In case you were wondering, here's what will happen

Human Pinata time.

Take your shots.

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And the winners are:

Really, why wait until May? Inscribe the trophies now:

MVP: Kevin Durant.

Why not go with the sexy pick and be like all the other cool kids.

Seriously, if he keeps the Thunder on the same track they were on last year, why wouldn’t he have a shot?

Sixth Man: Steve Blake

No, seriously. Steve Blake. You figure he’s going to get all kinds of time behind the aging Derek Fisher on a pretty darn good team and the kid’s got some game. You want another longshot? If the Magic is outstanding, I can see JJ Redick getting some love.

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin

I haven’t seen the Clips at all this pre-season except in highlights but I’m told the quasi-rookie has been crazy good. And since I think the Clips might actually do something this season, he gets the nod over John Wall, who is on a worse team.

Defensive Player of the Year: Thabo Sefolosha

All right, so maybe he doesn’t play an awful lot because the Thunder really like James Harden but this dude guards all kinds of positions and I’m tired of giving it to Dwight Howard every year. Think KG’s got one kick at the can left in him? I don’t.

Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan

Look, the guy has to win it once, doesn’t he? I don’t care if it’s a Career Achievement Award, he’s got to get it. Besides, I don’t see a sexy pick out there at the moment although I can see Vinny Del Negro making a move if the Clips are any good. And wouldn’t that just frost the cake of the folks in Chicago?

Most Improved Player of the Year: No clue.

Really, I don’t. Some guys vote for guys who have better numbers because they play more minutes; some guys for vote for guys whose teams are vastly improved. Some of us wait and ask around in April and cast ballots accordingly. Count me in the latter group at the moment. But the early pick would be Minnesota’s Kevin Love, although the Timberwolves will still suck.

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All right, so I’ve checked with the Poo Bahs at the Mother Ship and we’re all set for a question-and-answer session on Wednesday to kick off the season.

Trouble is, we have to go at 1 p.m. instead of our traditional noon start so everyone book late lunches, okay?

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The Divisions? In Order? Why not? EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic: Boston, New York, Toronto, New Jersey, Philadelphia

Look, someone has to finish second, third, fourth, fifth and it’s a very, very, very, very shallow pool we’re talking about here. Who knows, 32 wins might finish behind Boston and ahead of the rest of ‘em. There are huge questions about every team not called the Celtics and it’s a crapshoot, I can see none of the other four teams getting to 32 wins, actually.

Southeast: Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington.

Gutsy pick, eh? Heat to win? Well, you know, you could make the case that a slow start in Miami while they work things out and a blistering start by the Magic might make this a neck-and-neck race for the final three months of the season and that’d be cool. I’m more interested in how long it takes for the inevitable Agent Zero meltdown.

Central: Chicago, Milwaukee, Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland.

Another one of those “shallow pool” thingies but I kind of think Milwaukee’s still a playoff team, although I do see some kind of “bounce” off an over-achieving year. The bottom two teams are going to rival the worst in the NBA, methinks.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest: Oklahoma City, Utah, Portland, Denver, Minnesota

This might be the most competitive division in the league. But can you see Denver imploding after a Carmelo trade and a Kenyon outburst and George Karl finally strangling JR Smith? I can and except for the presence of Old Friend Chauncey Billups, I think it’d be cool to see.

Southwest: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Memphis.

Just shined up the crystal ball and Tony Parker has a huge contract year, Tiago Splitter helps ease Tim Duncan’s load and Matt Bonner lights it up. I love the Spurs. And if there’s one guy in the league I’m rooting for more than any other it’s Yao Ming.

Pacific: LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Golden State, Phoenix, Sacramento

Yes, I am on the Clipper bandwagon and I know Despicable Donald Sterling will do something to screw it up but I don’t care. And maybe Baron Davis will try for 60 games? And, yes, I fear for Phoenix’s playoff hopes and I cannot wait for the “can the Raptors trade Bargnani, Jose, Julian Wright, Solomon Alabi and the Smith Kid for Nash?” questions. Really. I cannot wait.

