Of good games and silly, silly comments

As entertainment goes, there’ve certainly been better ones than Saturday night but it was in doubt until the final minute, there were some excellent performances and, all in all, not a bad night.

Right?

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THREE POINTERS

The kid is coming around

There’s still a need for consistency and more offensive range, but the more I see Ed Davis, the more I like him.

One from early last night:

A couple of minutes left in the first quarter and he’s guarding Andray Blatche on the post. Davis is smaller and younger and not as strong but he held him off, forced him under the basket and into a difficult reverse layup that missed.

And then Davis collects himself, sprints down the floor well ahead of Blatche or any other Wizard big and finishes the possession with a dunk.

Little thing? Yes. Good thing? Yes.

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When have we seen this before? Yikes. Looked up in the fourth quarter to see all three Raptor bigs on the floor – the first time that’s happened this season – and since I don’t think any of them have the ability to defend small forwards, and two of them don’t have the offensive game to play away from the basket, I’m presuming we’ll never see it again.

Right, Jay?

“We just decided we’d go a little bit bigger, make sure we didn’t give up any second-chance points late. We thought we could match up, Andrea’s guarded Rashard before … it’s not foreign to him and that gave us a chance to keep Amir and ED on the floor. We were sitting there debating who to take out and they were both having great games.”

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One for the ages

Yes, that was as good as I can remember Jose Calderon playing in a Raptors uniform.

I presume there might have been games back in ’06-07 or ’07-08 when he was close but for efficient offence, very good defence – anyone remember John Wall doing anything of substance? – and running the team? As good as a game as you’d want.

No, they didn’t win and that’s what it’s all about but to watch was to see a guy at the very top of his game and it was fun.

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More?

A little bit.

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Promised this one in the In-Game Bloggy Thingy and here you go:

I’m sitting there listening to the various distractions that go along with your typical NBA game and all I can think of a couple of times is:

Jimmy Holmstrom.

Anyone?

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What’d Michael say in the Post?

This.

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I can’t be reading Brian’s story on the Heat-Bulls game correctly here, can I?

Chris Bosh can’t possibly be saying that guys shouldn’t hustle for balls because, well, because you shouldn’t.

There’s no way he said this, right?

"C'mon, that is how guys get hurt, that is how serious injuries happen. You've got to watch people's legs. I know guys want to hustle and everything but we all want to play and provide for our families and have a job."

He had to be kidding, didn’t he?

Seriously.

In case you missed it, or didn’t want to read the link, Bosh sprained an ankle when Chicago’s Omer Asik rolled up on him when Asik was diving for a loose ball in the third quarter of their game.

Then he was upset at Asik’s play because, well, because it hurts maybe?

I don’t get it. I really don’t.

But, in an effort to make sure nasty things like freak injuries don’t happen any more, I offer the following rule changes:

No bumping.

Nasty bruises are unsightly.

No yelling, fans.

After all, who wants a headache.

And, finally,

Bubblewrap for all!

It might take away from the athleticism but what the heck.

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I can almost smell the beignets at Café Du Monde.

And if I close my eyes really hard, I can visualize an Abita Amber or two.

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But when I’m in New Orleans, I’m going to have to do the mail for tomorrow and I should get this one of there now to ease my load.

(I keed, I keed. I love the mail and you can click here to send whatever your little heart desires. Mash notes are, well, never mind … )

Q: Doug. Not a Raptor related question but rather NBA logistics and procedures. With the recent and pending sales of NBA franchises and the talk of re-location and the suggestion by the league administration that they frown on it. How is it that The Nets of New Jersey (Newark I believe?) are making a move to Brooklyn (seemingly) unobstructed by the league office. I know they have had many obstacles put up by various groups representing interests in Brooklyn, and presumably New Jersey, but I have not heard any objection registered by David Stern or the league office.

Have I missed an episode along the way or has this move just been rubber-stamped by the NBA?

And how was it justified in light of their policies on franchise re-location?

 

Richard E, Toronto

A: Actually, it’s much easier than you think.

Just because you haven’t heard a lot of objections from the league or feel that it might have been rubber-stamped doesn’t mean a lot of hard questions weren’t asked at the board level.

But if an owner – any owner – can make a compelling case for moving his franchise, the league isn’t about to stand in his way.

