Hey, I'm back. Miss me?

Look at it this way: It’s going to be fun living the ups and downs of a playoff race – checking what Miami, Charlotte and Chicago do each night – than it would be sitting solidly in fifth bored for the final 18 or so games of year, isn’t it?

Isn’t it?

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Want to know one reason why I think it’s wise to have Jose replace Jarrett as the starting point guard? As we’ve seen all year, Toronto’s defence comes off its offence – it’s a terrible trait and one they have to break but it seems undeniable at this point in the season – and it strikes me as the offence just runs more efficiently with Calderon at the helm.

High screen and roll works a bit more smoothly, possessions have a bit more “calm” to them and there’s just a greater sense of confidence in those moments.

That’s not a huge knock against Jarrett but it’s probably the biggest reason I expect to see a change against Atlanta tomorrow night.

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What else might we see?

Well, I can’t say for sure because I can’t read Jay’s mind but he’s been talking an awful lot about shortening some rotations, or at least tweaking who plays with who and how much.

So I really expect to see less of Reggie Evans in the next little while with Amir Johnson getting some steady run and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if one of Sonny Weems or Antoine Wright saw their time cut back.

Antoine limped out of the Rose Garden on Sunday night on a wonky ankle – it’s why he didn’t play at all in the second half – so that might be one reason we see less of him in the near future.

But as I’ve been saying all along, I think less is more in some instances and if Jay can get to a tight nine-man rotation, I think it’s better for everyone.

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It’s been a while since we checked in with some national team news but there have been some goings on of late you should probably know of.

And one way you can help in a small way to ease what’s going to be a pretty heavy financial burden this summer trying to run significant programs for four teams headed to world championships, which is the first time I can ever remember that happening and I’ve been watching the organization pretty closely for a couple of decades now.

If you’ve got a second, and $5 to spare, you can simply head to your phone, type in some numbers and make a donation.

Easy, peasy, no?

The details are here, you should check ‘em out and do what you can.

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This is textbook Coach Protects Players stuff here.

The other night in Portland (and I revisit it because a couple of people asked yesterday in the comments section), Jay gave a rather obtuse answer after about a five-second delay to a question I asked about a quick third-quarter hook for Andrea.

Here’s the verbatim exchange:

Q: You took Andrea out real quick in the third quarter, too when they got a couple of offensive rebounds. Did he have a tough night with Aldridge’s length? Quickness? Speed? Effort?

A: “They hit a lot of threes, they were 12-for-20 from the three-point line. So we’ve got to make sure we get out and close out on guys from the three-point line.”

What?

Pretty easy explanation, actually.

I knew, he knew, Andrea knew, the players knew, you knew that the offensive rebound mess was as ugly as maybe it’s ever been and I needed a good quote for the story on it.

Jay, who is loathe to kill his players in public, knew precisely where I was going but didn’t want to play along.

It’s a game some coaches play all the time but not answering directly is sometime as telling as really pouring it on.

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Speaking of Portland, I have to reiterate that it’s might be the best place to watch a game in the league now.

Great, knowledgeable crowds, outstanding arena, very good young team and a game-ops presentation that focuses on, you know, the game. Sure, they have June Taylor Dancers and a Chicken but nothing too over-the-top and I think our western Irregulars who get a chance to go down there will agree. You should see a game at the Rose Garden if you can.

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Oh, and speaking of the national team, I mentioned the men’s games against France that they’re hoping to finalize soon for mid-August here in Toronto.

But I’m also hearing rumblings that they might find a way to get a game in Vancouver about the same time. That’d be cool, no?

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Kansas, West Virginia, Kansas State and, because I don’t want a lot of grief from Alvin, Villanova.

I reserve the right to change my mind before tomorrow night, and perhaps change it again before brackets have to be flnally filled in by Thursday morning but that’s the way we’re leaning here.

Of course, when Super Son and I sit down to do it, things may change but, for now, take that to the bank.

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Best sign I saw in Portland:

Mrs. Turkoglu, thanks for Andre.

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The things you see at O’Hare during a 10-hour travel day.

Patrick O’Bryant, hanging in the departure lounge like you and me, ready to catch the United flight back home.

