Mail's early but it's incomplete

As much as the thought of (a) getting up at 2:30 a.m. or (b) staying up until 2:30 a.m. to finish the mailbag was intriguing, I couldn’t do it.

So, please take this for now and know that there’ll be more just after I get to Sacramento.

After all, what else is there to do on a 6:15 flight to Minneapolis to make the connection?

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Q: I've been meaning to ask you to comment on this for a couple of years now: re. 82 game seasons. From a purely physiological & medical perspective, having competitive athletes 6' & over perform at a high level for several minutes in 82 games over a 6 month period is a substantial risk to acute injuries [short term] and shortening their careers [long term]. Also, from this fan's perspective, I barely pay attention to standings until after the AllStar Break anyway...Sooo, why does the NBA have so many games? Thanks!

Katrina W, Toronto

A: To torment you and me?

That’s about the best I’ve got because 82 seems to be just some zany arbitrary number picked out of the sky.

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Q: Top 3 favorite in-game ops?

Bottom 3?

 

Patrick H, Toronto

A: Okay, a challenge

Good

Fan karaoke: just wish they’d find a song here.

Kiss cam: Stumpy and I think it’s hilarious.

The pre-game curtain: They kind of dropped the ball here opening night, you should see it when it works.

Bad

Baby races: They should do some kind of psychological study years later.

Fat guys dancing: Yawn. And it’s got nothing to do with the June Taylor Dancers, I just don’t like it.

Sports Centre moment: If I want pucks and to sap the life out of a night, I’ll go elsewhere.

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Q: Since there has been a far amount of questions concerning the CBA and the financial health of the NBA I would like to ask a money question. Of course the right answer is NOYB but here goes. Roughly what is the amount of the cheque each team receives from the NBA each year? I ask because the Marlins basically lied to the city of Miami about their financial position to get a new stadium and it brings into question the pressure declining attendance actually puts on a team. So if the Raptor's win 1 in 6 games and attendance drops to say 12/13k per home game do they really care. Or is more like we just make less money and tell everyone wait till next year? Noting they still make a profit but just less of it.

John P, Vernon Hills

A: The number is kind of impossible to tell exactly because it varies with the amount of luxury tax rebates a team might get and shared revenue from sales of souvenirs and the like are never dead on.

But if you figure every team gets in the $37 million range every year from the current national television contracts in the USA, I can see it topping $40 million before they sell a ticket.

Or course, there are some heavy expenses involved in running an NBA team but the money each gets from the league is substantial.

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Q: Bird Rights. Do you know the history of the "Bird" naming? I doubt it has anything to do with Larry Bird, but wondering if it was a lawyer or some other entity outside of basketball (the naming of Bosman ruling in footie comes from a ruling on a player named Bosman).

Jason S, Ottawa

A: It has everything to do with Larry Bird since the Celtics were the first team allowed – under the existing CBA – to re-sign their own free agent (Bird) without regard for the salary cap.

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Q: Hello Doug. Watching Jose's reaction (on Wednesday after the loss to the Knicks) to a reporter's query about the absence of Chris Bosh and his somewhat curt reply, it struck me that for the most part the Raptors are very polite, patient and forthcoming with answers to questions that are sometimes repetitive, dopey, if not downright poorly thought-out. (Yours excluded, of course.) After a crappy day at work, I'm not sure how gracious I would be at explaining my performance. And as someone who usually asks questions of others, how much (if at all) do you enjoy being on the other side of the equation? Do you find you always enjoy the Q&A's that you engage in with the readers? Still having fun with the thousands of inquiries you receive during your in-game blog thingys? Has being on the receiving end of questions changed in any way how you ask questions of others, and finally, do you prefer being the "asker" or the "askee"? Thanks, as always.

 

Lorie P, London

A: I will admit, the repetitiveness of some questions does get to me. But it’s a factor of the job: Everybody doesn’t read every day or every word so if one guy asks about Erick Dampier on Monday and I answer, I can’t assume the gal who asks the same question on Wednesday read two days earlier. Get my point?

But, overall, I quite enjoy answering questions, it’s why when I do other media, I prefer to be the interviewee rather than the interviewer; it’s a nice break.