And I’d suggest the NBA is far, far more lenient about moving teams than any other pro sports league. Charlotte to New Orleans, Seattle to Oklahoma City and, sadly, Vancouver to Memphis are moves that have happened in the last decade and I’m not even going to expand the list past New Orleans to Utah, Minneapolis to Los Angeles, and, sadly, Buffalo to San Diego.

The justification is always financial, these guys are as much business partners as they are competitors and if you’re costing the group money and have a chance to make more somewhere else, there’s a better than average chance your request will be granted.

But, trust me, there are a lot of questions asked behind closed doors before moves are made.

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I don’t imagine Sundiata Gaines is going to approach Pops level or even Julian Wright level but if he plays the rest of this week like he did last night, you people might like him a lot.

He gave them 14 solid minutes, scored a bucket, ran the offence okay even if he had limited plays in his mind and, most importantly, he didn’t hurt them in any way.

And talking to Jerryd after the game made me wonder whether he’ll go on Monday afternoon so there may be more Gaines time in the future.

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Okay, a wee bit of work to do for the newspaper, a noon flight down to NOLA and then, perchance, a walk along the streets down there listening to music and wondering if Super Son could get a gig as some jazz saxophonist so his dad could come visit.

See ya.

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Comments

[GMan]

I love when guys who make hundreds of millions of dollars start talking about providing for their families. I mean how is he going to be able to buy that diamond encrusted baby food? Sad really. If he gets hurt his kids aren't going to be able to go to that summer camp on Mars. How embarrassing will that be?
I mean seriously...wow.

[Blake Kennedy]

Bosh is just speaking like a True Raptor. That comment could have just as easily come from over half the guys in this team's dressing room. I'm pretty sure that on that play alone Omer Asik dove for more loose balls than Andrea Bargnani has in his entire NBA career.

Kudos to Thibodeau for getting that Chicago team playing at that kind of level, and rewarding Asik for his play. My best wishes to them this year, they deserve all the success they can get.

[David]

Jimmy Holmstrom puck music

Blogger's note: Indeed

[Joe]

Good points about Bosh this morning, Doug. I don't know what's happened to this guy and I've been one of his biggest defenders. His head has gotten way too big and his thoughts too elitist. Don't dive for balls because he might get hurt? It was even intentional. Doug, this does not seem like the same Bosh we saw here for most of his 7 years. Did you notice this attitude developing in him towards the latter part of last year?

Have fun in New Orleans. I hope you get to touch base with some former Raptors: Bellinelli, Jack, etc.

[JHP]

Nice game last night and it was just close enough to look real(kind of). When I look at the NBA I see 4/5 real contenders, Wizards/Clippers/Nets/kings can be caught but I would keep an eye on the Pistons. However the Timberwolves and Cavaliers are out of our league and mathmatically probably can not be caught. If the GM stays the course(and he is giving every indication he will), works on his golf game and tan then we have a chance. Jay needs to exploit all the injuries, ensure the players stay rested , don't play unless 100 percent healthy and of course show just enough rage to be heard/believed/not fined. The players are doing their part, fighting hard against the good teams(maybe they will get noticed), disappearing against the above mentioned teams and of course saying all the right things after they lose(high percentage of the time). Yes it's the NBA where amazing happens :-)

I wrote the above in jest. But after reading Bosh's comments I pause to reflect. I guess I need to add remove all hustle and effort.

Have a great trip to warm South!!

[Matt M]

"Bosh is just speaking like a True Raptor."

Oh good. An dumb comment from an injured player on another team sparks another 'I'm a Raptor fan who hates the Raptors" thread. Oh well.

