A milestone for a building and a great, great board game

Ever see this before? Over-matched team hangs in there, plays hard, takes lead, loses lead, loses game?

Nah, I didn’t think so.

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

Guarding big with little

How many times did we see Dante Cunningham of the Blazers, much smaller and slighter, get right up into Andrea Bargnani on the perimeter and make it impossible for the Raptor to get off a quick shot? About 90 per cent of the time?

But to his credit, Bargnani did put the ball on the floor more last night than he has in weeks and try to create either space to shoot or a path to the basket.

It turned out okay, he took only one three-pointer and got to the line nine times, which is more than he’s been there in 15 games but I’ve got a feeling that when teams watch the tape of that one, he’s going to end up seeing a lot of smaller defenders.

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Small ball?

I know it was in a lot of ways a reaction to what Portland was doing but I didn’t mind – particularly offensively – Toronto’s small lineup of Calderon, Barbosa or Bayless, DeRozan, Weems and Bargnani.

There were points where there was good ball movement on offence and a lot of trying to get to the rim and it made for some difficult matchups.

Defensively/ Well, at times it was a train wreck but this team can be a train wreck with a traditional lineup out there.

Jay alluded to in the post-game session with just a little bit of exasperation.

“They went with a smaller lineup and we were able to take advantage of it at the one end, Ed Davis with a rebound over a smaller guy but we don’t convert on the free throws (Davis missed both attempts with the Raptors up five) and then at the other end I think they scored nine straight times.

“That’s the ball game right there.”

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He loved it

To a point.

That’d be Jerryd Bayless, of course, who got into one of those zones in the fourth quarter, when he scored all 18 of his points.

Kind of interesting to see a Raptor kind of mugging and taunting an opponents bench after making a series of big shot and it was okay since, at the time, they were ahead.

But it was also nice to hear Bayless say the right things post-game.

“It would have felt good if we had won. When I was in New Orleans, we beat them and I didn’t have half as good a game and it felt a lot better.”

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A little bit more?

I’ve got some.

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Hey, know what tomorrow is?

Besides Sunday, of course.

It’s the 500th regular season game in the history of the Air Canada Centre.

Not bad, eh?

I saw the note from the hard-working staff of J. LaBumbard – and you know who you are, able to take time out from draft preparations – and it got me thinking.

How many of those 500 might I have seen?

It probably has to be 490, I bet. I remember missing Tracy’s first game back because I was in Minneapolis covering a Final Four; I know I missed a Spurs game while waiting out a snow-caused flight delay at Logan and I’m sure there are six or seven others I might have missed for some reason. Although I’m not sure of that, now that I think of it.

Now, trying to come up with the five best or so is impossible because they all tend to blend together with the passage of time and the ravages of age but there’s one thing I remember clear as a bell.

The first basket.

It was a lob from Oak to Vince off a back-screen for a dunk because Butch, who was the coach at the time, always had a flair for the dramatic and it was like the perfect announcement of the team coming to its new home.

The old standards come floating back to memory:

Triple overtime against the Kings when Peja hit the dagger right in front of the Raptors bench.

A Chris Bosh three from the far corner to beat Houston in OT when Jeff Van Gundy was coaching there.

The Carter play in OT when he was with the Nets to win a game.

The Day of Donyell when he made a billion threes against the Sixers and we couldn’t quite figure out why they didn’t guard him.

And one of the best?

It was the day I didn’t have to cover the game for some reason I forget (maybe I had a flight later that night) and Super Son and I sat in the stands, about halfway up the lower bowl across from where we sit and watched a Golden State game. That was a very cool day, the only time I’ve watched a game live with him.

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Digression time.

Sorry.

But this is very, very cool and it’s going to take People Of A Certain Age to get it.

Strat-o-Matic is 50 today!

It’s a great, great old baseball board game, you play with dice and charts and cards for players and different situations and news of its birthday really takes me back.

Now, I’m not old enough to remember the first year but I do know the first pretend baseball game I ever played was Strat-O-Matic; you’d sit there and roll the dice and look at the result depending on the pitcher and hitter and it was a riot.

You can have all these new-fangled video games and their HD Reality but I’ll tell you, sitting around a table with perhaps a libation and rolling dice and hoping for a homer or a double play is an awful lot of fun.

And now I think I need to go to a store and see if I can find one.

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How’d that one go over in Portland?

Like this.

