Weekend mail starts the Vancouver leg of the journey

 

Okay, a tad messed up with time zones and the like, sorry this is a little late.

Oh, and I can recommend Smiley’s on Pender as a place to hang on a quiet Friday night; the adventures in going out really start tonight once things get into some kind of rhythm. Thanks for all the tips.

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Q: Dear Dr. Smith. I'm strangely more excited to watch the Raptors this year than I was at this point last year.

Should I go on the head examination waiting list?

 

 

Worriedly, Manale

A: Couldn’t hurt, I guess.

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Q: Hi Doug. I just read that the D-League is adopting a couple of FIBA rules - specifically goaltending and changing from the present 5-minute overtime rule to just 3-minutes of extra play. So, I have a question or two about the evolution of the rules through the coalescing of the world game and our North American version. First, is it a "slam-dunk" that these rule changes will soon find their way to the NBA? And, who will be charged with monitoring/assessing and ultimately making recommendation as to whether these rules are to be added on a trial basis in the NBA? What was the most recent FIBA rule that found its way to the NBA - was it the change to the 3-pt line? And, second, while the FIBA game is fresh in your mind, are there any components of the world game you'd like to see incorporated into the NBA? (And is the D-League the only testing ground? NCAA ever involved in this process?) And, third, are the NBA Rules Of The Game negotiable during the CBA discussions? Thank you.

 

 

Lorie P, London

A: No, it’s not a slam dunk at all, actually. The D League is simply a test-tube for things like this and, frankly, I think they’ll find that scoring will go down, too many baskets will be “spiked” by the long, athletic players over here and that experiment will be an abysmal failure. The three- to five-minute overtime change is kind of “meh” to me, actually.

And what we’re seeing FIBA actually start adopting some North American stuff, they’ll move to a rectangle key next year and the three-point line will change.

The NCAA is not ever involved – they like to keep to themselves – and the rules are not collectively bargained, although the union does have representation on the league’s competition committee that debates such changes.

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Q: Doug, who's your all-time favourite "glue guy" (Raptor or otherwise).....you know, the guy whose impact on the court and in the locker room far exceeds his personal stats......and who do you think is the best in the league right now? Thanks.

 

 

Mike D, Toronto

A: On the Raptors? Let’s say it’s a tie between Mo and Alvin, both of whom had the respect of all their teammates and the game to match that impact. But there might be time for Joey Dorsey to grow into that role. (I keed, ‘cause I know it’s you).

In the league? Look at who Derek Fisher has played with and for, who he’s won with and what he’s done and I’m putting him at the top of any list like that.

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Q: Hi Doug. I was just wondering how many attempts at the free throw line each game you expect DeMar DeRozan to have this year. He began the season on a torrid pace at the line, but that soon dwindled along with his PT. This year he will hopefully have the ball in his hands more, what do you think?

 

 

Daniel G, Toronto

A: I think if he’s worked on his ball-handling skills and tries to take his man off the dribble more often, it’s a logical assumption that his FT attempts will increase. How much? I can’t take a guess.

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Q: Hi Doug I always enjoy a walk through Stanley Park when I have some downtime in Vancouver. I know the Raptors trade exception has a one year lifespan. Is there a particular time that teams traditionally use them for example at the trade deadline, first few weeks after teams see what they have or at the end of the season when the free agent market heats up. Thanks

 

 

Howard B, Toronto

A: Oh, Stanley Park is a must, no question about it. Thanks.

And there really isn’t a particular time that trade exceptions generally get used. I’d suspect the Raptors would like to see 20 or 25 games with this team before they even start thinking about adding some big-money guy, if indeed there’s one available. This is a total guess, but I’m looking at late January or early February heading into the trade deadline before things really heat up.

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Q: Hi Doug. Does Bargs, Bosh and Hedo of last year... beat Dampier, Bargs and Klieza?

Are we almost at a wash with the loss of Chris if we upgrade on Hedo, let Bargs initiate his offence more and replace Chris's rebounding with a specialist?

It seems to me that I am closer to going ‘Chris who? and looking at the playoffs with that lineup and upgrade to the smalls with Barbosa.