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Q: After having our hearts broken by 3 consecutive American 'faces of the franchise' in Stoudamire, Vince, and Bosh--do you suspect that a Euro-style team-oriented 'share the ball offense' is what we can expect going forward as an organizational plan for the Raptors?

 

Tony B, Baraboo

A: I’m going to turn the table slightly and ask this:

Do you think it’s possible that perhaps the franchise broke the hearts of those guys? Damon was tied to a part-owner who left amid legitimate questions about the long-term viability of the franchise; Vince re-signed a long-term deal only to see changes in GMs, coaches and teammates; Bosh re-signed on faith that a new GM would turn the fortunes of the team around.

So maybe it’s not entirely on them.

But, to your question: I think the team as presently constructed does lend itself to a more group-oriented dynamic and in a lot of ways I think that’s a good idea. It’s not “Euro” more than it is logical given the makeup of this team.

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Q: Doug a while back somebody asked a question regarding basketball shoes. Are some shoes illegal? What makes them illegal? And are there other lesser know rules about clothing of foot wear that the league enforces? What about compression sleeves like JJ wears, there was at one time some talk about discouraging players from wearing them. I know the players shirts have to be tucked in, some teams have rules regarding head bands, anything else that might intrigue us?

 

Steph R, Glencoe

A: The only shoes that have been deemed “illegal” are some new-fangled ones that have some kind of spring in them to artificially aid athleticism. I’m dubious that they work and the league hasn’t ever had a player plan to use them, I’m told. The rules regarding shoes have actually eased this year, used to be that players on the same team had to wear shoes of predominantly the same colour; this year, players can wear whatever they want as long as the main colour is part of the team’s uniform. That’s why Jerrett Jack was able to wear those gaudy red things Friday while other Raptors wore white.

And any compression sleeve or what have you has to be for “medical reasons” and must be approved by the league, which is often little more than a rubber stamp process.

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Q: Hi Doug. Love the blog, man. Your dedication to us starving fans is second to none.

Is it possible for Bargnani to become even a servicable defender? Against the Knicks I saw some flashes of good defence - drawing the offensive foul on Stoudemire comes to mind. Yet time and time again he seems to be out of position on rebounds or switches. This is especially true during transition, when someone will pick up his man and he'll wander around aimlessly. I feel like the ability to find the unguarded man is something that he just doesn't seem to get, no matter how many times coaches will drill it into his head. It's so bad that I feel like he'll never learn.

 

Kent R, Peterborough

A: He’s a “serviceable” defender now. Great? No. Awful? No. He could be a better help side defender and he is improving but I’d definitely put him in the “serviceable” category.

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Q: Hi Doug. I know you hate predictions, but this one might have a special place in your heard ... Over/under on the number of games where Raps fans get free pizza!

I keed, I keed.

Keep up the good work!

 

Mark P, Burlington

A: Too many.

I serious, I serious.

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Q: Hey Doug. I've been wondering: Does a team have the authority to fine its own players? For instance, when the Raps had the Hedo-clubbing incident last year, the team made the decision to suspend/bench him. Can a team levy a fine for a player's inappropriate behaviour if they so choose or do fines only come from the NBA Offices?

 

Ryan M, Ottawa

A: A team absolutely has the right to fine its players. It can be for missing practices (the league sets that amount at $2,500 for the first, $5,000 for the second, $7,500 for the third with a suspension possible after) but teams can hit guys for such things as being late for meetings, buses, flights, practices; some teams have fined players small amounts for violating team rules like dress codes for flights, etc.

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Q Hi Doug. Just wanted to get your thoughts on the new "Respect the game" edict. So far I like it. I definitely can handle a few silly techs handed out for arms raised instead of watching the players scream and whine after every call. How do you see it?

Thanks

 

Richard H, Whitby

A: I’m actually quite okay with it this early in the season. The players and coaches seem – for the most part – to have adapted to the more strict edicts from the league and we haven’t seen a steady stream of technicals that could bog down games.

And in the two games I’ve seen live and the bits of others I’ve seen on television, there does seem to be much fewer theatrics after every contentious call.

I’d say it’s working just fine.

