Good game, good plays and the ticket contest is back again

Sure, everyone saw that one coming, right?

Nice night, though and with more than 18,000 in the joint it was a rather good atmosphere. Maybe everyone’s getting geared up for Friday and Phoenix?

Anyway, as we await the trades, we offer …

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THREE POINTERS

Good calls, good execution

Want to know what the Raptors got out of two crucial timeouts late Wednesday? Good plays, good execution, and points.

The first comes with about 1:47 left, tie game, Bulls had just gone on a 7-0 run and the Raptors are reeling. They call a timeout, run a high-screen with Jose and Bargnani except the play’s got another option (“single away action” Jay called it) and Bargnani hits a curling DeRozan, who finishes at the rim.

Bulls tie it, Raps are in a tough offensive set when DeRozan’s trapped in the corner and wisely calls timeout with eight seconds on the shot clock.

Out of the timeout, they run a simple but effective play, DeRozan curls off a straight line set, gets a screen, gets on the baseline to the rim where he’s fouled and makes two free throws.

See? They can do it. And against a good team with time to set its defence.

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Go at him

Raptors as bullies?

Hardly.

But as we’re chatting with Jose after the game, he lets slip that Toronto knew precisely where to attack the Bulls.

“Korver was sometime on LB, sometime on DeMar. I was trying to find the guy being guarded by Korver and play the pick and roll with them.”

That’s going at the vulnerable and a good idea.

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Helluva move

The up and under move that Amir Johnson put on Carlos Boozer to put Toronto up four with about 17 seconds left might have been the best post move he’s made all season. Clutch play, he was in control and didn’t rush and did just what he should have – go right at a guy with five fouls.

Not bad at all.

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More?

Let’s start big.

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Hey, you got three friends?

How’d you like to take ‘em to Sunday’s game against Dallas, sit in some really good seats, say high to the Miller Genuine Draft people and eat and drink as you see fit? Sound good? Yeah, we’re back again with the MGD Best Seats In The House contest, this time it’s three sets of four tickets for Sunday.

I know we’re a bit rushed on this but entering in easy. Click here and fill in the form and be warned entries close at noon Friday so we can notify the winners Friday afternoon so make sure you provide an easily-accessible e-mail or phone number.

Good luck, see some of you there.

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Now, back to our regularly-scheduled Festival of Crankiness.

And it’s just before 8 a.m. and I’m wondering what channel the all-day telethon of Trade Deadline Day news is on? Anyone help a guy out?

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Oh, yes.

Trust me (or not, I really don’t care) but, yes, the Raptors did place a call to Utah to see if Deron Williams was available in the aftermath of the Jerry Sloan departure. Just like about 24 other teams would have.

But nothing came of it, there was no suggestion that the Jazz were even serious about moving Williams (I believe they wanted to see how he’d work with new coach Ty Corbin a bit) and the Nets thing came together quickly.

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You know how some of us thought Dan Gilbert was a bit off his rocker when he wrote that love letter to LeBron after The Decision?

Well, not sure what’s happened in that zany mind of his, but he’s signed off on a deal that brings Baron Davis to Cleveland? Is the guy bonkers?

Sure, the Cavs get a good first pick out of it and they lose Mo Williams and Jamario but, wow. Baron’s unmotivated at the best of times, taking an L.A. kid out of L.A. and dropping in Cleveland in February with the worst team in the league?

Oh, yeah. That’s going to work out really well.

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Hey, let’s check what K.C. had to say about that game last night, shall we?

Without peeking, I have a sneaky suspicion the story will centre on Chicago’s lame defence.

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Know what last night would have been, right?

Well, I know some of you know but it would have been Game No. 1,000 in the three-point streak.

How conflicted would you have been had they gone 0-5 from three but still beat the Bulls in one of their best all-around games of the year?

At least you could have sat around tomorrow and talked about it over a piece of pizza.

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You know a dude’s in deep when he’s on the next stool and you hear him say:

“The Clippers just covered the over.”

That’s kind of sad, isn’t it?

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This is what all-star weekend does.

You hear Lenny Kravitz and you smile.

Dude’s good.

Very good.

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I imagine some of the Irregulars would know how much my eyes rolled when I got this quote from James Johnson, who seems a likeable sort after a day.

“My plus-minus is outrageous so I’m going to play hard every time I strap up.”

That’s so wrong at so many levels; the cliché, the odd phrasing, the thought that individual plus-minus means anything.

