A return of speed and an all-star ballot gaffe, as it turns out

We’re pretty much back to a series of unrelated items today since they didn’t work yesterday and, save for an hour answering questions and couple of hours doing this, neither did I.

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All indications I got yesterday were that Leandro Barbosa will be back in the lineup tonight, giving Jay a full complement of wings for the first time in a while.

And given Houston’s backcourt speed, I’m thinking we’ll see a lot of the Brazilian blur.

Toronto’s defence, while better than last year, still lacks in the whole “keeping people in front of them” department and a guy with Barbosa’s speed can only help.

But, as we know, it crowds the rotation a little bit.

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Speaking of crowds, it’ll be kind of interesting to see how the HOTH draw over the next little while, won’t it?

Seven of their next eight are at home and there are some good draws in there like Boston and Oklahoma City, there are a couple of Sunday afternoon tilts and I wonder if there’s any buzz whatsoever about this team, regardless of its record.

If I had to guess, I don’t think we see a sellout in these seven – maybe Sunday afternoon for the Celtics – but this is a perfect fortnight for these guys to gain some favour with fans who are very much in a wait-and-see mode.

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So, the all-star ballot is out and a couple of us are taking some heat here and there for the omission of Not Ronnie Milsap.

I remember the call and the debate and here’s kind of the stuff we were up against.

Having to get three players from every team – and having to strictly stick to 24 guards, 24 forwards and 12 centres from each conference – there’s a lot of to and fro to fill out the slots.

As I recall, it came down to Carl Landry as a third Sacramento King (the policy that’s developed in my two years is to only include the No. 1 draft among rookies and even then, it’s not a lock so no Cousins) or Paul Millsap as a forward.

Some of us – me chief among them – wondered if Millsap would have “all-star” credentials playing alongside or after Al Jefferson and we had been told (and the conference call was in mid-October, mind you) that Mehmet Okur would be back.

We certainly didn’t see a 46-point game coming from Millsap (thanks, Chris!) and, in hindsight, we got it wrong.

Funny thing about hindsight, though; it’s always 20-20 and creates a lot of room for debate.

Should Millsap be on the ballot? I guess so. Now.

Then? I thought otherwise, as wrong as those thoughts may be.

I don’t think apologies are at all necessary. The five of us – myself, Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated, J.A. Adande of ESPN.com, Art Garcia of NBA.com, Marc Spears of yahoo.com and Marv Albert took some time and effort to make what we thought were logical choices and missed one.

Do I think Millsap deserves to start as an all-star? Of course not. But, as things have turned out, I do think the Utah fans should probably have he option of getting him some votes.

It’s a hit-and-miss proposition, doing something like an all-star ballot a week before the season begins. Maybe we missed on that one but, overall, I’m quite okay with the way things turned out.

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Want to know what’s up in Houston? Jonathan tells you here.

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Quickly out of the mail:

Q: Hi Doug. I only caught the fourth quarter and wasn't at all surprised that Amir fouled out again. However, I just looked at the box score and discovered he only played fourteen minutes! What can be done to help a player not to commit fouls and do you think Johnson has been branded by the refs or is he really that foul prone?

Richard G, Toronto

A: While he’s better more often, Johnson still has a penchant for fouling too much mainly because his defensive footwork isn’t there yet – he’s had a tendency to guard mainly with his arms – and he still gets too many hanging around the offensive boards reaching and slapping for balls.

But, trust me, he gets his fouls entirely on merit, I’m pretty sure refs aren’t all that aware of his, um, stature and don’t go looking for him when he’s on the court.

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You lucky, lucky readers are going to find out more than you ever wanted to know about the D League early next week but there was some history made Thursday night.

Nancy Lieberman, an icon in the women’s hoops world, made her debut as the head coach of the expansion Texas Legends as the minor league season began.

Lieberman’s Legends lost 123-115 to the defending D League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers, just in case you missed it.

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Take a shot at the mail right here, okay?

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No Yao tonight, right?

(That really screwed up my plans for a big Yao takeout in today’s paper, by the way)

What’s it mean? Well, Luis Scola might get 40 rebounds, Brad Miller and Andrea Bargnani will combine to jump a total of about four feet off the ground over the course of the game, and we won’t get to see the big fella play on Houston’s only visit here.

Too bad; Yao remains one of the most star-crossed stars of this era and it’s a shame. I like the way the guy plays and appreciate the way he carries himself with the burden of being his country’s iconic basketball star.