Patrick’s been away from the team for a few days attending a family funeral and was just like one of us other travelling zombies making their way home yesterday afternoon

Good guy, Patrick is. It’s got to be a hard gig, knowing you’re never going to play significant minutes here but he goes about his business like a pro, gets his work in and is ready.

You can say the same thing for the other guys who are in a similar situation – Marcus Banks and to a large extent Rasho. No disruptive behaviour, no public grumbling, just work and professionalism.

Not bad at all.

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What’s up this week? Atlanta here tomorrow, Oklahoma here Friday and at Jersey Saturday?

Hmm.

You’d think they really have to go 2-1 through this stretch to get some of their confidence back, no?

And because the NBA is so wacky, I figure they just might. If there’s one thing you know about these guys, it’s that you never know.

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You know what’s crazy?

We had more page views here yesterday than we’ve had in weeks and with a horrid travel day (three hours sleep, connecting flight, no time to sit anywhere for a couple of hour and write the usual drivel) there was nothing new up here.

Sorry about that, Irregulars. It’ll be the last time we go a day without something between now and the end of the season because it’s obvious you do want something to read each morning.

Thanks.

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Comments

[Don W.]

For those that think Jose can't defend simply give your head a shake and start watching the entire game. Three times during the Warriors game Jose was the only defender back on a one on one and the Warriors did not score. Against the Kings he was the only one back on a three on one and he delivered a hard foul and they did not score the basket.
Last night Brooks of Houston went off for over thirty against Billups a so called great defender. On Sunday night Deron Williams of Utah was torched for thirty by his OKC counterpart. Williams is also a so called great defender. How many times has Paul, Rose and Rondo been torched for thirty or more. A better question is how many times has an opposing point guard torched Jose for thirty or more in his career.
If Jose is as bad as everyone says Westbrooke of OKC should get at least 40-50 against him this week. Guess what it won't happen because Jose is a much underrated defender and won't allow it to happen. In fact Jose is a pretty good defender.

[Pipit]

It's tiring to hear news about Bosh leaving because the team is not winning and he is not pleased. Pure BS!!! I acknowledge that Bosh is a good player but if he leaves then let him be. It's not as if he's a LeBron or a Kobe caliber type of player. He'll be missed for sure but Bryan won't let the team get nothing in return if he decides to leave. This might be good for the team in the long run since its proven that Bosh can't take this team that far in the playoffs not considering his poor leadership skills. If he stays, good, but if not it is still good and let the team rebuild to take off that soft reputation in the league.

[yertu damkule]

thanks, don, i needed a good laugh today.

[elwyn jennings]

I agree with Don W.

[Chris]

"because I don’t want a lot of grief from Alvin"

Doug,
Do you know if any of the players/coaches read your stuff? Either in the paper or the blog? Or was that just in case Alvin gets told about it second-hand?
Related, has anyone (player or coach) every taken you to task about something you've written?
Just curious.

Blogger's note: I'm sure some ready and others are made aware and every now and then someone will make a snarky comment but it's really no big deal

[D-Mac Ottawa]

G'day Doug, welcome home and Slainte,
Here's the deal as I see it. Another season, squandered. Another all star, likely squandered. The absolute best, most multi-talented, athletic, deepest roster in Raptorland in most of a decade, squandered.
The team does not start its five best players. The rotations are rigor-morticed boxed-in cubicles, determined entirely by a clock with no regard to the flow of play. There is no reward for players who've earned their keep. Marcus absolutely deserves minutes; Marco needs opportunity, and gives good effort the few minutes he's given; Amir has earned a starter's spot.
There is no risk/punishment for players who make little to no effort to put to good use the minutes they've already "locked up" in this "rotate to the clock" system. Turk, DeRook and Bargs should have seen LOTS of time on the pine since the All Star break for the untold hours of liberal physical and mental "breaks" they've accumulated – in the middle of the floor, in the middle of an NBA game, in the middle of the run-up to the playoffs. So far, the only victim in the minutes department has been Reggie, someone who never cheats in effort or energy given.
I know coaching isn't the biggest factor going once the ball goes up, but I always thought it might be a little more technically involved than staring at the clock and counting to five to be sure you've got that many warm bodies out there. Is it any wonder that lord knows how many players have checked out ("punched the clock", so to speak) at this point? A sad waste of talent, potential, another promising year and the promise that there might have been several more to follow. Now, not so much. Cheers.

