Even in the dog days we've got stuff

Quiet still, isn’t it?

I know Bryan’s on a wee bit of a break after some league meetings in New York the end of last week, some much-needed down time, but I’ll say again, he is not finished by any stretch of the imagination.

But until something breaks, it’s a tad slow around here

-

Oh, blimey.

We’re headed to Old Blighty!

Yep, March 4 and 5, Raptors-Nets at the O2 Arena in London, first time the NBA’s ever played regular season games in Europe.

Very cool, indeed, and about the only snippet of the schedule that I’ve heard about that’s marginally interesting and it was a guy in Jersey who actually got it.

Not sure right now what that means for season ticket holders – I’m presuming they whack the price of a ticket to one game off your tab – but it’s going to be pretty neat for those who go (hi, boss!).

It also becomes, automatically, the best place they’ve ever played a regular season game and I figure it’ll have to get into the top three places they’ve ever played before.

That, of course, would be Madrid, Rome and I actually can’t think of a third because they’ve only been to dowdy lowspots for most neutral site games.

Anyway, the only other thing I know about their schedule – which comes out next Tuesday unless someone gives me a copy earlier – is that we’re home for Christmas (not with a game, but with one just before and nothing on Dec. 24, 25, 26) and we’re away somewhere the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

-

This came in the mail yesterday and I was wondering what you think of it?

Worth doing?

Q: Know what I am missing, Doug's lists

Lists are meaningless and subjective but I love them and in the dog days of summer, waiting for BC to trade Jose for NY's Curry (joke, um, I hope), let's bring them back.

I am still waiting for the top three Raps at each position (so 15 for 15 years.)

Best one liners from players.

Even some that you have done before. I would like some Toronto lists (best places to watch an away game) for those who are Raps fans around the country and world.

Just some fun, light summer reading.

Bruce M, Winnipeg

A: Okay, I’ll try to help you out over the next little while because, yes, it will be slow for a couple of weeks ‘til we head to Turkey and then September should be really slow.

Now, I just plucked this question out of the in-box this morning so don’t have a lot of time for a lot of thought so I will give you this one off the top of my head.

Three Worst, Three Best Arenas For Guys Like Me

Bad

Sacramento

A pit, pure and simple. Small concourses, cramped seating, very few amenities. The work room is about a five-minute walk from the locker room, which doesn’t sound like much unless you’re, you know, on deadline for a West Coast game.

Dallas

The worst seats in the league, benches with no backs and no room on the table for a notebook along with a computer and the work room has rickety old tables. Truly not good.

Madison Square Garden

I know, I know, probably an odd choice but World’s Greatest Arena? My butt. Cramped on the concourses, it’s got a rather unique, um, odour and the visiting locker room might be the smallest in the NBA.

Good

Conseco Fieldhouse

Great baseline seats right by the bench, huge work room, locker room’s big and close. And you can walk to the gym from any downtown hotel.

Houston

Under-rated, big time. Work area’s big and close, seating’s good and it’s a big building without being imposing. Unlike, say, the United Center or Staples, which are huge, too huge.

Portland

Except for the seats, which are in a corner halfway up the stands and necessitates fighting crowds walking up while we want down, the work room’s great and it’s about five steps to the locker room.

Where does the Air Canada Centre fit?

It’d probably be in the bottom half. The work room is tiny and cramped, we’re stuck like cattle in a tiny hallway after the game waiting for the locker room to open and, as some Irregulars may recall, there are often issues with the courtside wireless.

-

No truth to the rumour the Raptors had a trade for Brett Favre that fell through, causing him to retire.

-

Speaking of mail, got some done yesterday so I’m a bit ahead of the game. That means click here, send some in and we’ll get along just fine.

-

I seem to have been able to miss the silly hour-long TV special to go over a dozen or so regular season games.

I could myself lucky in that regard.

-

So, another day, another Raptor dude linked to another job, I’m hearing.

This time it’s Masai Ujiri, whose ties with Denver from years ago have his name on the list of possible GMs for the Nuggets.

I’m told there is legitimate interest both ways and I’d bet at long odds that Masai at least gets to the interview stage when he gets back from Basketball Without Borders in Senegal.