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Oh yeah, we will be back with the usual In Game Blog Thingy tonight and looking at the schedule, I’m only sitting out two games between now and the first of the calendar year so we’ll be quite regular with it and even do those two (at Indy and at New York) from the comfort of, well, maybe the comfort of somewhere else.

Anyway, see you tonight.

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Live: Raptors Q&A

Doug held a live chat Thursday, answering questions on Chris Bosh's Hall of Fame chances, Sonny Weems's abilities and Steve Nash trade rumours.

 

Time to come home for a while and chill

So, the killer part of the early-season schedule is over, the 12 games with eight on the road, tough trips out west and to Florida and where are they? Maybe a game worse off than I thought but, otherwise, pretty much bang-on.

And we move forward and see where the journey takes us.

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THREE POINTERS

Almost there

Cutting the wing rotation to three guys – no Julian Wright – didn’t do much for DeMar DeRozan (more on that later) but it did a lot for Sonny Weems, who had a career night.

And I wonder if it’ll give Jay cause to think about tightening things when Leandro’s back, which could be as early as this weekend.

If I know Jay, and the way he sometimes thinks, he saw Sonny get off to a quick start and rode him a bit harder than usual, which turned out to be a very good thing.

Maybe they need someone – anyone – to get off to a torrid start to kind of force the coach’s hand. That’d be a good thing.

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Last time …

We do the DeMar’s Arrived piece, I think.

Coming off that Florida journey where he was so good, everyone lauded him and how’s he reward us? With a couple of clunkers, 12 points, nine shots, two free throws in Washington, four points, three shots, two free throws in Philly, and it just goes to show you.

He is young, still very much learning the game and his place in it and there will be some inconsistencies as the season goes along.

But I guess the one thing that jumps out at me is that he played 32 minutes one game, 31 the other and I don’t think that’s enough.

I think they need to leave him out there for 38 or 39, let him try to figure it out as he goes along.

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You know I’m going to …

What was that?

Thirty points and seven boards for Bargnani? Gonna be an easy day around here, methinks.

Yes, he was atrocious in Washington but that doesn’t mean he was going to be atrocious every game. The kid is skilled and he’s a shooter and sometimes shooters are going to have bad shooting nights and it often carries over into other aspects of their games.

But as we saw in the Philly game, the kid can fill it up in a variety of different ways, there was a rather emphatic dunk, a whole lot of one- or two-dribble jumpers and he actually contested some defensive rebounds.

The tendency here, and a lot of places, is to over-react to bad games and bad nights and see it as a true indication.

It’s not, not for Bargnani, not for DeRozan, not for Jack, not for anyone.

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And …

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You busy at noon?

Want to take a break from the crush of the day?

Well, join us for a little question and answer session; I’ll be sitting around Casa Doug just waiting.

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Let’s say a week ago, someone had stopped you on the street and the conversation got around to the Raptors.

If your friend had said they’d come back from Orlando-Miami-Washington-Philly with a 2-2 record, would you have been okay with that?

After scoffing, of course.

I’d think so.

And I’m going to say this now, like I’ve said it to a lot of people privately: Not only don’t I think the Raptors are the worst team in the league, I don’t think they’re the worst team in their division.

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This dropped in the mail yesterday and seemed a tad topical so …

Q: Hey Doug! Seeing how you're such a huge Spurs fan (Spurs by 12), did you hear about the divorce between Tony Parker and Eva Longoria? (sparked by cheating of course)!

Jessica H, Guelph

A: A shocker.

Anyway, I guess it – and news of Steve Nash’s separation a week or so ago – doesn’t really surprise me. Look at the incidence of divorce and separation in society as a whole, we shouldn’t think it’d be any different in pro sport, should we?

But my question is: Should we care? Are the titillating details really necessary and something we need to know? I guess if players put themselves out there with their families they kind of bring this stuff on and maybe the celebrity status of Parker-Longoria made this kind of news inevitably interesting. But it most certainly didn’t with Steve, who never put his family in the spotlight.

I know that what passes for “news” these days runs counter to what I think it should be; I’m far more about good stories well told than minutia of private lives.

But that’s just me.

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What’d they say in Philly about that one?

Well, why don’t we check here and have a look.

(Remember back when Doug Collins was a broadcaster? Liked his work but thought he was too reliant on numbers? Read the story. Same thing now.)