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Playoffs? Who’s in?

East: Miami, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Milwaukee and two other teams. Really, it’s impossible to say, isn’t it? Health, chemistry, schedule, stuff all play a huge factor. But if you held a gun to my head, and I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t, I’d probably go with Charlotte and one of Indiana-New York-Toronto-Washington. And I have no clue who that’ll be. You guys and gals fight over it.

West: Lakers, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Utah, Portland, Houston, Dallas, Clippers. Told ya I have some love for the Clips but I know they’ll screw it up somehow. The fallback is Phoenix and their Gang Of Small Forwards and I suppose you have to think that Denver at least hangs around until the last couple of weeks.

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The Champs?

You know what, someone has to beat the Lakers ‘cause they’re No. 1 going in. I’d expect them to get off to a slow start with Kobe coming back from surgery and the predictable ennui setting in, but who cares? It’s all about May and June to that team and they have more than enough experience to win it all even if they don’t have home court advantage.

The East? Well, it’s easy to pick Miami and you couldn’t argue too hard against it. But, what the heck, I’ve liked Orlando for a couple of years and no sense pulling back now, is there?

So buckle up for the Lakers-Magic next June.

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Tomorrow? The Heroes of the Hardcourt.

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They have to hope the fun lasts

We’re all over the map a little bit today because it was a slow Sunday and I’m working on the stuff to set up the season over the next couple of days.

So some of this, and some of that for now.

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So, as Fan Jams or Fun Fests or whatever that thing was called Sunday was one of the better ones, as I recall.

They always tend to be built up to more than they actually are but it seemed like everyone had some fun.

And it really seems this group of players likes that sort of thing and it might be the most endearing thing about this roster. They are young and rather entertaining and do seem to want to have as much fun as possible.

I wonder if that’ll last through the first five- or six- or seven-game losing streak that pops up but these dudes do seem to enjoy each other’s company and entertaining the people.

There have been Fan Thingies that were treated more like a chore than an event; I didn’t get that sense Sunday.

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Oh, Jay says the Barbosa wrist thing – he jammed it Friday in Montreal and sat out Sunday – isn’t a big deal.

“Just a sore wrist. He hurt it in the game and it was sore, wanted to keep playing and wants to fight through it but we’re going to be cautious with him."

I don’t know if that has any impact on Wednesday but it’s something to track the next couple of days.

But I will warn you of this: This is a very “safe” team when it comes to injuries and updates of them, what we’re likely to be told countless times this year is:

“He’s day-to-day, we’ll see how he feel after he warms up.”

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A question:

Q: Last year around this time you did a prediction of where teams would finish in each division. As I remember, you actually did pretty good. Now that we are done with preseason and you've had a chance to see some of the teams and players, are we going to see your predictions for the 2010-2011 season?

 

Francis L, Toronto

A: Glad you asked.

Yes, that’s on tap for tomorrow and here’s how the rest of the week’s shaping up, if you care.

We’ll have all kinds of league stuff here tomorrow, a whack of Raptors stuff on Wednesday morning and, if the big whigs at the Home Office can swing it, we’ll try for an hour-long question and answer thingy on Wednesday some time around noon.

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You Ontarians among us need to do me a favour?

Vote today.

All politics, as the man once said, are local and these are the people who make sure your garbage gets picked up and your streets get plowed in the winter and they need to be held to a high standard. Letting lesser-lights get elected out of voter apathy is wrong.

Anyway, that’s the civics point for today.

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As is traditional, lots of questions for these guys the last couple of days about expectations and the like and what they’ll do when the season begins.

And, as has been the case the last couple of seasons, there don’t seem to be many concerns about the offensive end of the game, according to the coach:

“I’m a little surprised (at the pre-season offence) but at the same time, we do have guys that can score. Even last year, when Chris was not in the lineup at the end of the year, we still found a way to score. We’ve got a lot of guys who can shoot the ball and a lot of guys who can find ways to put it in the basket. I think Kleiza and Barbosa add to that.”

