All about verticality and all kinds of other fun stuff

A rather smallish mailbag – I think I might have missed a bunch of questions or misplaced a file or something – but it’s full of fun stuff.

Peruse it as you like, I’m off to shootaround soon and will be back for the usual in-game hijinks later on.

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Q: Hi Doug. During Wednesday's Raptor game I asked a question during the in game blog, and you asked if I could submit it in the mail-bag:

During the Mavs/Clippers game Tuesday evening the play call guy referred more than once to the "principle of verticality". What does that mean?

You mentioned that it's an interesting concept about a defender having the right to "air space.”

Thanks

 

Peter L, Kingston

A: It might be the most missed call in the league and it’s a basic tenet of the “points of emphasis” we talk with referees about every season.

Basically, it’s this:

If a defender establishes position, he has that position from the ground to the sky. If he goes straight up and contact occurs, he’s still in what’s known as a “legal guarding position” and shouldn’t be called for a foul.

That’s why you see players and coaches standing rigid with their arms in the air pleading with the officials that they’d established “verticality” when there’s been contact under the basket.

It’s the most difficult call in all of basketball and I kind of like saying “principle of verticality” because it sounds cool.

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Q: Doug: I agree with your comment about Bargnani (A frustrating sight). Another thing that annoys me is watching him take a three and hightailing it back on defense rather than following his shot. He has a good idea where the rebound is going as soon as the ball leaves his hand. Is his retreat based on instruction from Jay or simply a personal habit to make sure that he gets back on 'D' before his match-up?

Paul B, Toronto

A: Entirely strategic and here’s why:

What’s one of the things this team does defensively? Get back in transition.

What’s one of the things that’s hard to do? Offensive rebound missed three’s.

So I think – and I know a lot of coaches concur – that it’s better to get back and try to stop teams than go to the offensive glass from at least 22 feet away and hope you can track the ball.

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Q: Hey Doug. I'm curious what you think the top five worst team names are in the league?

David S, Toronto

A: A good, old fashioned list.

Easy.

Utah Jazz.

Toronto Raptors.

New Jersey Nets.

Memphis Grizzlies.

Los Angeles Lakers.

What the heck do any of them mean?

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Q: Hey Doug. I was at the game against the Sacramentos a couple of weeks back, and noticed you shared a little pregame pow-wow with the legendary Dick Bavetta. Got any good stories about him, or care to share why he'd stop by to chat with an ol' grunt before the game?

 

Brian D, Hamilton

A: Oh, it was nothing, really. You travel around enough and you’ll run into more than a few officials in hotel concierge lounges and lobbies and you get to know one another.

And it’s always nice to say hi to a friend and that’s pretty much what it was.

Stories? Not really. A nice man, what you see is what you get and he’s always willing to explain what’s going on on the court during moments of confusion so guys like me and the TV folks can get the right information out there.

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Q: Dude, you mentioned the other morning that super family was reading the newspaper. Were you referring to the "actual" printed paper or laptops at the breakfast table?

I ask because I personally cannot remember the last time I had a newspaper in hand. It would seem that those are almost obsolete. Is the newspaper industry shrinking year over year (less subscriptions), and where do you see your business going in future?

 

Rob V, Conestogo

A: I was talking about the actual physical newspaper, a copy of which lands on the front porch at Casa Doug every morning and is read at breakfast each day by Super Son and Super Wife while I’m working on the blog.

Oh, the circulation figures are down across the industry, which is why management is offering buyouts, looking for ways to generate more revenue and exploring other financial options. Where’s it going? Well, the first publisher who figures out how to maximize earnings off websites will be a hero to everyone; until then we muddle through and try to “grow” the business in other ways, I guess.

To me, reading is as much a tactile exercise as anything but I’m an old codger.

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Q: Hi Sir. I have a draft question in general not specifics. I know it is early for you regarding the draft but I will submit it anyway. It appears clear that Jose plays his best when he is the undisputed number 1. There are a couple of highly touted point guards who are projected to be in the range of the Raps when they draft (ie Kemba Walker). So the question is, if the current roster goes unchanged, would you steer away from drafting a potential stud point guard to avoid potential issues with Jose? Or would you draft one anyway knowing that he is getting a little older and will need to be replaced sooner or later? Or is the issue moot because the Raps perspective is to draft best available or is there a specific need they are targeting? Lastly with things as they stand currently, how many draft picks do they have this year?

