Of colours, comments and small crowds

All in all, a pretty entertaining game, wasn’t it? It wasn’t Lakers-Celtics but if you get a close game in doubt until the final seconds, what more can you want?

They should all be so close.

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THREE POINTERS

Raising some heck

I know a lot of you saw this on the TV because many in-game Irregulars mentioned it but the Jay explosion at the end of the third quarter wasn’t triggered at any one player.

What he was so miffed about was that, after Devin Harris makes a jumper with 3.9 seconds left, the Raptors all lollygagged up the court instead of sprinting and maybe getting a good shot since 3.9 seconds is more than enough time for a pass or two and something better than the off-balance, halfcourt heave they got from DeRozan.

He let them know in no uncertain terms, greeting them before they even got to the bench. Not sure if it had a huge impact on the way they started the fourth quarter but they knew he was ticked.

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Colour co-ordinated

Jay’s standing in front of us screaming “orange, orange, orange” every now and then and I wonder if he’s talking about Sam’s shirt because even he knows mine was mauve.

Nope.

Seems “orange” is the code word for Toronto playing zone defence and we heard it an awful lot Friday night.

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Hobbled, but effective

I know the 32 points and nine rebounds were mighty impressive, but what caught my eye about Andrea on Friday was the way he battled defensively on Brook Lopez in the post.

Lopez, who seems to have regressed tremendously since last year for some unknown reason (he looks way slower and far less decisive with the ball), simply couldn’t bull his way to the basket because Bargnani banged him and battled him. Quite a good game, actually.

And the big finish? Bargnani got loosened up, he said after the game when he was talking about his knee.

“It doesn’t feel good so I have to do therapy. I have to keep working on it because it doesn’t feel good. Once it gets warm, it gets better; it definitely gets better during the game.”

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What else is going on?

A wee bit of stuff.

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Sam, Sam, Sam.

Part snarky, a bit caustic, some introspection and some laughs.

Was good to see him.

A couple of the top hits?

So, Sam, did you have any regrets when you were saying some of things you said?

“It was kind of amusing at the time and then Mr. Tanenbaum would call, he and Richard Peddie would call me in the office and kind of get on me about it and I didn’t think it was so funny then.”

But, Sam, have you changed?

“You sit back and assess your life and kind of relax a little bit and you realize that that 4 1-2 years went by like a blur. I can think back to conversations I thought I was having with people but my mind was on basketball, it was constant. And you realize what a grind it is when you’re the head coach and you’re trying to get to a certain point. It’s a grind and you almost not become aware of what else is going on in the world, like tunnel vision. But when you step away from it for a while, you kind of get a different perspective and you’ve got to have balance.

"You have to have balance in your life.”

Um, okay, but what’s balance?

“Just conscious of everything else around you. Understanding it’s your job and it’s important but you have to have balance and I think with balance, it makes you a better coach. You have to look at things different. You have to look at the things other than just looking at what’s going on with a player on the court, you have to kind of have a feel for what’s going on with them off the court. That’s going to help you deal with them as a player and a person better.”

Ah, Introspective Sam. Maybe you got that when you were doing some TV?

“You have to actually know what you’re talking about when you’re throwing out numbers. It gave me a better appreciation for how little you guys actually work.”

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I know there was no Vince and it was two teams with bad records playing against each other a week before Christmas but the underwhelming crowd of 14,623 made some sit up and take notice.

Not the smallest of the year – that was 14,127 for Golden State on a Monday night – but still …

Wonder how the Lakers will draw here Sunday for their only visit?

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What’d Fred write about that one?

Here it is.

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And what’s up with the Lakers?

Check here to find out.

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You fine Irregulars did a fine Irregular-like job filling up the mailbag yesterday and I’ll give you one last shot to get more in today.

Click, write, send, and here’s an early one with multi-parts:

Q: The Bayless/Jack trade seems to be a good one from the Raptor perspective.