[knickz]

For those that think Jose can't defend simply give your head a shake and start watching the entire game. Three times during the Warriors game Jose was the only defender back on a one on one and the Warriors did not score. Against the Kings he was the only one back on a three on one and he delivered a hard foul and they did not score the basket.
Last night Brooks of Houston went off for over thirty against Billups a so called great defender. On Sunday night Deron Williams of Utah was torched for thirty by his OKC counterpart. Williams is also a so called great defender. How many times has Paul, Rose and Rondo been torched for thirty or more. A better question is how many times has an opposing point guard torched Jose for thirty or more in his career.
If Jose is as bad as everyone says Westbrooke of OKC should get at least 40-50 against him this week. Guess what it won't happen because Jose is a much underrated defender and won't allow it to happen. In fact Jose is a pretty good defender.

thank you! me and you seem to be the only person who is actually watching this team...i ask people all the time to name the great 1on1 defenders in the nba and they can only come up with artest...the bashing jose takes from fan's on blogsite's is totally un called for...allen iverson is a great scorer but never a good shooter...randy foye has all the talent to be a star but his decision making is horrible

[Mike S.]

Doug,
I have been struggling with this for a while now. I have believed all along that Jose is a better starting point guard than Jack. I feel he is clearly better at running an offense than Jack, however, this is where the problem lies. The starting line-up has guys who are better at creating their own shots and shots for others (Bosh, Bargs, Turk *if he decides to play). The bench on the other hand needs to be spoon fed their baskets. If we move Jose to the starting line-up it will most likely improve their efficiency, but at what cost? What is going to happen to Weems and Johnson's production off the bench? I think it is clear that Amir and Weems and even Wright to some extent have benifited from playing with Jose. So will Jose's move to the starting line-up improve their efficiency enough to overcome the hit our bench will most likely take? At first glance the move seems obvious but then again maybe not.

[knickz]

if bc wanted a defensive team he wouldn't have signed hedo,traded for marco or let jay hire marc ivaroni as your defensive coach...if bc actually did some investigation he would have realized hedo's number's were on the decline...why draft a 6'8 rookie and put him at sg to get torched by the other teams best scorer's...why not hide him at the sf position...why ivaroni to coach your d when u know his track record him phoenix and memphis

[Tomas More]

I think they needed to surround Bosh with defensive players and BC has done quite the opposite. Turk and Bargniani are just horrible defensive players.

Barganiani is a weak center and only a little bit better than Okur and Turk was just a terrible signing. I guess Orlando GM was right on when he said that Portland had caught a break when The Raptors signed the Turk.

I am a big loyal, Raptors fan but I am so dissapointed with this team now I just cancelled my Raptors TV this morning along with other digitial channels I never watch.
Thanks.

[Penny]

I also agree with Don W. The last few games I've been paying particular attention to Jack's defense because people think he is a good defender - this is simply not the case. The reason why Andrea gets out of position is because he has to come over to help Jack because JJ's man has gotten by him and as Don pointed out, this happens to most points guards. A good PG can usually blow by another PG. Unfortunately, when Andrea comes over to take Jack's man, Jack doesn't go cover Andrea's man. He stays with his own man and tries to doubleteam or something leaving Andrea's man wide open either for a pass or rebound. At least Jose switches and picks up Andrea's man making the pass harder and slowing things down.

[Perry]

I hate to make light of it but why stop at, "Mrs. Turkoglu, thanks for Andre" ? Why not "Mr. Colangelo, thanks for Brandon and/or Lamarcus" ? Portland fans have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the Raptors. We saw our star centre on full display the other night for the Rip City faithful against his chief rivals : 11 pts, 2 rebs, 0 impact.

I think Leo might've slipped a little during the broadcast, "I hate to say it but... (deep breath)... Andrea Bargnani is not doing his job on the glass." Why would you 'hate to say it', Leo? Are you implying that you're not allowed to say it? Would you preface your criticism the same way if it were any other player? Totally bizarre-o. Maybe I'm paranoid but could this be a sign of a juvenile directive from the top to glance over Bargnani's weak play? As a coach, if any of my players were subjected to a similar double-standard, I'd fully expect them to orchestrate a mutiny. In fact, I'd want them to. It wouldn't be fair to the team.

