Long-distance mail delivery today

Bonjour.

I see the Heroes Of The Hardcourt were able to subdue the Nets on Saturday night. Good for them, although I have to admit I really didn’t miss not seeing it. Was a nice break to up here in Ottawa catching up with some old cronies and flying the flag at the CIS finals.

Oh, and doing mail.

Like this:

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Q: Doug, Raps fans know hardships. This sad set of games since all-star break is nothing new, yet they still may have one of the best seasons ever (if my memory serves me correctly, 41-41 would tie them with fifth best, 42 wins fourth.)

Now 5th best in 15 seasons sounds not too bad for a very up and down year. Does Bosh may be leaving thing account for this "they are the worst team ever!"

Are the fans feeling that failure means losing him, or simply silly enough to think that 50 wins was on the table?

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: I don’t know that it was the magic 50 but I did sense far more optimism at the start of this season in a long time.

And then you combine the unmet expectations with the prominent feeling that Bosh is gone and you’ve got angst writ large.

But, like I’ve said from the start, I think if they get to 43 wins – which is a 10-win improvement over last season and that’s got to be one of the best in the league – that’s not bad.

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Q: Hi Doug, I am a diehard Raps fan and will be there through think and thin.

Just wondering if, especially considering how interactive your job is, do you find it is easier to do your daily writing when the Raps are winning? It must try your patience.

Jeffrey M, Saint John

A: It’s not easier, per se, but it is different.

Of course, players are much more amenable and quotable when things are going well so it easier in the regard but dealing with the anger of fans – generally directed at the players and coaches and GM and entirely understandable – does make for some long days.

The job’s hard whenever – there is still a morning blog and either off-day stuff to get or the game-day stuff to do – and it’s just hard in a different way when things are going badly.

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Q: I was wondering what a general manager does... in general. I'm sure his role varies from team to team. Some owners will be more meddlesome/hands-on than others. That's no different than any organization in any business. But are GMs responsible for only player related decisions? Or all basketball decisions as a whole? Would an owner/board give the GM a budget to work with in terms of acquiring players/coaches/support staff and give them free reign in that regard only? Or does the GM oversee all basketball related matters (tickets sales, in-game entertainment, community relations, merchandise)? To be more Toronto centric, what does BC's title of President and GM differ from simple GMs?

Vincent L, Toronto

A: You’re right, it does vary from team-to-team, I think a general rule would be a GM of a franchise owned by a conglomerate might have more autonomy than someone who works for one man. That said, a GM of a team Toronto needs to present budgets to an ownership group that has to be approved and I’m sure that’s similar across the board.

To be Toronto-centric, Bryan’s got his hands in a lot pies, including foundation work, game-ops, merchandising, etc. although more as a final place for approval rather than an instigator of programs. I’m not sure that’s the same case at franchises where the GM is just the GM and doesn’t have that president’s title.

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Q: Hey Doug. Was watching Syracuse and Vermont and saw Syracuse play the 2-3 zone. I noticed that there's no 3 second defensive violation. Just wondering about your opinion on this rule. I personally think it's a nice rule that opens up the offense and its absence diminishes my appreciation of college ball.

Damian C, Toronto

A: I think it’s a great rule, if you’re going to allow zone defences. No way I want to see Shaq or Dwight Howard or Yao or any centre camped under the basket. There has to be space to let people get to the rim and it forces coaches to devise offences that make defences move their bigs around.

I couldn’t watch a zone with a big camped under the boards forever without gouging out my eyes.

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Q: Hey Doug. Would you like to see more opportunities for video replay in a game? What about if each coach got something like two challenges a game?

David S, Toronto

A: No, no, no. A thousand times now. These games are interminable now; there is almost too much instant replay as it is, adding more would not be something I could support.

Unless …

Unless, that is, they charged whichever team asked for a replay with a timeout, regardless of how the appeal turned out. There are too many timeouts now, if that’s a way to get them used earlier in games than the last 20 seconds, I might be okay with that.

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Q: Slow day but please clarify the draft situation. If they finish 8th do they still have a first round pick? At least some hope for a fresh face or next victim (you decide).

And the best to Jay and his family. Old age sucks.

John P, Fredericton

A: No. If they make the playoffs, their draft pick goes to Miami. Of course, they could trade for one but that’s speculation for another day.