I do think we can all agree that points aren’t going to be an issue. It could very well be a different guy every night who’s going to lead them in scoring but I honestly don’t see a problem in that aspect of the game.

I think the big surprise – if you can call it that – will be the contributions of Kleiza, who continues to impress me as a guy who just knows how to score points without dominating the ball.

Of course, the big issue is going to be how they defend and that’s what is going to make or break this season.

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Just in case you were wondering, I’m thinking Lakers over Orlando for the title next June.

More on that tomorrow.

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Allen Iverson signs in Turkey, where they practice more than they play and the coach is the ultimate authority and fans have a tendency to get rather, um, worked up and I’m thinking:

I’ve got Dec. 1 as when he’s back in North America.

Nothing against him personally, he was a joy to watch at the height of his career but this smacks of something with the potential to be a train wreck.

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All right, mucho typing to do. Sorry I was a bit late; when the screen turned blue and the machine re-started itself, got a little nervous.

All seems good now.

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Some cool lists, fun stuff in a good mailbag (if I do say so myself)

I’m starting the mailbag with my own question, for which there is no logical answer:

Q: How in the name of all that’s good in the world could a guy take a 3-2 pitch with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth down a run and facing elimination in Game 6 in the NLCS?

I’m a very grumbly at that turn of events.

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Q: Hi Doug. Here's a question about Babies, Fatherhood and Ball Players.

As many men become more active fathers how does this affect their pro ball playing requirements? Aaron Hill, Calderon and I am sure there are others- the new baby does not sleep, the mom may need support, life has changed. What do teams, the league do to try and support new father ballplayers? What have you observed on this question over the years? Do you believe there are times when becoming a father has affected alertness and endurance of players? My two adult sons are exhausted sometimes by having to look after their little ones. And you have shared with us that the fingers may start to lag as you balance with Super Son and work.

Charles N, Toronto

A: I’m not sure they do enough. And I am virtually sure the tug of new parenthood is strong, physically and mentally and I’m equally certain it has an impact on performance at some level.

That said, I would presume – and I’m not privy to enough inside information to say it unequivocally – that good teams with compassionate ownership and management would reach out to new dads to offer services, advice and any time a guy would need to try and adapt.

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Q: Hi Doug. Haven't written in ages but love the blog as always and greatly appreciate your tireless efforts.

Totally un-basketball related Top 5 List query for you, having learned of the loss of a friend of mine, Mr. Tom Bosley, also known as Mr. 'C' on Happy Days. Top 5 TV Dads?

Quickly, my fave story Tom told me when we shot a tv movie a few years back in which he played my dad (a treat I'll always cherish):

Soon after landing the gig, he's on the set of Happy Days, shooting, when he gets a call from Aaron Spelling, who was a good friend.

Aaron says "Tom, listen, I'm doing this new show and I've got a great part in it for you, it's called Charlie's Angels."

Tom says, "Aaron, I'm flattered but I don't know if you've heard, I'm doing this show Happy Days".

Months later Aaron calls Tom up and tells him to tune in to Charlie's Angels that night at 8pm. So he does. He sees a male actor walk into a bar, seemingly looking for someone. Another man walks up to him and, mispronouncing his name, says "You Bowsley?". The actor responds, "No, it's Bosley, like the guy on tv."

 

James G, Toronto

A: That’s a heckuva story.

Now, TV dads are in interesting lot, aren’t they?

You have Tony Soprano and Homer Simpson. Archie Bunker and Cliff Huxtable. Frank Costanza and Ward Cleaver. You’ve go the dude Ingalls from Little House On The Prairie and Martin Crane.

My top five?

Cliff, Homer, Archie, Mr. C and Frank.

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Q: Hi Doug. I've just read this article on nba.com about the "best game ever" seen (not watched) by the columnist and was wondering what your top 5 of all games you've ever seen.