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I have to tell you, if Chris Bosh wanted notoriety and fame in his new role as Third Rail Of Heat Basketball, he’s sure getting it.

There’s the video that’s talked about in this story (perhaps a tad premature given it’s 10 games into the season and he had 35 last night but Skeets and Tas are two of the very best out there and I’m a big fan) and he’s getting slagged all over the league it seems. It’s odd, but somehow he seems to welcome even the bad attention.

Odd kid. Good kid, but a touch odd.

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Speaking of mail, I’m off on a super secret one-day voyage on Saturday between Friday-Sunday games so I’d like to get started a bit early.

Help me out, folks.

Click. Write. Send.

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I don’t know Greg Oden at all, have spoken to him maybe once in my life, but, man, do I feel bad for that kid.

Another knee surgery, another season lost and, really, there have to be legitimate concerns about his career now, don’t there?

Really, a sad, sad story.

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Some bad stuff but the feeling won't last

Look at it this way:

There’s another game tonight!

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

Bad Bargnani

Yes, that was Andrea’s worst game of the year by far. Listless, couldn’t make a shot, far too slow at both ends.

But you kind of knew early.

First quarter, first couple of possessions and they tried to get Bargnani in the post but it looked like he wanted none of it. He started his move too far from the basket – pushed out there by far from the most physical defenders in the game – and made a couple of half-hearted efforts to get into the paint, settling for little fadeway jump hooks about midway up the lane.

No, not good enough at all.

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What’s that I see?

I’m sitting there watching the second half unfold – and it almost caused my retinas to burn – and first I see Marcus Banks on the floor, then I see Banks and Jose on the floor at the same time and then I see Jose and Jarrett on the floor at the same time and I’m thinking, “quick, rub your eyes, they’re deceiving you.”

Not sure what Jay was up to except trying to find some kind of magical combination that would provide a spark but it didn’t work.

And I don’t know that we’ll ever see it again; nor do I think we should. It’s too small a backcourt, at least one guy’s playing out of position and there are other off-guards who probably need the minutes.

As one-time experiment, maybe it was worth it. Long-term? Don’t think so.

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Who is this guy?

In his first two seasons in the NBA, Sonny Weems attempted 18 three-pointers (11 last season) and made, um, two.

So far this season, he’s attempted 11 and I’m wondering if he’s channeling some inner Dell Curry or something.

Now, I’m all for a guy extending his range and he has made four of six in the last three games but Sonny’s strength has to be mid-range and attacking the basket and to watch him take two threes in the first half last while not getting to the free throw line one single time in the entire game is a bit much.

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And now …

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Okay, forget it.

The Clippers and I are through.

Yes, they were my surprise darlings before the season began, now they’re 1-10, stinking the joint out on a nightly basis and I’m done with ‘em.

I blame Donald Sterling.

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Lots of links.

Here’s Washington’s from last night.

Here’s Philly’s for tonight.

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Speaking of Philly …

Big O’s ticker trouble

It’s at the very end of The Drinking To Forget Tour – a raucous four-game road trip right near the end of the 16-66 season that I’m sure I’ve recounted before – and we’re in the coaches locker room before the game talking to Butch.

There’s a ruckus in the hallway, Oliver Miller’s been complaining about his chest, and there he goes, wheeled on a stretcher. Now, recall, this is one game after he’s served a one-game suspension for hamming up with The Chicken in Atlanta during a timeout in a one-sided loss and there’s not a lot of goodwill betwixt O and the team and there are suspicions that he’s perhaps not quite as ill as they are being led to believe.

Anyway, The One And Only Phil Jasner doesn’t know the backstory and tries to assure the collected brass that they have great heart institutes in the city and O will get great care.

Says one of the Raptor poobahs, who shall go nameless:

“Tell ‘em if they find one to take it out."

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Payday? Close but not quite

It’s the Saturday night before Game 7 in 2001 and the ongoing fued between Oak and Tyrone Hill has been a running story all year, Ty owed Oak an obscene amount of money and Oak wanted it.

Well, the story goes that Ty showed up at the team hotel with a brown paper bag filled with cash, many tens of thousands of dollars, to pay off his debt.

Oak, that okay with you? Is it over now?

“Don’t see no interest; ain’t over yet.”

Or words to that effect.

Man, I miss Oak.