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Q: Doug, in your Friday chat you mentioned that you were certain Colangelo was going to make a move(s). Do you have a sense it’s a 'futures' type move (getting picks, young prospects) or a 'win now' type of move (trading our picks and or prospects for some immediate help)?

Thanks

 

Bo C, Toronto

A: I really don’t get a sense, actually, because I don’t know that Bryan knows, either. It will depend entirely on what’s offered, what’s asked and what he thinks works best.

Of course, in a perfect world he would want to obtain excellent young players still on rookie scale contracts, a savvy veteran and a lottery pick but we don’t live in anything close to a perfect world.

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Q: Hey Doug, after watching the Raps and other NBA team play this, I had to email and you this:

Why aren’t the Raps running isolation plays for Bargs? It boggles my mind. He has the moves to do it.

I don't mean posting him up where the weak side help comes, or from the top of the key and his teammates still have their D men close enough to collapse on Bargs' drive. I mean more like LeBron, Duncan, Gasol, Dirk, where the rest of team completely moves to one side giving the offense player TONS of room/open space and basically making it 1 on 1 game.

 

Sam S, Toronto

A: Well, to start, he doesn’t have the ball-handling abilities and, most significantly, there is no way any team doesn’t cheat with a second, or in some cases of the guys you talk about, a third defender.

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Q: Doug, as evidenced by last nights Knicks game, the Raptors appear to be going with a 10 man rotation. In theory, what do you feel to be the optimal rotation for the regular season to be? In practice, what do you feel would be the best number to go with for the Raptors? Personally, I feel like a large rotation is mainly for teams that know they're going to the playoffs, and thus want to protect their starters from the grind of the season. With the Raptors life and death (more-so death) to make the playoffs, shouldn't they just be going with their 8 best players?

 

Evan G, London

A: I guess it does depend totally on the roster but, to me, eight is perfect; a backup point guard, a backup wing and a backup big and rotate them through.

But, truth be told, I think on this team, 10 might work in the regular season since I think the four wings are more or less even at the moment. I wonder about the wisdom of the four bigs, though. I think three – Bargnani, Evans and Johnson – would work most nights.

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Q: Doug, not sure if you've covered this before, but I've always wondered what "clearing waivers" means? When is it necessary for a player to clear waivers, how might they not and what are the ramifications?

As an aside, I've heard the expression in baseball too -- does it mean exactly the same thing there, or is it slightly different?

 

Chris C, Toronto

A: It’s necessary for teams to release players under contract but it’s very easy. They have to “offer” the player for the 29 teams in order to release him; the catch being that any team claiming him (and the rights go in inverse order of the standings) has to have enough room under the cap to assume the players’ salary.

And, unlike baseball, I believe, once a player is placed on waivers, the team has no rights to him. In baseball, I believe, there are “recallable waivers” where a team puts a guy out there just to gauge interest.

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Q: I'm intrigued by the Cleveland Cavaliers without LeBron James. Last year they were the number one team in the league winning 61 games. Predictions this year have them as a lottery team. My question is can one player (although a great player) really make that much difference. They were a very good defensive team last year and should be able to maintain that even without their star. They have been impressive in preseason so far and in beating Boston in the opener.

So my question is what's more important - having a great player or having solid team play and defense?

 

Bernard B, Toronto

A: Well, given that no ONE great player has ever won anything without a combination of a solid team and a defence – not Jordan, not Kobe, not LeBron, not Oscar, not Magic, not Kareem, not Russell – I think the answer is obviously the latter.

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Q: Doug... We are at the beginning of a new season and not just in the NBA.

I am a coach at the rep level in the GTA and I take a great deal of enjoyment in coaching my son's Major Atom team. We have been working out for about a month now and the season looks promising for us.

I know you coach Super Son's baseball team in the "off-season" (ha!) and this has often led me to wonder a couple of things:

Does Super Son play on the hardcourt as well?

If so, or even if not, do you ever resent your job for dictating a schedule that obviously makes it impossible to coach youth basketball? Or is that a gig that you don't think you would even enjoy?

Regardless, we - your fans - appreciate the work you do for *us*. Thanks for the great writing.

All the best!

