No, not pretty but does that really matter?

All right, they beat a team with a horrible record, just like you’d expect them too and if it didn’t look pretty, big whoop.

As they say in that other game, it’s not how, it’s how many and now they’re at 34 35 and counting.

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THREE POINTERS

Make a move?

Is it time now to do Antoine Wright for DeMar DeRozan, make Sonny Weems the first wing off the bench and see how the last 14 13 games of the season unfold?

I think I’d do it.

It’s not so much a knock against DeRozan, although the first six minutes last night were somewhat ghastly before he turned around, as it would be a move to shore up the rotation at the crucial time of the season.

Wright’s been playing pretty well the last two games and he is the team’s best perimeter defender and I think that’s what you need on the court to set the tone at the start of games and third quarters.

The thing with DeRozan was always about his development, even if there was a cost involved. He got good minutes against good players, didn’t really cost his team any games but now it’s time for a guy who’s been there to take over.

The next four games are pretty big and could very well define where they finish – especially the two roadies at Miami and Charlotte on the weekend.

It’s time for the guys who have been there to do it; time for Wright.

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Big time plays

Yes, it hasn’t happened enough; no, he hasn’t played particularly well; yes, it’s been a huge disappointment bordering on a bust.

But there was a stretch in that fourth quarter that Hedo Turkoglu did precisely what he was brought here to do and if it’s a signal that things are turning about, that can’t hurt.

First, he made a big three to quell a Minnesota run, then he drove and kicked to an open Antoine Wright for another big three and he had the ball on every offensive set.

The difference? I was talking to one of the coaches the other day and he said they’d made some very minor tweaks that seem to be working.

First, they’re getting Turkoglu the ball more in the middle at the top, rather than on the wing, which gives him more options. And, most important, they want him to get it a few seconds earlier, again so there are more options on any high screen.

I have no idea what the next 14 games will prove with Turk but it has been more engaged and more active in the last four or five and that’s pretty huge.

And to sit here and whine about how bad he was early in the season really does nothing. He wasn’t good, it didn’t take Red Auerbach, or Red Buttons, to figure it out but it’s not like the season can’t be redeemed with a few weeks of excellent play.

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Soft, soft, soft

So they go up by 14 with 5:54 left in the third and they should home and cooled out, no?

Um, no.

They get an offensive foul on Bosh, Bargnani’s blocked by Love, Jose commits a turnovers and Bosh misses a jumper.

In the meantime, that lock-down Raptors defence gives up makes on four of six possessions and all of sudden, that 14-point lead is down to five with 3:15 to go.

That’s atrocious.

If you get a bad team down, a team that’s just playing out the string, you need to close it out.

It didn’t come back and bite them in the bum last night; it will if they do it against any kind of good team and there are a lot of them left on the schedule.

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Just a bit more

-

A story not apropos of anything, really, except Minneapolis and walking.

It was kind of funny to hear about the Raptors bus breaking down and the players having to take cabs to the arena – the coaches made the arduous five-block walk – for shootaround.

Reminded me of another Minneapolis walk that saved a season.

It was way back in 2002, March 19 to be exact, and the Raptors were drilled 112-80 by the Timberwolves in what I recall being a particularly ugly game.

They were 30-38 at the time, had lost four in a row, He Who Shall Not Be Named was hurt, I’m not entlrely sure the coach of the day, a Mr. Wilkens, was the hardest-working man in show biz and the season was in the toilet.

They were staying the night before heading off to Cleveland and Dell Curry and Antonio Davis decided to walk back to the hotel. It was during that conversation that the two veterans really got ticked at the team’s plight and decided enough was enough and that they’d finish strong. It was sort of the last straw.

Well, don’t they rattle off nine straight wins and 10 of 12 to finish the season in seventh in the East, AD plays his brains out for the entire stretch and they extend Detroit to five games in a best-of-five playoff series before losing.

Not sure what Dell said to Antonio on that walk but it sure worked.

Too bad someone didn’t walk with Turk to shootaround yesterday.

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In Minneapolis, here’s the kind of stories they’re reading as the Timberwolves play out the string.