But, I’ll give him the Day 1 benefit of the doubt because he also said this, about his uniform number.

"I want to start from zero and work my way up."

Around the Raptors, that’s Banya-esue gold, folks. Gold.

Now, I’m off to try the soup.

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A couple of guys reached Jerry Sloan yesterday afternoon to get his reaction to the Deron Williams trade and one thought came to mind:

Jerry Sloan has a cell phone?

I don’t know what I thought but a vision of a modern day Oliver Douglas up pole talking on some old fashioned phone came to mind.

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This might be among the more disturbing, and telling, things out there in the last day or so.

According to a report – and I cannot vouch for its veracity – the agent for Raymond Felton is going to meet with Denver general manager Masai Ujiri about whether or not his client is going to start for the Nuggets.

Now, I’m not naïve enough to think that it’s out of the ordinary for that to happen but you know what? That’s idiotic and if I’m Masai, I tell the agent to go find some endorsements or something for his client and let George Karl figure out what he wants to do with his point guard.

Yes, the inmates run the asylum but at some point, enough is enough.

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Okay, almost time to go sit in the office and see what transpires on the trade front to determine what, if anything, I have to write today. But it’ll also give me some down time to do mail so …

You know what to do. Write. Keep me company.

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Comments

[Natalie]

Hey Doug, Been awhile. If ya like Mr, Kravitz, listen to a track called 'Mr Cab. Driver'. Excellent stuff. Also, presume you've heard 'It Aint Over Till Its Over'...

Blogger's note: It has been; and, yes, I have.

[DWhite]

Man, it sucks to be Cleveland, loaded for bear with draft picks in what might be the worst draft in years. Too bad they can't get a rain check on those draft picks for the following year.

Think I will get some ducats to see the CAVS just so I can snap a photo of the scowl on Baron's face. hahahaha

But really, Baron Davis and young impressionable rooks... not exactly peas and carrots.

And I love DeMar's take on the Dunk Contest. Props, Props.. we don't need no stinkin props. Is this a Dunk Contest or the Price is Right?

Funny, I can see Jerry Sloan up a pole taking a call or perhaps stacking cows to reach the top...

[doug]

where's all the Barg haters this morning??...guess there taking time off to re-group and try another strategy...sometimes B-ball is over-analyzed what with coaches talking about defensive lapses, or fans wanting effort, and so on...sometimes it just comes down to one basic premise, just make shots...in todays NBA with the athletic ability of all 10 players on the court, during the course of a game I would venture a guess that 70% of the shots during a game are good looks...no matter what the defensive ability of the opposing team....you either make your looks or you don't....last night (as opposed to some previous games when the Raps missed too many open looks), the Raps hit them against a excellent defensive team....so people can do all the talking they want about defense etc, it's still about one simple thing in b-ball...make shots....Baron Davis trade will not be a good thing , I actually feel for Davis as he even admitted he was enjoy playing again beside griffin...I wonder if the Cavs can flip him again by the deadline???...is it just me or is anyone else wondering how Sterling will ruin things with this Clips team??..he will, just how??....sometimes in all this trade talk, some get lost, the Atlanta trade for Hinrich was a good one...

what will I remember most about last nights game years from now?...will be this, I now know the meaning behind the saying "to hell in a handbasket"...now just need to work on "isn't that the pot calling the kettle black", ...speaking of "gold Jerry gold", after the game flipped the channels, and what episode of Seinfeld was on?...you guessed it...the Ovaltine/Roundtine one...good night all around...

[doug]

oh speaking of Lenny Kravitz..as you did ..he just puts out some kick-butt music, wish he would put out more, he should do a album of classic rock tune covers..my friends and i were talking once, and the subject of rock male stars came up and if we could be one for a week who would we choose??...well Robert Plant is a good choice...but i chose Lenny Kravitz, as he defines cool, and does alright with the ladies i presume...he'd be a chick magnet as the kids once said, now they'd say something i can't print on this blog...plus he has talent...