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Q: Hi Doug, I recently had a scary thought that the first live football (soccer) game I ever went to was nearly 20 years ago! As you are slightly older than me (I'm 27) can you remember the first NBA basketball game you went to? Or perhaps your first sporting experience was baseball?

Chris D, Leeds, England

A: Slightly? Thanks for that.

I honestly don’t remember the first pro basketball game I saw, but I know it was a Braves game at the old Aud in Buffalo, probably sitting way up in that crazy steep seats in the upper deck.

First sporting experience? It strikes me as a pucks game in the Gardens, Dear Old Dad would get company tickets once a year, one row right behind the Leaves bench and we’d get all spiffied up, drive up, have dinner in the Hot Stove Lounge and then watch the game.

I remember being fascinated with Eddie Shack, and him turning to Punch Imlach on game and telling him, “George, put me out there, put me out there.”

These are tough times, I'm glad I'm off to Ottawa

No, there is nothing good to say except that it’s over, there are 15 more to go and some of them will be good. Retire the memory of that one quickly and look forward to the next one.

And read this, of course, before you do anything else. And, yes, it's up ridiculously early but I got time to type a bit in the post-game decompressing time knowing there was a long day ahead.

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THREE POINTERS

Practice does not make perfect

As part of practice the last couple of days, what they’ve done is have halfcourt, five-on-five scrimmages aimed solely at rebounding and boxing out. Five guys to the offensive glass because no one has to worry about getting back and that means five guys have to turn around and box someone out.

And by all accounts, it works, at least according to Chris Bosh:

“For some reason -- I don’t know, I wish I knew – (but) for some reason practice is so different than the games. We get every rebound, we make sure we put bodies on guys and then the game comes, we don’t do that … Like I said before, there’s no science to anything, it’s not structure, it’s just get the basketball.”

Which leads one to say, in a half-joking way, “sure, it works because you’re playing against each other and we know how you rebound as a group.”

But the fact is, they work on it but something gets lost between practice and games. I don’t know if there’s any one group to blame, I suspect that like so much in sports it’s a shared responsibility between coaches and players but unless they fix it, this team will never realize its potential. And I honestly still think they have talent and I also think we’ve seen enough good games to know that’s a true statement.

It’s the conundrum that is this team: Good in spurts, bad in spurts and unable to find the mental toughness to work through a lot of difficult times.

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A bad sign of the times

You know what has to be one of the more frightening aspects of this whole losing streak has to be? At least four people I know – two Irregulars one row behind the visitors bench and another couple of litigators who flit from section to section (and you know who you are!) – bailed at halftime.

Now, these are pretty diehard fans, one of whom is quite the fashionista and Rasho fan, and if they’re hanging it up halfway through a game, that’s a troubling, troubling sign.

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A matter of clothing

This has nothing to do with the game but it’s pretty cool and since there’s really not much to say about the game, I’ll use it here.

We’re standing around waiting to interview Chris – and he was quicker than usual but still rather meticulous getting dressed – and there was a bit of a ruckus over on the other side of the room.

Well, not a ruckus really, but Turk was looking for one of the locker room attendants.

“Gus! Gus! Gus!”

We figure he needs some socks or some piece of equipment or something.

Then we hear:

“I can’t find my underwear.”

Classic.

No idea how the whole thing worked out, was too busy giggling and confirming what I thought I heard with a couple of other guys.

It reminded me a bit of Kevin Willis, the Big Fella, who was a classic locker room yeller.

He’d always be shouting at Young Ray Chow, the team’s massage therapist, looking for “lotion, Ray. Ray, lotion” so I presume Kevin had the softest skin in franchise history.

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More? Sure, why not.

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The anthem story.

Don’t know if how many of you heard them but little 9-year-old Morgan Hilliker, a good Niagara Falls lass by the way, did a bang up job.

So much so that I saw Jarrett Jack singing along to O Canada.

But, quite aside from that, young Morgan’s got quite the connection with the Raptors.

Not only does she hail from Jay’s hometown but she’s a grand-daughter of a former teaching colleague of Jay’s dad, Howie, who is fighting a good fight against the ravages of a stroke.

And while she sung for all of you last night, I understand she’s also done some private crooning to help Jay’s dad relax and for that she and her family need to be commended.

So there was one nice story out of that game.

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Speaking of stories, here’s the one from Oklahoma City this morning.