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A lost opportunity

Same 16-66 year, darkest season of beat coverage I’ve ever had in any sport at any paper, and one of my lasting regrets. The start the season, it was 1997-98, with two straight losses which is no big deal and then win their third game, a stellar triumph over Golden State and then – get this! – rattle off 17 straight losses.

And yours truly had the honour and privilege of covering every single one of those 17 and if you don’t think that taxed my creative abilities, let me tell you it did. You walk into a locker room a dozen games into a streak like that, knowing you’ve got nothing to ask and they’ve got nothing to say and get 650 good words out of it.

So, where’s Philly fit into this?

Well, it was Dec. 10, 1997 when the streak came to a merciful end.

In Philly. Walt Williams went off for 39, Damon had 14 assists and it was like the weight of the world was lifted.

How’d I feel? Ticked.

I was home, watching on TV while old colleague M. Harding took the trip.

That’s right, I lived through 17 straight losses and missed the win.

Grrrr.

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Sarah’s little girl survives and Brandy, who was perfect on Monday, gets bounced? I blame the Tea Party.

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I swear, I was sitting in a local yesterday afternoon waiting to swap stories with Griff after being in the office and one of the TVs had on a replay of an old Raptors-Wizards game from a couple of years ago.

I look up and there’s the original Legend – Pops! – throwing down a vicious dunk and all I can think of is:

“Don’t check the e-mail, someone was watching and will want him back.”

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You know what?

I kind of missed that In-Game Bloggy Thingy, too.

And because a few of you were nice enough to write yesterday suggesting it’s okay to do it from the comfort of home, or perhaps some day the comfort of a lounge, we’ll bring it back for the rest of year, regardless of where I am. A bit more work but it’s fun, actually. A kind of nice sense of community has developed or something.

That’s after tonight, though. Have plans that can’t be changed.

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Okay, some lucky group of high school students out in Scarborough will get the time of their lives this morning (yes, speaking engagements are another part of the gig) but that means I’m away from here for a few hours.

Can’t wait to get back and read the angst.

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No live-blogging tonight

Note to fans: There will be no live-blog of the Raptors game tonight -- but Doug Smith will be here at noon on Thursday for an hour-long question and answer session. Be sure to stop by.

Sincerely,

Star staff

 

Almost a full house and a trip down memory lane

A series of random, mainly unrelated thoughts today after spending yesterday doing pretty much nothing but booking travel and making work plans.

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So, all indications are that Linas Kleiza will be back for tonight’s game against the Washingtons after missing two games with the Achilles issue.

What’s it mean? Well, with Leandro Barbosa still out I presume it’ll still mean some minutes for Julian Wright but it gets them back to a four-wing rotation if that’s the case and I honestly wonder about the wisdom of that.

With the way DeRozan played in Florida, I think they need to extend his minutes, not have them reduced at all and that might be what happens if you throw another guy into the mix.

I asked Jay after the Miami game what might happen when all the wings are healthy because there’s no way the world that they can play five in a game – DeRozan, Weems, Kleiza, Barbosa and Wright – and he said made a joke about “maybe I can” and added that he liked the competition between players for time on the court.

Of course, he wasn’t serious because five wings, two point guards and three or four bigs is far too many guys to run out nightly and expect any on-court cohesion to develop.

Now, I can see things like early foul trouble forcing him to go with four guys on the wing but there are going to be nights when things are going well and normal that they don’t need more than three and it’ll be interesting to see how the guys left out handle it.

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A Did You Know:

Did you know that six of the last 17 games between the Wizards and Raptors have gone to overtime? That’s a hugely disproportionate number of overtime games and makes a grunt quite happy he’ll be watching from somewhere comfortable tonight just in case.

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There is news about the Wizards that you’ll want to know.

Here’s Michael Lee’s piece from the Post this morning.

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Memories and moments of Washington? Yeah, there are three for sure.

Mo’s big moment

We all remember the circus halfcourt shot that Mo Pete hit that night to send a game to overtime that Toronto eventually won, right?

Of course, we all remember that if that if he didn’t make that shot, Toronto would have avoided New Jersey in the first playoff round and who knows how that would have played out, but that’s not the story.

The story is about interlopers and drop-ins and rare visitors to the beat.