Why on earth would New Orleans make this deal? Considering how Peja played a lot of minutes last year and considering the value of his expiring contract, why would NOH agree to include Peja in that deal?

Jay Triano appears to be quite a bit more blunt and ornery when discussing the team. Dropping swear words on TV, providing curt responses and other, let's call it un-Canadian descriptions, leads me to believe that this is by design. Do you think Jay has adjusted his appearance before the media? If so why do you think he has done so?

When evaluating a player's performance, I presume you canvass the views of coaches, scouts and other players. How would you go about evaluating a coach? What is the consensus on Jay's performance as coach this year?

 

 

Alan G, Toronto

A: The Hornets, from all I’ve heard and been told, thought they were getting the best player in the deal in Jarrett and that he’d be a better complement to Chris Paul than Jerryd was.

I think Jay has taken a more stern approach with everything this year, us, his team and the staff. I do think it’s partially by design, I think he finally feels this is a group he can coach and say anything to without having to worry about one star player; it has carried over to his public persona. And maybe he heard the incorrect knock that he was “too soft” and decided to show the public what some of us have seen before.

And I’d go about evaluating a coach in pretty much the same way, talk to people who work closely with him asking and getting honest opinions and by personal observation. The consensus is that he’s doing a good job getting a lot of out of a young roster less-skilled than many others.

Take Wednesday’s game with Chicago, for instance.

At one point, on the court, where Jerryd Bayless, Sonny Weems, DeMar DeRoza, Ed Davis and Joey Dorsey.

Know what that is? Take Bayless out and it’s July’s Raptors summer league team.

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The best line of Friday and Sam’s return actually came from Jay. After shootaround, we’re talking about The Return and someone asks Jay whether Sam treated the coaches and players with the same comic disdain he showed for some of us:

“No. He respected us.”

Badda-bing.

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And with that, I’m off to collect the Smelly Ford Focus and pay a king’s ransom for its release.

See you tomorrow.

-

 

 

Comments

[Derek]

Hi Doug
Just got back from Arizona and wanted to thank you for the Pizzeria Bianco referral you gave me. My wife and I went before the Suns/Wolves game on Wednesday and we both loved it. My wife is Italian and said it was the most authentic pizza she's had in years. Thanks so much for the referral, if you ever need a back-up gig, I'd suggest travel guide :)

BTW, got to see Steve Nash dish out 19 assists against the Wolves, many of which were of the highlight reel variety. He's truly a pleasure to watch on the court, and I hope the Suns fans realize how lucky they are to see him game in and out. Nash only had 4 points until the last 5 minutes of the 4th (when they started fouling and he got another 10 pts at the line), but he completely controlled the flow and pace of the game, setting up his teammates for easy baskets, rather than worrying about "getting his own". Every young point guard coming into the league should be required to watch 100 hours of Steve Nash game film before stepping on the court. He exemplifies how the point guard position is meant to be played. Thanks again for the restaurant referral Doug - it's great to be home.

[Mark]

Doug!
There's an ESPN article today saying that Toronto is considering buying out Peja.
Have you heard anything?

Blogger's note: Nope

[Gianni]

"All in all, a pretty entertaining game, wasn’t it? It wasn’t Lakers-Celtics but if you get a close game in doubt until the final seconds, what more can you want?"

A close game in doubt until the final seconds ending with a W?

[Diablo]

Hahahahaha...thanks for the laughs Doug...enjoyed the Sam and Jay comments relating to the media...good stuff. Back to the grindstone for you then, got some respect to earn ;)

[Matt M]

Regarding Lopez I think it is necessary to remember what the majority of us learned in the case of Bargnani in his second (third, and part of his fourth) year. It takes bigs a little longer to develop. That said, he is averaging 19 points a game on 45% shooting. Maybe part of the reason people think he has regressed is that they have unrealistic expectations for a 22 year old who is adjusting to his second coach. I think he will be fine but hopefully the Nets GM is of a different opinion and will trade him to the Raps for Joey Dorsey.

