That Carter fellow's impact and some visitors in town

From our usual diet of entirely disjointed thoughts, we give you another day of fun and frivolity.

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Someone was asking me the other day about Vince Carter and what I thought about how bad he’d been in Orlando’s sweep of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Whoa, big fella, I said. Au contraire.

(Well, I didn’t exactly say “whoa, big fella” or “au contraire” but you get my drift)

To me, Carter did exactly what’s needed in those four games and gets to the very essence of his game at this point in his career.

Whenever they really needed him to get involved and make plays, he did. I think it was late in Game 3, when Dwight Howard was once again sitting down because of foul trouble, the Vince and Jameer Nelson ran about four straight high screen and rolls that got the Magic huge baskets.

In Game 4 when Howard was once again sitting down because of fouls (sense a trend there?) it was the same thing, when they needed a bucket or a play, HWSNBN was heavily involved.

What we’re seeing is that, again, stats don’t tell the story because Vince’s numbers don’t look good but his impact has been significant.

And for him, that’s perfect.

I know him pretty well and I’m sure he’s quite content at this point to pick his spots, to be there when they need him for short spurts without having the total weight of carrying a team on his back for 48 minutes a night.

And, trust me, the kid still has the flair for the dramatic and the game to make a serious, serious impact. I said right from the day they traded for him that Orlando, stacked up front, with a demanding coach and talented teammates, was a perfect situation for Vince at this point in his career.

I imagine that’ll be borne out even more as the next series unfolds.

And I know a whole lot of you will hate it with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, as a charming learned colleague used to say.

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If there is one other good thing about the coming second-round series it’s this: No local broadcasts.

No slight intended to many of them, who are just guys trying to do the best they can, but they are all employees of the team and in that regard have to slant their descriptions, if not opinions, one way over the other.

Now, if I never have to listen to Tiresome Tommy Heinsohn again it’ll be too soon (that schtick wore off years ago) but turning over the better games to better broadcasters is never a bad thing.

Sure, there are some national network guys whose work I’m not a big fan of – I’m not all the comfortable listening the cadence of Dick Stockton’s delivery, for instance – but generally they are better.

And, generally, the analysts are most insightful, more detached and more consistently critical in their comments. Having to talk about a team you’ve seen for 90 or 95 games lends itself to too much “insider info” that doesn’t give a casual viewer much insight.

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Going to the post office today?

Forget about it. Just send your cards and letters here and you could get a reply on the weekend.

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How ‘bout them Bucks?

(As another aside, I think “Fear The Deer” is a tremendously cool slogan).

If we’re learning anything in that series with the Hawks it’s that a good team beats a bunch of good players a lot of the time and that’s what we saw in Game 5

Now, individual talent may ultimately win out and the Hawks are certainly not dead with the prospect of a Game 7 back at home, but Milwaukee’s willingness to play together, move the ball and play true team defence sets them apart.

I imagine some of it’s imparted from Scott Skiles, I imagine some of it’s simply the nature of the players but it’s been kind of cool to watch, hasn’t it?

If you look down the rosters, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find one spot at which the Bucks have a clear-cut advantage and they lead 3-2 only because they’re playing better team basketball.

And as we’ve been hammering home here forever, it’s always a team thing, it’s never one guy. If the Hawks figure that out, maybe they can steal the next two; I don’t know that they can.

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Oh yeah, lots on the plate this morning, this afternoon and this evening so I’m going to have to take the in-game blog thingy off tonight.

I know. You’re crushed, aren’t you?

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Big week for Canada Basketball. And it has nothing to with anything on the court.

The FIBA Americas evaluation commission is in town for meetings and inspections that will go a long way in determining whether Canada will host the 2011 Olympic qualification tournament.

There’s a little media soiree this afternoon atop the CN Tower (hope it’s a nice clear day) that’ll give us more details on the visit but what the good people of FIBA are looking at is no surprise.

Facilities. Accommodation.

Oh, and money.

Lots of money.

If there’s been one common thread through most of the dealings I’ve known about with FIBA Americas and COPABA before it, it’s that someone needs to guarantee no one takes a financial bath – and that the governing body gets some cash in its coffers – when they host these kinds of things.

If you talk about facilities and accommodations and the city itself, Toronto would be a no-brainer but I still think there’s going to have to be some sugar daddy to write a cheque to make things go truly smoothly for Canada Basketball.

The advantages to hosting are tremendous. Familiarity with the surroundings, not having to deal with the vagaries of travel and the intimidation factor that some officials feel are huge factors in international basketball tournaments.

Canada has never hosted an Olympic qualifier, and it’s part of the reason they’ve had such limited qualification success. That and talent, of course.