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You know, it’s all well and good that Cleveland won – and I am truly glad that it didn’t end at the buzzer with Blake dunking on Jamario’s head at the buzzer to win – but, really, the confetti and streamers pouring down from the rafters?

A bit much, no?

If they beat the Wizards on Sunday, do they give everyone a million dollars?

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Hey, people, Super Son and I are spending a quiet night at home while Super Wife lauds Hazel at some black tie gala where I’d be brown shoes so let’s have some mail, can we?

(He’ll be off doing 14-year-old Wii/fFacebook things so I’ll have some idle time this evening, I’m sure)

Click. Write. Send. Chat.

Thank you.

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Comments

[Eddy]

I'm starting to really love the way the Raptors are losing almost every game this year, in spite of close to the highest ticket prices in the league. In fact, I hope they raise the price of tickets again next year, lose every game, do nothing about it and give contract extensions to the executive team behind the losing.

[Andy C]

a million dollars and free pizza

[TJ]

Morning Doug. Couple of things for you and the readers.
Question, and purely hypothetical,because I thinks it's impossible to do, but if a player takes off from behind the 3 point line gets fouled, but is able to still fly to the rim and dunk, is it a 4 point for 3 three point play?
Another note, on Monday I was down by the ACC area and grabbed myself a coffee from starbucks, while await my drink I noticed maurizio gherardini on his BB while sitting enjoying a drink. I wait till he's off the phone and introduce myself and who is behind me waiting for him? BC, I introduce myself again and I have to say, they were very polite, nice and took the time to talk to a fan of the game. That's good people.
Last thing, do you see Jose being here next year and maybe past that? I am a fan of him and I think he's the kind of player who may be great down the road as the veteran 3rd PG.

[ditch]

Hi Doug
Checked eBay and found quite a few Strat-O-matic games on offer. Hey, it's only money. It's your roll, Mr. Dunahee.

[kelsey]

Ah nothing like having to work Saturday morning..

For those who think I never give Bargnani any good comments take this. I thought he played decent last night and was able to score some crucial baskets..Big shots down the stretch!!!

That being said, his defense awarness and help is terrible!!!

Again for me Weems takes to many shots, he needs to realize that he is still a fringe NBA player. Its fustrating watching him play.

Calderon in a massive slup shooting the ball. He is getting run over by other guards and not putting any offensive pressure on them.

[chris]

Most impressive thing to me last night. Lamarcus Aldridge showed him how a finesse center/PF can use his finesse and still play big.
Doug - how many times out of 100 would BC choose Aldridge over Bargs if he could do that draft again?

Blogger's note: No clue, no interest whatsoever in asking; it's time to move on

[LeeZ]

Doug, Doug, Doug. How much of a luddite ARE you? You're going to go to a STORE to buy Stat-O-Matic??? "Stores" are so 20th century. Here's the link to buy it on-line: http://www.strat-o-matic.com/products/baseball
And after defending Julian Wright to the hilt, I must criticize him when he does stupid things. Like last night. After Fernandez puts in a gazillion threes in a row, Wright is defending him at the 3 pt. line (where else?), and then for some inexplicable reason (brain fart doesn't begin to explain it), Wright dips down low to offer help to the post defender, and then sooner than you can say Doug is a luddite for thinking he can buy a 50-yr.-old board game in a STORE, of all things, the pass goes back to Fernandez for a WIDE OPEN THREE. Sigh.

[Matt M]

One good thing about the Blazers coming to town. I was afraid the Toronto media (not including the Toronto Star) would not be able to whine, ummm I mean look back, about Colangelo drafting Bargnani ahead of Roy, what with Roy injured while looking like he will be a shell of his former self when he returns and all. Yet at least two articles stepped up bawling that Aldrige should have been taken instead of Bargnani.
I hope that Toronto wins the number 1 pick in this draft, where again there is no consensus number 1. It's important the Toronto media (outside the Toronto Star) has more to whine about given their stellar hindsight and amazing ability to look past the circumstances surrounding the team at the time. After all it isn't bad enough this team sucks (although some players show promise). It's very important we keep torturing ourselves by staring at the past through rose colored lenses imagining how life would have been different if we had only taken that other path.