It's an interesting dynamic to watch- but I'd trade it away in a heartbeat.

[David "Howard" Lang]

Doug:
I think everyone agrees with you that it is time to change the line-up/rotation in hopes of getting the Raps out of this slump. One more subtle change I'd like to bring up involves who dresses as their 12th man. I know this isn't a high impact change and won't solve their current problems but I see no point in having Evans AND Rasho sit on the bench and not play. Wouldn't it be wise to at least dress Banks especially against guard oriented teams like Golden State?

[doug]

to the above poster that stated jay's behaviour was "bizarre-o" obviously hasn't been paying attention Jay has never,ever thrown anyone under the bus or singled him out to the press, and no good coach does...you do stuff like that you lose the team..there's no need for it you do it behind closed doors, in practice...cowards only do it to the press or coached just looking to save their own ass....your a team, the coach is part of that as is the G.M., you deal with issues internally...

[Rob.V]

Wow!

A lot of finger pointing today.

Just wanted to mention the few that appear to have slipped through the cracks.. and overlooked for blame in this blog - - - the raptors mascot, the dance pak, oh, and that one dude in accounting somewhere!!!

People, they're terrible right now, the whole team sucks!!... we get it. We don't really have to go through each players deficiencies do we?

Duuude! Do you think the recent slide talks more to the "core" this time around. I mean Colangelo re-made the entire squad around the 3 that have been with us for 3-4 seasons. At some point I would imagine that this would be the next place for him to look to make changes in the off season... unless they miraculously turn things around.

Thoughts?

[David Sidhu]

Ugh, just read an article that Jack is unhappy about not starting, is that true? I assume he's just disappointed, not necessarily unhappy. I REALLY wish people would stop playing up a 'point guard controversy' between the two; didn't we learn the lesson with TJ a few years ago? Just be happy we have the two of them playing well.

[David Sidhu]

If Jose starts is there any thought of also starting Amir over Hedo or Bargs? He seems to have a great chemistry with Jose, and that might be lost with Jose no longer in the second unit. Or would Amir at either the 3 or 5 create defensive nightmares.

[Pat]

This is not just Bargnani's fault, but it has to be said.

Bargnani - let's face it, he's not a starter who you win with (I'd like my starting center to box out and average more than 6 rebounds).

This link is pretty telling (sorry Bargnani fans)
http://blogs.thescore.com/nba/2010/03/15/andrea-bargnanis-rebounding-a-historical-perspective/

He gets a long rope to work with because he was a former number one and the nice hefty long term contract he signed.

Bottom line, he's a 6th man brought in for offence (like Jamal Crawford), does not deserve to be a starter with substantial minutes. I rather have Luis Scola and the gritty effort of the rag tag Rockets than the offence pretty defense horrific (last in the league) Raptors.

I want passion, I want effort, I want a team I can be proud of win or lose, not the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde show.

Blogger's note: Did you say the same thing about Bargnani when they were 25-15 in the middle 40 games?

[Stringer Bell]

Higher page views then normal...? Logically it would be the regulars frequently checking back for an update even though it was posted that you wouldn't return until today.

[Anthony]

Doug,
We all know Turkoglu hasn't put up the numbers we were hoping for but if we look at the big picture this guy has been dealing with several injuries, from the broken face to the bad ankle to the bum knee etc. I don't remember him having alot of injuries in other seasons so I'm wondering if its plain bad luck or maybe the playoff run plus summer games have just wore him down, he is always looking a bit slow and like every play is a chore.
Do you have any idea what his off season work ethic consisted of prior to signing with us... maybe his lack of off season training/diet is finally catching up with him?

