking a good game about having to fight and laying it all on the line and it’s time to think team rather than individual.

But as we all know, talk is cheap.

I’m tired of hearing it, you’re tired of hearing it and I presume they’re tried of saying it.

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Boy, those Chicago Bulls sure showed some fight Thursday night, didn’t they? Edged by 29 by the Heat, gutsy home performance, indeed.

That was down right Raptoresque.

Makes the turtle race for No. 8 far more compelling, doesn’t it?

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If Turk can’t go Friday – and he didn’t practice Thursday so I’m presuming he won’t if tradition holds – it has to be Sonny Weems that starts in that spot.

Not only did Jay use Weems when Turk couldn’t go on Wednesday, it sticks with the coach’s mantra of letting guys get some run in against their former teams.

And, yes, he may have spend the majority of his season in Denver on the inactive list, but Sonny was indeed a Nugget.

Not a guy who wistfully recalls the glory days, though.

I asked him Thursday if he had any special affinity for George Karl, trying to sniff out some heartfelt concern for an old coach and got a somewhat underwhelming response:

“No, not really. We said our hi’s and bye’s, that’s about it.”

Touching.

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A whole bunch was made here Thursday about Jay’s post-game comment Wednesday about being okay with his team’s effort against the Jazz.

Talk about much ado about nothing.

Of course he wasn’t happy but the next time he publicly throws his team under the bus will be the first and that’s why you didn’t see any of us who cover the team on a regular basis use the quote or get all worked up about it.

Sure, it would have been better or if he’d said nothing or something like “they were dogs and I wanted to strangle every last one of ‘em for looking like they didn’t care” but that wasn’t going to happen.

You roll your eyes, let him answer and get on with the next question.

You hang around coaches long enough – and, believe me, it’s not just Jay who mouths a cliché every now and then that he really doesn’t believe – and you know how to separate wheat from chaff.

Which is what all of us who were there did with that one.

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In Denver, today’s story is this.

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Oh, and in Toronto, the masses will assemble at noon to ask some questions and be wildly entertained by the answers.

(Yes, that means we’ll be here at 12 for the usual game-day chinwag).

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A Chauncey Billups story:

I don’t remember an awful lot about the half season Chauncey spent here back in 1997-98 (that was the end of the 16-66 season and I’ve tired unsuccessfully to block that entire sordid episode out of my mind) except that he tended to shoot an awful lot.

I guarantee you no one – teammates, coaches, GMs, scouts – saw him as a future NBA Finals MVP and one of the most respected veteran point guards in the game, which is a testament to Chauncey’s test of wills.

What I remember is a young kid on a truly dreadful basketball team playing in a foreign land and not really having a great time in any aspect of his existence.

And one Sunday I walked into the Raptors locker room at the old mausoleum fresh from an appearance that morning on some TV chat show I used to get invited to every now and then.

Chauncey, who’d been living in the Mausoleum Hotel as I recall, wanders over and says something, “hey, I just saw you on TV, good job.”

And I’m thinking, ‘wow, kid. Get a life.”

But it was nice of him to say and it stuck with for a very long time.

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In case you missed it on the TV highlights, the rather long season of the Peel District School Board Grade 8 Boys Basketball Season (at least that’s what I call it) came to a close this week with the annual playoff tournament.

(I know, it was like a four-week break between the end of the regular season and the playoffs, which kind of sucks the momentum out of a season but does allow for things like March Break and the second-term report card angst).

Anyway, the Mighty Hawks of Hawthorn were kind of drubbed in their semi by the Dastardly Queenston Cougars (who were like the early-60s Celtics) but they rebounded to knock off the Green Glade Gators to finish third in the four-team loop.

So Super Son’s career ends on a winning note, the reports are everyone had fun, which is the biggest thing, and now it’s time to start thinking Mighty Yankees.

Bet you can’t wait, eh?

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One last call for mail, okay?

Comments

[doug]

I meant to say John Wall...not Law..at work my mind in a million places...

[Rob.V]

@ kelsey.

Dude, the "Euro" players thing is overdone a little, no? San Antonio doesn't win those championships without Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker. Oh, and off the top of my head no one would say either of Nocioni, or Luis Scola are soft players either.

Sorry man, it has nothing to do with where you come from. Some idiot! (insert Don Cherry) has been spreading this negative garbage for decades... has to stop.

Oh, and right here in our own backyard recently. Rasho has had a solid career (has a ring to prove it). Garbajosa was arguably the toughest minded guy on the team a couple of years ago with us.

I'm sure thee are more around the league.

I get it, it's an easy out for fans beleive this however... this is NOT why the Raptors suck!!!

[Bill]

You cannot let Super Son quit ball in high school! I mean if Wince can play ball while playing the sax in College, I bet Super Son can handle at least the same workload.

[GM]

Fanboy Kelsey screams: "NAME ONE TEAM IN NBA THAT HAS 3 EURO PLAYERS!!!!! One please!!"