Why is everyone predicting gloom?

 

 

Wayne P, Toronto

A: Because gloom is the default position of fans of any team that loses its best player and has a handful of new faces, young kids and unknown entities.

Besides, isn’t gloom more fun?

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Q: Any thoughts on LeBron blaming race for the off-season ridicule he's been receiving and "backlash" regarding The Decision.

 

 

I thought holding The Decision in his hometown let alone his old high school, was about as subtle as a kick to groin for Cav fans. What did he expect? Drew F, Oshawa

A: Nah, not really. I will say this: Race plays a minor role in a lot of things in the United States; not major and not overtly but it’s there.

And, actually, The Decision show was at a Boys and Girls Club in Connecticut, I believe, not Akron.

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Q: Hey Doug. Love the blog. My questions are short and simple: which players in the regular rotation stand to have the biggest increase in PPG, APG, and RPG percentage-wise? One has to think that DeRozan's PPG will increase greatly from the 8 or so he averaged last year. Also, do the new roster dynamics suggest that someone may actually drop off this year in terms of production?

 

 

Andrew P, Toronto

A: Aw, man. You know me and math and numbers, right? Percentage wise? All I know about percentages is that I got low one when it came to marks in high school. For me to guess would be folly so I’ll go with the obvious: Increased roles and responsibilities for DeRozan, Weems and Johnson makes them my early picks.

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Q: Just a quickie: Do you have any idea when single-game ticket sales begin for the 2010-11 season? I saw a mailbag of yours from a few years ago that said October 6 so I'm guessing it will be sometime around that same date this year?

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Steve O, Burlington

A: I believe I saw a big huge ad in our paper that says they’re on sale now. Imagine they’ll be a few available for a while so there’s probably no big rush.

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Q: Hey Doug. Love the blog, gives me something to read during cla-- when I'm done all my homework.

You mentioned that Reggie Evans has slimmed down a bit. I didn't see much of him last season, what kind of player is he? And while I know it's way too early for a definitive answer on this, what kind of role do you see him playing on this team?

 

 

David M, Windsor

A: Reggie? Tough guy, likes to bang, pretty effective rebounder who has a tendency to over-estimate his offensive abilities. Trouble is, he’s a very bad free throw shooter and therefore can’t really be on the floor in the final seconds of a close game.

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Q: Hi Doug, two questions:

Should Bosh be booed or politely applauded when he returns on Feb. 16?

Question about the NBA playoff system. Does a division champion automatically qualify for the playoffs even if their record is worse than all of the other top 8 teams in the conference? For example, hypothetically, say the Raptors finish this year at 30-52 but finish first in the Atlantic Division. Would they still qualify for the playoffs?

 

 

Joe D, Mississauga

A: I believe Bosh and Hedo will get almost the same treatment as Vince and Tracy did and I’m not sure that’s warranted. I think Bosh should be treated warmly, he was the best player on the team for a very long time. Turk? I think relatively ignored might be the way to go.

And, yes, divisions winners, whatever their record, qualify for the playoffs and – get this – get no worse than a No. 4 seed.

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Q: Hey Doug, love the blog. Last year I noticed that, in the second half, when 4 or 5 fresh (pairs of) legs were put on the court they were very successful and less so when mixing the lines. My question is this, with the depth and athleticism of this team would it not behoove this team to use 2 full lines (more hockey style) to help both tire the opponent out and improve continuity with line mates?

Jeff Y, Orangeville

A: No, I don’t think it would. I think they’ll play 10 guys most nights, sometimes even 11 or 12, but I don’t see the benefit to doing “shifts.”

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Q: Hi Doug. Reading your blog on this Thursday morning and seeing mention of Brian Skinner got me to thinking of perhaps a list you could craft for us.

Quick background is I personally thought Brian Skinner was one of those players who actually could have had a better career but perhaps never really got that "one excellent chance or situation" to show consistently what he could do if put in a good situation. Realizing that this opinion is awfully subjective I started to think who would be the top 5 you could think of in recent NBA history (say since Raptors inception) who toiled for a few seasons with a couple of different teams and then got a chance with an organization in a perfect situation and their career took off to reach heights that at one time seemed improbable and perhaps impossible. Perhaps if that chance had never come along their personal history would have been different.