[Lorie]

Morning Doug!
Strat-O-Matic! What the kids today are missing out on. We grew up on board games at my place. And what teachers they could be. "Sorry" taught me about revenge. "Monopoly" taught me that generosity was good - to a point, and always with a price attached. "Scrabble" taught me that SPELLING COUNTS!!! And "Trivial Pursuit" continues to show me that there is a place in the world for people who can recall tons of obscure facts about all sorts of random stuff (but struggle to remember what was for breakfast that morning). Did you find your game? I sure hope so!

[kelsey]

@ Matt M...

They wont be saying Roy they will be saying why didnt they choose Aldridge!!!! He is becoming a star. He had a game like Bosh pull up jumper, but he has put on muscle and certainly worked on his post moves..Nice player indeed. The Draft was a toss up, but I must say Raptors should have picked Rudy Gay as they already had a Big in Bosh who could jump shoot. Ah man!!!

None of us have seen how Roy will preform I wouldnt write him off as yet!!!

Nobody has been able to tell me where have Raptors last 8 yrs of picks have Gone, where are they.. Other than Bargnani and DeRozan...Joey Graham a dud,Arujo out the league..All the 2nd round picks have been duds and back to Europe or D league...The SCOUTING HAS BEEN TERRIBLE FOR THIS FRANCHISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug or Anyone please tell me where the useful guys have gone.Im being serious and not sarcastic
Maybe Im wrong, where!!!

[m]

And Snakes and Ladders teaches us that what goes up must come down -)

[Ryan M. in ottawa]

I have stat-o-matic football and basketball sitting around my house somewhere. Still have great memories of using Grant Hill's father Calvin on every play! Also using Chet Walker in the basketball one, guy couldn't miss!

[Greg M]

Hi Doug,

Loved your comment that the best game you've seen at the ACC was Golden State with Super Son. I want to see the Raptors win as much as the next guy, but that's what being a fan is all about, watching a game with family and friends.

We'd all like for Bargs to play better help defense, Weems to use his size and quickeness to go at the rim, Triano to invent a new unstoppable play, and BC to trade Joey Dorsey for Kevin Garnett, but if they put on a good show and there is a wow moment or two, I'll take that with some good company anytime.

[Rob.V]

The fascination with Roy, Aldridge, and Iguodala is so "overstated"... and tired.
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Personally I could care less about Aldridge and Roy. If we're going to feel sorry for ourselves maybe we could use some of these names going forward:
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Dwayne Wade, Tony Parker, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrew Bynum, Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith, Kevin Martin, Tashawn Prince, and a whole host of others I'm sure. Yup, the Raptors could have drafted all of these players and didn't. Anyone think the Raptors could have used some of these players?
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Should make us feel better about Aldridge and Roy, no?
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Somehow everything gets tied back to Bargnani however as much as I would like him to rebound more as well, ask the Lakers or C's if they'd want him on their team?
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The Raptors are NO good... but its not all on Bargnani. Eliminate Andrea and insert Aldridge on this team... and we still dont make the playoffs, there are other factors not being considered.
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@ Eddy. My crystal ball is telling me that MLSE might do the right thing and adjust ticket prices... however we'lll have to hang tight a couple of weeks... or my crystal ball could be entirely wrong.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Is Strat-o-matic a Canadian thing? I'm old enough to have worn out a new pair of canvas Keds every spring. I'm older than McDonald's. I remember mastodons. I'm a grizzled veteran of "electric football", Clue, Battleship, Life, Sorry, Stratego, Scrabble, Risk, never won a game of Monopoly (or poker) in my life (just a failed capitalist on so many levels), but I've never heard of Strat-o-matic... Sheltered existence, or what?!
@LeeZ, just a big thank you for your consistently masterful comments and asides; I look forward to reading every one of them.
Cheers. Go Raps! Happy BD, ACC. And enjoy your evening with Super Son, Doug!

[Lorie]

@D-Mac Ottawa:
What is this "mastadons" game of which you speak? I'm old, too, but you got me there.
@m:
Yes, I hear that "up" stuff is sweet; feels like we've been collectively sliding down that one really long snake lately. Time to roll the dice and hope for a sturdy ladder.

[Eddy]

"@ Eddy. My crystal ball is telling me that MLSE might do the right thing and adjust ticket prices... however we'lll have to hang tight a couple of weeks... or my crystal ball could be entirely wrong."
.
There is only one way those thieves adjust prices and that is by moving them up. Surely a season of losing almost every game, but working hard at it, deserves a 20% increase?

