Not a whole lot to say, but we've got to say something

Wow

I don’t think even Alexis Ajinca could have saved that one.

Good one to miss, wasn’t it?

(Full disclosure: I didn’t pay undivided attention to a lot of the game, which was a wise move even if it detracts a bit from the usual fare here)

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THREE POINTERS

Mental fatigue

Yes, we wondered aloud here the other day about when a stinker would come up, when there would be a night to forget and, sure enough, it came in the second half Friday.

Yeah, they were only down six at the break, believe it or not, but it sure went south in a hurry after that and you could see (at least at the times I was riveted to the TV) the spirit going out of them.

And that’s a troubling sign. Maybe it was a one night thing, maybe they’ve got some bounce-back left in them, but this is a young group and things like a 40-point loss could linger.

I’m not saying tonight in Miami is a defining moment for this group but it could be telling.

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Another one down

The e-mail I got overnight said Joey Dorsey has a “strained right patella tendon” and will be re-evaluated today.

That, of course, moves Solomon Alabi up to the be the fourth big, one would think (at least until the arrival of Alexis Ajinca and there’s more on that in a few paragraphs) but given Miami’s frontcourt woes, the Raptors might get away with playing Linas Kleiza a bit at the four tonight.

If not, it could be Alabi vs. Joel Anthony and that ought to be fun.

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And the misses keep coming

Another terrible shooting night for Bargnani, who was 3-14 and is now 22-for-72 over his last four games.

Awful.

He told us the other night in San Antonio that he’s not going to use any knee pain as an excuse but he just looks off out there. He never was the most fluid guy in the history of the game but he’s even more tentative this last week, it appears.

I don’t think it’s to the point where he needs to take some time off – trust me, if he thought it would help, he’d do it – but the simple fact is this team can’t beat anybody if he’s shooting like that and he needs to find a way out of this slump, or get his knees healthy, or something.

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More? Just a little bit, okay?

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Oh, the trade.

If you wondered how closely the NBA watches trades and transactions for sniffs of salary cap circumvention or stuff like that, the fact a deal for the aforementioned Alexis Ajinca is on hold for a day should make you understand.

No one at the league office or either team was talking much yesterday but one note I got suggested the closer check is a formality and things could be done as early as today.

But, as HOTH fans know better than most, nothing is done until it’s done. And this isn’t done.

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What’d they say in Orlando about that laugher?

This is what it reads like.

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Singalong time:

Happy Anniversary,

Happy Anniversary,

Happy Anniversary,

Haaaaaapppy Anniversary.

No, not mine; that’s on Sinatra’s birthday.

This one is for Kobe and the Raptors.

Five years ago today was the 81-point night.

And I got to watch the carnage from my couch.

I’d done the first three games of a five-game trip (Utah, Portland, Seattle as I recall) and My Man Byers picked ‘em up for a Lakers-Denver back to back.

He got to have all the fun and since there wasn’t an In-Game Bloggy Thingy back then (heck, there wasn’t even a blog) it was an easy night for me.

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Hey, look at it this way:

They lose by 40 and it’s not the biggest margin of defeat in the league on Friday.

So, imagine how they feel down in Atlanta after the Hawks were edged 100-59 by New Orleans?

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I’m going drag this one out of the mail with the usual plea to click here and send along any notes you like. It’s not really full over there at Mail Central and I think we’re destined for another Monday mail bag because of a Saturday night game so you’ve got some time.

Q: Hi again Doug. Great job with the blog as always. Let’s say Player A (who is passing the ball in from out of bounds) throws a pass to player B who is slashing to the rim and he scores. Does player A get the assist? Or does he not get it because he is out of bounds?

Sky D, North Bay

A: This comes directly from a member of the Raptors stats/scoring crew: Yes, as long as there no other player is involved in the play.

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Man, I had to go back and check on the largest margin of defeat because there was no mention of Friday being the biggest and, yep, it wasn’t.

I don’t recall the game, probably because I wasn’t at it since I was working at The People’s Wire Service and wasn’t travelling, but these guys lost by 48 at New York way back in April, 1996.

There were a couple of 44-point losses in 1997 – 118-74 at Detroit, 122-78 at Seattle so Friday barely makes the top five worst all time.

Feel better?

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Oh, and Miami awaits.

But as we read here, Chris Bosh likely doesn’t.

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So let me get this straight.

The mayor of Toronto and his brother are all hot to trot about an NFL team coming.