 

S B, Burlington

A: Truth be told, “resent” is a hard word and I can’t ever get to that point because if I do, it’ll impact how I do my job and that cheats the readers and that would be a sign to hang ‘em up. I do “tire” of my job sometimes but we all do, don’t we?

Anyway, Super Son played a couple of years of house league basketball out here in Hazelville and while he enjoyed it, his talents lie far more to the musical side of things rather than the athletic. I do regret not being able to coach him, or anyone else, because of work commitments because it’d be fun to do. I guess that’s why I like coaching baseball so much, it’s just fun to see kids improve month to month and enjoy the game and the teamwork and get an appreciation for a sport.

 

 

 

Comments

[RK]

Hey Doug
What a nice, early mailbag-gives us "soft Euros" a chance to enjoy our daily dose of basketball with our morning coffee rather than with our mid-day lunch. Anyway, i just wanted to provide an update on some ex-Raptors players. Rasho is fitting in quite well with his new teammates at Olympiacos Pirrhaeus. He's their starting centre and has averaged a double double in two Euroleague games (Olympiacos went 1-1). Our favourite Aussie Nathan Jawai is quickly becoming a crowd favourite at Partizan Belgrade (if you are a crowd favourite in Belgrade, you're pretty much a deity) and is progressing nicely due to the busy schedule (Partizan plays 3 games per week in Euroleague, the Regional Adriatic league and the Serbian championship) and ample playing time. Everyone should check out Partizan's home games on youtube to see what atmosphere and fan passion really means!
Keep up the excellent work and have a safe journey.

[JHP]

If you are bored take a look at the Pistons/Bulls box score. Tale of two cities or what? I wonder which Pistons team is for real. The first half or the second ?

By the way the Bull's scored late to ensure everyone received a free hamburger.

[Don M]

With a strong defensive effort, and having one day off, there is a reasonable chance of winning the first two road games. With back to backs against the Lakers and Blazers there is a strong feeling that they cannot win against the Lakers, but have a reasonable chance against the Blazers. Triano should play the percentages and play his bottom eight or nine players against the Lakers and save his best seven to nine players for the next night for the Blazers. I know this goes against the grain of playing hard every game (which I believe in), however, they could come out of these four games with 3 victories with this strategy.

[Sean]

Hey Doug!

Was thinking about what you said as far as great players winning championships on their own -

Hakeem definitely won a championship without help. Check out the team he won it with, especially the first one. It's a testament to his absolute dominance of both ends of the floor that they even made the playoffs.

[J]

Doug, you brought up a very good point re: Damon, Vince and Chris.

As an additional note, the other 29 teams in the league that reside south of the border experience personnel changes too; I wonder if anyone complaining about American stars leaving the Raptors have done any comparisons (i.e. players of a certain talent level spend an average of X years on Team Y with a Z win rate during those X years). Perhaps it would put an end to the constant inferiority complex.

Obviously when a team does well, you're more likely to see its star players stay (e.g. Lakers and Kobe, Spurs and Duncan, etc.), and that's an area we've obviously been a bit lacking in. Even teams that are clearly better than the Raptors have lost their stars (e.g. Cavaliers and LBJ, Suns and Amare, etc.) or currently face losing them (e.g. Nuggets and Carmelo, Hornets and Chris Paul, etc.), and they don't even get to use our "excuse".

Yes, we have a lot of non-American players on the team, but all that means is we're less adverse to taking a chance on international athletes who are typically harder to judge, not having played NCAA ball and usually receiving fewer minutes and touches on their professional clubs. We don't see anyone complaining about the Spurs' approach to scouting. They take chances on non-American players just as much if not more than us; it's just not as noticeable to the typical fan because many are/were either abroad (Splitter, Richards, De Colo, Karaulov, Javtokas, Sanikidze, etc.) or have been traded (Udrih, Dragic, Scola, etc.). If anything, we should be focusing less on the quantity of non-American players and more on why the Spurs are so much more successful at finding talent abroad.

[Geoff Read]

Hey Doug,

Good mailbag.

Question: When Davis comes back does he go into the 10-man rotation? And if so, who comes out?

Blogger's note: Not sure if he does, but it'd be for Andersen, I imagine. Only logical choice