Well, you asked, so here goes. And I'm defining "Euro" as any non-North American who didn't attend school in the NCAA because most of them got their training in the Euro leagues:

Minnesota has 3: Darko, Pavlovic, Pecherov
Oklahoma City has 3: Ibaka, Krstic, Sefolosha
Utah has 3: Fesenko, Kirilenko, Okur
Milwaukee has 3: Brezec, Delfino, Ilyasova (and Jennings spent a year in the Euro leagues)
LA Lakers have 3: Pau, Mbenga, Vujacic
Sacramento has 3: Casspi, Nocioni, Udrih (plus Udoka, who went to school in the NCAA)
Charlotte has 3: Ajinca, Diaw, Diop
Houston has 3: Andersen, Yao, Scola
San Antonio has 3: Ginobili, Mahinmi, Parker

Does that answer your question? Memphis could have had 3 but I wasn't counting Thabeet, who went to school in the NCAA. And Dallas could have had 3 but Barea went to school in the NCAA.

And lest you think the fully American teams are the best, think again. Yes, Boston has no "Euros", but the only other teams without one are Chicago, Philadelphia, Indiana, the Clippers and Miami (although the Heat have two Canadians and Diawara, all of whom played in the NCAA).

[doug]

I watched PTI last night as most nights as i like Wilbon and Kornheiser...anyways they touched on Karl and how the Nuggets are 5-4 since he hasn't been there and in fact were the highest or one of the highest teams in points per game before...but since Karl hasn't been there thay haven't hit the 100 point mark in 4 straight games...it was interesting as they felt or feel a coach, who he is, what he brings has a large impact on a teams success or lack thereof...as with the Karl example they stated he really is their rock, their backbone and he allows the players to concentrate on the task at hand....i tend to agree, mediocre coaches have marginal impact, the good ones have a far greater impact, as they bring a lot to the table....I remember watching a Utah game earlier in the year when they were playing someone else, and the announcers were talking about Boozer, the constant trade rumours, will he be here or not etc but how Boozer is able to still concentrate an be a good player...they said that Sloan went up to him in the pre-season and told him to para-phrase "you let me do what i do, coach, you do what you do play and we'll be fine, i don't care about the rest"..I thought what a great line, and i can see why utah and Boozer just seem to go on and on....the coach has to be the coach, be in charge...Jay has to learn that, he has to ...as all the x's and O's in the world won't overcome that.....the good ones are the guys in charge Jackson,Sloan,Karl, Rivers, even SVG or Adelman make tough decisions and take abuse but they are the boss etc....thats why they succeed, thats why I feel Mike Brown won't.....do coaches make a difference no, do the good ones, dam right they do...

[Keith Wagar]

Woodrow 3 Euro players -- try San Antonio Parker - France, Ginobli - Argentina, Duncan - British Virgin Isles.

[Jack]

I don't see anything wrong with having European players in the team, as long as they play their hearts out. The problem with the European players in this team is they seem not to care. They got their huge contracts and that's it. Why would they play hard and risk injuries? Why would they go and fight for rebounds when they could get hurt in the process? They might sprain their thumbs and fingers so they might not be able to play their favourite PS3 games anymore.
The most annoying thing is they admit it. They become lazy. After giving them $10 million a year, they become lazy.
Get rid of the stiffs. Peddle them to some other teams that might have a use for them. Bring hard working people here. Blue collar workers like Amir Johnson. The team needs more players like him.

[Bill]

I just saw from the standing that Boston is 3rd and the Hawks are 4th while both have the same record and the Hawks swept the season series with Boston. Why is that? I thought the rule that the division winners gets the 1st three spots were changed to that each division winner is guaranteed a spot within the top four in the playoff?

[Penny]

Doug - I completely agree with knickz and all the blame Jose gets. I also agree with him about Jack Armstrong and his pro Jack and anti Jose comments but it's not only Jack Armstrong - do you ever see any negative comments from readers on this site when JJ has a bad game and he, along with the other 8 people besides Jose who played the last game, did not play well.

[greg]

european players isnt the issue, the issue is that the raptors organization specializes in finesse players, unfortunately most finesse players arn't very physical. Jose, Hedo and Bargn in one lineup combined with a rookie and a not so tough PF, of course the defence isnt good. The core of this team is all finesse players. Fun to watch, great scoring but soft like cotton.

Whether they are european or america this team selects finesse players with very stylish and quick play more often than not. It's what they know.

[Nilay]

its not a matter of being European or not its the type of Euro they have.... Jose calderon = zero defence , Turk = lazy defence , Andrea = defence only when he feels like and Bellineli = never plays ....the first three on the list are the core players of this team and starters who are signed to long term deals so the chance of the Raptors getting better defensivley may take a long long long time no matter how many Antoine Wrights or Reggie Evans you bring in the core players get the most minutes and it just so happens that the 3 core players we have are European and CANT PLAY DEFENCE!

[Michel G]

Sorry Doug, but I watched the Bulls/Heat game last night and the Raps are never that bad. The Bulls were down by 44 I think early in the 3rd quarter. The fans were so stunned they couldn't even boo. :)

[Aditya]

@aditya
you would like marco over sonny ...really! Shows how much you know about basketball and the team ....Marco is injured for a few games now and even if he wasnt injured he has no chance of starting or even playing more than sonny or anyone on this team!
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@ nilay
man, you just got me out of sleep at work...... infact, it shows how much you know about basketball and this struggling toronto raptors team.....i said and meant that marco belinelli is a viable candidate to replace sonny weems (cuz he aint replacing derozan or wright in the rotation) to jumpstart this team out of this post-all star break slump....i know marco was injured for the past few games, but since he's feeling better and this team needs a slight change, i think he's a good candidate to get into the rotation (rather than staying out of it)