Of scouting and good news for Joey and the best of the defence

All kinds of little stuff – with the traditional digression or two – before the penultimate game of the long, long pre-season unfolds.

Have at it.

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So Micah Nori skipped practice yesterday, the laggard.

Oh, wait, had a good reason since he jetted down to Cinci to do some scouting last night when the Cavs – Toronto’s second opponent – play the Sixers.

It was one of the few forays the assistant coach is going to make this year but it’s not like the Raptors won’t be getting first-hand scouting reports on coming opponents.

What happens is this: Through his various excursions over the years, Micah’s built up a network of freelance scouts the team will employ. The guys go and watch games, get the play calls and then send a report back with the corresponding time of each call.

Let’s say the Cavs call “thumb up” at the 4:15 mark of the first quarter. That comes back in the report overnight, Micah and the staff will have a video of that game and use the calls and time codes to figure out what teams do.

It seems to be the way more than few teams are going; rather than using their own staff, they employ a series of guys on a part-time basis.

And it’s not unusual for one scout to be working for a couple of teams at the same game; sending in the same reports with time codes to different organizations.

Wonder how a guy gets that gig?

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Joey Dorsey’s breathing a bit easier this morning (and so are his legion of fans out there in readerland) after the Raptors waived Ronald Dupree yesterday, meaning Dupree will clear and be off the roster officially by the time Monday’s deadline for teams rolls around.

Now, that doesn’t mean that Bryan isn’t working on something and Dorsey’s next contract plateau doesn’t get reached until Nov. 1 so there’s time to still do something.

But, for now, things are looking pretty good.

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Who, of a certain age, didn’t spend the end of almost every high school dance with arms around a lovely and Free Bird playing?

Resonates today.

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I see the Suns waived ex-Raptor Dwayne Jones.

Wonder if he’ll come back?

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What to watch for tonight? Plays out of dead ball situations.

That’s when a lot of stuff the Raptors have been working on in practice will be put in to game situations and if someone forgets an assignment, woe is them, Jay says.

“I think there are a couple of things that we’ll do … we’re just kind of adding to our offence in after timeout situations. If we have a play that we put in after a timeout, everyone’s expected to know it from then on.”

The game against New York on Friday in Montreal really won’t be a time to do anything special or show any huge tweaks to offensive and defensive sets since the same teams meet for real here next Wednesday and neither team wants to give all its stuff away.

That puts a premium on executing things at full speed against real opposition tonight and will be one of the subplots to watch.

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Oh yeah, we’re here at noon to answer some questions for an hour or so.

Everyone remember how that works?

Good.

See you then.

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Part list, part mail, part filling space.

Q: Hi Doug, long time reader, first time writer.

If your life (and the rest of the earth's) is depended on picking the 5 best defenders from the history of the Raps to protect a slim lead at the end of the game against an all-star team of alien basketball players (a la the movie Independence Day), who would you choose to go to the trenches? Mine would be Alvin, Doug, Mo-Pete, Oak & Willis.

Your thoughts?

 

Dupont K, Hong Kong

A: Well, I’d say you’re about 80 per cent right.

But no team of that ilk can be considered legit unless it includes Alvin Robertson.

And I’m not entirely sure I wouldn’t put Marcus Camby in there for his shot-blocking skills; he was pretty darn good at protecting the rim.

I’m sure there are others – Chris Childs could get at it for long stretches of time before he fell out of shape – but I’d live with Alvin Williams, Doug Christie, Alvin Robertson, Oak and whatever centre was healthy.

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Beaver’s Mom and Mr. C? Been a bad week.

Lucky Carol Brady only lost a dancing contest.

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Yes, we got through the conference call to set up the all-star ballot unscathed and you’ll see how we got it all figured out sometime next month.

Until then, we’re keeping it in-house so as not to spoil the surprise.

But, truth be told, there really are none, we did a good job.

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Mail?

Please. Click here to do your stuff.

I have a long train back from La Belle Province on Saturday morning – to say nothing of a nice relaxing journey there tomorrow afternoon – and need something to occupy my time other than the view of Lake Ontario.

Oh, one request: Not going to have much idle time in Montreal, train in Thursday night, game Friday night, out Saturday morning but a good lunch place and maybe a nice dinner spot near the arena on Thursday would be greatly appreciated.

And, as I think I might have mentioned, if the game isn’t already a complete sellout, it’s awfully close to it and I have to say I’m a bit surprised by that.

Wasn’t sure how an exhibition game would draw in that neutral site city with the pucks going on.

Well done, fans.

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What’s my man K.C. got to say about the Bulls these days?

Well, here is this morning’s offering from the cyber pages of the Trib.

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Comments

[Sam - Dorval, Quebec]

Hey Doug: Try Pasta Factory in Montreal which has delicious Italian food. It is in Cresent street, between St. Catherine and de maisonneuve. It is amazing and close enough to the arena. They make fresh Pasta there.