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Okay, look, I’ll admit I’m a bit of a Barack Obama fan, I like what he stands for, I like the change of attitude he brought among the general public and while I don’t pretend to be any kind of political scientist, I think he’s good.

But, I gotta tell yeah, he went so far up in my estimation Friday it’s not even funny.

To pay off a debt with the guy in Ottawa (and that’s about all I’m going to say on that matter), he sent not only the case of Molson that he owed, but he tossed in a little extra.

A case of Yeungling! I tell ya, that’s one outstanding president right there.

Now, if the two of ‘em could find a free trade way that I could buy the stuff here, that’d be pretty good.

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I have no idea when I’m going to get the mailbag done (my normal Saturday writing time will be taken up but a drive and a CIS twinbill) but we’ll put out one last call for mail.

I figure I’ll get it up sometime Sunday in the regular rotation.

Send the queries here.

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Speaking of stories, my man Dave D is back on the beat after chronicling curling and the like out in Vancouver and checks in with this missive from the vantage point of a Nets grunt.

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I still don’t think they’ll be able to catch Boston, by the way.

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Hey, if anyone out there thinks there might be change afoot in the lineup after the Thunder game, sorry.

Not on a back-to-back, they stick with what they’ve got.

And with Sunday likely a day off to travel to Minneapolis and the game there Monday, I’m thinking if they do anything – and Antoine for DeMar is still in the picture – it can’t possibly happen before Wednesday back here.

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All right, I’ll be spending a huge chunk of the day in the car en route to the nation’s capital (and I’ve got to tell you, Calgary-UBC and Saskatchewan-Carleton never looked so good) so if it takes a while for the comments to get posted, that’s why. It has nothing to do with their tone, although I will admit to being quite happy to not read the angst for a while).

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The Goods On The Game, Thunder at Raptors

Kids, how are you tonight?

Another gorgeous day here, hope it was wherever you are.

Ready for another big night?

Raptors pre-game Q&A

Doug Smith held a live Q&A today as the Raptors prepared to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of Antoine, Andrea and trip to see some CIS ball

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

Hey, Miami lost? Everyone happy?

Oh yeah, it’s scoreboard watching time for sure, isn’t it?

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You know, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a guy around these parts like Antoine Wright and as we’re standing there yesterday after practice talking to him, it was rather refreshing in a lot of ways.

He held nothing back (you can read the gist of it here) and he made quite a lot of valid points when talking about effort and defence and what challenges kids like DeMar and Sonny have to take upon them, especially the rookie and especially tonight against Kevin Durant.

“It’s going to be tough but you have to pass the baton. You have to go out there and make him 2-for-5 and then I come in and I make him 4-for-12; it’s the way you pass the baton and keep a guy from going off for big bulks of points in one quarter.”

It’s not like Wright hasn’t made his points forcefully all season but some of them rang hollow when he wasn’t playing particularly well, or very much.

But I have to admit, his candor is nice, as is his willingness to make suggestions. And seeing some improvement in DeRozan and Weems, I think it has to have been a help to whatever points Jay and his staff are hammering home daily.

Our old friend Sam Mitchell used to contend – rightfully so, I think – that players need to police themselves as much as they need prodding from coaches because coach’s voices get tiring after a while.

And if Wright ruffles a few feathers with the other guys in the locker room, well, maybe that’s a good thing sometimes.

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Because I’m a heckuva guy, and because I just remembered I said I would, he’s why I suggested the other night that the Raptors wouldn’t be wise to all of a sudden trot out Marcus Banks to play some defence.

And it wasn’t just the other night against Atlanta, actually, I don’t think that kind of move doesn’t work and this should not be seen as a huge affront to Marcus, whom I quite like and admire.

Yes, Marcus may be a good defender but (a) there’s no guarantee he’d do a better job than anyone else out there and (b) because of that, the potential disruption to an offence, and a defence, is not a gamble I think is worth taking.

Players are fragile creatures, they are used to roles and jobs and to all of a sudden know that a coach has such little confidence in them that he brings in a guy who never plays is asking for more trouble than benefit you might get.

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You Irregulars who tune into in the in-game portion of the festivities want a Saturday night off? You got it.

In a bit a schedule change, while Dave’s down in Jersey watching that surely delightful display of Real Professional Men’s Basketball, I’m going to be up in Ottawa checking some CIS hoops.