What’s that old saying?

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

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And, I’m sorry (sort of) to tell you this, but life is getting in the way again tonight and I can’t be around.

Sorry, I believe there are a few of you who’d like to spend a Saturday night with an IGBT but I can’t pull it off.

It’ll be the last time for a while, I promise.

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Comments

[Eddy]

What you saw last night was a small market team that will spend any amount of money to put a winner on the court for their fans, versus a big market team, that will spend any amount of money on marketing, to sell low cost crap to their fans. In fact, we are supposed to applaud the Stojakovic deal because now MLSE is making even more money. I'm surprised they haven't announced a mid-season ticket price increase to celebrate it.
.
Also great to see the league cracking down on the Ajinca deal, when they did absolutely nothing about the Miami deals this past summer, even after Bosh admitted they had been discussing it for 2 years.

[JHP]

Doug

Enjoy the night off. I think yoiu should only do the in game thing when you are actually at the game. That way you relay it live, maybe comment on things not caught on camera and get some nights off.

By the way can you verify the comment by Jay about calling the league about canceling the game. I thought it was very funny and telling about the level of his frustration. Probably the only one frustated at this point :-)

Blogger's note: Can't verify because I wasn't there but it was funny; and I'm certain borne of frustration

[Jacques]

Doug, I think it's time to start exploring all trades for AB before it's too late. Send him and Jose to the Suns for Nash and Lopez.

[ND]

Eleven of the next seventeen games are at home; ten of those games are against teams under .500; if they don't finish at least 9-8, Triano should be fired March 1. Enough is enough; this team is not progressing it is digressing. Injuries are no excuse for the complete and total lack of intensity on defense or any form of defensive system that this team has shown this year OR LAST YEAR! as I like to keep reminding everyone.

Just to add I am not John Shuhmann at NBA.com, nor am I relatove or an acquitance. However, I will attest to his obvious excellence in analyzing basketball as shown in the mid-season team report cards at NBA.com

[JHP]

Good Morning

Has the Raptors ever gone an entire month(during regular season) without winning a game ? And of course June does not count :-)

[Rob.V]

Mr. Colangelo, could you please trade me out of this 1996 time warp!!!

[doug]

I knew there would be angst on here concerning last nights game...it was due to happen it's hot a big deal actually...Barg's slide after Jay's benching still is going on that's up to him and Jay to figure out, it sure accomplished a lot didn't it??...also to @Eddy this has nothing to do with money or a organization not wanting to spend it, I am glad it never happened but they were going to throw max money at Bosh, had Turk signed to a big deal and if he had worked out and Bosh signed then more money would have been spent...I guess you never read the little comment Doug made about Atlanta losing by 41, there's a team that did throw money around...signing Joe Johnson to a big deal, having a veteran team..and where are they going ??...nowhere fast..so just to throw money around is not the solution, every team that is contending has a key player or 2 they drafted, that's how you build then you add pieces...patience...

[D-Mac Ottawa]

How do, Doug,
It's another 'life has a tendency to get in the way' evening for me as well (of all games!), but at least I won't be missing out on both the game AND the frivolity of a DSIGBT... I'll also add here that I think the Casa Couch IGBTs are absoutely as valuable as any other; your take on seeing exacty what the rest of us couch spuds are seeing is a hoot and, well, "homier", all the way around.
Now, how about some trading action already!! These guys have finally found the bottom of the energy well. They're in dire need of a couple of healthy horses! Any news on that front will be more than welcome. Cheers. Go Raps...

[Mike]

Hey doug,

With peja's buyout, does this mean raps have enough to sign someone decent this off-season e.g. like a jeff green, wilson chandler, or a jason richardson type of player?

Blogger's note: It has no impact whatsoever on whatever money they'll have to spend on free agents under terms of a new CBA

[Lorie]

Afternoon Doug!
Well, energy and injury issues dominated our banged-up local HOTH in Orlando, but let's give 'em some credit for the continuation of The Amazing Streak! So, Doug, as you take another (well-deserved) night off from bloggy thingy stuff, let me echo that Coiner Of Phrases (Remember the Alabi!!!) D-Mac Ottawa and say I, too, enjoy the DSIGBT Home Version - if only to have your take on the commercials, camera angles and other crap - I mean production elements - we home viewers have to put up with. It's a hoot! It's a blast! Hurry back! Have a great weekend. Salut!