I will submit Chauncey Billups as a guy who bounced around for a few seasons and eventually landed in Detroit and became an all star and NBA champion.

Anyone else come to mind?

Thanks

 

 

Mike D, Cambridge

A: Hmm. That’s a good question and I know I’m going to miss a guy or two because, well, because that’s what I do.

Let’s go with Raja Bell, Bruce Bowen and, to some degree, Roger Mason Jr., for starters. I suppose we can’t put Ben Wallace in that group, can we?

Chauncey for sure would be on the list as its Poster Boy and I know this doesn’t count as a guy who’s bounced around but how about JJ Redick?

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Q: Hey Doug. With the Canadian women's basketball team competing in the world championships, how come the team did not include Tammy Sutton-Brown who could have provided the leadership and experience to the team? Would you know why she's absent from the team?

Thanks.

 

 

Vener C, Markham

A: Having all last winter in Turkey on a team that went to the final of its league playoffs and then going through a long WNBA season, Tammy just didn’t feel she had enough to give and her body needed a break. And I can see that being entirely true.

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Q: Hi Doug! Wow, another season of my favourite soap opera, The Raptors, has started! I don't do DWTS, but, a new season of Survivor-Gilligan's Island has started, and I'm very excited about that too.

Anyhoo, my question is this.

Why isn't Leandro Barbosa being considered as the starting PG? By my accounts, he's the most accomplished NBAer and currently the best player on the team.

 

 

Richard F, Victoria

A: That’s pretty high praise for him. Not saying it’s not right (I guess there could be a debate) but high praise nonetheless.

But I’m not entirely sure PG is Barbosa’s best position; I think he’s a shooting guard with ball-handling abilities and I really like the idea of him being a tempo-changer off the bench along with Weems.

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Q: You mentioned that Sonny Weems was the biggest surprise last season. Who are your picks (maximum 3) to be the biggest surprise this season

 

 

Steve B, Niagara Falls

A: Man, that’s tough to say right now without having seen so much as a scrimmage. But I guess the obvious ones would be Kleiza since no one’s seen him in a year, Barbosa because he’s new and I really think Jose will be a pleasant surprise as long as he stays healthy.

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Q: Hey Doug. Keith Smart has publicly named his starting lineup after a couple of days in training camp. I started thinking about how many starting lineups Jay and Sam tried over the years and wondered if that is detrimental to Team chemistry. Do players just want to know where they are playing and settle in to that role? Are potential hard feelings between players worth the improved competition in training camp when starting jobs are up for grabs?

 

 

Rob N, London

A: They do like to know and a little bit of normalcy (if that’s the right word) never hurt, but they don’t need to know this early in the process. It’ll all work out in the end.

Hard feelings? Sure, sometimes there are; I’m certain T.J. Ford didn’t look too kindly on losing a job both here and in Indiana but I don’t see that happening with this group.

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Q: Hi Doug just wondering what happened to Antoine Wright? Did he get a guaranteed contract somewhere or is he on a tryout?

 

 

Chris M, Belleville

A: He’s in Sacramento but I don’t know what kind of role they envision for him.

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Q: Hey Doug. First I have to say your blog is the only blog I read. Thanks for keeping it interesting with your fresh perspective.

You mentioned broadcasting today. I know you like 2 and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, but for me TV is all about sports... which is why I was irked to find out last week that only Rogers subscribers will have access to the 23 Raps games being broadcast on Sportsnet One this year.

Would you agree that this monopolization is bad for the team and for the city? Is there anything that fans can do about it?

 

 

Chris E, Toronto

A: That’s not entlrely true any more. As I understand it, the new Sportsnet One channel is now available on more than just Rogers cable systems and will be available on even more systems as time moves on.