Thanks

 

Randy M, Crystal Beach

A: No, I would draft the best player regardless of position; have always said that and it’s not going to change. Besides, except in the truly unique cases, point guards need some time for grooming.

Picks? They have two in the first round – their own and Miami’s – and their own in the second round.

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Q: Hey Doug. Quick question. Does Mother Star care whether or not your readers prefer to read your print articles, or your blog, or both? I know that I tend to come to your blog first (in a feed reader) and only click over to your articles if you post that there's something interesting in them, and I was just curious if the Star has any particular interest in a particular type of traffic on the site? Do they ever ask you to try to drive more traffic to your articles?

 

Darren A, Toronto

A: You know, they’ve never really said. I think they’re just glad someone’s still reading.

Seriously, I find they just want stuff well done and quick and wherever people see it, they’re fine with. Of course, the immediacy of the web drives the news of the moment so I guess that’s where the most traffic starts.

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Q: Hi Doug. Thanks again for the hard work you put in everyday to keep us fans on top of everything Raptors, and even non-Raptors related (hello, DWTS)!

You need some mailbag filler so here it goes: How does a jersey number get picked if the player doesn't have a care as to what number he receives? Eg "Ajinca? He’ll be No. 42."

Thanks Doug!

 

Mark H, Toronto

A: Actually, Ajinca told us he asked for No. 42, something to do with his hometown in France. But if there’s no real interest by a player in any specific number, the team would just assign one. Mostly, though, a player will have some reason (one he’s had forever, homage to something or somebody, superstition) for asking for one.

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Q: Sending this in not to complain or moan, but just genuinely looking for basketball counseling. I like basketball. I went to the first Raptors game. I have been every year to a game here, a game there. Went to playoff games, preseason games, regular season games. But I just can't find it in me to cheer for them any more. It's not that I hate them or want them to fail, I just don't care. I still watch basketball, just can't watch the Raptors any more. Is there any way to renew my love of the team? Is there any basketball hope for the people of Toronto?

 

Daniel D, Toronto

A: From what you say, there would appear to be no way to renew your “love of the team.” Too bad. And I have no clue whether there’s basketball “hope” for the people of Toronto; I think this team has some nice pieces and won’t be 21 games below .500 forever but if you’re looking for assurances from me, you’re too far gone.

However, as long as the game brings you enjoyment, watch and have fun.

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Q: Hey Doug, does the slide that the Cavs are currently in say more about how good LeBron is, or how little he actually had to work with in Cleveland? There is little surprise that they are not nearly as good without him but did anyone expect them to be this bad when they only lost one player?

 

Reid B, Guelph

A: I certainly didn’t think the Cavs would be good at all before the season started – I figured they’d be the worst team because the remaining players wouldn’t be able to handle the attention they’d get from opponents in the post-LeBron era. But I think you need to take into account the loss of Anderson Varejao for the season, the step back that J.J. Hickson’s taken and a couple of other injuries as contributing factors to them being this bad.

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Q: Greetings, while considering the amount of time that, it would appear, that it takes for someone to acclimate themselves to the NBA game I have began to wonder if there might be a reason, not obvious, as to why there does not appear to be a real development league for basketball players. I wonder if it is impossible to populate a group of teams that would play under the same rule structure as the NBA or whether there is a business reason to keep the last step as big as it is?

 

Doug T, Brantford

A: I would venture to say that because there are so few jobs that come up open each year and such a wide variety of players to take them (collegians, non-North Americans, free agents) it’s really not worth the time and effort.

Besides, they really do already have two -- the NCAA and the D League – that do an all right job.

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Q: Hey Doug not sure that Robbie Burns day is a good enough excuse for haggis.

Have a couple of questions: Who would you say are the greatest Raptor killers guys like Bibby who just go nuts against them.

Also wondering after 16 years in the league how many teams do the raptors have a winning record against.

 

Mike C, Elliott Lake

A: Raptor killers? Pick a journeyman, any journeyman. (I keed, a little). Think you’d probably have to put Vince, Tracy and Jamal Crawford on that list and then from there, right?