[Lorie]

Hiya Doug!
Oh-oh...you slipped in another pucks reference! What is going on here??? But, of course, I'll let this one slide 'cause he is simply the best! Did you know he used to be in a band called "Doc Savage"? (@doug...did you ever see that group back in the day?) and that he said they broke up to get out of the music biz only to have him as the Leaves Organ-ic Musician-in-Residence, the drummer works with Burton Cummings and another does gigs with someone called Britney Spears! Now - and this may be a tad embarrassing to admit, but it's just you and me here, right? But I woke up thinking about the Raptors and commitment to a team and I am totally loving the group of guys who played the Wizards last night and who I think gave all they had in that game. What a terrific performance by our Raps. (Especially, Jose, of course!!!) And to the coaching staff, also. And, what the hell, you were pretty good too, Doug! Seriously, Andrea may seldom (ever) dive for loose balls, but that's not his game; and I saw him directing some of the younger players out there (think it was Davis) to move to a certain position that allowed him to get the pass from Bargnani and an easy basket, and that's important. And after reading those words from Chris Bosh, doesn't that remind you of those games last year when all we were crying out for was some consistent effort? Kind of makes some sense now, eh? And this year, when we are getting far more effort far more consistently, sometimes it is good to get what you wish for. (And hey, That Bitch Karma...who knew how seriously she took tweets? Bosh is injured, now, too? She's got a long reach. Wonder if she can execute a high pick and roll...?) So, have a lovely time in New Orleans...hope The Street You Frequent leads you to a welcoming little bistro with soothing sounds and a large screen where you can enjoy watching The Force be with the Pats. (And dream big, Doug: Super Son may do even better than a little NOLA blues bar...what if he wowed The Vienna Philharmonic at an open audition!!!???)

[james]

Not to mention Rochester to Cincinnati and Syracuse to wherever it was. How convenient would it be to cover games in Upstate New York?

[LeeZ]

I agree with the kudos for José. Gutsy, gutsy player. Playing injured, giving his all. Very inspiring. But having said that, I really can't attribute Wall's ineffectual play to anything José was doing on defence. From start to finish, he looked strangely detached from the proceedings. Content to float around the perimeter, almost no attempts to ramp up the tempo, almost no drive and kicks...One game is a ridiculously small sample to base any judgments on, but his attitude playing for a perennial basement dweller might come into question if he mails in more performances like that. And there's only one reason the Raps lost, and his name is Nick Young. The Raps were threatening to run away with this, but he put his team on his shoulders and refused to lose.

[doug]

I don't know what team @Blake Kennedy has been watching but this raps team doesn't lack hustle and desire , Barg's aside the rest of the roster plays hard every play, and in fairness to Barg's I don't recall seeing a lot of 7 footers throwing themselves on the floor....never saw much of last nights game, but what I saw Kleiza needs to bring more then he's bringing, yes he's in a slump but he just seems disengaged for whatever reasons, he can be a lot better and needs to be...Bosh's comments are just inexplicable more baffling then anything and you can only hope that comment came out of frustration or not his true mindset and couple that with his comment earlier in the year about the coach wanting them to be serious and how he disagreed with it...you wonder in what world is Bosh in?, he needs a major reality check...oh but wait as seems to be the case in Miami this year with LeBron and Bosh they will retract the statement or say they were misquoted..maybe Bosh can sit down with Sprewell and find out how Latrell made out after his comment, comments like these don't endure players to fans or management...

[sam]

Blake Kennedy returns to take a shot a Bargs - Blake - it's been awhile.
I must admit I didn't watch the game - but reading the IGBT - boxscores, etc, and various articles - It's great to see Jose be the player I always thought he was. He's a joy to watch.....
Hope the result on Monday afternoon is better.....
Enjoy the Big Easy -

[kiwi Andre]

From Friday's Blog-
"Now, this is scary.

You remember Sundiata Gaines, right?

He’s the kid who got called up from the D League by the Utah Jazz – the moment was captured on TV in one of those “behind the scenes” things -- and, after just one practice, he finds himself on the court, at home against the then-mighty Cleveland Cavaliers in the dying seconds of a close game. He drills the first three-pointer of his career to win the game and leaps on the scorer’s table to bask in the adulation of fans and teammates.

The date:

Jan. 14, 2010."

What does he do on Jan 15, 2010? First game with the Raptors, gets the ball with 0.9 seconds left and has a last minute heave to tie the game. Alas couldn't do it twice in a row.

[Juan]

Do we need any more evidence that Bosh is a narcissistic fool?

[Keith Wagar]

Heard Leo the other night expounding on the fact that when Raps are leading at the end of the first they are 6 and 1 (6 and 2 now I guess) Sounds good until you stop to think that they have played 40 games now so that means that in 32 of the 40 they were trailing at the end of the first??? Not impressive!!!