To set it up, I will tell you this: Among pro sports to cover – and this is generally held throughout out our industry – basketball is the toughest to write at the buzzer. So much can happen in so little time that you find yourself crazed with the final few seconds of a buzzer beater. This team takes a lead with 1.5 seconds left, that team makes a shot with 0.4 seconds left and whole story turns around and editors rarely give a rat’s bum, they want their copy NOW.

Anyway, a fine young lad named D. Naylor, now a big time TV dude but then a Globe correspondent, dropped in for that game while in D.C. doing football and some pucks or somesuch and to see the look on his face when the entire story turned around with a halfcourt prayer was classic.

As I recall, he got through it just fine but it did illustrate one of the hazards of covering this game.

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Yes, a Sam moment

Wouldn’t be a road tales day without one, right?

I can’t remember what year it was but they started out horribly on the road and we’re standing talking to Sam in the hallway outside the locker room before the game.

He makes some crack – and it was quite funny at the time – to the effect that if the Raptors don’t get better on the road, they’re going to become the Washington Generals, the long-time whipping boys of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Well, it cause quite a stir because – somehow – it was misconstrued that he’d called his team the Washington Generals and that was thought to be terrible, even though it was pretty close to the truth.

Trouble was, he didn’t. He made a joke, it was how some of us reported it and it just goes to show you that things can really get twisted around.

Man, I miss Sam.

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Bosh’s big shot

Remember the night Chris Bosh hit a three-pointer right before an overtime buzzer to win a game? Good shot, in rhythm, fine play call, open look that no one saw coming.

Don’t remember him getting ripped for taking it; am sure that would have been different had he missed.

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Okay, I’m all about Jennifer Gray as DWTS gets down to the final. Super Son’s still locked on to that Disney lad and it’s causing quite a bit of consternation around here.

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Let’s get a mailbag leftover done, shall we?

Q: Doug, whatever happened to Butch Carter? Seems like after he got fired in Toronto, he fell off the face of the earth. Any clue what he is doing these days? And how come he never got involved with the NBA again?

Steven R, Clarkson

A: Oh, he’s out there, trust me. And I know he’d like to coach again and I think he should because he’s got a great knack for it. And he didn’t get involved again because few GMs would have the stones to give him a shot, which says more about them than him. But I wouldn’t be surprised if some college didn’t come calling.

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Oh, right. Can’t do an in-game bloggy thingy tonight or tomorrow; got stuff to do.

Plus, I’m not sure there’s much added value to me sitting on a couch or a stool watching on TV. If you think there is, we’ll re-visit it for the next games I don’t go to – I think I’m bailing on Indiana and New York next month but that’ll be it for a while.

But we will be here at noon on Thursday for an hour-long question and answer session if you like. Figure it’s best to let these next two games unfold and see where they are.

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Want to start the mail process since we’re back to a normal schedule this week without a silly Saturday night game?

Click here to write and send; I look forward to hearing from most of you.

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Some mail to get the week started

Hey, folks.

Sorry this is a tad late, the time seemed to get away from me all weekend.

And there are more than a few I didn’t get to but I will over the course of the next couple of days.

Have fun.

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Q: Doug: As a diversion from this Raptor debacle how about we go back to a food theme (especially prudent given the Curry dish we had last night gave us such indigestion). I enjoyed your "best pizza" piece recently. But, you know, guys are meat eaters, so steak has more sizzle and is certainly more stellar than pizza for the average masculine male. Where is the best, that you've sampled, steak available? I've tried The Keg but would like to try Ruth Chris. Most times, triple A Black Angus from Costco (marinated in soya sauce, olive oil and garlic) on my own grill at home does the trick. Your thoughts? Condiments/seasonings on your favorite steak.

Frank K, Orillia

A: Oh boy, an eating question. Cool.

I think you’re an Irregular who knows I’m as much about the company and the ambiance as the actual meal but I am all about hunks of red meat.

If I had to rank road and home steakhouses, I’m always going to put The Palm on the top of the list (the one in New York on 2nd Ave., I believe is a huge personal favourite, as is the one in Phllly) but after that, there’s a lot pretty close in order.

So, I’m going with St. Elmo’s in Indy, although there are those who say it’s only worth going for the all-world shrimp cocktail and then you should move somewhere else for steaks, and then it’s Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris and then my deck with friends and a cooler.

I’m okay with soya sauce but if you drizzle a bit of Worcestershire sauce and maybe some fresh garlic with basil it’s generally good.

And if you cook it any way other than medium rare, we’re going to have issues.