Winning records? Going into this season, that list would be Charlotte, the Clippers, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.

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Q: Someone asks a question where you know the answer, but it puts a player in a bad light (eg. ritual for 10 day contract guys is that they have to buy first dance at a bar... or something similar). Do you answer honestly, don't answer, so that you don't put the player/team in a bad light, or claim that you don't know the answer? What do your professional morals make you do in this situation?

 

Paul B, Toronto

A: Nah, I wouldn’t pull back at all. The thing is, in some aspects of my job – the In-Game Blog Thingy, the comments section of the blog – there’s not a chance to engage in debate and unless there’s a rather clear cut answer I sometimes hold off until I find some appropriate time.

The thing is, I’d love to make my points more often than I can but if I do and don’t encourage discussion, I’m accused of cutting off debate and that’s probably not fair.

But if it’s something I think I can answer definitively, I do.

I will say this, though: During the game, I get so many comments and questions disguised as comments that it’s hard to pick ones that are in equal parts entertaining and informative and relevant to that night’s game.

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Q: Hi Doug. The pundits all have Reggie on his way out before the trade deadline. A defining characteristic of the Raptors for years has been a lack of toughness and rebounding. It’s a young team that needs a veteran presence to teach a strong work ethic. Reggie does all these things. The players and fans like Reggie. Why shouldn't BC resign this guy?

 

David D, Toronto

A: I think there can be a very good case to be made to bring back Reggie, but I wonder if he’d be willing to be the fourth big man on a team that likes to play three bigs and would be willing to take a cut in pay to do it?

If they can turn him into a younger player and a draft pick at the trade deadline in some package deal, I think they should do it.

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Q: Doug: This season is going down the drain as fast as my new Kohler super toilet flushes waste. I still can't understand the dynamics of the Jarret Jack trade? What did we get in return for him, Bayless?????? Peja gets bought out, so I don't see this as a one for one trade in any positive way. Jack was pretty much as good as Caulderon, and Bayless is a huge step back from those two. What was the sense in that, and I know it doesn't rival the Alonzo Mourning fiasco, but it is close. Your thoughts?

 

Frank K, Orillia

A: I disagree with you and so do the coaches. They see Bayless as a better pure backup point guard who may grow into that position as a starter and they also feel – and I agree wholeheartedly and always have – that Jose is better knowing the job is his without having to look over his shoulder.

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Q: Hey Doug. What do you think about the Vernon Wells trade??? Can you think of any NBA players that have "owned up" to bad contracts?

Thanks

 

M L, Toronto

A: Not sure what you mean by “owned up” and if you’re hinting that Wells did since I don’t recall Vernon telling the Jays to rip up his deal and pay him less money.

And I think it was a good trade, leaves them with more money to spent on Bautista if they want (and I think they should) and it was probably time for a new start for Wells.

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Q: Hi Doug. Mentioning the Premiere League sort of poses a question. How many professional basketball teams are there in Canada?

(By the way, the Premier League lost a team from Vermont yesterday. The owners ran out of money.)

And a second “by the way,” the team in Saint John seems to be drawing reasonably well. The Mill Rats moved to Saint John from Manchester, New Hampshire for this season. The Mill Rats also have a former NBA player as their coach. Research time for you.

 

Dave M, Sussex, NB

A: You mean Jaren Jackson?

As for Canadian teams, there are the two you know about and at last glance there were teams in Vancouver and Edmonton in something known as the International Basketball League but, truth be told, I have no idea if that league or those teams still exists. Minor league hoops is a rather dicey proposition for the most part.

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Q: Hey Doug. Seeing the results from the fan voting of the 2011 All Star game, you're right, we got it right. For once....

My question is this, seeing as the fans vote for the starters for the All Star game. The one major event for All Star weekend, why don't the fans vote for the participants for all the skills competitions for All Star Saturday night? We voted for Demar in as the last participant last year and we voted for the winner, Nate Robinson. (We got that one wrong)

For the most part, the participants in the Skills Comp, and 3pt Shootout are right. I like watching Steve Nash and Derrick Rose go head to head. I like seeing Paul Pierce and Stephan Curry shoot the lights out. But, like all the other fans, we would like to see and have the opportunity to vote for LeBron, Derrick Rose, Demar and Blake Griffin to fly through the sky only to throw down a furious dunk that leaves us amazed.

