The best player has to be the best player or Orlando's done

Okay, another weekend in the books, time to get back to normal-ish around here, isn’t it?

Not sure exactly what that is, but it’s something to strive for.

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How’d you like to be the Orlando Magic? You go through the first eight games of the NBA playoffs with nary a worry, beating up subpar opponents like they were, well, subpar opponents.

Then along come those Celtics, the Magic can’t make a three to save their souls and now they’re almost in a “must-win” situation for Game 2.

Not sure entirely what went wrong yesterday, I will surmise that it was a combination of great Boston defence and cockeyed Magic shooting because it’s never just one thing.

Except this one thing: There is no way Orlando can win if Dwight Howard plays like he did in Game 1.

If the Celtics are going to cover him primarily with one guy, he has to punish them, he needs to keep his composure, take his time on offence and drill them for like 30 points. He has to make them pay and he didn’t Sunday afternoon.

He let Kendrick Perkins push him too far out from the basket to be effective (and there’s the major flaw in Howard’s offensive game) and he let Rasheed Wallace get under his skin.

I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, and it’d be a heckuva lot easier if Rashard Lewis could make a three-pointer, but if you’re Dwight Howard, you have to be better.

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Okay, I’m getting to this late (the weekend was taken up with, you know, basketball stuff) and it’s a digression so bear with me.

They cancelled Law and Order?

That bites. Big time.

Sure, they’re keeping SVU but who cares and I don’t care what happens to Criminal Intent and Law And Order Los Angeles does nothing for me. Big whoop to all of that.

This was a show full of classics from Adam Schiff (“ah, I don’t care, make a deal, plead him out!) and Ben Stone (“I don’t care, I’m full of righteous indignation!”) to Jack McCoy (“my father, the cop, would have beaten him senseless!” and Joe Fontana (“look at my clothes, I’m suave and debonair!”), there’ve been some doozies, right?

Personal faves: Abbie Carmichael, The Hangin’ Assistant DA, ranks right up there, so does Anita Van Buren, who’s been there the longest.

Best ever, though?

The late, great Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe. Cool dude, a skeleton or two in his closet and if you can find a thespian who can pull off grizzled New York detective and Lumiere, you’ve got yourself and actor.

(Can you tell I watch a lot of reruns while piddling around working most afternoons?)

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Speaking of television, I’m sure you’ll all be glued to your sets Tuesday night for the draft lottery.

(Yes, this passes as the only snippet of Raptors news at the moment).

As you all know, the Raptors go in with the 13th selection, meaning they have a 0.6 six per cent chance at getting No. 1, a 0.7 seven per cent chance at getting No. 2 and a 0.9 nine per cent chance at getting No. 3.

(You know me and math, sorry)

Oh, and for you half-empty people out there, they have a 1.8 per cent chance of falling to No. 14.

Best thing about it?

If the TV production holds true to form, it’ll all be over in about five minutes and we get on with our lives.

Oh, it’ll be DeMar DeRozan sitting on the stage, I’m told, and Henchman Eversley will be in the back making sure things are on the up and up.

And as you all know, everything’s always on the up and up.

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HWSNBN, with 23 points, was the leading scorer for the Orlandos yesterday. Just thought you’d like to keep tabs on one of your faves.

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Speaking of keeping tabs, in conversations over the course of the weekend, I heard Sam’s name linked to the Atlanta coaching gig and I was also told he could be in the mix in Chicago.

Just thought you’d like to keep tabs on another of your faves.

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So I’ve noticed with some interest over the past few days that both Tony Parker and Rony Turiaf have said they will not play for France in the world basketball championships this summer.

Big deal? Probably not but still worth mentioning.

I don’t think France had a hope in Hades of winning with or without Parker and Turiaf but it might – might – make the first round marginally more interesting as far as Canada is concerned since they’re in a first-round group with the French.

I still think Spain and Lithuania are virtual locks to move out of that round in Izmir (Smyrna to those still living in the distant past) and France remains a solid third. That still leaves Canada fighting with Lebanon and New Zealand to get out of the first round – which should be the team’s goal right now); having France a bit weaker might be something to watch for.

And I wonder how it’ll impact ticket sales for a series of two exhibition games here in Toronto between France and Canada in August, games that aren’t quite finalized yet.

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A little scheduling information.

Super Son’s been kind enough to invite me to a showing of Real (Okay, Fake) Professional Men’s Grappling tonight so an in-game blog thingy for the opener of Lakers-Suns is out of the question.

But we will be back Tuesday and Wednesday to resume festivities and I’ll expect a full report on the half of L.A.-Phoenix that I’ll miss.

Thank you very much.