I know Wayne Parrish pretty well and I know he’ll have all the answers for all the questions and will put on a tremendous presentation.

I also know that it’d be far better if he had a guy standing behind him with a bag of cash.

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You know me and pucks and the tremendously marginal interest I have in the game, right? Well, even a guy like me has to be impressed with what Les Habitant did. And I know a family (hi, Pennys!) who might still be driving up and down Creditview honking the horn.

But it does show you that playoffs, in all sports, are great because you never, ever know for sure.

And that’s what makes this time of year pretty darn good.

That and the coming Mighty Yankees season, which should get underway as early as next week with our own version of teenage spring training.

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Comments

[ryan]

I think “Fear The Deer” is a tremendously cool slogan
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Not bad, but I prefer Maryland's "Fear the Turtle"

[erc]

In your Bucks-Hawks game blog, the opinion of the past, present and future NBA MVP that the Toronto team doesn't care about winning, but simply drawing a pay check elicits, in your words, " a big yawn".
Should he talk to Raptor team officials, like you do, to get the real scoop? That would be exciting. Really.

[Tree]

I didn't watch any of the Orlando-Charlotte series, but I'm dubious as to whether VC "did exactly what was needed". While numbers don't tell the whole story, they do tell us a lot. For anyone who doesn't know his stats in the first round, here they are in all there glory:

- 20-56 on FG attempts; average of 5-14 per game; 36% shooting percentage
- 1-17 (!) on 3 point attempts ... a 6% (again !!!) shooting percentage
- 2/1.5 assist to turnover ratio

Somehow, I doubt this is what SVG was hoping to get from VC in the series. I would actually say his overall awfulness was obscured by the fact they swept an overmatched opponent, and by the fact others (Nelson, for example) took their game to another level. Again, I didn't watch the series, so maybe his defensive play was great (though there's no mention of his play away from the ball above).

The Magic are lucky they get to face either the Bucks or the flawed Hawks next round. If they get this performance against either the Cavs or Celtics (and for Orlando, the expectations are Finals or bust), they will be the team swept out of the playoffs.

As an aside ... the Bucks potential series win is yet another example of why the NBA needs reseeding after every round. For the honour of finishing as the best team in the league, the Cavs get to face a much tougher team in the second round than the the team that finished 3rd best overall.

[Lawrence]

Remember when Fred Jones was supposed to be John Salmons?

[Marc]

What can of should BC and maybe even Jay learn from the success of the Bucks this season? Certainly the Raptors have more talent (but much less heart and other intangibles.)

Gotta say it: Go Habs Go!

[Clayton]

"No slight intended to many of them, who are just guys trying to do the best they can, but they are all employees of the team and in that regard have to slant their descriptions, if not opinions, one way over the other"

Why is this the case, do you think? Why do the team TV folks think that team fans prefer to hear one-sided commmentary? I find it incredibly annoying, and pretty much every fan I know thinks the same.

[Earle Fimrite]

i thought i was the only one that just dreads Boston broadcasts with Tommy boy, he is the worst. You listen to Devlin and sure see a difference.

[avinash]

Hi Doug,
Love the blog. What do you make of Shaq's contribution for the Cavs this year, especially at this time of year?

Blogger's note: They got Shaq for one reason: Dwight Howard and he will not be judged until after a Cavs-Magic series.

[Dave Fritz, Kingston]

Re HWSNBN: if Orlando has a good run that should cement Carter as the most talented (not best, that would be Scottie Pippen) complimentary piece in league history. And it should be what keeps him out of the Hall of Fame.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=612860564]

Who knew that a bunch of international players in the Bucks can play D. Imagine they kept Amir and Sonny. Maybe they would make a slight difference. But the Bucks are making me a fan. Jennings is just awesome. Fear the Deer!!!

[Anthony]

Appears the Lakers have woke up, but I'm still not sold on them coming out of the West, I think Dallas matches up well against them and could bet them in 7... the only problem with that is the Mavs can never get past those old timer Spurs !

Lets hope Cavs fans don't add "The Elbow" to their long list of heartache.

[Manish Rijal]

Hi Dough....
Love your blog...never wrote you before... but it’s time that we fan of Raptors point out few things we learned during this regular season or playoffs... this league is Coaches league.... look at what happing to Denver .... very talented team they were WCF last year were expect to play much better this time around... but they are missing coach Karl.... assistant is ok but not able to get anything out of such a talented team.... look at Bucks... not so talented but they have very good coach and are playing best B'ball to they can play... I guess is if we have better coach and people around players this Ball club right now would be still play..... It’s very stupid of GM to even think that he should keep same coach......first one to go out should be coach.... I have no issue with Jay but he is not the coach for this team.... he might be good with X‘s and O’s but was not able to get his player to play to their potential. He failed as a coach.... now get someone who can get this set of player to play better.... GM failed to realise that he had 9 new faces last year with many veteran player. This club badly need veteran coach not rookie.... Due this mistake it looks like Chris Bosh will look to go south...If he wants to spend money please do it on good coach......
Thank you for being so kind to me and my family on Dec 27( Raps Vs Miami)
Manish Rijal

[Nick M]

The fact that the Raps got Amir in the trade makes watching Delfino in the Bucks series easier to swallow.