Thanks for your time!

 

Anthony R, Milton

A: From your lips to the NBA’s ears. I understand you can vote for the participants in the punt-pass-kick thing or whatever they call it, but you’re limited to guys who actually will be in L.A. and might want to take part.

And that’s the problem with the other stuff like the dunk contest and three-point shooting thing. If a guy doesn’t want to do it, or plans to be away from the idiocy of all-star weekend, the league’s not going to compel him to be there for the Saturday night shenanigans just because the fans voted for him.

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Q: Doug. There are four ways to improve or make changes to your team. 1. Trades, 2. Free Agent Signing 3. Draft 4. Improve internally.

All the trades and transactions this season thus far suggest the Raps are leaning towards improving through draft and development of young guys.

Do you feel the success of the Thunder developing their young players is causing GM's to follow their model?

Thanks!

 

Jeff M, Saint John

A: No, I don’t. I think circumstances dictate what way teams go: Whether they have the financial resources to be players in free agency or have enough desirable assets to make significant trades to improve their teams. It’s hard to follow a “model” if you’re not operating from the same starting point.

That said, with few truly desirable assets they want to divest themselves of, I think in Toronto it’s going to be a combination of drafts and the development of young players that’s at the base of whatever growth they have.

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Q: Hey Doug. What is the situation with the Raptors 1st round pick they received from the Miami Heat? Is there conditions on it or will the Raptors have a late 1st rounder no strings attached?

Thanks

 

Will U, Sarnia

A: The only “protection” on the pick is if the Heat don’t make the playoffs, which is a virtual impossibility at the moment so Toronto will have two first-rounders this year—their own and the Heat’s.

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Comments

[JHK]

I haven't ranted on here for a while... just a quick remark on the Bucks game.
Yes, Jay's timeout during 4 on 5 was bad - but using two timeouts to draw up Bargnani fade away (no screens or nothing prior to) was even worse.
I just can't wait until June now. Mr. Irving is coming to town! And it would be nice to pick up Jimmer at late 1st round with that Miami pick - probably will be lot better than Barbosa for scoring off the bench.

[Sharkey]

Hey Doug, here's a little trivia for you about team names: the New Jersey Nets. When they started in the ABA in New York, not New Jersey, someone joked to the owner he should rhyme the team name with "Jets" and "Mets", who were both popular and winning in the late 1960s. So he did. And that's why they are called the Nets. You can look it up :)

[Jean-Marie]

For all the people waiting for the draft, and a high pick, just two words: Evan Turner!

[Chauntelle]

Heres another piece of trivia about team names. The Los Angeles Lakers were originally from Minnessota( I think it was Minnessota), where there are hundreds of lakes, hence the name Lakers. The yjust kept the name when they moves to L.A.

[Rob.V]

34, 34!!, games to go-oh-oh... I wanna be sedated!!!

[doug]

for people wishing for a high draft pick or draft salvation I think I have 2 better words for them Hasheem Thabeet...Turner may be a alright player actually, as he has Doug Collins there, he's been improving...I can't really remember fellow players calling out another player as much as they do with Bosh, he was wrong in that Heat/Thunder game for interrupting Durant and trash-talking him...Bosh is out there somewhere and really has no clear perception of not only who and what he is but what others perceive him as being, he's somewhat delusional and it was a apt description by Durant a "fake tough guy", as he is seeing some sort of validation or in his mind it validates himself by being chosen by Wade and LeBron to be with them (that's my Dr.Phil impression), he needs to be dropped down a peg or 4...as Durant said he is a nice enough guy at times...but Chris needs to take a step back.....you know when you look at the Pacers and the Raps I can see why O'Brien was canned, they have 4 more wins then us, and if we never had our injuries we'd have more..but their talent level far exceeds ours and their injury time was minimal, so it was a totally justified firing and overdue....my friend once told me about the Jets,Mets, Nets thing, I never believed him but it was true and in fact I think it's neat once you find out the reason why....and the Utah Jazz are the worse named team in sport, it had to be changed upon relocating...as in Utah it's hard enough to find a bar and a beer within their guidelines but to throw Jazz into the mix makes it a odds on favorite to cruise every bar,nightclub on a friday night and try to find one Jazz ensemble/trio etc anywhere in the state of Utah...

