Stuff to mull over while I'm on a long, boring drive

Fun game, no?

Lots of shots, lots of scoring, good tempo and sufficient amount of defence that the outcome was in doubt until there were less than 30 seconds to go.

Give me one like that any time.

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

Just not good enough

Under no circumstances – ever – should DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems, starters on an NBA team, combine to play 71 minutes of basketball, take a combined 28 field goal attempts and not once – NOT ONCE – get to the free throw line. That’s unacceptable.

I don’t know what Jay can do because I know he wants them to drive the ball a lot more, but that’s simply not good enough.

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Proving the theory right

There is a school of thought that says when things are going bad, teams and individuals get nothing but bad breaks and there were two instances in the final few minutes that kind of showed that school of thought (not be confused with the School Of Rock, which is fun movie though I digress) may be right.

The HOTH are clawing back, down seven with about 4 1-2 minutes left and you could sense momentum. They have a pretty good defensive stand, surround Afflalo on the baseline and it looks a turnover or stop is coming. Well, Affalo bounces a pass through about three sets of hands and JR Smith nails a three and angst on Jay’s face as he buried his head in his hands was classic.

Fast forward to one of the key possessions of the game.

Down four after a Bargnani three with 47 seconds left they play really good defence and force Chauncey into a bad miss.

But, instead of grabbing the rebound, I think it’s Kleiza and Barbosa (the chicken scratch hand-writing isn’t what it should be) who kind of bump into each other and the ball goes out of bounds to the Nuggets.

Then it’s time to foul and the game’s effectively over.

Two bad breaks, no one’s fault but kind of sums up how things are for these guys right now.

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No numbers, good game

Julian Wright played 14 1-2 minutes, the longest stretch he’s had in a game still in doubt maybe all season.

He took only two shots, made one, had a couple of free throws and only gathered in one rebound.

And played very well. Really.

He was maybe the best defender they had on the court, mostly handling JR Smith when the Raptors started to claw their way back into the game.

I don’t know if it earned him any more playing time for the simple reason that I think they play too many wings now and another one just clouds the issue further but if Jay’s thinking about sending a message to a Young Onez, he would seem to have a guy capable of filling in.

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Want more? I’ve got some.

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I would think that George Karl, demanding and all about respect for the game, might have some issues with the, um, free-spirited Nuggets. So it was especially nice to see each of them go up to him individually after the game to offer congratulations on win No. 1,000.

And George, who I quite like, provided one of the quotes of the year so far about it:

“A lot of times during an NBA season, the coach and players aren’t really connected, they are fighting a lot and this was a moment not only on the court but in the locker room afterwards (that) there was a great connection. So it was good.”

Well put.

And now he can go back to ragging on them and screaming at JR Smith for crazy three-pointers.

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Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

It’s two weeks until Christmas?!?!?!?!

Yikes. How did that happen?

All gift ideas accepted up until noon on Dec. 24.

Thanks.

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A quickie from the mail:

Q: Regarding filing an extra story you said, "Means an extra story for me, which is a minor pain, and we know this is all about me." Does an extra story translate into an extra something on the pay check? Just wondering :)

Colin W, Toronto

A: As a wise man once said:

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

Seriously, though, if the Smelly Ford Focus makes it all the way to Auburn Hills this morning, I should have some time this afternoon to start on the mail so click here and we’ll see what you’re thinking.

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Look at the bright side.

No fan threw a waffle on the court like disgruntled Leaves fans did Thursday.

Which begs a question: What in tarnation were fans doing with waffles?

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Benjamin’s Denver report? Right here if you’d like.

And what's up in Detroit? Right here if you'd like.

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So I’m sitting here trying to come up with three wacky, or at least mildly interesting happenstances from our trips to Detroit over the years and it’s hard.

Seems to have been a lot of boring games and the best one happened a game I wasn’t even at.

So …

Jalen’s at it again

Detroit, for some reason, is a place where tickets are in high demand among players and the hard-working media relations staff are always left juggling and begging and shifting allotted tickets around to satisfy all the players.