Its nice to see good ol' Raps do well in the playoffs. Here is hoping that the Gangsta (Doug, do you really think your followers believe that you watch the Bucks series for the bball-we know your only in it to see tv cuts to the Bucks bench and that Gangsta quaff) gets to round two!

[Joe W.]

'Fear the Deer' is outstanding. I think some credit for the momentum of the campaign is due to Milwaukee's chicken. He got a standing ovation for an astonishing back-flip dunk off of a 20 ft. ladder, YouTube it if you havent seen it. Doug, do you think really great arena shenanigans can have an immediate impact on the performance of the team?

[Scott]

Besides Tom Heinson being over the top with "his" team regarding officials out to get them and his overly homer broadcasts, it was a game against the Raps back in the year they bought their championship that sticks out to me.
He went on and on about how to play the game right and be a winner and the Raps could take a lesson from Boston to take the next step. This being one season removed from a 15 year run of Celtic basketball being dreadful.
Time to hang em up Mr.Heinson; you are too much an antiquated fan than broadcaster even for home telecasts.

[Sean]

"And as we’ve been hammering home here forever, it’s always a team thing, it’s never one guy."

I would argue game 4 of the Miami-Celts series was one guy.

[Alan C]

How's this as a slogan for Toronto's year just ended:

Discount the Dinos!

[joe]

Sean, considering miami lost that series 4-1, then no, it's never one guy.

[The J]

Alan C. - How about "Hide the Hedo"?

[Tim]

Hi Doug,

I'm interested in getting your response to Lebron's comments basically questioning the will to win of Toronto. Perhaps you have them up somewhere and I missed it. If so, please point me in the right direction. If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts

[kelsey]

Good day Doug and Raptors nation, here is piece of the Lebron statement

From Espn.com: "James actually said the Cavs were hoping to meet Chicago in the first round rather than the hapless Toronto Raptors , precisely because the Bulls would battle them. "We knew this team would push us," James said. "That's not taking anything away from Toronto, but with [Chris] Bosh being out for the rest of the season and all those injuries, it just didn't seem like they even wanted to make the playoffs at the end of the season. So it probably would've ended up in that same way if we had played Toronto like it was last year. "But when Chicago made the eighth seed, we were excited about that because we knew we had to be in tune every possession and every game because that team plays hard no matter the score, no matter the time and no matter what the series is."

Raptors franchise is low..Look at the way players can openly speak of Raptors and NOBODY CAN DEFEND THESE WORDS.

Colangelo you better move some of the softies on this team. Look at the bucks with Kurt Thomas for crying out loud (starting centre) BARGNANI MUST BE MOVED, if Bosh stays or not...No more softies

[fg]

LEBRON JAMES DIDNT WANT TO PLAY TORONTO, i love those comments, well said. he truly touched on the lack of effort from the Raptor players when the going gets tough.
I respect him for saying that and I recently wrote some comments to the ESPN writers, becuase lets face it they deserve some respect for there analysis on BC, Triano and the Raptors. when the raptors were in 5th place I was rubbing it in the ESPN guys face, now I must man up and apologize becuase they were right.. not us RAptors brass...

I hope you dont act like a Raptor Homer and defend it, but ESPN and the critics were all right in laughing at Toronto before the season even started. I give them my respect now.
even to those annoying ESPN and TNT guys.

The whole league calls the Raptors soft and as effortless, BC has some major work to do, and it starts with the Coach mentality and GM mentality...

[Mike kovacs]

I guess when Chicago lost that OT game to the Nets a few weeks ago they were trying hard? They stank.The same way they stank the first 2 times The Raps played them.

[GM]

I've never cared for Dick Stockton, either. The worst was when he and Heinsohn used to do CBS telecasts.

[doug]

LeBron also said in that statement that Bosh was hurt, which he was and I doubt he even would have played...so LeBron was right, why are people over-reacting to this...Lebron is Lebron, I'll start listening to him or give his words some credence when he actually wins something....so far in his career he's all about show...let's see him back up his words with a NBA championship....ESPN and ABC treat this guy like CBS treats Tiger....TNT and Charles,Kenny are more in tune...LeBron needs to win...and lay off the theatrics and just play...