[Adrian]

I did watch that one last night with my wife. I'm glad things are moving in the right direction with Bargnani instead of Bosh and the team sitting comfortably under the luxury tax! This was always the key. I'm glad nobody listened to the complaints of last year (few years, actually) and I'm thrilled the devil's advocates were out in full force to keep this thing "evolving and moving forward." Good day.

Blogger's note: For the love of all that's good in the world can you PLEASE get it through your head that Bosh WANTED TO LEAVE!!!!!! Man, this is tiring

[doug]

in terms of the held-up trade I see that the reason it is being held-up is not over cap or financial reasons but that others teams complained as it was a "illegal" trade, in that it was a side deal done and tied into the Peja deal...BC has had a rough year trade wise, (Chandler, Barnes signing, and now this) ..I wonder if these are having any impact on his credibility within the leagues inner circles?/

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/262250-teams-irked-by-mavericks-deals?eref=sihp

[GM]

* I wish Calderon would realize he's a much better option than Dorsey or Wright or Davis or a few others. In other words, he shouldn't be running the team as he does when it's healthy. Yes, it's great to get guys easy baskets, but those baskets aren't usually so easy for a lot of the players pressed into action. He had a tough shooting night, but six shots spread out throughout four quarters.
* I'm liking Wright as a point forward. I'd rather see the ball in his hands than Bayless's. Let Bayless play a Jameer Nelson role to Turkoglu when he's out there.
* Yes, Bargnani is in a slump and it's not pretty. But isn't it just a case, Doug, of it being like the common cold? It's not like he'll never come out of it. It's just got to run its course. You excuse others when they get in a slump, saying it happens to everyone.

[sam]

@Adrian - you have a Wife?
@eddy - I think you are missing the point - 2010/11 rebuilding year - spending good money after bad contracts won't solve a thing - They have spent money in the past on bad deals and they haven't worked - sometimes you take a step back to move forward....unfortunately you can't have it both ways.
I suggest patience and understanding, or cheer for a winner.

[Statement]

Why does Colangelo still have this job?

It's one thing to collect young talent, it's another thing to collect young crappy talent.

It's Colangelo trying to get out of the contracts that he himself created.

Colangelo should have been put on fired watch when they traded for Jermaine O'neal and than didn't hold on to him thereby giving Miami the cap space to sign Toronto's franchise player away.

Is Colangelo really that dumb?

[Johnn19]

What happened to the Rap's in Orlando, they lost a game to a better team at that teams home floor. Happens all the time in the NBA, whether by 40 points or 4 points a loss is a loss nothing more. Forget it there is another game tonight.

[DMcCalgary]

L D G I T W O T IGBT S, B O W. M W E T N DSIGBT E M. W H!

[Smalahove]

Tonight in Miami *is* a defining moment. Even a dog will stop coming back if you kick him enough times, and these guys have been kicked plenty. They are pretty close to having their spirits broken, if you ask me. Getting blown out twice in two nights could be the straw that breaks their back. Too bad, they've worked hard in difficult circumstances and shown some grit, but I fear the worst.

[stoneman]

@sam..
hahaha, just as surprised as you re: @Adrian's wife; though he was much younger

@Rob V..
you are here of your own choice, and free to leave at any time

@Statement..
Any proof that you are smarter?? Proof, not opinion.

[Lorie]

@DMcCalgary:
OK. Here goes: (And who says we have too many acronyms around here???) "Life does get in the way of the in game bloggy thingy Saturday, but oh well. Many will enjoy the next Doug Smith in game bloggy thingy expected Monday. Woo hoo!" Or something like that? Nothing like that? Enough of that..! :) :) (Answer in tomorrow's edition?)

[J]

"Colangelo should have been put on fired watch when they traded for Jermaine O'neal and than didn't hold on to him thereby giving Miami the cap space to sign Toronto's franchise player away."

I'm sorry, but do people ever think before they comment, or is it considered intelligent to repeat a common misconception? Yes, I didn't like the O'Neal for Marion trade, but no, I'm not so deluded to think that it was the reason Miami signed Bosh away. It's not like without the O'Neal trade, Miami would have decided to throw all their plans away simply because Marion's albatross of a contract ended too early. Let's end the idiocy here, please.

[Peter]

December 12th eh? I guess we just missed it. Happy belated!

[JoeD]

Is it just me but I cannot remeber the last time I have seen Jose get a FG.

[J]

@ Lorie:

I don't know if that's what he said, but wow, good job! =P