[John]

Not sure I agree that offensive rebounds are hard to track down. Three point shots often give a longer rebound that goes over the top of the defensive rebounder who has inside position. How many times do we see teams get the offensive rebound and blame the bigs in the middle when really its the Raps guards and SF's who are being lazy. Its an under-reported stat.
I dont think that AB is mobile enough to track down his own rebounds and would probably just pick up bad fouls on loose balls (ie. AJ) so he is better off turning and heading down the court.

[JHK]

@Jean-Marie:
What do you mean Even Turner...? Are you officially declaring him a bust? Last time I heard, Philly is ready to part ways with Iggy because of Turner...
Top 4 and we'll be pretty much good to go with any of these four guys: Irving, P.Jones, T.Jones, Barnes. Heck, we could even slide to 5th and take Derrick Williams who looks solid.

[LeeZ]

I have no problem with AB not following his 3pt shots for offensive rebounds. Without a doubt, he is one of the slowest players in the league. For the one or two offensive rebounds he'd get every couple of games, we'd be burned dozens of times in transition, playing 4 on 5 while AB lumbers back. Besides, lack of offensive rebounds is the LEAST of his problems. Question, Doug: From what you're aware, is the frustration with AB's defence reaching a boiling point among either his fellow players, the coaching staff or management? Is there someone who is getting in his face about his effort, and if so, how is that being received by AB?

Blogger's note: Not a boiling point, no; and he accepts criticism but has a hard time doing anything about it

[Wallace]

There's really not much to be done. Except for Jose, this is the team that BC has assembled. No legitimate free agents want to come here. There is only one piece that has any trade value, and that is DD. All we can hope is that DeRozen continues to rise to star status, that Davis achieves his potential and that the next couple of years of 1st round picks turn out good.....and then they all decide to stay together long enough to be a good team. Patience is essential....cause there's no alternative that I can see.

[Ryan]

Adding to the team name trivia, the Jazz franchise was originally in New Orleans and kept the name when it moved to Utah.

[thinkaboutit]

What's wrong with the Raptors???...............too much money.......too little positive attitude to win...............a great desire to play a shortened season..........poor conditioning..............a satisfaction at being less than mediocre..........another GM failure...............a coach with limited experience..........a fan base that accepts losing.............playing in a city of losers.........add your own....there are so many reasons

[Pipit]

Nice take on the Saturday blog, Doug. That game shows how much inexperienced/minimal talent the team has on both players and coaching staff as well. The article would have been the best blog of the year if you didn't forgot to put the timeout play by Jay. But I really like the way you dissect the Bargnani play. He's been like that most of the times. It's either no one in the coaching staff is correcting him or he just one passionless, afraid to be injured type of player who doesn't want to bang inside the paint.

[JHK]

@doug:
There's something more convincing than Turner. Thabeet is a bust.
But he may turn it around eventually like Darko seems to be doing right now - after 7 years.
We just got to hope that whoever we draft doesn't take that long and I think it's safe to say the five I mentioned will need 3 years tops from blossoming.

[drew]

Utah Jazz...Carried over from when they were the New Orleans Jazz back in the day

[Lorie]

Good Afternoon Doug:
And there are so many other uses for the newspaper when you've finished reading it: lining the bird cage, making pirate hats (anyone else still do that???), using as an umbrella when you've forgotten yours (again) and when moving (who hasn't finally unpacked a box in the basement years later and delighted in the time capsule quality of the newspaper you used to wrap the stuff with?). And as a person who enjoys browsing used book stores, some of the most unexpectedly fun stuff has been discovered within the book itself - either hidden between pages, pasted onto them or even as questions, opinions and comments written by other readers while reading these same words. I just love the serendipitous nature of the entire exprience. And that tactile stuff, too.