-

Anyway, there’s a Canada Basketball practice in an hour or so that’ll hopefully provide fodder for a story and some notes.

See ya.

Comments

[Mark L]

So which lucky grunt gets to go to London?

Blogger's note: A debate for another time

[Toni]

"...is that we’re home for Christmas (not with a game, but with one just before and nothing on Dec. 24, 25, 26) and we’re away somewhere the week between Christmas and New Year’s."

Wow! That must be the first time you referred the Raptors as "we"! Or you just thought of "we" as "the team and me/us beat grunts" because you're absolutely certain that you'll get that road trip and not Dave?

Blogger's note: It's the Collective We for the travelling party.

[R. B.]

"No truth to the rumour the Raptors had a trade for Brett Favre that fell through, causing him to retire."
Ha ha this was hilarious, actually make me laugh. Thanks for the great work even during the slow times Doug!!

[Travis]

Semi-Serious thought re: Jose to the Knicks for Curry. While I think Curry can be a trouble, and isn't that serious about the NBA, there is something to be said for a legit 7-footer in a contract year. Worst case, the experiment fails and we have $11.5MM come off the books next year.... thoughts? In some regards, it might be the Knicks who decline that trade, looking for a bigger bang for their buck

[Mark S]

Dougie... if you make it to London with the team, let me be the first to invite you for some quality english beers at my favorite pub on me... maybe it'll make your list of best pubs/beers... call it a thanks for keeping me entertained and interested in the raptors and basketball while being surround by nothing but soccer 'football' nonsense these past few years...

[doug]

is canada b-ball camp at the ACC?

can you give us a camp roster after the practice?

Thanks!

Blogger's note: It is; and I will

[Eric]

*Drum roll please....* DOUGERS! How're things! Hehe. Good to see all that calm and patience and excuses pay off. :) Hehe. No offense., friend. Fans took lots of abuse from you back in the day for 'overeacting" etc. and look what we have here. Hehe. I just had to come back and take my credit.

Don't get me wrong. I'm in as much pain as anyone watching this disaster unfold. I'm still a fan. I'm angry. I wish w e could have done someting about it when we had a chance and not pretend like it was going to solve itself. Maybe we learned our lesson for next time- again! :) Lolol. Denial is not optimism! See ya

[Mo]

Hey Doug,

Shaq to the Celts..

Good for the Celts or good for Shaq? or is it insignificant at this point in his career?

Blogger's note: Good for the Celtics because they don't know when Perkins will be back for sure and how long Jermaine O'Neal might hold up

[Mike S]

Doug,

I don't want this to seem like I'm complaining about your work because after all, you're the best in the Raps biz and what am I gonna do, ask for a refund? That said, your list today is hurt by the fact that most of us honestly don't care about the quality of the workspace or its distance from the lockers. If I was payed to watch basketball, I'd be happy working in a closet in the basement after sitting courtside all game...
Is there any way you could make a list of stadiums from a fan's (your readers') perspective? What are the three stadiums I should attend a game at? Which should I avoid?

[Joe]

Interesting points on the league schedule. I'm guessing the Raps/Nets were picked because by that time, the NBA suspects both teams will be out of the playoff running. I hope they get some rest time before and after. Nice to know you will at least get 3 days off with your family at Christmas, Doug. Have the Raptors announced any ticket prices for the upcoming season? Do you envision attendance falling this year Doug? I know last year that the lower bowl was not consistently filled.k
Thank you for your hard work and have a good day.

Blogger's note: Not sure about ticket prices and I fully expect smallish crowds at the start of the season.

[Andre]

Brett Favre would have been terrible for the Raptors. Sure the man has skills, but he's never had to play defence in his life!

Blogger's note: Isn't that actually a perfect Raptor?

[Mike Smith]

Doug, do you know where Canadians may watch the 2010 FIBA World Championship?

Blogger's note: I don't yet; but I know they're trying to work something out

[Marc M]

Has there been any mention of the status of Matt Bonner? Is he able to practice with the team (an indication his passport may be cleared for him to participate?)