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Miami 99, New Jersey 89

Chicago 98, Houston 88

Milwaukee 98, Atlanta 95

.

At least Charlotte didn’t win.

Oh, I think we can safely say the Bucks are out of reach and that sixth is the best they can finish.

-

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

I knew that Nate Doornekamp went to Boston College, yet there I went in a story yesterday talking about how he went to Carleton as a bunch of players from the national team program who went to the same school.

Oh, dopey me.

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First call of the week for mail, which you can send here. Thanks.

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You know they’re now done with road games against the West and finish with an underwhelming 3-12 record.

The wins? At Minnesota, at the Clips and at New Orleans.

Road warriors they are not.

-

Comments

[Jean-Marie]

Imagine that,
Blake Kennedy contradicts Doug, and Doug reacts with the good-natured sarcasm of the teacher on the desk, and whatever a reader comes to Blake's aid and says he's quite right, then all the pupils run at Doug's help, and say there are some disraceful haters not deserving to talk and bla bla bla....
Just a comedy - in the very true Obamian spirit - or "The triumph of free speech".

[LeeZ]

Andrew, you took the words right out of my mouth (i.e. could Bosh's recent reluctance to drive have something to do with him not wanting to get injured so close to his big payday?). Andrew, I guess great minds think alike (or as Doug would probably counter with, fools seldom differ). Doug, notwithstanding the free throw statistics you cite, Bosh is definitely not taking it to the hoop nearly as much as he did at the start of the year. Some of that could be attribued to double teams. But he was being doubled at the beginning of the year and it didn't stop him then, so why now? And last night, when guarded much of the time by that agile, noted speed demon Darko, there was no reason on earth why he shouldn't have driven a good three-quarters of the time. But he settled for jumpers (granted, a decent portion of which went in), and I feel that's one of the reasons the Raps didn't put the opposition away.

[bill]

The Raptors need to learn that when they have a team down, it's time to put size 16 foot on their opponent neck. The problem with bringing in all "nice' guys, the team doesn't have a killer mentality. They don't take enough pride in beating their opponents.

[Ted S.]

Doug,

I like your idea of change, just I'd prefer Weems to Wright. I don't think DD falls out of the rotation but as the importance of games continue to grow, DD's minutes should probably be reduced. I think it is telling when defenders sluff-off on the perimeter and don't challenge jumpshots in the weakside rotation (like teams did to Moon). They dare him to shoot because most nights the consistency isn't there. Heck, he's young and his j should develop with continued work ethic. Teams don't give Weems the same space and Antoine had a hot run and deserves some respect. I just think Weems is the better athlete and a marginally better defender.

[The J]

Colangelo if you are reading this please ignore the poster "knickz" it must be a trap! Based on his name I can only guess that he is trying to talk you out of re-signing Bosh so NY can sign him. What an evil posting activity. I bet you are on Cleveland blogs talking about how LeBron can't shoot, or in Miami blogs talking about how D.Wade makes horrible cellphone commercials. You are clearly trying to build your New York Superteam. But you will NOT have your superteam. You will get only Joe Johnson and Rudy Gay and you will be happy.

[Wayne]

Two thumbs up for the A.D,Dell Curry, story with a injured #1 option out of the line up Raps make a serious run almost winning that series. I remember that effort,hustle and no quit attitude Davis was undersized but you could never question his heart........to many on this team lack his intestinal fortitude. Excellent story!

[Michel G]

Agree with you on DeRozen. The kid has started 65 games, which is invaluable experience for his future development, but it's time the team goes to a primary 8-man rotation with Wright starting and Weems getting the majority of the minutes off the bench. I think whatever improvements for DeRozan will occur in the offseason. It strange, but I agree with one of the commentators that statistically, Antoine Wright's numbers aren't earth-shattering, so why do the Raps seem to be play better when he's on. Not very scientific and certainly subjective, but there you go.

[Andre]

why dont they take Turk out of the starting lineup and start wright? Have turk be the number one off the bench until he smartens up. What do you think?

Blogger's note: I think that would be a mistake; have all year.

