A night that ends with a question: What now?

That turned into quite a night, didn’t it?

Entertaining game, some news to chew on and an admirable showing against a pretty good team that kind of underscores where they are:

Good but not quite good enough on a consistent basis and very, very, very much a work in progress.

And on with the show (it being a slow post-game night, you’re getting this ridiculously early and I hope you don’t expect it all the time).

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THREE POINTERS

What now?

No clue.

I know you all breathlessly clicked on this story to find out what happened and it was nothing but bad news.

The Reggie Evans foot thing – and it’s going to be at least late this Saturday afternoon before we get any idea of a timeline – is pretty significant on a lot of levels.

Like:

Is Peja really a fill-in four or does that job go to Kleiza, as I think it should?

What’s it mean for young Ed Davis, who had 10 points, five rebounds and a couple of blocks in 18 minutes as the Bayhawks won a big roadie over the previously-unbeaten Mad Ants on Friday? I’m thinking it means he gets more minutes more quickly than they’d probably like but that it’ll be good for him in the long run.

What of Joey Dorsey, whose contract becomes fully guaranteed on Dec. 1. For sure he sticks around now, I imagine, so I guess that’s good for him. Not sure they were thinking of making a move on him but it cements it now.

How about Amir? Can he handle extended minutes against starters without piling up the fouls? Maybe. But that’s going to be the true test.

And, most important, what about Reggie? I like the guy, I love his effort, I think everyone appreciates what he brings every single night. But the guy is in a contract year, I can only imagine there was some interest in him off his torrid start; is this going to set him back far enough that it costs him money on his next contract? Probably. And that sucks.

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I’m proud of you.

The HOTH trot out Spain (Calderon), Brazil (Barbosa), Lithuania (Kleiza), Serbia (Stojakovic) and Italy (Bargnani) for a long stretch of the fourth quarter and my computer didn’t blow up!

Well done.

I seem to recall one or two times in the past when they have five different countries on the court at the same time but I’m sure one of them would have been Bosh, from the good old US of A, so for the “What the heck is Bryan doing with all these Euros” crowd to stay silent last night was nice.

Thanks.

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When bad plays go good

It’s about halfway through the second quarter and they’re in a halfcourt set and I saw something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before and hope I never see again. You talk about spacing the floor? I look down and there are five – count em, five! – Raptors on the left hand side of the floor, each looking pretty confused and wondering just who is out of position.

How do they rectify it? Well, Andrea drifts into the lane, Jerryd throw a lob pass over Garnett’s head and about all I can think of is: If they have a play where five guys are supposed to be within arm’s distance of each other and it’s supposed to end with a lob pass to a less-than-athletic-big over a quick, smart defender, they need to get that play out of the book.

And then I realize: Yes, sometimes plays get screwed up.

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Now, the rest of the story:

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And the winner is …

Katie Blenkarn of Burlington was the lucky soul who had her named picked out of the MGD draw thingy (check out facebook place site here) and she and nine of her bestest friends will take in tomorrow’s struggle with the Atlantas.

I’m told by the people who actually did the work that there were more than 3,100 entries in our first contest of the season, which strikes me as pretty good. And I appreciate it very, very much.

Can’t promise we’ll do it again but if we do, you’ll be the first to know.

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How’d it read in Boston? A little like this.

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List time?

Sure.

The note yesterday about the Garbo thing here in Boston and how it’s the big “what if?” of the last few years got me thinking: What, in no particular order, are five other huge “what it?” moments in franchise history.

And what if …

Vince hits that shot

You know the one? In Philly? Game 7? I’ve said it for years, he makes that, they go on to beat Milwaukee in the conference final and get to play for a championship.

Butch doesn’t go nuts

I still say he’s the best X and O coach they’ve ever had, if he keeps that team together before Lenny takes over, I think he gets even more out of them.

Tracy stays

As their personalities emerged, I think McGrady and Vince Carter could have morphed into a dynamic duo with McGrady the more public and more dominant, just as he wanted when he left.

They don’t draft Rafael Araujo

Really. Yes, Andre Iguodala was the logical choice as protection against the inevitable departure of Vince Carter but even Andris Biedrins would have better if they were bound and determined to go big.

They don’t hire KO

The other two guys on the short list were Sam Mitchell and Mike Woodson and, in hindsight, I think we can safely say if they were going with a guy with no NBA head coaching experience, either of other two would have been better.

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A quick trip to Where-Are-They-Now-Ville.