Matthiew B, Biel-Bienne

A: Wow. A really tough one ‘cause a lot of them tend to blur together. And I’m pretty sure I did one of international games right around the worlds.

But searching the nooks and crannies of my brain – and those are dark and scary nooks and crannies – I’ll give you these with the provision that if I remember a better one before the next gal or guy asks, I can change.

These are games I was physically at, rather than just saw on television and are in no particular order:

Game 7 of Sacramento-Lakers at Arco in 2002, an overtime game that was classic. I can remember Peja air-balling a three from the corner in overtime.

Game 7 of Spurs-Pistons NBA Final in 2005. I believe that might have been the best game I ever saw Tim Duncan play.

Bulls-Pacers Game 6, 1998 Eastern final. Last game in Market Square Arena, one of the greatest sports venues ever; Pacers win to set up a Game 7.

Larry Johnson’s four-point play, Knicks-Pacers, 1999 Eastern Conference final. I swear, the Garden shook.

Okay, that’s four and I kind of feel compelled to add one from the local Heroes Of The Hardcourt simply because they are who they are in my writing life. Now, I’m going to give you one that meant practically nothing in the grand scheme of things but for good, fun, there was a Halloween game against the Golden State Warriors. Raptors win by four, it’s a great, wild, offensive display and just fun to watch.

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Q: Hi Doug - I was at the game on Sunday and noticed there was no '4 Korners Sound Crew'.... have they been canned this season?

I know it's not really bball related but it's kinda game-related... am just curious. Thanks!

 

Carla H, Toronto

A: Oh, no, they’ll be there in all their glory. Saw ‘em tucked away in a corner behind the visiting team bench for the Chicago game.

You can never have enough extraneous noise at a pro sporting event, I guess.

Reggie and David and a good, big crowd

Yay!!!!!!!

Pre-season over.

I almost wanted to storm the court and cut down the nets when it ended. Figured that was a tad inappropriate, though.

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THREE POINTERS

You (heart) Reggie

Now that was the kind of game a lot of you expected from Reggie Evans all the time, right?

He had 11 rebounds and, most important, seven of them were offensive boards, which was a big part of the reason Toronto had 22 more shots than the Knicks did.

And he did it all the right way, the way his coaches want, by grabbing the ball and kicking it out rather than putting it back up.

The question now is if Evans has been good enough to make them re-think a chance to get Erick Dampier and the answer is no.

Damp’s still on the horizon – the Raptors have had conversations with him over the last few days – and they’ll know something in the next handful of days.

But Evans has been really good most nights and you can’t have enough good big men, especially this rebounding-challenged team.

And, besides, we need Reggie to play and play well because thanks to Irregular D Mac up in Ottawa, we’ve got ourselves a brand new nickname for him.

The Regend is born.

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Depth can’t hurt

There was all kinds of love for David Andersen around these parts last night, mostly when he was filling it up during an impressive second-quarter run.

And he could very well turn into a semi-important player under the right circumstances. But it’s going to mean there are some injuries and maybe even a move for those circumstances to arrive.

Andersen’s somewhat unique – although big men who can step outside and knock down shots are becoming increasingly common – but he’s also Bargnani Lite in that his rebounding is suspect and his overall defence is, well, only okay.

But as the 10th man on the team, why not have a guy with one skill that could set him apart? And with Jay’s plan to play 10 guys and Ed Davis at least two weeks from even getting back on the court full time and probably a couple of weeks after that before the rookie’s on top shape, having a 10th guy like Andersen can’t hurt.

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Change was good

There wasn’t a whole lot of difference in the starting lineup with Jarrett in it, the Raptors had a pretty good first six minutes or so, down one when the first backcourt sub was made and looking pretty good.

Jose looked comfortable and bit more confident – which probably had as much to do with some shots falling as much as anything – and the second unit was its typical energetic self.

The interesting and important thing is going to be when games count and they’re close and we see who’s on the floor with who in crunch time.