[GM]

You've been saying Colangelo fleeced the Bucks with that Delfino-Ukic trade. Now that the Bucks are going great, and Delfino is starting and getting major minutes, do you still think it's as unbalanced? Bill Simmons thinks the Delfino trade was one of the three best Buck moves last season: "the Salmons trade, gambling on Brandon Jennings at No. 10 in the NBA draft and signing Delfino for nothing this past summer. (Not only does Delfino fill up the stat sheet, play both swing spots and give you solid D, but he also has a giant tattoo of a lizard on his left shoulder that looks cool in HD. There's a lot to like.)" He says they got him for nothing. Interesting that Toronto fans think it's the other way around.

[The J]

Just thinking about that A.D./Dell Curry story. After all that hard-work and determination, and after doing pretty much the impossible, how badly did A.D. want to ring Chris Childs' neck after he forgot how to tell time in Game 5?

[John]

While I agree that Hedo can win many fans back with some really solid play now and in the playoffs, I still worry that he will eventually become a bad fit for this team. I have been criticizing him all year, and I can't help but forsee him in the next 2 years becoming an $11 million mediocre bench player. I know he's not 40 years old but he isn't getting younger and if he is having fatigue and intensity issues this year, how can you logically assume it will get any better.

[jim]

It was ugly and it DOES matter.
This current rebuild project started with the drafting of Chris Bosh. It should have continued with the trading of Vince for some decent young prospects.
About 5 years into this current cycle and we're barely beating the woeful Wolves and Nets, and we're barely squeaking into the playoffs.
At this stage, we should be looking more like the Portland, OKC, and Atlanta franchises: young, athletic, talented, hungry and poised to take that next step.
It would be better for the Raps not to make these playoffs, grab a decent draft pick, trade Bosh for some future, and start fresh WITHOUT Colangelo's hidden agenda.
And Doug, just because we're not swallowing your constant stream of Raptor/basketball hucksterism, doesn't make us haters.

Blogger's note: You're confusing issues but that's okay, you need to make a point and a little misinterpretation shouldn't get in the way. One game, it doesn't matter how, as long as you win. Long-term issues? That's an entirely different matter that I wasn't speaking to in the least.

[Mr. Cook]

Just read the comments for today and kept wanting to start writing responses to other users. But instead I think I can only say, I feel bad for you Doug, I hope you don't actually have to read every single comment.

[Jon]

Wasn't it Keon Clark who stepped up with Davis?

[Beto]

Hi Doug,
Interesting point that John brings. As you have been with the team since the beginning I think younger Raptors fans as myself would appreciate an unbiased opinion about Raptors history decisions since you know whom left and CB became the main player. Considering what was available at each time: was the hiring of Collangelo adequate? Were AB and DD and other draft picks the best options? Has the growth of the franquise met the expectations from the sport and bussiness point of view?

[Beto]

On and I forgot: finally for comparison, if there were other teams which lost their main player around the same year too; how they recovered?

[c.laliberte]

Doug. I was listening to the comments from Andrea B. to Jack A. after the game. His reason for not showing more the game vs the Nets:"I saw CB4 and other having a great game and I had to give them the floor." I am sorry to ear that nonsense. If the team does not need you on off. please play better def. and rebound. (Dennis Rodman did that all the time behind great players and he was a great player) So Andrea you should start to play both ways.

[chris]

I still don't get the value of starting a rookie long before he's ready. Didn't work with Bargs. Certainly didn't work with Araujo. It did with Bosh, but Chris belonged in the starting lineup.

I wonder what it does for DD's development when he gets pulled. He'd have been further along if he got to play against 2nd stringers....the way TMac did.

Curious, Doug -- why not Weems instead of Antoine Wright? He plays his role very well, and can at least stick shots. He also doesn't fall in love with his shot the way Wright does.

Blogger's note: I think what you get in total at both ends from Wright is more of what the team needs

[knickz]

lmao! friends call me knickz because my name is nick...i hate the knicks and every other team in the nba actually...when you understand how david staern and the nba work's you will to..RAPS NATION 4 LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!