[Kent]

just wanted to respond to a couple of things other posters said yesterday. I don't even know why I am responding but I think it's to maintain my sanity.
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@ doug. you posted. "well see that's my point, he is leading them in scoring for the past month...for a guy that is "no good" and "should be traded"and "is a bust" not a bad accomplishment...thanks for proving my point...see it's too easy" @ doug, please understand the following concept. Even the worst NBA teams score around 95-100 points a game. Somebody on those teams has to score those points. It's most likely the guy putting up the most shots. This concept is called "guys putting up numbers on bad teams". This happens all the time in the NBA. That's why guys who put up monster numbers on bad teams don't make all-star teams because coaches know those numbers are skewed. As for Bargnani specifically, I promise these will be my last words on him. He can score but is terrible at literally everything else. If you think that's good enough for a franchise player and a #1 overall pick, then so be it.
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@sam, you posted "Can you start a trade Kent, or Kelsey, or Eddy, or Aditya website - @ sam, why do you bother reading blogs if you are so intolerant of differing opinions? With the Melo and Deron trades this week, the basketball state of affairs in Toronto is in crisis mode. There has never been more hopelessness in this team's history. Not just because of this season's record but how stacked the East will be for years to come. It's time for fans to boo, criticize and let the organization know this is not ok.
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@GM, you posted "you can't have it both ways. On the one hand, you seem to say Triano can't teach defense. On the other hand, you say Bargnani can't play defense. If the former is true, we can't know if the latter is true." @ GM, has it ever occured to you that BOTH may be true?

[DMcCalgary]

There's been a lot of criticism around here lately toward old cliches being used. Lighten up folks. We're not all paid to be creative professional writers/speakers, because we're not all capable of it. I don't question that it can get a tad tiring hearing only typical cliches from athletes, when we'd like to hear something with more bite, but geeez, they're mostly athletes whose lives have been totally focussed on their sport, not developing into literary giants.
Even when not dealing with pro athletes, is it really fair to criticize someone because they're not creative enough to come up with something else that means what they want to convey? Besides, sometimes what one guy perceives as an old cliche is in fact the best way to express what's said. What, do we ask people to stop using the words "happy" or "sad" because they're used too much? Geez, we can't all be the next bard.

[james]

I'm with Derek and Doug: That may have been the best all-round game I've seen from Andrea. What a unique collection of abilities he has at his best. I loved the effort to prevent the over-and-back and he probably travelled on the pass from his back to Davis, but then some players travel all the time.

[Lorie]

It IS so cool the stuff we learn here. When they finally hold that One Big Trivial Pursuit Game to determine Total Global Domination, this place should send a team. And, Oliver Douglas!!! I've had that them song in my head now for hours. No one did glamour like the Gabor Sisters - "Darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue"! (In that big board game mentioned above, I've got the "Theme Songs from 60's TV Sit-Coms" category covered.) So, how are things on the trade front, Doug? All quiet? And does the front shift with the time zones...that is, do you have to wait until it's 3pm in LA for this to be well and truly finished?

Blogger's note: Nah, 3 p.m. East and if I can get this story I'm working on done, I could be out and cooled out at 3:05, I think. Quiet around here

[Penguin]

Random thoughts:
1) Re. Felton's agent wanting to know if his client will be starting, no wonder Jerry Sloan retired.
2)DeMar says no more dunk contest unless the props are taken out of it. Right on and this thing has become absurd, in any case. No interest in watching the circus and can't wait to see what happens when a star gets injured doing it.
3) Cleveland-Clips trade, yawn and does nothing really much for either team, but seems like a clear win for the Clips. Agree with Doug, what is Cleveland thinking. The clock is ticking on the first Baron Davis explosion...unless, of course, there is another trade coming to move him to another team (doubt it with his contract, and knee and attitude issues).
4) Last night's HOTH win, great and a nice start by the new guy. Just one game, but encouraging. DD shows more and more that he's a cornerstone for the future.

[Penguin]

Two more thoughts:
1) Did everyone notice the comment by Boozer in the Chicago story (thanks for the link, Doug, love these) that Miami has TWO...that's two...great players. Don't suppose he was including CB in that list.
2) Also interested in the LA Clips comments that they don't like this draft (otherwise, the deal by Cleveland might not look so bad if the #1 draft choice nets them a good young player). Makes the Raps trade for Johnson look even better, supporting the view that a late 1st round draft choice doesn't mean much.

[doug]

@Kent it's fine you have your opinion which is all well and good...but i am going to say i never,ever have believed that argument in the NBA about players getting numbers on bad teams...its bunk,hogwash,,..I was watching McCowan's show and Smith,Jack were on a few weeks ago and McCowan brought up that point and it was promptly moreorless squashed or rather talked over as no point McCowan makes is ever wrong or squashed... to me not only is it hogwash, but pure b.s. as let's use the Raps for instance, Barg's is getting these points like last night against so-called better teams that play better defense, and yet he plays on a "bad" team...so to me the people making that argument are hypocrites in that they are negating their own argument...so just to make this clear..if your a "bad" player on a "bad" team but yet you score 24 points (as DD and Barg's did) against a better team and a top defense then those points are skewed??...makes no sense to me, as for one thing it's the NBA, in the NBA there isn't believe me as large a gap as people think between a division doormat and a division leader...as last night proves...no one is getting "cheap" points night after night in the NBA.., with your way of thinking we could take Barg's and DD out of the line-up insert Wright and Dorsey, tell them to take the same identical amount of shots and the results will be the same??...come on...