[Patti]

The general impression of Chis Bosh as a Raptor was that he was an intelligent guy who thought before commenting to the media and embarassing himself.

Since taking his talents to South Beach, there has been a continual flow of dumn comments, each surpassing the previous in stupidity.

My theory is one of two things: all of that sunshine is eating up his brain cells, or his brains were all in his dreads. Hopefully, it is the latter, because continued exposure to the sun is only going to escalate the problem.

[Richie]

Pretty sure Jimmy H played the organ at MLG for a number of years, didn't he Doug?

Blogger's note: He did indeed

[tim]

It's funny how you tell us over and over that Andrea can't guard 3's as evidenced by the Orlando series of... oh, about a generation ago ("get that out of your heads, kids") when he matched up on Lewis, and then Triano puts him at the 3 last night to guard Lewis because "he's shown he can do it before."

I'll tell you two things: 1) I sort of agree with Triano in that he wasn't overmatched in the Orlando series as much as some people like to fictionalize events; 2) Jay's rationale for the move (conveniently ignored by some), that they couldn't afford to give up any offensive rebounds down the stretch, is another way of saying, "We don't trust our centre to do a centre's jobs when we need him to."

[m]

"..you wonder in what world is Bosh in?, he needs a major reality check.."
Posted by: doug | January 16, 2011 at 12:04 PM

What passes for reality in Miami, the murder capitol and home for self-entitled dreamers?

[doug]

@Lori no never saw Doc Savage that I can ever recall, saw many performers at both Fryfogles and remember the old Firehall bar at the Talbot Inn which is now where John Labatt center sits?, great bar and lots of stellar acts went thru that place so at one time or another I may have saw them......oh and then blues at Old Chicago's and the old Ridout where they had the best ribs in town at lunch then a hard driving rough old bar at night...good times....@Tim maybe Jay doesn't trust his center to do typical center duties as he and everyone in the organization knows Barg's isn't a true center...fans that call him one are just missing the point, hence why BC has tried numerous times to bring in a legit center....

[Rob.V]

You know, I just cannot share everyones optimism surrounding the team. Yes, they work hard, yes they are more entertaining than last years team... but YES, we are 13-27. YES, I'm tired of attending every game when we're on pace for a 27-55 season!!!. (BTW Dude, don't ever complain - at least you, Devlin, Coach and our friends on the radio GET PAID to attend). Where's our solace in all this??

So in thinking about this, whats to be excited about???... 3/4 of these kids will not be with the team next season anyway so who cares how hard they are trying. I need to see Ed Davis for 30 minutes a night! I need to see what Bayless can give us (when healthy). Watching Sundiada Gaines (god love em) work hard... means absolutely NOTHING to me!!

The only holdovers I see from this season are:

DeMar, Andrea, Jose, Amir, Ed Davis. Barbosa's a F/A so I see him in New York. Reggie, Bayless, Kleiza, Sonny??. Realistically, we cannot keep too many of these guys otherwise guess what? ...um... we'll be 27-55 again next season as well!!!.

So as much as I appreciate the effort our kids are bringing by diving on the floor for loose balls (in an attempt to break a Lapdogs ankles)... if it looks, and smells like a Clipper...it's a CLIPPER folks!!! Which breaks my heart really.

But I do believe Colangelo is due for a little lady luck this off season. This will be one of the most pivitol off seasons in the history of the Raptors franchise as I see it. Now if we could hurry up and get there already!!!.

[Sharkey]

Doug, beer suggestion in New Orleans: Lazy Magnolia. It's a Mississippi brewery, they make a great brown beer brewed with pecans. It's an amazing local one, you can find it pretty much anywhere down there. Enjoy!

[Mike kovacs]

Doug do I detect a hint of frustration in your comments re Bosh? This is the guy who, honestly, was less than truthful with you a year ago in your interview with him about how he wanted to be the man, etc.

[Mike kovacs]

ps Doug, try 'Mother's' restaurant for breakfast or lunch if you get a chance in N.O.

[Ian M.]

Do LeBron and Bosh have advisers that can tell them to just shut up? Every comment these guys say seems to result in them having to backpedal or appoligize. I've watched sports for a long time and I've never seen two athletes (who haven't broken the law) fall from grace this fast.