As you’d expect, Jalen Rose was top of the list of players needing ducats and one game, I think it was probably in the ’05 season, he got a tad exasperated trying to take care of everyone he needed to take care. He’s standing around at shootaround going over the list and finally says:

“I’ve got to stop this. My entourages are getting entourages.”

I tell ya, Jalen doesn’t get nearly enough credit for being a good quote.

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Butch’s master stroke

This is the one I wasn’t at but I remember it this way:

Raps are in a tight game, Pistons have the ball out of bounds and Butch decides to put two guys – one was Marcus Camby, I’m pretty sure, and I can’t remember the other one – on the guy throwing the ball inbounds.

Much confusion surrounds the Pistons who cough up the ball, Raptors get a steal and win the game and it’s one of the best out-of-the-blue coaching moves I’ve ever seen.

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Who is that guy?

This isn’t Raptor-specific but, like I said, there’ve been few memorable moments.

Way back when the Pistons were always in the Eastern final and we covered them, the media seating was excellent, a few rows on risers on the baseline.

Sitting there one day and there’s a guy walking past me to his seat, wearing some kind of old Pistons Bad Boy replica jerseys (might have been Isiah’s, I can’t recall) and he looks awfully familiar.

Tall, lanky guy and he seems to know a lot of people.

Rub my eyes, look more closely and, yes!, it’s none other than Carlos Rogers, playing the part of Joe Fan.

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Have a good day; I'll get to the comments when I get to the Troy Marriott sometime this afternoon.

 

Comments

[Peter]

Barbosa was playing D on the shot, Kleiza and Sonny were trying for the rebound.

[Dave M]

At the end of the game it was Kleiza and Weems who bumped and Sonny had the fumble.

[HopeCaper]

Hey Doug, I hope the game tonite is as entertaining. I commented a bit ago saying that it seems when the wings don't play well these guys don't win. I hadn't thought about what it was they were doing differently, although getting to the rim seems to have become passe, but your noting their lack of appearances at the line was right on. You don't get fouled a whole lot jump'n em up. Maybe their banged up? Both have been taking some serious shots over the last few games. There was a Jay move in the 3rd I didn't understand. He had a combo of Barbosa and Kleiza on there and they were getting stops. I believe Juilan was on at the time as well. They are really making up ground and Jay starts to rotate them off and I'm thinking leave them on. Do you have any insights as to why he did this?

[Swirsky's Soldier]

Under no circumstances – ever – should Andrea Bargnani, startering C on an NBA team, play 39 minutes and end up with less than 5 rebounds. Thats unacceptable.

.... and I won't even get started on that 'defense' he was playing.

[SheikYurBouti]

Sure was an entertaining game, and the boys competed quite well considering no Jose. Too bad Kleiza and Weems can't play Denver every game.
Doug, have I ever said anything offensive to you? I hadn't thought so, but when I tried to post to the IGBT last night, it told me I was banned. What's up with that?

[J.C.]

It was Kleiza and Weem that fumbled the ball.

[doug]

it definitely was a fun game to watch, just entertaining...sort of shows how good NBA players are, sometimes a fact lost on some fans...you can defense all you want but NBA players are NBA players they knock down shots...in a hockey mad town I would say to fans that to hold a team in the NBA to 90 or under is a shut-out, players are going to get theirs no matter what....someone who had a unremarkable game last night (bad) and always seems to get a free pass from fans as it appears he is hustling, exerting effort etc...was Amir...out of position constantly on the defensive end, no weak side help,just a step slow all night, that game those opponents were to fast for him, he was out of sync tonight's match-up should be more up his alley...and when people go off on Barg's about his defense, remember in the NBA no player can be guarded effectively one-on-one moreorless it has to be a team approach...Amir wasn't helping Barg's at all last night..

[jhp]

Hope the drive has gone well. Watch the weather and hopefully the drive home will be uneventful. It appears this year is starting to look like recent years. Except waiting for the draft what can be done to put some energy back into this season. Just falling short seems to be this years recurring theme but I'm glad Karl got his 1000 and maybe in a couple years he can come back for his 1100th.

[Mark]

Hi Doug,

I'm a big fan of your blog and make sure to check in everyday.

You mentioned off the top of today's blog that you thought yesterday's game was exciting (which, I suppose it was) and that you would take a game like that anytime.