[doug]

@Penguin i interpreted that Clips comment about the draft and them losing their pick (although somewhat true) to be more of a indictment on Sterling...even if it was a strong draft, he would have dumped it, as he has Griffin and Gordon, 2 guys that are going to get major money, he dumped Davis's contract, and to me seeing Sterling in action in the past there is no way in hades he wanted another young talented player he not only had to pay, but have tied to a rookie guaranteed deal...behind every Clipper action is a reason and that reason is Sterling, money and not getting a winner...watch he will screw up this Clips thing, that's his first salvo, so they can spin it all they want...it has nothing in my eyes to do with a weak draft...it's the Clippers way of doing business...

[The J]

The Clippers traded Baron Davis? Did the Raptors ever inquire about his availability. What has Bryan Colangelo been doing? All these other East teams are making trades to make them bettter and we keep getting pushed further back.

Just kidding, but it's funny whenever a trade is made people seem to questions why Colangelo couldn't have been the one making the trade (ie, why isn't Deron heading to Toronto? Why can't we get Melo?). But it's funny that no one has been questioning where BCo was on the Baron Davis trade.

[SEAN]

Your a bit grumpier than usual today Doug. What gives?

[Jacques]

Doug, With the Melo trade to NY, do you think Masai Ujiri reached out to BC to get some kind of advise? Since the Raps are clearly in the rebuilding process, isn't this the best time to try and trade Jose for a younger PG.

Blogger's note: No, and no, a team can be "too young."

[John]

@Kent.
A total of 2 good players came from West to East in the last week. I would love to hear your explaination how that "stacks the east for years to come" and how the Raps are in a "crisis". Please also include in your thougthts how this Celtics group will dominate the league into their early 40's, how Amare's knees will hold up against every single medical opinion in world and how the Nets will stop Derron from leaving after next year after he experiences playing two years with bench players in a stadium of 5,000 people.

[Kent]

Regarding guys putting up good numbers on bad teams.

Nick Young 17.6ppg: would he even play 17 minutes on contenders? do you think his 17.6 is comparable to the 18.6 Bosh has put up in Miami? Bargnani takes on average 18.3 shots a game to get his ppg. He would not be allowed to take that many (not even close) on Miami. How do I know that? because even Bosh is getting only 13.9 shots a game. You tried to distort the argument by mentioning guys like Wright and Dorsey. Of course, they won't. But if you gave Bargnani's touches to DeRozan and Barbosa, they will put up close 20 ppg as well. Are they francishe players? Every team scores 95-100, and somebody has to score them.
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Regarding the difference between divisonal leader and doormat.

You will see upsets in the NBA during the regular season. Teams can sometimes lose "trap" games where they are either suffering a letdown after a big game or lose focus before a big game. The Bulls are scheduled to play Miami on TNT tonight. Yesterday was the perfect trap game for them. Relax, I will give credit to the Raptors for showing up yesterday. They easily could have lost and nobody would have been surprised. So good on them for coming through. But the question you have to ask yourself when evaluating the true difference between the two teams is: If they were to play 100 best of 7 series, how many would the raptors win? 5?

[sam]

@Kent - It's not that I'm intolerant of others opinions - It's the tone of those opinions and the over reaction and the belief that 99% people in the world agree with you - It's the doom and gloom scenario that you convey almost daily with your sky is falling idea that all is lost and management,coaching and certain players are to blame and should be replaced.

It's saying things like there has never been more hopelessness and the team is in crisis when clearly there are positive stories to tell and we are able to watch young players grow.

I assume most recognized at the start of this season that this edition of our beloved Toronto Raptors were going to be in for a tough year and were in a rebuilding phase. Has it been frustrating? At Times - sure, but critical - not so much. Is there hope? Sure there is. DeMar and Amir are blossoming each game they play, and a player like Andrea is niether as good or as bad as some folks make them out to be. I think Jose Calderon has proven to be a solid leadre on the floor and even when hurt make this team better.
The Doug Smith Blog - is entertainment and a diversion -I'm sure 99 percent will agree - It's not to be taken too seriously, just like the fortunes of the Toronto Raptors.