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Q: There seems to be a misunderstanding that athletes are "super beings" and don't get tired and worn down. I would imagine you often feel run down and you aren't playing a professional sport. When you "travel" with the team, you obviously keep somewhat similar hours to them. I wondered if you could comment on how you feel physically/mentally.

 

Jeff S, Ajax

A: I feel worn out, actually; and the four-gamers with a back-to-back are almost too much to handle travelling commercially. I’ll walk you through my weekend since you asked:

Thursday flight to Orlando, dinner with a friend, up Friday for a 10:45 Raptors shootaround and then the Magic kept us there until after noon before we could talk to Vince. Back to the hotel to write a Carter and then a 4:30 trip back to the arena and game stuff until 11. Too much adrenaline flowing to sleep right away so a couple of relaxing hours and then maybe three hours sleep before heading to the airport to get to Miami. Drop bag at hotel, hustle to Heat shootaround to see Bosh, back to room to write that one and then back to arena at 5 for the game. Post-game, same drill, done about 11, bed about 1:30, up at 5 for work and a flight home.

Tiring.

Now, I don’t have the luxury of charter airline travel like they do but they do have a lot of late nights that pile up over the course of a long trip. There are a lot of 3 a.m. arrivals at hotels and fitful sleep, some of planes, some in beds and your body clock just gets all screwed up.

I know it sounds like whining but it’s hard and when you hear them talk about being tired, it’s legit.

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Q: Quick travel question, Doug.

When you have short trips (Orlando to Miami for example) do you ever consider taking the train? Avoids some of the sitting around, going through security, etc. and many trains have internet so you can work en route if you want to.

 

Richard Y, Kincardine

A: I have taken the train in the Philly-Washington-New York corridor and it’s excellent. I know a few colleagues took it from Portland to Seattle (sniff, sigh, I miss the Sonics) but I’ve always driven that one.

In fact, I find a lot of times driving is quite relaxing. We often to Orlando-Miami (I didn’t this time because it was a back-to-back and I need to be at the Magic shootaround to see a guy) and I usually drive San Antonio-Houston if the schedule permits, Dallas-Oklahoma City and did Charlotte-Atlanta one time. Anything to stay out of airports.

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Q: Hey Doug! In your opinion, what are some of the silliest rules in the NBA rulebook? And why?

 

Mary L, Ajax

A: There aren’t all that many, actually.

The one that gets me is when they reset the shot clock to 14 seconds if it’s under than that when a defender kicks the ball, on purpose or inadvertently. Seems to reward an offensive team with more time more often than it should.

That would be the big one; the rest seem pretty much all right to me.

Better late than never, as they say

In honour of my surroundings as I type this in Miami …

Away we go!

(People of a certain age may get that)

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THREE POINTERS

Heat? Hot?

Um, not so much.

The first impression is that they haven’t come close to figuring it out; it’s either LeBron or Dwyane but never LeBron and Dwyane and until they do, I honestly don’t think they can compete with Boston or even Orlando and definitely not the Lakers.

The feeling that it was two individuals working quite independent of each other; which is fine when you’re playing some of the lesser teams of the world. It’s not so good if you seriously think a championship is coming in the spring.

Now, maybe they get it figured out in the next 70 games, I imagine they will because they’re two pretty bright players. They have to because that team, right now, can’t win it all.

Bosh? He is what he is. The third guy, still quite skilled, finesse rather than power and a darn good third option.

Anyone who thought he’d be otherwise on the court when this whole thing started was fooling themselves.

Does that make him a bad guy? Not in the least.

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Some love for the kids

Oh, those rambunctious youngsters, you gotta love ‘em. Or at least put up with some of their hijinks.

You probably noticed a penchant Saturday for Julian Wright to get up his shots – 10 is a few too many ‘cause a couple of them seemed forced -- and we all know Sonny likes to get his.

And while it may make some cringe (I know I did on one Wright corner three that was the definition of ill-advised) the coach is going to live with it. For now, he said.

“They’re high energy and if you try to get them to calm down you take away a little bit of what they bring. You can take maybe a couple of rushed shots or quick shots if they’re going to bring that energy all the time because you know you’re gong to get those possessions back because of their energy. As we grow as a team and as they grow as basketball players, you figure that kind of stuff out where you keep that intensity and still make the right play.”

They can only wish.

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He can shoot again

Hey, anyone notice Jose found his jump shot and I’d really like to revisit the whole pre-season and hear from the folks who were absolutely killing him for not making shots.