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Oh yeah, opening day of training camp for the Mighty Yankees was, sadly, so-so. Dang family commitments kept half the team away. But, for a gang of five first day out of the box, we can hit and throw and know where all the positions are. That, my friends, is coaching!

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You know I was kind of bemoaning the fact there were no games on Saturday to pass some time?

Well, I did catch more than a little of the WNBA opener between Phoenix and Los Angeles while sitting around answering mail in the afternoon and, between you and I, it was quite the entertaining game.

I would suggest some of you give it a shot if you’ve got a chance, you might end up liking it.

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Comments

[tim]

your lotto numbers are wrong, doug. should be 0.6%, 0.7% and 0.9%, which is considerably worse

Blogger's note: Sorry, fixed

[Brian]

Doug, arn't our chances at #1 actually 0.6 % and not 6 %?

Blogger's note: Fixed

[Sam Rook]

What, no liveblog of the Rassling? You do have historical experience with that after Sam and Vince years ago!

[DaveT]

LA - Phoenix might have been quite the entertainment, but I was in the same boat on Saturday night and ended up catching some Tulsa - Whoever-they-were-playing later and it was gawd-awful. I've been entertained by a couple of WNBA games before, but this was worse than watching paint dry, maybe watching socks dry or, even worse, Dancing with the stars ;) (sorry, I had to)

[Tiger]

I see that there is growing belief that LBJ is going to make The Hangar his home next season.
And we all know that TheStar.com polls are never wrong... right?
(Alas, this is what it means to be a Raps fan.)

[Lorie]

Morning Doug! Okay, now you've done it! So, I'm at the office trying to get the work week going, drop by your blog and drats!, now major distraction ensues as instead I start reminiscing about too many to count outstanding L&O moments. Two immediately come to mind and of course they include the incomparable Lennie Briscoe: (and as an aside are you familiar with the absolutely marvellous performance by Mr. Orbach of that tune from "The Fantastiks" - "Try to Remember"? Sublime.) Van Buren to Lennie: "Do you believe him?" Lennie: "I believe on a good day he couldn't hit his ass with both hands.", and Lennie as he puts the cuffs on a suspect: "You've heard of the Seven Rings of Saturn? These are the two rings of Rikers." Hey, thanks for the L&O stuff. Now, back to work, or something like it... :)

[doug]

the key player in this whole Magic-Celts series may just well turn out to be Wallace...Howard likes to intimidate although he isn't actually tough he is just well big....whereas Wallace like him or hate him is tough, old school, he takes no guff and really doesn't frankly care if he gets tossed in a game...and what a unique position for Rivers he has Wallace's fouls to use and not fear losing him as he really isn't a key part such as Pierce,Garnett, Rondo, Allen, even Davis..so its a nice luxury...plus Wallace is relentless, real toughness wins out over intimidation every day Howard was off his game...

Law and Order was my fav show...until Orbach passed away then it was like a constant changing of the cast...but superb television and I am like you not a fan of the spin-offs.....also sign of the apocalypse, saw in your paper this morning where a women is suing Rogers for their billing practices as thats how her husband found out she was having a affair, and she says they's still be together if not for rogers....did maybe, just maybe she think her and her husband might still be together if she never had the affair, i don't know just a thought...hope the judge tosses out the lawsuit and the husband wherever he is is better off without a wife with a thought process or sense of responsibility then that woman..

[Adam]

Hey Doug,

I'll be in attendance at the ACC. I'm a fan of WWE and will be there to see Bret Hart off as it's his last night with the company. I'll be wearing my retro Suns Nash jersey. I'm 100 level far end from the titantron. Where are you and SuperSon sitting?

Blogger's note: Not entirely sure, he's not shown me the ducats yet

[Matt M]

So the Raps are going to win the lottery this week. Sweet. Can't wait to see John Wall wearing the purple dinosaur.

[Dan]

Doug, you've got the percentages wrong on the Raptors' lottery odds. You've misplaced the decimal; they've got 0.6% chance at the 1st pick, 0.7% at the second, and 0.9% at the third. Too bad. I like your numbers better.

Blogger's note: Got 'em fixed up, thanks

[Jacques]

Doug,

Do you know if the Red Rocket is playing for Canada? What about Denham Brown, what has he been up too?

Blogger's note: Don't have an answer for either, at the moment

[knickz]

will miss law and order...this ting about ratings seriously needs to stop...criminal intent won't be the same without goren...hopefully stabler and denson renew their conracts with svu after this season

[knickz]

juss read on hoopsworld.com that bosh has already told the raps brass he isn't going to re-sign...kinda glad because only a dumb person will spend 133 million on a big man who has mileage and knee problems...rdudy gay anyone?