[Leonardo]

Hi Doug,

Did Sam said anything about Bargnani and the way he plays the basketball now?
Also when he says "Just conscious of everything else around you", he means that before he never worried about the problems that a player can have especially if a rookie from another country (aka Calderon & Bargnani). Therefore the rumors that, occasionally, he did not speak with players for long periods of time can be true?

Anyway yesterday we seen the same Kleiza of the World Cup!

Have a nice weekend!

Blogger's note: Knew Andrea would be good and I don't know

[Mike kovacs]

I don't see any benefit of buying out Peja - his contract is basically another trade exception so why waste it?

[LeeZ]

I noticed two delay of game warnings yesterday, one against each team. The first was against the Nets, when the player (can't remember who) tossed the ball to the ref after making a basket. Looked like he took a nanosecond longer than was necessary, but I've seen way, way worse go unpunished. Later in the game, I think it was Barbosa did the same thing, but this time he did it immediately. Threw the ball to the ref right away after making a basket. And he got whistled. Has the league changed the rule on this? Is it now verboten to throw the ball to the ref after a made basket?

Blogger's note: No change that I'm aware of and it's far too subjective for my tastes

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Morning Doug,
Fun game! I'd say "Young Rook" and "Big Rook" done their old coach proud! They were both superb. Cheers. Go Raps!
P.S. Thanks @doug for the very well-reasoned take on the coaching transition. Well stated, sir.

[Ryan]

Oh the Lakers game will probably be sold out.

The real question is how many of them will be Torontonian Laker fans.

[sam]

I couldn't get over seeing Chris Humphries with hair -
It was good to see Jose back on the floor and playing a solid - I was surprized that Bayless had a rather lack lustre game - he just seemed off, but not as much as Andrea did in the first half - The second half was a different story.
Klieza was pretty effective all game long - rebounding and scoring - He's not as quick as Sonny - but it appears he can get the job done -
you had mentioned in IGBT that Klieza was going to start regardless of Weems back spasm - do you think we will see Linas get some time as a starter? Do you know what issues Klieza and Hump have?

Thanks Doug -

Blogger's note: I believe that is the plan, yes; and the history dates back to when they were high-schoolers, I'm told by Mike Ganter of the Sun

[doug]

good game last night...and I guess to all the naysayers out there Barg's and Jose proved their worth to the team in spades...they are without a doubt the keys to this team and how we perform...be interesting to watch whether Jay re-inserts Weems back into the starting group or does this injury allow him the "excuse" to switch and go to Kleiza...Kleiza brings a more stabilizing influence and doesn't need to touch the ball in my opinion to be effective...I really am perplexed by the Avery Johnson signing, to me it's simple how can one man almost, well in fact he did cause a mutiny with the Mavs a veteran solid bunch of guys (with Dirk no less being one of the most irate when he has no history,zero of being a coach killer)...he takes things personally and says disrespectful things as well, ....so the Nets ability to acquire "quality" free agents is minimized as players talk.. he couldn't get along with Dirk what's up with that ??would be my first question or thought....and to be the guy taking Lopez into the future is not to bright a call either...just a bad hire,Sam would have been a better hire, not ideal either but better..

[doug]

plus I just read your article and i have a bone to pick, not with you but with someone that assembled that "best sports movie or fav sports movie list beside your column"...what no Hoosiers are they out to lunch??..as Jackie Chiles would say that's lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!....

[Lorie]

Good Morning, Doug!
Fun game last night and soooo great to have Jose and Andrea back in the lineup. But even greater? The opportunity to have more Sam-isms in the blog this morning! And cool story in the print edition about Sam's and Jose's relationship back in their early Raptor years. But it makes me wonder, did no one think it might have been somewhat useful to have a translator around to help facilitate communication between these two fellows? Have a great day, and hopefully this finds you well, and dare I say - Christmas shopping???!!!