I was just surprised to hear you make the latter comment, considering the game's complete lack of defence. As a basketball fan, I love to see good, tough basketball. Give me a game where both teams fight hard on both ends. That is good basketball. Yesterday's game was not.

If I had my choice, I would elect to keep games like that few and far between. Yes, it was exciting (both teams poured in the baskets and ran up and down the court), but it was a sloppy game and neither team played good basketball.

I was surprised to read that you enjoyed that game and, if had the choice, would like to see something like that again.

[Aditya]

It was actually Sonny Weems and Linas Kleiza who fumbled the ball towards the end of the game

[Aditya]

I wonder which Pistons player gets a season-high tonight against the Raptors. I know its early in the season, but Raptors seem to be giving too many season-high in pts, rebounds, assists to the opponents....They're having a feast, I tell ya.

Didn't Don Nelson get a 1000 wins @ Tor as well last year? Just sayin'

[Leonardo]

Hi Doug,

Kleiza and Sonny "messed" up bumping into each other.

Have a good weekend if you can!

[Swirsky's Soldier]

J.C..... Amir has been helping on D constantly when and where he can. He is not the superman this team needs him to be to make up for Bargnani.

Bargnani needs to step up on the glass and on defense to help this team out. There is nothing this team needs more than that. Not fts from their wings, not shooting from their PG, not Amir staying out of foul trouble.

Blogger's note: Yeah, I took the last sentence off; keep it cleaner or go away

[MJ Walker]

Perhaps I missed this but what is the extent of Jose's injury? It was not covered on the TV broadcast last night and no mention of the extent in the write up. If there is one player this team can iff afford to lose it is Jose and it probably cost them the game last night. His defense in particular has been very good, not only for himself, but also in helping direct his team mates while he is on the court.
Heaven forbid but I hope there is no deal in the works for him thus resulting in him sitting.

[A]

any word on Jose?

Blogger's note: Yeah, as we all reported this morning, he's not in Detroit

[GM]

* I don't know how everyone else feels about the new chat-thingy for the DSIGBT, but count me as agin it. Don't like it at all. I don't mind re-reading after the fact, but I don't think I'll ever follow along during the game with it. I tried last night but gave up really quickly. What does everyone else think? I prefer the old way, even with those annoying pop-up ads. They're just a minor inconvenience and I don't even look at them.
* Doug, Doug, Doug... "begs the question"... tsk, tsk.
* Count me in for more Wright.
* If Kleiza and Weems play better against Denver, I'm expecting big things from Amir tonight.
* One more bit of bad luck was when the Raps played great defense and Kleiza was not letting Harrington get by him, so he throws up a deeeeep 3-pointer late in the shot clock. Nothing but net.
Two thoughts from the game last week against New York:
* What's the deal with the apostrophe in Amar'e? Is it supposed to replicate an accute accent? Has he had it since coming into the league or is it a mid-career change a la Akeem --> Hakeem?
* Galinari makes me laugh. I'd never seen a connection between the Italians from Italy and the stereotypical second and third generation Italian-Americans from New York who we've seen in movies for years, but Galinari totally looks like he could be in the cast of Saturday Night Fever or The Sopranos the way he struts around. I can totally see him wearing his shirt open to his navel with a big cross around his neck.

[m]

Count me in for the old in game blog.

[SheikYurBouti]

No answer above, so I thought it may just have been some glitch that was fixed. Again, I can't comment on the in game blog as it comes back with a message that I'm banned. I can't fathom a reason, but if I'm really banned, please just say so.

Blogger's note: I honestly have no idea. I don't think it was anything I did, that's for sure

[Ian Murray]

Since this week seems to be nostalgia week (just saying since your posts seem to be remembering the past).... where do you place the Vince trade among the worst in sports history. Many would say trading Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi would be up there but Nolan was not at his prime yet. Trading VC for 2 Williams, who were out of the league within 2 years, a solid center who the team had to buy out and a draft pick who never panned out has to rank among the worst ever.

Blogger's note: Can you send this to the mail as a list? Far more appropriate there

[Al]

I believe Butch Carter used Sean Marks as the 2nd onball defender on the inbounds pass all those years ago