That means I’m not going to be able to see Nets-Raptors (my retinas thank you) but will watch whatever semifinals are unfolding in the national championship.

It’ll be the first CIS final I’ve been to in a very long time and the chance to motor the Stinky Ford Focus up there Saturday, see games that night and the final Sunday and head back Monday was just too easy a schedule to turn down.

So, we’ll take Saturday night off from here and be back for the Monday night tilt in Minny.

And I’ll get to write about something different for a change.

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The Thunders practiced here on Thursday and here’s what came out of it.

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So Super Son and I are sitting in the restaurant (Hello, BP Square 1!) nibbling on the Holy Trinity of lounge food (that’d be wings, natchos and pizza for the uninitiated) and watching March Madness when it came to me:

I really don’t like college basketball.

I mean really, really, really don’t like.

Sure, there’s buzzer beaters and close games and lot of goofy schools you’ll never hear of again (Northern Illinois? Robert Morris?) but every possession seems to be a 25-seconds of a three-man weave before someone shoots a three-pointer, hardly anyone can handle the ball and for a guy who generally thinks coaching is over-rated, the all-out obsession with NCAA coaches drives me batty.

Yes, the NBA game is flawed, no question about it, but at least the players can play.

That said, I’m sure somewhere Popeye Jones is in his glory.

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Mail would be good.

Simpy click here to get it delivered.

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Here’s a Jay quote from Jay from Thursday. Guess who he’s talking about:

“We need him to focus, when we were rolling, he was doing more things and I think it becomes a confidence building thing for him. If he’s not making shots, do something else so we can keep you on the floor. Defend and be there on the help side, box out and rebound. When we were rolling, he was doing that and scoring and I think sometimes when he doesn’t get the basketball he gets a little frustrated.

“He worries about his scoring but he can help this team by doing a lot more than just scoring the basketball.”

I know.

Duh!

There were times in the middle of this season when we all thought Andrea Bargnani had figured it out, hadn’t we? And while he has been far better far more often this season than he’s been in the past, as we saw in the post-all-star period, there’s work still to be done.

I still think he’s good and has a chance to be quite good, we’ve seen additions to his game – the little jump hook in the lane most significantly – that should allow him to become more of a force.

But we’ve seen a bit of regression in the last few weeks and that’s too bad because it came when his team needed him most.

Maybe what they have to do is run more stuff for him early in games and early in third quarters to get him more “engaged” and while that’s pandering to a mental weakness, it may be necessary.

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If you’ve got questions, I’ll try to bluff answers if you show up back here about noon to spend an hour.

Deal?

Deal.

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Of all the things in the world I care nothing about, that Tiger Woods sent explicit texts to a woman and whether Sandra Bullock leaves a philandering husband are right at the top of the list.

Good God, can’t we get something of substance that passes for “news” these days?

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Fun night, big win and other exciting stuff

You know, if they play like that, you’ve got to think this team’s going to win more than its fair share of games down the stretch, no?

And if they play games like that, the entertainment value goes through the roof and they’re simply fun to watch.

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

It just takes too long

It struck me late in the game last night what I find kind of objectionable about the way Chris Bosh played last night.

You know, it’s not that he takes jump shots because he’s pretty deadly from 15-feet and might have the best mid-range jumper on the team and I’ve always been okay with him taking that shot when he’s open.

It’s just that some nights – and the third quarter last night was a perfect example – it just takes him too long to decide to take it.

It’s the kind of offence-deadening play that gets them out of all kinds of rhythm.

No, if he wants to take it because his man’s playing far off him and there are two, and sometimes three, defenders on the weak side waiting to double on the dribble, I’m okay with it. But he’s got to decide more quickly to shoot or move the ball.

Of course, he waited a while and then won the game and I don’t imagine too many of you were too upset about that.

“I said if I touch the ball I’m shooting it with not too much time left on the clock. I didn’t really want to give them an opportunity to get a good shot off.”

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One armed man

I counted four times – and I often warn, the chicken scratch in the notebook may be slightly incomprehensible so it’s more of a guess – that Jamario Moon, er, Sonny Weems went up to grab a rebound and collared it with one arm.

It’s a wonderful sight, a rather emphatic taking of an errant shot, but isn’t it also fraught with the peril of bobbling the ball out of bounds?

But that’s about the only thing Sonny did even remotely questionable last night in what was a pretty impressive game.