My man Eran Soroka, who knows everything there is to know about Israeli basketball in his gig as the deputy editor and NBA writer at the Ma’ariv sports newspaper, writes to let me know Maceo Baston has signed with Bney Hasharon over there.

Funny thing is, the same outfit that signed P.J. Tucker a year ago.

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Bit of a mailbag thing, bit of a rant:

Q: I thought the Raptors were on their way to setting the ground for a championship- and then disaster strikes! The Raps beat Boston! And (Wednesday), the new players join the line up. I would like to know: What's the plus side of just missing the playoffs (or being first round canon fodder) and getting the 10th overall pick? To me, it looks like a disaster.

Roman B, Toronto

A: Then you’re not an athlete, or a competitor.

Tell me this:

What’s better? Getting playoff experience for young players or having a crapshoot 10th pick in what might be a so-so draft?

No question in my mind; nor in the minds of players or management.

You should want to win every game you play and try your hardest to do it; if you don’t, you cheat the fans, yourself and the game and that’s stupid.

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Hey, good travel story for a change that I forgot yesterday. Started bad, ended good.

I’m in the practice gym about 12:50 Thursday afternoon, done the interviewing and ready to head somewhere and write before my 5 p.m. Porter flight off the island when the phone rings.

It’s Porter telling me weather’s coming and the flight’s cancelled and they’re putting me on one at 7:15 or so. That bites so I ask if there’s an earlier one and, presto!, there’s one at 2:45.

They book me on it, I grab a cab about 1 outside the arena and am at the gate and through security at 1:25.

How good is that?

Now, if I can get Porter to fly to a dozen NBA cities, I’d be way cool.

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No idea what the day’s going to be like getting home, tracking down Reggie news if there is any and doing any number of other things but if you want to give the mail bag a shot, click here to do it and I’ll see what I get around to sitting wherever I’m sitting this afternoon or tonight.

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Comments

[Matt M]

I vote for starting Amir in his place and choosing between Weems and Derozan (I vote for Weems for his defensive energy) in the starting line up. Put Peja in the starting line up. Weems and Derozan in the lineup at the same time doesn't appear to create enough spacing to be effective offensively. I expect this by next game :).

[sam]

Bad Break for Reggie and the Raptors - Hopefully the injury isn't too bad.
Amir should be fine in the starting rotation - as long as he watches his hands.
Let's see what Dorsey can do as a beast on the boards -

Bayless looked pretty good last night - as did Peja -
Weems and DD seemed completely lost.

[Lorie]

Morning Doug!
Really? C'mon, now! That little anecdote about Porter was part of your "What If" bit, right? As in "what if" airlines were to operate in the best interests of their passengers? Cause, it kind stretched credibility. Nice try though, and still cool to think about all the same. Now, back to reality! How much, if at all, does the injury to Reggie hasten Davis' (and perhaps Alabi's) reunion with the Raptors?Thanks, and have a good trip home!

Blogger's note: Not sure it hastens his reunion but it might free up a few more minutes when he gets there

[brad]

Hope Reggie has a quick recovery - finding out his foot was broken was a kick to the stomach. As much as he drove me nuts last year, he was the heart of this year's team that was very much competing.

Great list - the Carter shot, the Garbo injury and McGrady leaving were definintely my top 3 'what if's'.

[Derek H]

Tough break literally for this team. Reggie brought his leadership off the bench from last year onto the court this year. Big loss. But the raptors did rally and not rollover and tried to make a game of it. Did not see that last year too many times. Great to see the non-north Americans ie crappy euros in some people's eyes lead the comeback. Good game by Jose but he made a bad mistake at the end of the 1st half. Instead of pulling back and playing for last shot he pushed to Weems who missed and gave the back to the Celtics. Could have been at worst a 4 point Boston lead at half or a 2 or 1 point lead at best instead it was 6.
Hope Dorsey can fill some of the shoes left by Reggie. He does average 4 boards in 9 minutes per game.

[JHP]

Good Morning

Some bad luck for the Raptors and I wish Reggie all the best. At least it was the other foot. Hopefully he makes a full and speedy recovery. Do you think the currently constructed team (new additions/realistic expectations) is better prepared then last year's team for injuries?

Blogger's note: No doubt it is.

[jimt]

how brutal is it every time we go into boston we get injured.replacing those rebounds is gonna be impossible,back of the bus we gooooooo:(
It was nice 2 c the spurs and lakers take a beating though,lol.