That’s the one thing we haven’t seen yet, even in the double OT game they were mixing and matching different combinations in the extra 10 minutes.

And who finishes those games is going to be far more significant than who starts them.

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And now for a little bit more:

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That was a heckuva crowd, no?

To draw 22,114 for a pre-season game is huge deal and the folks down here should feel pretty good about it.

But you know what it wasn’t?

It wasn’t the biggest pre-season crowd in franchise history, believe it or not.

That was way back in 1999 when they drew 25,001 at the World’s Worst Basketball Dome for a pre-season game against Boston that came at the end of the lockout.

I seem to recall tickets were virtually free, which is probably the only reason for the big audience.

Still, the audience in Montreal was excellent and I’m virtually certain we’ll be back, maybe not next year but sometime soon.

Hope so, I kinda like this city.

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So the Grunt Formerly Known As Quag is a bit of a Montrealphile and he gave Rueben’s as the deli near the hotel for lunch.

Thanks.

It’s on the recommended list now.

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A dip into the mail?

Sure, why not.

Q: Doug, could teams drop to 12 players per team as opposed to the current 15? Fewer players, smaller over all payroll, better integration between the D league and the NBA. Might this be an avenue that could ultimately work as a compromise? And I know that the players association would not agree to loosing members, but members might be willing to shed some players in order to maintain there salaries.

Steph R, Glencoe

A: I’m sure they could and I’m certain that when the final rosters are released on Monday night that some teams will have fewer than 15. The Raptors didn’t carry a full complement last season, although they will this time around.

But because those guys No. 13-15 are generally relatively low paid veterans and young kids, the savings will be minimal.

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How about them canceling the Orlando-Miami game in Tampa on Friday night because there was condensation on the court from the ice underneath.

The folks in St. John’s were probably smiling and I wonder if the Heat management promised the people in Tampa that they’d come back?

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It’s a rare day off for the lads today so it’s a rare day off for me, too, which isn’t a bad thing since it’s a long day of the train.

Except, of course, the mailbag for Sunday so if you want to get something in there, do your business here and I’ll get to ‘em while I’m sitting around watching my Phillies continue their amazing comeback from 3-1 down.

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Let’s see how Mr. Isola wrote up Friday night’s affair, shall we?

Click here.

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I run into a guy at halftime who has direct knowledge of The Chicken’s thought process. He said the little stuffed animal loved the gig in Montreal because, as he said,

“There’s 15 years of stuff that can be used since we’ve never been here.”

Ah. So that’s how those guys think, is it?

I joke, though, The Chicken was in fine fettle.

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So, I heard they expect a crowd of almost 17,000 at this fan festival practice session thingy Sunday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.

Guess the ticket cost – free – is about the right price point.

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The Goods On The Game, Knicks at Raptors

Bonjour

All ready?

Time for a change, and the best Montreal has to offer

All right.

Way, way late thanks to some interweb and computer issues.

Sorry.

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Change is afoot, apparently.

Yes, Jarrett for Jose seems to be a done deal – it’ll be confirmed at shootaround in an hour or so – and I guess it was inevitable.

Jose, as we’ve said for days, really seems to be struggling offensively and what seems to be a crisis of confidence has reached a point where change is absolutely necessary.

As one guy said to me yesterday, maybe playing against backups – at least to start his run each game – will allow him to get back to where he was.

Now, I know there are all kinds of you who won’t agree, but when his game’s going, he’s an excellent point guard, a shooting threat from anywhere on the floor, he is still the best guy they have for running an offence effectively and, with the right rotations and help, he’s a good enough defender. Great? No. Good enough? Yes.

What I’m interested to see tonight and for as long as this goes on, is how Jarrett handles the starting role.

He’s prone to turnovers, and sometimes gets a little “me first” in the offence and while he does play at a good tempo, I’m not sure it’s a perfect fit with guys like Kleiza, Bargnani and Evans.

I guess what it comes down to now is that Jay has to find a way to win more than anything else and while this is a gamble, it’s one he has to take.