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Q: Where is Rasho this year? The guy has game, yet Jay barely played him last year. When he did see action, he made a positive contribution. Why would the Raps want Erick Dampier who is slow, doesn't have a great shot, and is also sort of old, when they could have Rasho, a guy who loves this city?

Daniel C, Toronto

A: They couldn’t have Rasho, who signed quite some time ago with Olympiakos in Greece. Too bad, I wish he was still here.

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Q: Doug you’re a soldier to keep up with the blog during the past few weeks (months?) of non-news.

With all the hype around the super team in south beach I think the Bulls are flying under the radar, where do you see them finishing in the east? I see them causing some real matchup problems with the heat, Noah is a legit center and Rose should be a top 5 PG this year... those are the 2 weak spots in Miami's armor. However I guess they could have Wade chase Rose and Bosh bang with Noah.. and LeBron guards Boozer?? I guess Dang will have to score 30+, can't wait to see that game this year!

 

 

Anthony M, Toronto

A: I think Chicago’s got a shot to be pretty good this season. They addressed two needs with Boozer and Kyle Korver but I still think they’re fourth, at best, behind Miami, Orlando and Boston.

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Comments

[Mike kovacs]

Doug after the trade Dampier was released by Charlotte. How much salary are they still on the hook for? Thanks.

Blogger's note: They're free and clear now

[Bruce Norris]

Doug;
Just a quick "heads up".
Be careful with the Vancouver media...especially Team 1040 guys. They hate anything East of Abbotsford, abhor anything and everything from Toronto, and are still PO'd about losing the Grizzlies. Always sit with your back against the wall and facing the door!!!

Bruce Norris....Living in BC..heart still in Toronto

[Lorie]

Afternoon/Morning/Whatever Doug,
So, you catching any of the Ryder Cup? Nice to see the rain has stopped for a bit - (think Mr. Grange is wishing he was covering training camp right now?) - but you know what I'd really like to see? McIlroy and McDowell break into "We Represent The Lollipop League" as they stand side by side in their cute argyle sweaters. And, do you know why the US team is wearing a patriotic hue of mauve? But it's all good, and what I really want to see is the Cup to be awarded by the final putt of the last pairing out on the course in the Match Play tomorrow. (And speaking of fashion, what do you make of the new rule that forbids SVG from wearing his trademark mock turtlenecks? What statement is Stern sending out?)

Blogger's note: The main message seems to be that he's got too much time on his hands.

[max]

Doug, in regards to your opinion on how Bosh should be treated when he returns, I'll employ a silly comparison.
After years of a happy marriage, you suddenly decide on a divorce because you found someone younger and hotter, (this is no way meant to be a slight or insult to the overall appeal of the actual super-wife), how would you expect her to react?
Thinking that she will be appreciative of the multitude of good times in the past while ignoring the superdouchey final moments isn't likely to happen...

[doug]

there really isn't a more compelling event then the Ryder Cup how it ebbs and flows is just great drama...you go away for a hour come back and the momentum has shifted....I sort of like the Euro's uni's as they are sort of indicative of British Isle type fashion....but the U.S. has to quit the tradition of having the Captain's wife in this case Pavin's wife of designing the clothing the team wears...those mauve vests are hideous, they had rain suits that not only didn't stop the rain they looked like warm-up suits for the U.S. Fiba team....be intersting tomorrow, as today finished up with the Euros on a roll...but as we've seen nothing means anything until a team walks off the 18th green.....and is Tiger Woods just a shadow of his former self or what??...he needs to lose all these swing thoughts going thru his head on the course, you do that your doomed....it's like a shooter in b-ball thinking of his mechanics as he shoots, or a pitcher aiming instead of throwing...just not going to work..

you want to do something interesting while in vancouver?? ....go to one of the glass blowing shops, there fascinating my niece works in one of the biggest Robert Held (it's on the net)...they make unbelievable pieces and you should see the process.....

[Zombywoof]

Vancouver is the most overrated city in the world. Daily rain is a deal breaker! It's a good thing it doesn't get cold there, because if the rain came as snow, it'd take them until July to dig themselves out. People don't even bother checking the forecast, they just carry an umbrella every day. Bah!