[doug]

I am of the school of thought that players should earn their playing time...especially young players, the Raps are making a mistake by handing starting assignments to Weems and D.D., as it's not helping them progress it is in fact doing the opposite...they know they are getting 20 minutes a game, will be starting so they are not playing with a sense of desperation they were before...it's time to let them know you come to play, yes there will be tough nights shooting etc..but the effort, desire needs to still be evident....another thing that perplexes me is this whole mentality over Peja , last year we get Hedo and media, fans, etc were ready to throw a parade in his honour, this year we get a player that is twice the player hedo was/is and is only 33 and everyone is treating him like he is yesterdays dinner...well yesterdays dinner can be pretty dam good sometimes, it was like in last nights blog i was saying Peja should have been in there in the 1st half, to say we were only down by 6 or whatever is immaterial as Peja is Peja...a shooting machine, finally after the usual 9 minute run of the "regulars" in the 3rd which everyone could see they were doing nothing and the game is out of reach....in comes Peja, and he does what he does scores, the unit meshes and it's a game...the raps are saying that Peja is a bargaining chip or whatever....what a crock, as he is 33, can still obviously play, is in the top 2 perimter shooters in the league (Allen) ..but next summer we are going to be looking for another perimter shooter when we have the best right here, with 4 years or so left in him....mind-boggling, but yet no one questions, they all buy the company line...and the revolving door continues...

[kingofcabbagetown]

They fly to Chicago...and you can avoid O'hare.

Blogger's note: No question

[Greg]

I have to agree with Roman on this one....
First, if the team continues to dwell in mediocrity because they dont build from the ground up, and instead keep adding parts to ensure then can perpetually remain also-rans, who really wins? It gets frustrating after a while, and sometimes you need a few losing years to get foundational players. Sometimes you have to separate those competitive instincts from smart long-term decisions. I want our GM to think like a GM, not an athlete.
Second, Roman wans't saying he'd rather have the 10th pick than barely make the playoffs...I'm pretty sure the point was that either of those options is not where the team wants to be. a top five pick (and preferably a top three, especially in a weak draft) is much more important so the team can go afters guys to build around. If you look at the best teams - they have talent they can build around. The Raptors do not. The most likely way they are ever going to get that type of talent is high in the draft. I'll grant you that if it is a very deep draft, maybe you can live with picking a little further down, but, for example, a Paul Pierce going 10th is clearly the exception, not the norm.

[Jeff McCracken]

Doug,

What does HOTH stand for? Seen you use it a few times.

Blogger's note: Heroes Of The Hardcourt

[Rob.V]

What's with Boston and damn injuries when things appear to be going well for the Raptors.

Anyway, what we've learned so far this season is that this team will compete night in night out.

Boston's too good of a team to let Bargnani go off for 30 twice in one week so it's not as though last night was unexpected. They shut him down and exposed the Raptors for not really having a consistent 2nd or 3rd scoring option, and both DeRozan and Weems were M.I.A...our kids really could learn something from that game.

But I will say this, this team is becoming more intriguing as the season goes on. If they can get past the injury to Evans, and either DD or Weems can develop into that 2nd scoring option this team may have something... time will tell.

It's a great opportunity for Ed Davis to come in and get some minutes.

[Dadeo]

Man, I feel bad for the Regend and the Raps...after his disasterous injury last year he was having a beast of a season. Hopefully he can make it back in a couple of months.

[John S]

I'd like to add to your what ifs:

1) What if the NBA didn't have that stupid rule to prevent Toronto/Vancouver from getting the 1st overall pick for the first few years. From what I remember, Toronto actually got the 1st pick in 1996 but the NBA had to re-draw and Philly ended up with Iverson.

2) What if Duncan had left Wake Forest in 1996 after his junior season as expected. Then Toronto surely would have ended up with Tim Duncan (at the time the 76ers had a young Bradley, Coleman and Wright up front and needed a guard to complement Stackhouse). Although Camby outplayed him in college, Duncan was much stronger and considered to be much better suited to the NBA.

3) What if the NBA hadn't stopped high school players from entering the draft. The FIRST year high school players couldn't enter the draft happened to be the year Toronto ended up with the 1st overall pick. In hindsight, Toronto would have ended up with Oden (although Durant would have also been available) who at the time everyone thought that Oden would become Bill Russell v2.