Blogger's note: No chance he plays this year, paperwork won't get done

[Adnan]

Glad to see Jay Triano named to USA Basketball's coaching staff. I've always been a fan of Jay, but will this move quiet any critics of Jay? Now that he's on the bench of arguably the strongest basketball nation in the world, I see little reason to question whether he can be a head coach of an NBA team.

Blogger's note; Quiet the critics? Don't be silly :)

[Geoff Read]

Hey Doug,

Thanks for answering my question about "big 3s". I liked your answers and kind of enjoyed the furor they caused. I was in Boston taking in a game at Fenway (Ortiz won it in the 9th) on the weekend and so am just catching up on your blog today.

Without wanting to reignite the controversy, I'll say that I agree with you that Rodman was overrated - I disagree on Pippen. But that makes them a second-tier threesome because only the first two guys were frontline talents in their own right - Rodman/Kukoc/or Horace Grant for that matter were nice pieces of the championship puzzle but not of the same caliber as others in the top 5 list.

A threesome that comes to mind that is worthy of second-tier status is Malone/Stockton/Hornacek.

Keep up the good work through these dog days of summer.

[me.yahoo.com/a/JyS_z4V.g83bjzxNzMvUTSCgTik-]

If you get any info on when tickets become available for sale for the London game it would be nice if you post that in your blog. I am a Canadian now living in London and it would be fun to go. I used to go to about 6 games a year in Toronto and I miss the games.
Thanks.

[The J]

How about the current Boston big 3? They won one championship in a very solid season (good reg. season receord, tough finals opponent). And they went to game 7 of another season's final. Surely they are in that second tier of big 3's. Olajawon-Drexler-Barkley for example, never actually won anything (the two Houstons championships came with out Barkley). How about the Spurs Duncan-TP-Manu trio. Nobody has ever called them a big 3, but they are a trio that has had a lot of success.

[Michel G]

I was seeing if there was a WNBA game on and found that show highlighting certain games for the upcoming season. The analysts tried to make game analyses sound pertinent 3 plus months in advance, but it was pointless. I lasted 5 minutes.

[Michel G]

Who's Eric?

[Gary]

Wow, eric is back with his 2 cents worth. And I thought he just changed his name to adrian. I love the drama, and its funny how some people think their opinion is the only opinion. I would have to put my vote with Jordan, Pippen AND Rodman, who was a beast and definitely was a huge contributor to their success. A little to young for any old time trios though.

[GM]

Good to see Adrian back. I knew he couldn't last a month away, let alone the rest of forever like he promised.

Doug, will it be the first time regular season games outside North America are played so late in the season? Aren't they usually the first and second games of the year?

Blogger's note: They are usually first off the bat, yeah; no one's been able to give me a reason why so late because the schedule hasn't "officially" been released. And it's the first time ever for regular season games in Europe.

[sam]

It's nice to see time hasn't softened Eric's unique approach to public relations and how to make friends and influence people.

[Mark L]

Doug,

Does this open the door a little bit more for a European expansion?

Blogger's note: I presume they'll be interested in how the players and staff handle the travel

[The J]

The Nets and Raps playing in March will be a good learning experience for Londoners. They can get a chance to see firsthand what "playing for ping pong balls" looks like.

[Dave in BG]

Memo to D. Stern:

Dear Commish:

You may wish to rethink your league schedule a bit. I am sure it was with the best of intentions that you pencilled in Toronto v. New Jersey in London UK. You are to be applauded for your tireless efforts to grow the game Internationally.

However, certain recent events may have escaped your attention, events that may impact on the schedule. First, Chris Bosh decided to leave the Toronto squad. You cannot be faulted for not seeing this coming. Apparently only a few insiders had any inkling that Bosh was even considering a change of address. Secondly, the Nets and their multi-bazillionaire Russian owner were not able to convince LeBron, DWade, Amare or any other big name to join them in the Swamp (errrr Brooklyn). What is the world coming to???

Consequently you may want to give a moment's pause before you foist DeMar v. Courtney Lee on the unsuspecting London public. I am sure you intended this to showcase two elite level teams with the biggest names in the business. Honestly, you would have had a license to print money if the game was Bosh v. LeBron.

No doubt you will rectify this kind of situation in the next CBA, but meanwhile, you may want to revisit the League Schedule

Humbly yours,

UK NBA fan