[doug]

ok I just have to comment quickly on that Feschuk article...not on anything he said its on those "researchers" and them saying a NBA player reaches his true potential at 24, and to be careful about signing a player 30 or over...I get the basis of there argument, in terms of pure athleticism a guy like lets say Carter for arguments sake is not the high flyer he once was...but a case can be made he is a better b-ball player now, researchers like this gall me...or rather more to the point p**s me off...and my counterpoint to them is this, look at any of 2 NBA finals teams throughout history and tell me the average starting age of their starting five or 6???....case closed, i would rather read a book by Palin then the tripe these "reasearchers" dish out, as I am sure their "formulas" don't include, measuring sticks for acquired b-ball I.Q. players assimilate through the years of playing, on-court smarts, knowing the game, maturity and as in Carters case yesterday how much more efficient he was in getting those 23 points then he may have been 8 years ago...I know without a reasercher telling me that a 24 year old such as Durant etc. are better physically then a 34 year old...but are they better b-ball players??...in my minds eye not even close...

[ostrich_lover]

I dont think I'm being too critical here, but a professional writer should not say these things: "for, like, 30 points" and "big whoop".

Blogger's note: And I think you are. But big whoop

[Peter]

Maybe this is a mailbag question, and if so, feel free to move it there. If Lebron James signs with another team, and does not get a sign and trade from Cleveland, does that potentially decrease the value of Bosh's next contract? It seems odd that GM's would pay Bosh more then Lebron, but I'm wondering if that is even a factor this summer.

[GM]

You've been on record dissing the NCAA game because it's not as good as the pros. How do you the men's college game compares to the women's professional game? I don't watch either, but have watched both at different times in my life. Whenever I see even a high level women's game, I'm always struck at how much slower they are at going for loose balls out of bounds and things like that. So I'm wondering, do you support the WNBA because it's good basketball (i.e. better than NCAA men's) or is it a politically motivated sense of fairness (i.e. you think women's professional sports should be as popular as men's)?
Maybe this is better suited for the mailbag.

[Andre]

Hey Doug.. You hearing the rumblings that bosh has decided not to sign back with the raptors, and is working with the raptors to do a sign and trade? (rumours are he wants to go to the lakers) but what will the lakers give up for Bosh? I dont get it.
IF the raptors were to sign and trade bosh, what teams do you think would have the best pieces that the raptors would take back?

I'm thinking Houston.

(also on a sidenote, If the raptors did somehow get the first overall pick, do you think John wall would pull a steve francis and not report? )

Blogger's note: I've heard 100 rumours, probably all made up; I'll think about facts when I learn them

[CARLoS M.]

RIP Law & Order. Sad to see it go.

LMAO @ Sam Rook!

"What, no liveblog of the Rassling? You do have historical experience with that after Sam and Vince years ago!"

[The J]

Sam getting consideration in Chicago? Is that so he can be reunited with CB4 next year?

[Geoff Read]

I noticed that Star poll yesterday too and had a good chuckle at the number of people who thought King James was coming to T.O. From what I understand of your calculations the Raptors have a better chance at getting the #1 pick in the draft.

That said, something I understand almost as poorly as the NBA draft lottery is the salary cap. So... if, as the MLSE brass has hinted, the Raptors are going to be allowed to spend over the cap, would it at least be theoretically possible that they could sign Bosh and blow another huge wad of cash on a star player to go, say, $10 a season or more over the cap? Or is that just not allowed, period?

[Geoff Read]

Oops. That's supposed to read $10 million of course.

[Michel G]

Law & Order was still on the air?

[Kelsey]

Lets Go Boston, I like Orlando, but still carry resentment for Vince, therefore Lets Go Boston, Im sorry, Im a hater, I dont want Vince every to win a title. They way he punked out in Toronto HE NEVER DESERVES IT. Sorry Vince, the haters still live.

I dont like Phoenix, so Lakers Boston Finals...Please no short series though...

[Dave]

Doug - just wondering why you continue to be so evasive with respect to questions on Bosh's status (or rumours thereof). In your May 11 blog posting you mentioned "I feel nearly certain that Joe Johnson will be gone" (followed by a pretty accurate prediction on Coach Woodson) - which constitutes a pretty bold statement on the FA status of a player on a team you don't even cover. Yet when posters ask for your thoughts on Bosh's status, a player you have covered extensively for several years, you nearly always refuse to comment. How can such information assymetry exist that you can provide greater certainly around the free agent status of a Hawks player than you can provide on the most important player of the team you cover on a daily basis?

Blogger's note: New here? I've said since the season ended that I expect Bosh to leave