[sm]

I welcome Jose back to the Starting five - What he can do very well is distribute and protect the ball. Cutting down on needless turnovers goes a long way. Plus, like a few posters today - I don't think he's as bad defensively as he's made out to be -

[LeeZ]

You know what? I'd like to try an experiment. I mean, for the next two games, I'd like the Raps to play the guys that hustle, that defend and that show some heart. Here are my starting five: José, DeRozan, Weems, Bosh and Amir. José because he's a good facilitator on offence. DeRozan because he has been showing much more effort lately. Weems because he has athleticism, keeps his man in front of him and, well, he's not Turk. Bosh: no explanation needed. And Amir, because his offensive game is starting to blossom, he rebounds, block shots, hustles and MUST be rewarded. Second unit: Banks, Jack at the two, Wright, Turk and Andrea. I know it'll never happen, but it should, at least for a few games to a) see if it works, and b) send a message.

[GM]

* "Let's not get strapped in for a lengthy winning streak." Right here Blake sums up all the anti-Jose nonsense. Uh, how's the winning streak going lately? This is a no-lose situation for Jose-bashers. When he starts and they lose, he's the reason. When he comes off the bench and they lose, he's the reason. And it works the other way, too. When Jose plays well off the bench it means that's where he belongs; and when Jack plays well off the bench it means he deserves to be the starter. Double standard, people. Don W. made a great point that wasn't addressed at all by the bashers, who can only say "thanks for the laugh". He showed specific examples of star point guards who get torched much more than Jose, but that apparently means nothing. Don't let facts get in the way of a strong opinion.

So tomorrow night the Raps, who are stinking from top to bottom, are going to play the Hawks, who are soaring. The Raps will most likely lose, just like they've been losing for weeks now with Jack as the starter. But with Jose starting, the bashers will be out in full force saying Jose shouldn't start and he's the reason they lost.
* I'm not sure the rotation needs to be shortened. Why is that? Just conventional thinking? I think it's hypocritical to keep some players (like Belinelli) on a short rope and others get enough rope to hang both themselves and the team with. I think the team needs to run more. More running means quicker and more subs.
* I was at the Portland game. Not one of Andrea's best, but he was hardly the reason they lost. Triano may have been protecting him, but I think he nailed it -- they simply do not or cannot defend the 3-point shots. That isn't Andrea's fault. Time and again Fernandez or Batum would fire away uncontested shots. Batum even mentioned it in the Portland papers that he was wide open.
* Speaking of the Portland papers, interesting to read that Turkoglu said his wife never said she preferred Toronto and in fact isn't even living there. She's been living in Orlando. Why didn't I know this? Did I just miss it or was it never addressed before?
* I went to the game with a friend who only peripherally follows the NBA, although he knows basketball. He hit it on the head. Without knowing anything about what the Raptors are doing this year, he said he was amazed that Bosh got nearly all of his points in the flow of the game, and then in the last few minutes when it was close, he started forcing his offense. It made no sense to him and it's made no sense to me for a long time.
* The Rose Garden may be a good place to watch a game (seems like just about anywhere else I've been) but you failed to mention that give away free Chalupas when the Blazers hit 100 points. I got mine. Messy but delicious. Oh, and the crowd cheered extra loud when they hit 100.

[Richard]

Reading the accompanying comments to this blog daily has frequently led me to think Toronto must have the most knee-jerk, nay-saying, bandwagon jumping, outrageously extreme and opinionated fans in the NBA. Until every so often I come across the comments posted by fans in other cities, like Portland for instance, that I would expect to be thrilled and grateful for the way their injury riddled (or jinxed? - they've lost well over 300 man games this season already) team has cobbled together a 40+ win season and managed to compete for a playoff position in a fiercely competitive western conference.

It seems the grass is always greener...

http://blog.oregonlive.com/nba/2010/03/nba_insider_if_chris_bosh_decides_to_leave_toronto_the_blazers_should_go_after_him.html

The first few comments accompanying this article, make Toronto fans look downright appreciative, moderate and loyal to our local heroes of the hard-court. I guess we aren't so bad after all.

[robguy]

GM - well said on all points and especially regarding Jose.

I have not read anything about Jack being upset he is not the starter, but would be disappointed if this rumor was true. The starter position was originally Jose's, and Jack should thank his lucky stars he is on a team that can even see the playoffs - has he forgotten Indiana already? How did that go?Jack should help the team from the bench and have an impact form there - who knows, he may start again down the road. More fun to be coming off the bench of a playoff team, than watching the playoffs from home as a starter.