Yes, Jamal Crawford went nuts but if you watch, a lot of those shots he made were pretty well contested and Weems made him work on every possession.

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A promising sign?

I’m not entirely sure what got into Hedo Turkoglu last night but he finished at the rim more often in one game than I think he has in one month.

No pull-ups, no avoiding contact, just driving the basketball and making tough layups.

I can’t say it’s something you’ll see on a regular basis – I’ve watched this team too long to suggest any kind of consistency is coming – but I will give him credit for a solid night’s work.

And credit for doing what the coach wanted. Here’s Jay when I asked him about the new-found energy:

“He’s got a little bit more bounce, he’s not limping around. His ankle’s still sore but I don’t think it’s restricting him at all. This is a game where they’re going to switch so we’re going to have mismatches down low or we’re going to have him with speed on other guys. We’d hope that he’d take the ball to the basket when he has that opportunity.”

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More? A little bit more.

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I don’t know about you, but I think that little Jose Calderon fella is turning into quite the agitator, no?

Wasn’t it just last week that he picked up a technical foul after getting cut under the eye and then got himself a flagrant in a game out west?

Then last night he somehow gets mixed up with Mike Bibby early in the second and Bibby get a technical away from the ball; minutes later he’s in that little brouhaha with Josh Smith when Smith kind of over-reacts to a foul call?

Of the Smith thing:

“No idea at all. He fouled me and I just tried to stand up and after (it) was the whole thing. I don’t know if it was with me or with someone else.”

Got Calderon three free throws, too.

“But I missed two free throws so it was bad.”

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The reports out of Atlanta say this.

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Hey, did you notice they’ve banished the infernal drum players and the in-game screamer to a far upper corner of the Air Canada Centre?

Guess they realized that having them set up in a handicapped seating area was probably not the wisest of ideas.

They’ve still got amplification, though, so it’s not a total win.

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Mail. Please. Here.

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Dallas 113, Chicago 106

Charlotte 100, Oklahoma 92

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A so-so night.

I think what we might see unfold as this thing gets really interesting is a couple of distinct races that will be fun to watch.

Up at the top of the standings, where the good teams live, you’ve got Cleveland and Orlando pretty much home and cooled out at Nos. 1 and 2.

That leaves Atlanta and Boston to fight for Nos. 3 and 4 and I really thin we’re going to see a pretty intense battle between Toronto, Miami and Charlotte for 6, 7, 8.

At least there’ll be something fun to watch.

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So, My Man Jack Armstrong goes on TV to celebrate the Irish in us all by picking his top pubs of all time.

And I have to say, going with McSorley’s in New York, the Kells in Seattle and the Irish Embassy here as his top 3 gets a seal of approval from this corner since I’ve frequented all three – the latter two in the company of Mr. Armstrong himself.

If you’re talking strictly in Irish or British pub lists around the league, though, I’m thinking you need to put on Tir Na Nog, kitty corner to the Garden in new York, on the list and, perchance, the joint whose name I can’t remember on the corner right outside the Target Center in Minneapolis. It’s just across the street from Prince’s place, which is a rather dark and foreboding establishment I’m a’scared of.

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Amir Johnson made reference to the “lucky” green uniforms when he was chatting with us after the game and a couple of us immediately blanched and expressed concern that they’d trot them out again.

Now, I’m no fashion maven (well, at least not a fashion maven with much good taste) but I’m entirely down on the green.

The black’s good, love the Huskies blue and really liked the ones they wore in Spain with the red and yellow piping but the green? Not so much.

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I would imagine Alvin’s going to be strutting like a little peacock today when it’s mentioned that, while watching TV in a post-game bistro (hello, Harbour Sports Grille!), we saw none other than President Obama pick Villanova to get to the Final Four.

Makes me and Super Son okay with our pick.

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Saw something last night that we haven’t seen in quite a while, actually: The bench up cheering and dancing and goofing around. It was during a first quarter flurry under the basket, when the Raptors were actually fighting hard for a loose ball, getting on the floor and, as the TV guys say, “getting after it.”

It’s the kind of enthusiasm we saw often during the middle half of the season and the kind of enthusiasm that’s been missing the last 10 games.

Guess that hard work and effort is infectious and appreciated.

Kind of like you all standing and cheering for the hard work and effort here, right?

Or not.