[doug]

and there was another film that was bugging me that was missing...couldn't think of it...then I looked it up, and viola'...no Bull Durham either. that list is bogus..plain and simple...Hoosiers and Bull Durham are in the top 3 of all-time sports movies..someone never did their homework, or if they did they get a F...

[Lorie]

@doug: In the article I read "Hoosiers" was No. 6, but you're right about "Bull Durham". And I would add the following movies as being worthy of mention: "A League of Their Own", "The Natural", and just for giggles "Major League"..."Juuuust a bit outside". Ahhh, how can a film featuring the wonderful Bob Uecker not be included in a best of sports movie list? And Doug, I understand candlesticks make a good gift...! OK, back to wrapping!

[Joe]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the Sam Mitchell stories the past two days. It was nice to see him. Thinking about his time in Toronto got me thinking. People have given Sam credit for the development of Bosh and Calderon and have criticized him for the lack of development of Andrea during his time year. That had me wondering what impact a coach has on the development of a player at the NBA level? From your experience, Doug, do you believe that an NBA coach really has a big impact on the development/regression of a player or is it ultimately a combination of the player's natural talent, work ethic, and attitude? Can you recall any examples of where an NBA coach had a big impact on the development or stagnation of a player? Thanks Doug.

[Steph]

Lorie, Dougs Christmas shopping was completed this morning. After paying for his car repairs, he asked for the old parts back and is currently wrapping them. Nothing more personal or endearing to recieve then the true gift of Love, replacement parts that allow a husband to tell his wife, I`ll get home safe tonight dear.

[Blake Kennedy]

Doug:

Smelly Ford Focus update. What ended up being the problem(s) and how were the repairs?

Blogger's note: Repairs done, every imagineable item to a set of back brakes, a new ABS sensor and a couple of other things I don't understand and some new tires just for the fun of it.
I need a freelance gig or two now.

[doug]

@lori it wasn't a article per sa it was just a list besides Doug's article of last nights game...if you click on his article (bang on article by the way) you will see a list..under a heading, have your say...off to the right hand side...no Hoosiers, no Bull Durham,and also there is a no League of Their Own or The Natural or even caddyshack those are all the best sports movies right there...

[doug]

well this rates a wow...if this trade as it is confirmed becomes fact it will be a blockbuster

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5932861

plus the Magic are still after Arenas for Lewis..this could be a sign of things to come..

[Mike kovacs]

Boy Orlando are in full-panic mode. They seem to think that this year is the last kick at the can. How else to explain the desperation moves today? Christmas comes early for The Bullets and Suns in being relieved of 2 big mistakes on their rosters. It really goes to show you that there is no such thing as an 'untradeable contract'!

[LeeZ]

@Lorie and @doug (the poster): Good choices. But Bang the Drum Slowly is one of the all-time great movies, starring a very young DeNiro (back when he could act) and a very young Michael Moriority (back when he could, well, not be crazy). One of the great lines: From this day forward, I rag no one. Funny, touching, great baseball in it, sentimental without being maudlin. Now, how about greatest sports books of all time? Let me get the conversation going: Ball Four.

[MJ Walker]

Sad to hear of the passing of "Rapid" Robert Feller one of the all time greats in baseball. Was part of one of the all time great pitching staffs--the 1954 Indians. Feller was 13-3 despite being 35 years old and at the end of his career. Three hall of fame starters Lemon, Wynn and Feller. I know there have been other staffs with 3 hall of famers but none at the level of these three.
Good win last night but one bad move late in the game--subbing Bayless for Jose on defense for one possession. Jose spends the whole game setting things up for a situation like this, giving different looks etc. and Bayless comes in, gets schooled, the Nets cut the lead to two and this move does not pay off. In situations like this, when the game is on the line, Jose will get the key steal or stop more often than not.

[Matt M]

Any comment about Phoenix robbing Orlando today?

Blogger's note: We'll see how it all plays out