[Leaf Fan in Van]

Well, Douglas - I think that a few things will happen with the Regend on the IR/DL whatever it is in the Association: 1) This means JT will keep his job for the remainder of the season no matter what happens 2) Davis is going to get more PT than they wanted to give him 3) Amir will be counted on to play extended time and someone will need to coach him how to play D without fouling every play 4) JT needs to learn how to get Sonny/DD out when they play like they did last night - yes they are young but you can't allow 2 guys to shoot 1/15 and look lost on D 5) JT has to learn to get JC out when he is being schooled by the opp PG and play him v the bench PG.

[Phil A]

I'm not sure it would of been an automatic win against Milwaukee. If I remember correctly, they had Sam Cassell, Glen Robinson and Ray Allen and they were a very good team. It would of been a great series!

[doug]

it's despicable when i read "fans' or whoever say a team should tank to just get a draft pick...mind-boggling and a fool's game...Reggie's broken bone although not good is far better then a high ankle sprain..foot gets set, in a cast, mends and he'll be back on a timetable..high ankle sprains are a disaster, no timetable, and as last year proved a player is more or less done for the season...did anyone notice Hedo's line last night in the Suns game...15 minutes played, 0-3, no pts, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 4 pf's...BC deserves exec of year for just getting out from that contract and getting something back...

[Coach K]

Another fun day in Raptorland. Being cold and harsh as a GM should be:
Last nights Positives- Reggie should be a cheaper resign next season. These young players need a player like him on the roster who leads by example.
Peja "Strokovic" should NOT be traded unless the young talent in return is exceptional. He should stay here until retirement and then become a shooting coach.
This team is now competing every night even battling back from large score differentials. These guys could start believing in themselves against any all nay sayers.

Top 5: Damons departure. Mighty Mouse should have remained a Raptor. Damon, Marcus, Vince, Tracey, what a starting 4.

[Lawrence]

The Garbo was important but I always thought that team turned when Horford knocked TJ down - Ford was playing out-of-his-mind basketball before that.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Broken?! And he was allowed to walk off the court and all the way to the locker room on his own, full weight?! Should NEVER happen!!! ANYone who injures a foot or leg should be helped off the court, period! The thing might not have been broken while he was still on the court... Maybe not, but...you don't play loosey-goosey with million dollar injuries.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Sorry. Didn't mean to downplay the value or worth of a broken bone for anybody, whether you're The Regend or a mere mortal. Just pissed off that he was allowed to walk on a broken foot. Should not happen. Ever. To anyone.

[Derek H]

John S. You are stretching the what ifs to non-raptor what ifs. Yours could apply to all teams except the 1st what if. The fact is they had Damon Stoudamire who was the rookie of the year so even if they had the first pick they may not have picked Iverson. For 1996 you could ask what if they picked Nash or Kobe Bryant instead. Or what if they were able to trade for Jordan. What if Colangelo did not replace Babcock. What if they were able to get Rick Pitino or Jerry West as GM.

[Derek H]

Funny how there are those that want to promote a culture of losing to get a higher draft pick. The fact is if you do that what are you trying to build with the players currently on the team. Colangelo has recently said they are developing more than worried about winning. Anyways for those that want to promote a losing culture then Raptor management should trade away all their young players they are trying to development for draft picks and end of bench guys. Of course you then would turn around and bitch how Colangelo made these trades and got nothing back for them.

[Derek H]

Coach K. If you can get exceptional (assuming exceptional means a top 3 pick because that is what I would think exceptional means) young talent for a player on the downside of his career the Raptors better fire Colangelo and hire you.

[Greg]

To commenter "doug" ...It's despicable to not want the team to settle for average year in and year out? You must understand, I (and others, I assume) are not advocating tanking per se....once the game starts I want the team to win just like any other fan, and I want the players to give it their all. And that goes for every game. That being said, from an organisational standpoint, why bring in players like Kleiza (just an example), who might helps you win a few games here and there, when really those wins dont get you any closer to the ultimate goal (competing for a championship) and may ultimately hinder that process? As much as you'd like to think it's a fool's game, it's actually the classic pitfall of franchises to not retool from scratch and build a more solid foundation. How else do you honestly expect to get to the position of a Lakers or Celtics? Sign big name free-agents? Good luck. Get lucky in the draft? It could happen, but the odds are stacked against it. In fact, the better you do as a team, the worse the odds become. That's all I'm saying. I don't want to see scrappy teams with first rounds playoff exits every year. I want to see this team actually be a threat to do something in the playoffs.