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The Goods On The Game, Hawks at Raptors

Erin Go Bragh

Hope everyone's good and ready to go

Real professional men's basketball to follow

Raptors pre-game Q&A

Doug Smith held a live basketball chat at noon today as the Raptors prepared to take on the Atlanta Hawks

On making changes and celebrating the big day

Ah, game day.

I can feel the angst already.

Great to be a Raptors fan, isn’t folks?

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I get the sense that Jay would really like to do more to change things up; and I presume and hope he’s got his eye on both Turkoglu and Bargnani, neither of whom have been very good.

And he’s probably been looking DeRozan, too, because there’s always been a thought they’d move the rookie out of the starting lineup before the post-season began.

But he keeps saying – and this is a point he started making last week in Oakland – that there really isn’t anyone out there who’s really won a job, save for the point guard situation.

“I have a hard time finding guys in the second group that have warranted the ability to start for the most part.

“I could make change just to make change but I don’t know if we want to throw four or five guys’ rhythm out.”

The trouble with doing, say, Amir Johnson for Bargnani, and that’s the one that makes the most sense to me, would be that it would totally screw the second unit out of its most energetic frontcourt player.

Johnson’s been a revelation most nights, although he’s back to fouling a bit more than anyone would like, and I don’t think the gains they’d get to start the game would be worth the hit they’d take when the rotation starts.

Look, Bargnani was awful in Portland and has been invisible too many times of late, there is no question about it.

But I think that Jay’s wiser to do what he did the other night against the Blazers: Go with a quick hook for Andrea if he’s not getting himself involved at either end of the floor. That’s a good way to send the message without totaling messing with the rotations.

As for Turk, it’s this simple: They have to keep running him out there because if he doesn’t play well, they really can’t win. Taking him out, for say Sonny, does nothing, really. The simple fact is Turkoglu has to be more like he was early in the Golden State Game and for most of the Portland game, when he more assertive and more effective and didn’t look all that bad.

If he is, they’ll have chances to win; if he’s not, well, the criticisms will pour in

For 4 1-2 months, Turk’s been more a bust than a boon; it’s time for him to start being a factor. The season’s not lost by any stretch of the imagination, 43 wins and a fifth or sixth seed are certainly within reach if he can string together a series of solid games.

Can he? I guess that’s what’ll keep a lot of you watching.

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Pacers 99, Bobcats 94

Spurs 88, Heat 76

Grizzlies 104, Bulls 97

Kinda makes the coffee taste a little bit better this morning, doesn’t it?

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Questions.

Answers.

Noon.

As he used to say:

Dontcha dare miss it!

(Yes, that means we’ll have our little game-day session today at noon; wish there was an outdoor area at the ACC with wireless ‘cause I’m told it’s going to be a pretty nice day outside).

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I can hear it now (and I’ll read it later):

Doug, you’re a dope on the No Change But Jose Thing.

Don’t you know how bad Jose’s been and isn’t that just change for change’s sake.

Ah, no, it’s not.

I’ll say this one more time just to provide some fodder but Jose’s defence is not as bad as so many of you think; it’s not perfect but it’s not awful.

And with him shooting the ball so well now, and the team just running a bit more efficiently with him at the helm (and I offer the third quarter of the Portland game as a perfect example) this is a move that needs to be made to bring about significant improvement.

Will it? Who knows. But it’s something I think – and have thought for a very long time – something that needs to be done.

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Mail? Send it here.

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This, my friends, is a classic. An absolute classic.

It comes from an Irregular out in Waterloo (thanks, Jim) and of all the ex-Raptors I figured would go on to fame in big-budge movies, Mengke Bateer would not have topped the list.

But apparently, he does.

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Speaking of the Hawks, who arrive sans Joe Johnson, they were able to stave off the Nets last night and here’s what they had to say about it.

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These guys will go to any length to celebrate something, it appears.

Not only will they be wearing the green tonight for all our Irish friends – and those who pretend to be on what some of us refer to as an “amateur night” there were guys at practice yesterday wearing shoes with green accents on them.

Let’s see, they’ve got white and black for the regular uniforms, shoes with blue highlights for the nights they are the Huskies and now some with green when they are the O’Raptors? That’s going an extra mile.

And while some of you are celebrating your Inner Irish, around here Casa Doug there’s another party being staged.

Super Dog turns four today (that’s right from the breeder when we got her) and I’m trying to figure out how to jam a candle into a treat.

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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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