[Sam - Dorval, Quebec]

Also try Baton Rouge which is next to arena. They are well known for their BBQ rib and chicken breast. Great food and Atmosphere. Enjoy your meal. :-)

[Peter]

Hi Doug,
I can't make the Q and A later today so I thought I'd ask here. If the Raps can't practice their plays against New York in Montreal for fear of New York seeing those plays and learning how to defend them, why can they show those plays to Chicago tonight? Does New York not have the ability to scout, or watch tonights game? It doesn't make sense to me in today's world of every game being televised.

Blogger's note: It's one thing to see it on tape; another to see it live and in person to play against.

[Jay Menard]

If you're a steak man, you have to go to Gibby's in the Old Port (http://www.gibbys.com/). Wonderful steak, the pickles are divine (really, I know it sounds odd), and the place is built in an 18th-century stable. Plenty of old-world charm and the food is first-rate -- especially if you're travelling on an expense account.

Lunch? Well, if you're a steamie/frites man, I'd say Lafleurs, but that's a little out of the way from downtown. La Belle Province for the true greasy spoon experience, but there are a few nice places downtown. Depends what you like. Chinatown's not far and a walk along Ste-Catherines' should net you a half-decent lunch (Dunn's is not bad for smoked meat -- it's no Snowdon Deli, but what is?)

Honestly, Gibby's is the way to go at dinner. (Even if you don't like steak, the rack of lamb is divine.) And the salad, potato, and pickle -- honestly -- is almost worth the price of admission alone.

[Mike D.]

I think it would be more entertaining to pick the 5 high-profile Raptors most likely to BLOW a slim lead against an all-star team of alien basketball players, and predict the reasons for the loss. So far I have Vince (one hard foul by an alien forward and he wouldn't drive to the hoop if the fate of civilization depended on it), Turk (gassed because he'd be out of shape after playing against other aliens during the summer), and CB4 (would give it his best shot but he'd be even more turnover-prone against aliens, with all those tentacles, than he was against ball-hawking teams like the Jazz and the Thunder).

[WSG]

Hi Doug. Care to share your three choices for Raptors on the All Star ballot? Who got that third spot?

Blogger's note: No, we'll wait for the announcement, part of my responsibility is to keep it in-house until then

[JHK]

I love Montreal... I used to live in Ottawa and would go down there at least one weekend of the month.
GTA is exciting but can't compare to Ottawa/Montreal.

[Lorie]

Hi Doug,
Yes, there sure was nothing like that slow, soulful 14+ minute song at the end of the dance to help you take it to the next step - or something like that. Thanks for putting that "Freebird" on the playlist for today; it wears well - in fact, in a way it gets sweeter. And it may have been 33 years, but don't you remember where you were when you heard reports of the crash? I do, and for me, it was a teary drive along Finch Avenue.

[Josh C.]

Hey Doug,

Re: Montreal

If you have some flexibility with your budget, Le Queue De Cheval (http://www.queuedecheval.com) on boul. Rene Levesque (just one block north of the Bell Centre) has the best steaks in town but it is pricey.

Otherwise another one of my faves in Montreal is Brutopia (http://www.brutopia.net) on rue Crescent just north of Rene Levesque (about 2.5 blocks from the Bell Centre) which is a fantastic brewpub with 3 floors of seating. The food is great and I highly recommend their IPA.

[Kelsey]

Yes at least Raptors kept Dorsey, Im sure he wont be a high impact player, but some back up security.

I have to wonder how many points Raptors will fall behind in the 1st qtr tonight against the Bulls. I really hope the only reason Jose is starting is to market him for a trade..Jose has run his coarse with this team...I know people dont want to hear this but blame Al Horford, he injured TJ Ford and Tj or the Raptors have never been the same. I know Tj was eratic at times but, had the heart size of a giant.

I honestly feel akward saying all star and any raptor on this team...I select Barbosa, Amir, Jack, why you ask? why not...Bargnani no chance, Jose noooo way, nooo way (imagine me singing it---Like to use to sing Jose, Jose) and DeRozan offensive skills not there as yet.

Lets go Raptors Im still a die hard!!!

[Dave in BG]

When I was reading the mailbag question about 5 defenders, I was thinking of Space Jam, not Indpendence Day :)

[Geoff Read]

Hey Doug,

I love Montreal. I was down there for a hockey game last year and we ended up at a Mexican place a fairly short cab ride from the arena - Limon it was called. Here's the website http://www.limon.ca/. The food was awesome and Scott Gomez of the Canadiens eats there, as it turns out.

I like Mike D's suggestion: top 5 Raptors likely to blow a lead. The talent pool to choose from for that one is so deep, it would be bound to generate some controversy.

I'll just say this: I always hated it when TJ Ford was on the floor towards the end of games, not so much because he was a bad defender, because he wasn't, but because he was such a selfish player with the ball and had delusions of grandeur - he always tried to do it all himself. And it rarely worked. So he'd be on my "top 5" list because he'd be likely to help blow a lead not through bad D, but bad O.