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Okay, so there was a guy in the comments yesterday who asked about the top players from Montreal?

Well, after much consideration – well, okay, some consideration – here’s what we’ve got:

Stewart Granger

Dwight Walton, who’s here and looks like he could still get 20 and 10 for Canada.

Bill Wennington

Wayne Yearwood

And I guess it’s a tie between Sam Dalembert, Joel Anthony and I guess Juan Mendez would make the top 10, too.

Have at it, Montrealers.

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Hey, whoever it was who gave me Brutopia on Crescent needs a public thanks.

After a long train ride, a nice locally brewed IPA and a bite to eat was entirely welcome.

What deli do I do for lunch, knowing I’m near the Bell Centre or whatever they call it.

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I’m sure we’ll touch on this subject again before the season starts but it’s a quick mailbag thing today:

Q: Hey Doug. Long time reader, first time writer. Thanks for keeping us up to date on this team through the highs (1999-2002; 2006/07) and the lows (every other year?).

Since all of the pre-season prognosticators are saying that this team will win only 22-25 games this year, I wanted to know if you could give us a sense of the mood inside the locker room? Have they resigned to the fact that it'll be a tough season, or do they look/sound like a team that might play with a chip on its shoulder?

Meraj D, Toronto

A: I’ll tell you this about every single pro athlete I know:

They think they can win every game they play, they are supremely confident no matter what the “experts” say and there is no convincing them otherwise.

The mood is like it is everywhere: They presume they will always win and a lot of them – the vast majority – pay no attention whatsoever to what people say.

Some will pay lip service to the issue and suggest they’ll use it as “motivation” but if you truly need the ramblings of writers and broadcasters who are making guesses left and right as motivation, you might be in the wrong business to start.

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I’m told everything should work well courtside tonight so don’t forget that we’ll try one of the in-game bloggy thingies and I would expect a large turnout.

See you at 7 or just before.

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So it truly is about them.

When we were talking to Jay the other day about playing the Knicks tonight and then again on Wednesday when things matter, the conversation got around to not showing all their stuff and the like.

Seems it doesn’t matter.

“We’ve been playing and coaching for our team and we’re going to do that. We’re going to try to get better and we need the game to do that; it’s not like we can hide one thing going into this game.

"Going into our game on opening night, they’ll have watched all eight of our pre-season games and they’ll know everything we have.”

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Sometimes one word speaks volumes.

Someone – I think it was M. Ganter of The Other Paper – asks Jay about Andrea’s help defence and whether it’s gotten any better.

No.

And the conversation ended because it was pretty obvious the coach wasn’t interested in talking any more about it.

It wasn’t a “calling out” or anything; it was the coach being miffed and not wanting to expand publicly on his feelings on the matter.

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Remember that mailbag thing from a few paragraphs ago?

You, too, could see your name in lights by clicking here.

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I presume a lot of you have seen this update about the collective bargaining talks and how David Stern and the owners would like to cut salary costs by a third or so.

Seems a bit of an over-reach but there is no question that the financial outlay to the players is going to be the central issue in the talks as they progress.

I remain pretty confident that saner heads will prevail and they’ll get a deal done without any work stoppage and I guess having a number out there at least gives the public some idea of where they’re starting in the inevitable to and fro of negotiations.

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The usual fun and frivolity the day after a game

Yay!

One pre-season game left!

Tell me you’re not excited about that prospect, too.

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THREE POINTERS

The Struggles of Jose

No one’s exactly sure what’s going on with Jose Calderon but something sure is.

Six shots taken, six shots missed and the worst night of the pre-season by far.

Talking to a few people after the game and they were mystified about it, too.

Now, it hasn’t been the greatest of pre-seasons for him but the game last night was a tough one.

And one situation really showed just how tough.

Think it was in the fourth quarter, or maybe the third, and the Raptors were having a really good possession, which may be why I remembered it.