[Michel G]

I could be wrong, but I think our second round pick belongs to Detroit (Delfino deal from way back). As for the bad team names, at least the other four teams have weird names because they all relocated. Our name is all ours. :)

Blogger's note: Got a second rounder from Dallas in the Ajinca deal

[J]

It's not so much Thabeet or Turner, but the fact that this draft is looking more and more like 2006 all over again. Ever since Baines' fall from grace -- he might not even declare for the draft considering how far he has fallen -- there are a handful of guys all as likely as the other to be drafted first, and it doesn't seem like there is much separation from the next bunch. I'm sure when they get to the NBA, some will find ways to separate themselves from the rest, but knowing who will pull a Roy or a Rondo will be difficult at best.

As much as people would like to see someone who can come in right away, I think this team really needs to pick someone based on achievable potential. Amusingly though, there doesn't seem to be any elite defenders near the top of the draft.

[Rob.V]

JHK, what's all this talk of patience?? Not in this corner, sorry. I'm all for trading our 1st overall along with anyone else on this team (including Doug Smith, lol)... if it means we could add a Ray Allen or KG type this off-season.

The only problem is that there is only (1) KG and Ray Allen in the league... and Danny Ainge has already completed that heist.

But to wait 3-5 years through the draft?, I dont know. Thats a ton of money you're asking season seat holders to foot the bill for.

I think about the ticket prices we pay and wonder if all that money spent on this horrible season couldn't have been spent more wisely. Maybe could have saved an entire freakin village in some remote community in the world where kids are starving!

.

We've got no choice but to write down the money spent this season... but another 3-5 years is reaching on MLSE's part. I'm curios to see if they "drop" ticket prices next season to make up for this seasons failures (but we already know the answer to this question, unfortunately).

[GM]

* The Cavs didn't lose just one player. People forget about Ilgauskus and Shaq. On their own, those two aren't world beaters, but they provided a big body in the middle behind LeBron. And as you mentioned, losing Varajao hasn't helped any.
* Why does Reggie have to commit to being the 4th big? When he went down, he was a starter.
* @doug, I agree completely about the draft. It's a crapshoot. It's nice to have a high pick as a consolation for having a horrible season, but in no way should a team try to have a bad season just so they can pick up a potential Thabeet or LaRue Martin.
* Also, @doug, I don't want to belabor the point, because it's ultimately just personal preference, but in the discussion about "schtick" from Matt and Jack, you say the game speaks for itself and doesn't need to be micro-analyzed. I agree with that. But it isn't black and white between over-analyzing and not even talking about the game or the sport. There's plenty of room for other basketball talk or quick asides about another topic. You mention Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. I actually like those guys and I guess the difference is that JVG is legitimately funny. And even when they're not talking specifically about the game at hand, it's usually about basketball. And when it isn't, they don't carry on for five minutes. So what do you look for in a broadcast crew? I don't need or want over-analysis or Basketball 101, but I like to hear opinion on the game, who scored or factual information based on trends (runs, averages, etc.), what a particular call is if the camera didn't pick it up, and things like that. Sadly, I don't get enough of it on the Raptors broadcasts. And it's only getting worse, not better. There. I'll leave it at that and approach tonight's game with a clean slate.

[Jim Rootham]

Los Angeles were in Minnesota when they got the Lakers name (about half as many lakes in the vicinity as there are on the Canadian Shield, ie, a lot),

If you are going to ask for 42 as your number you are also begging to be known as "The Answer", and it has nothing to do with Alan Iverson.

[Jon]

I wouldn't get too excited about a high draft pick this year. With a potential lockout coming, it seems like a lot of players may opt to stay in school for another year rather than face the potential of sitting unpaid for a year. Just my 2 cents

[kazbid]

jazz lakers and griz are all bad names due to team relocation

the raptors was only chosen because there was a fan contest to pick the team name..and jurassic park had just come out prior..so kids were big on dino's at the time

[John]

@robV, I think maybe you have forgotten that the Celtics didnt make the playoffs for 8 years in a row in the 90's and the two years before Ainge made 'the trade' they had a ton of draft picks and had a horrible team.

[JHK]

@Rob.V:
Nothing and no one is making you buy season tickets.
Be wise and donate the money to a charity.
I'm waiting on my first season seats purchase until we assemble something legit in about 2~3 years :p

Irving (our 1st round)/Bayless
Demar/Jimmer (Miami 1st round)
Kleiza/Wright/(our 2nd round)
Ed/Amir/Dorsey
Bargs/New Center (via Jose trade)/Ajinca/Alabi

Not too shabby.