[pain777pas]

Embargo for the win i guess. Don't go to Montreal enough (sadly) to give suggestions on fine places to dine. A question though Doug is the Dampier signing still on?

Blogger's note: Still a possibility

[Steve]

So many great places to eat in MTL it’s hard to make the wrong choice. However, if you’re looking for something close ie (walking distance) and “non-tourist-trap-locals-kind-of-place” then I would recommend a couple places in Griffintown. Just a 5 min walk down the hill from the Bell Centre you’ll find http://www.bistroduod.com/. Very authentic French bistro great dinner spot, try the mousse de foie de volaille as an app and the confit de canard as a main. If that sounds like a bit much then right next door is http://griffintowncafe.com/ also quite good not as expensive and they have live jazz. Oh, once saw celeb chef David Aggee there for brunch, for what that’s worth. If you do manage a time for a pint then a short walk up the street form the arena is http://www.hurleysirishpub.com/. But I’m guessing you already know where that is.

[gabe]

Ok, disagree with all the recommendations so far about eating out in Montreal...

I have a lunch place for you that's a bit out of the way, but easy to get to using public transit and very easy by cab or car. Not expensive, rustic, great ingredients, wonderful flavors and great options:

The Sparrow - Best burger I've ever had... Ground fresh meat every morning and available rare... cooked in duck fat. I love this place. Plus, the owner is a big basketball fan.

5322 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Montréal, QC H2T 1S1
(514) 690-3964

I'll leave it to others to recommend dinner. Don't miss out!

love the blog.

[gabe]

Actually I like you so much that I will give you an option for dinner on friday.

I've been repeatedly hearing about how amazing this Japanese place is, and it isn't too far from the arena. I just read that it gets really busy so you might want to call before hand.

Either way, hope have a nice time here.

Kazu

1862 Sainte-Catherine St W Montreal, QC - (514) 937-2333

[Jonny F]

Doug, if you feel like having the absolute BEST smoked meat sandwich, go to Schwartz's deli: http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

It's been a staple in Montreal for 80 years, and is world famous. My friends and I HAVE to stop by there at least once every time we go to Montreal.

Enjoy.

[CC]

Doug, you have more post about where to eat than basketball.. that's what i love about your blog.. anyway, if there's a McD's around the area.. just go there.. enjoy your trip... for the Allstar.. who else...

Jose, Bargs and Kleiza....

[Joe]

Food recommendations? Since you've got me thinking about food in Montreal, there's really only one place in that great town I've managed to develop an addiction to. As it happens, I am literally ready to leave my house right now for Boustan. Definitely worth the 5 hour drive for the best Lebanese in Montreal. If there is some late night snacking to be done (they deliver until 4 am), can't go wrong with the shwarma (either option), and roast potatoes with garlic mayo. Magnifique. 2020 Rue Crescent. And you can't forget about Beauty's for breakfast.

[allan]

doug - you gotta hit Schwartz's for smoked meat for lunch on Thursday - best smoked meat in the world by far!

[DougG]

It's a little weird getting discounted ticket offers before the season even starts. Maybe there a lot more people like me who will be back when MLSE finally puts a winning team on the court.

[JHK]

@CC
When I was young, I went on a trip to Europe for a few weeks with my parents. One day in Paris, my mother suggested that we should try out street foods from the alleys of Paris somewhere, and my father countered with a suggestion which you just mentioned. "Let's just go to a McD's around the corner.."
They got in the biggest fight ever and my mother never ate a thing until we left Paris and my father and I had the worst BigMc meal of my life.
Word of advice from this short tale of mine: When in Rome...

[doug]

good old Lynyrd Skynyrd....love how they got their name, Leonard Skinner was there old high school gym coach who had them suspended for growing their hair to long, just modified the name to prevent any fall-out legally ...he just passed aways a bit ago....Free Bird is on my all-time list of driving tunes.....let's get this reg season started, ...pre-season in my opinion 2 games 2 long....

[The J]

Sorry, no Free Bird. They always had us dancing to Stairway to Heaven. I think that song was the answer to people saying "I wish this song would go on forever...". That song was so long, that it would start getting awkward before the song was done. I mean we were in grade 8, there is only so much we could do with all that time.
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JHK - Perhaps you should have had the Royale with Cheese instead of the Le Big Mac.

[J]

I don't know if anyone has noted this already, but Stanley Robinson was waived by the Magic earlier today. I don't know how high team management was on him (obviously not as high as they were on Alabi), but some fans sure made him out to be a great 1st round pick if we could have traded for a pick in the 20s (he was picked 2nd last in the 2nd round).

Before we rush to sign him, we should consider that Orlando didn't need to cut him, as his departure brings the team down to 14 warm bodies, so that raises question marks about him. Still, if BC manages a 2 for 1, I'd be all for bringing the kid on-board (assuming he's willing to sign with us). He's supposedly a great athlete with potential to be a plus defender on the perimeter. Draftexpress.com compares him to Gerald Wallace (yeah, dreaming there) at best, and none other than Jamario Moon at worst.