Yes, he was in a slump, they happen; they also go away and watching him come around high screens and pull up and hit jumpers was like watching him play the way he did a couple of seasons ago.

The one interesting thing last night was that he was guarded for a lot of the fourth quarter by LeBron and didn’t back off. In fact, putting LeBron in high screen-roll action worked like a charm a lot of the times.

Best Jose move?

He runs LeBron into a screen, gets a switch and goes right at Ilgauskas, getting knocked to the floor when he tried to finish at the rim.

That tells me he’s feeling 100 per cent healthy and 100 per cent confident and with Jose, those are by far the two most important facets of his game.

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Anyway, a wee bit more?

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Chris.

I didn’t get a lot of one-on-one time with him so I wasn’t able to probe deeply into his mind but here’s some pop psychology because I do that so well.

You know what it is?

The kid just really wants to be liked. He’s stung by criticism, he genuinely feels like his comments about Toronto and cable TV and all that stuff were taken at least a little out of context and, for the very first time in his life I imagine, he’s feeling some heat.

He was pretty much bullet-proof for seven years in Toronto, he was the star, a very, very, very good player on a so-so team; you know he was all-world as a high-schooler and a phenom his one year in college and all of sudden, what he thought he wanted more than anything in the world isn’t coming as easily as he expected.

But he is still an engaging young man on some levels – Kevin Arnovitz of espn.com hit the nail on the head when he called him “confessional” when we were comparing Bosh notes after shootaround Saturday – and I imagine they’ll figure out the on-court stuff as the final 70 or so games of the season unfold.

Bosh is not going to be a tough guy or a menace on the court or a dominant physical presence; he is what he is, a finesse big man trying to fit in with two power players.

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What's the world in Miami about that one?

We find out here.

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Hey, know what?

The PA guy in Miami may not be on the top of the list of favourites for a lot of you but he couldn’t have been more helpful to me when we were setting up the Bosh thing and now I’ve got a lot of time for him.

Speaking of the thing, it was kind of cool.

I’m standing at midcourt holding the trophy, over comes Chris as the PA guy is announcing what the award’s for – on-court excellence combined with respect for and a willingness to deal with the media – and with all that’s going on with him, he the presence of mind to walk over, extend his hand, shake mine and say, out of earshot of everyone:

“This is kind of ironic, isn’t it?”

I tell ya, I like the kid.

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Travel tip:

If you’re coming to Miami, find a way to leave out of the ‘J’ terminal at the airport.

It’s new, wide concourses, lots of room, good services and the security line seemed to move at a pace that suggests they hired TSA folks with, you know, common sense.

The other concourses at this joint are dingy, old and timeworn; the United one that I was in works.

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The Raptors apparently have a stalker.

And he could very well be the National League’s Most Valuable Player.

Yes, Joey Votto was traipsing back and forth across Florida to see the lads on the weekend.

He’s tight with Jay and assistant coach and noted baseball expert Micah Nori (why do you think the Mighty Yankees have had success, I soak up such information as teaching hitters to squish bugs) and caught both ends of the Florida double-header.

Not literally, of course.

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Think this is fraught with peril? The HOTH had Saturday night in Miami, a day off on Sunday (there’s apparently a football game with the Dolphins that beckons some) and then practice at the Heat arena on Monday before they head up to Washington.

Yeah, life sucks, eh?

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Okay, I’m breaking off from this trip, Mr. Dave will pick ‘em up in D.C. for the Wizards-Sixers back-to-back while I coast.

We’re still working out the logistics of in-game bloggy thingies for Tuesday and Wednesday; I’m thinking sitting on a stool and watching in peace might be a good way for me to spend at least one of those nights.

But we’ll do one of the mid-day question and answer things for sure, maybe Wednesday and we’ll let you know.

 

Beaten by the clock

Despite my best intentions, the need to, you know, sleep and bad early flight times have conspired against me.

So the usual pap and drivel - wildly entertaining though it is - will be a few hours late today.

Maybe it gets done when I'm at Dulles hanging out, maybe it gets done when I get home but it'll get done.

A sneak peak?

More Chris, three pointers and the Raptors have a stalker.

See you later on, enjoy the day.

 

The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Heat

Good evening, everyone

Ready to see what tonight holds?

After last night, I'm not expecting to see many guarantees from anyone.