[doug]

you know what is a ridiculous exercise...people looking back at past drafts and saying we should have picked this player or that...come on get a grip the draft is what it is plus my father always told me never look back with any regrets, use the past to learn from your mistakes and the present and future to live your life...the past is the past, waste of energy and people just use it to try and make themselves look knowledgeable..it's like on here when people say trade this guy or that guy, well maybe start offering solutions as to who we could get in return,reasonable returns not pie in the sky dreams..people use the past to try and show their smarts well use the present and try to be a real GM.....if anyone complains about the raps schedule ever again...remember this, the Clippers this month have 2 home games in total, because of all-star game, Grammy's,Lakers....11 road games in a row, talk about flushing a season down the toilet, what a unfair, brutal schedule...

also I bought off my friend years ago as his wife wanted to get rid of it, a game we had played for hours in university, and many a late night after bars, betting and actually had a annual tourney with about 30-48 people, depending on circumstances...one of those baseball arcade games, with the flippers where you hit a single, out, triple etc...or up the ramp for a home run...what fun, a classic game and we still turn it on and away we go...beats any video game...

[Kate C]

Doug, I like your list of great moments at the ACC, and I was also there for several of them. I'd like to add on that first playoff game versus the Nets in 2007 - I still get chills remembering the singing of Oh Canada.

[Johnn19]

Raptors Draft Picks since '95

Stoudamire
Camby
McGrady
Jamison-trade for Carter
Peterson
Bosh
Vilanueva
Bargnani
Hibbert
DeRozan
Davis
11 NBA players in 15 years, 10 still playing in NBA

Blogger's note: The omissions I can think of off the top of my head are Chris Jefferies, Joey Graham, Alexander Radojevic and Jonathan Bender

[kelsey]

Im looking for someone, to tell me if Raptors have drafted any useful 2nd round players in the last several years. There are people saying not to look back only forward etc. We have to look back because one of the reasons the team is so bad is because there DRAFT choices have been terrible!!!

My point is this teams Scouting is so terrible on all fronts or the GM and coaches are lacking on there assesment of talent or finally the coaching staff and there defensive schemes are terrible..

The defense has been bad for several years (including when Sam was hear) but Jay Triano was also hear all that time!!...There is a mixture of player personel and coaching "I" believe are the issue..

Case in point who is the best defender on this team...Hmmmm everything think about it... "I" meaning my opinion is JULIAN WRIGHT, a guy fighting to basically stay in the league after this contract...NOW REALLY HOW CAN THIS TEAM BE ANY GOOD, on top of that sub par coaching talent (my opinion)

Also Yes I could see Raptors winning at least 3-4 more games if they had a player like Aldridge on this team, lane intemidation goes a long way in the NBA!!!!

[D-Mac Ottawa]

And leave us not forget dear old Hoffa amongst the hallowed draft picks... Jimmy King, the unforgettable DeeAndre Hulett, Michael Bradley, Remon Van De Hare, Roko, Uros, PJ Tucker and a fistful of other who were drafted then swapped without so much as a cuppa.
Cheers. Go Raps!

[LeeZ]

Doug, in your list of 1st round draft picks over the years, wasn't Bradley a first round pick? (Can't remember his first name; he was a white PF who led the NCAA in shooting percentage but ended up being a stiff). And as for baseball board games, does anyone remember Sports Illustrated Baseball, All-Time All-Star Baseball, circa 1973? Now THAT was a great game. I used to be friends with Peter Gsowski's son (also named Peter) and the three of us used to play that game for hours at a time. And @D-Mac ottawa, thanks for the shout-out!

Blogger's note: Yeah, Michael Bradley, forgot about him

[M]

Yes, I hear that "up" stuff is sweet; feels like we've been collectively sliding down that one really long snake lately. Time to roll the dice and hope for a sturdy ladder.
Ya got that right Miss Lorie.

[Frank Langille]

Strat-O-Matic? O, thank you Doug! It's not so long ago that I googled to find out it still exists. Takes me back to my teen years in North Bay, playing the game and listening to Cincinnati am radio after the sun went down, Joe Nuxall and Al Michaels! (in an early gig) doing broadcasts for the Big Red Machine. Rose, Tolan, Perez, Bench, May, Carbo, Helms, Woodward/Concepcion, (Jim Merrit, Wayne Simpson, Wayne Granger, Clay Carroll). Guess the year?

Cheers!
FrankL