Ball swung side-to-side through about four guys and got too Jose in the far corner. He had a really good open look at a three and you could sense the hesitation when he caught the ball. Normally, it’s an easy catch-and-shoot situation but he thought about it, kicked it back to Bargnani and that’s where the shot came from.

No one that I talked to after the game was suggesting any dramatic change in roles – Jay continued to be publicly satisfied with the way things are – but there is that growing sense of unease that things have to get better in a hurry.

Will they?

I don’t know, you don’t know, they don’t know and that’s the problem.

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Back, back, back

These fellas talk a good game about transition defence and the need to beat teams back down the floor lest they give up easy baskets and there was one situation last night when it was really hammered home.

In the second quarter, Kleiza finishes a possession with a somewhat emphatic dunk and that usually means lots of leaping about and celebration on the bench and some marveling at what had just transpired.

But as I looked down, all the coaches and even a couple of players were shouting “get back, get back, get back” almost before the ball cleared the net.

They did get back, too, at least on that play, which is always a good thing.

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Andrea’s position?

Did you notice that they put Bargnani in a couple of different spot last night?

Sometimes at the elbow, where they let him facilitate some offence or try to take his man off the dribble.

Sometimes in the mid-post, for the same reason: So he could get into the paint and operate there.

Sometimes in the low post and he was entirely effective most of the night.

Now, his defence, especially his weak-side help, was atrocious but offensively he showed more variety to his game against the Bulls than he did in any other game.

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And on to other matters.

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Is this a bit over the top?

Seems, I don’t know, inappropriate or something to me.

Did you notice the little patch on the Bulls jersey’s last night?

A black XX and I was wondering who had passed away and what the tribute was for.

Turns out it’s to “celebrate” the anniversary of the team’s first NBA title.

Kind of lame?

Maybe.

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Seriously, I have two five-hour train rides and there’s only so much e-mailing or bbm’ing I can do.

Mail, please.

Here.

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Halladay-Lincecum Redux tonight?

My train better not be late, I need to find a stool to watch it in Montreal.

Trouble is, Super Son points out the Habs are playing tonight so I’m sure the ball game will be on some side TV in a corner somewhere.

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What’d KC write today?

Let’s check.

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Speaking of mail:

Q: Doug, I'm trying to figure out what the significance of the Belinelli for Julian Wright trade was. Marco saw some minutes on a regular basis. He was in the rotation, for the most part and actually contributed in some games.

Wright is likely only going to play if there is (are) injuries to guys higher up on the depth chart or in "garbage time" Was Marco's fate to be the same if he were to remain a Raptor.

 

 

Shane S, Thornhill

A: Lots of love – still – for Marco here but you’ve hit the nail pretty much on the head.

There wasn’t a way that Marco was going to supplant DeMar, Sonny or even now Barbosa in the rotation and what Bryan did was pretty much a favour to him by moving him somewhere he could get a real shot to play minutes and keep his career going.

But, if you remember, there were huge moments of inconsistency in Marco’s one year here that made the coaches wary about using him a lot.

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So, we got the answer to one question in the pre-game session last night, when it was still unclear whether Jarrett would be able to play or not.

Marcus Banks would have been the backup point guard, Jay told us, rather than Barbosa.

A couple of reasons, he said.

One, Banks has earned the chance to get some minutes in that situation by his work in games and in practices and it’s as much a reward as anything.

Two, Jay doesn’t want to disrupt the usual rotation patterns or take Barbosa out of his comfort level and role.

No idea if that situation will ever arise – Jarrett hasn’t missed a game in three seasons and I don’t think a sore elbow or some knee pain is going to keep him out – but that’s the way the coach is leaning.

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Okay, pack, practice, train.

Heckuva a day ahead.

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The Goods On The Game, Bulls at Raptors

Good evening, everyone.

Ready for professional basketball?

We may see some.

No promises, though.

Raptors pre-season Q&A

Doug Smith held a live chat at noon Wednesday, answering readers questions about Bargnani's future, the possibility of trades and about the chemistry of this year's Raptors.

 

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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