[GM]

* Is Dan Gilbert to blame for that trade? I guess owners have final approval. But maybe the GM or president sold him on the idea and he just rubber-stamped it.
* I read somewhere that Baron and Byron Scott had a toxic relationship when they were together in New Orleans. Should be fun in Cleveland!
* James Johnson's quote about playing hard should be commended, even if it goes against your personal opinion about plus-minus. For one thing, we've shown that some coaches even look at that stat. For another, forgetting for a moment his reasons, it's commendable he vows to play hard every time out. If the reason is because he believes God wants him to, that's just as loopy but the bottom line is the end result.
* The reason Rose got every call down the stretch is because the league thinks it needs superstars. And so every really good player gets made even better with the help of the officials so fans can think these players are invincible, or close to it.
* That style the Bulls run when they need a basket (get out of Rose's way and let him go one-on-one) may be effective, but I sure don't like to watch it, even if he's on my team.
* @kelsey, that's two games in a row Bargnani's had 8 boards, and two games in a row he led his team in rebounding. Of course, we forget it when the team sucks as they did in Charlotte.
* Someone mentioned the other day that Barbosa was washed up. The guy is, what? 30? He's a guy I'd never trade unless I got something really good because he plays hard all the time. Such focus in his eyes. He's a guy who came from a winning team in a nice climate and has embraced playing for a losing team in a cold climate. He's had a wrist injury all year and has refused to have surgery during the season just so he can play. And he's got a third gear no one else on the team (and few others in the league) can match.
* My all-Johnson team: Magic, Marques, Vinny, Joe, Kevin and Dennis.
* @Kent, "has it ever occured to you that BOTH may be true?" Sure. But my point is that we can't know it. Were Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and Nate Robinson thought to be good defensive players before their team and coach stressed it? Was the Red Rocket thought to be a good defensive player in Toronto? None of them may be great even now, but they play for defensive-minded teams and coaches, so they're no doubt better than they would be on a worse team. Put Bargs in San Antonio or Boston and that intensity would rub off on him and we wouldn't be having this discussion. Or, similarly, put Kevin Garnett, Perkins, Big Baby, Pearce, Rondo and Allen on the Raptors and all of a sudden Triano wouldn't be called out for not being a good defensive coach. So one of those claims may be true, or they both may be true, but as it stands now, you can't know for certain which, if any, are true. And you, more than anyone else, love to pretend you know things, as opposed to just having an opinion.

[Jack]

@doug (the poster)
I'm here and I didn't see the game last night. I looked at the stats and Bargnani had 24 points and 8 rebounds. That's a good line and if you say he played really well, maybe he did. Against Chicago at best. But that's one game, bud. Let's see what he does in the next game. Maybe the coaches are starting to get to him about his defense. Maybe he caught Noah coming back from injury and not 100% yet. Maybe he's realized that he's making so much money to just play just half of the aspect of the game.
Let's see the next few games if he still displays the same intensity. I seriously doubt it. I believe in what Phil Jackson said about a player acquiring the habits when he's younger and as soon as he develops those habits, they're not going to go away.

[Kent]

@ John. Miami and Chicago are heads and shoulders above everyone else in championship prospects for the next 5 years. I hope I don't need to explain that. Then there's the next group. NYK, Orlando, Atlanta. In New York, Amare's knees remain a question mark but he has looked great now for two years. Melo will continue to help NYK attract other players, as if the lure of playing in NY is not enough. The pieces in Orlando (Dwight Howard) and Atlanta (Smith, Johnson, Horford) are still very young. Then there is NJ as the wild card. They are moving to a brand new arena, they have Deron Williams + Lopez and they still have cap space. Williams is not going to leave the Nets. All indication is that they will make him the face of the franchise and build around him. So there you go; let's start with these 6. When you look at those teams and you realize that Toronto is unlikely to crack top 6 in the conference for the next 5 years, what part of crisis mode is so difficult to understand? Toronto post-Bosh era is Minnesota post-KG era.

[Penny]

Hey Doug - what do you say to the idea of limiting people to one or two posts a day? I'm sure getting tired of reading 4 or more posts from the same person every day all basically saying the same thing.

Blogger's note: You are? You at least have the option of ignoring, which I presume being a person of intelligence you do. Me? Not so much

[doug]

@Kent never knew we had a Nostradamus on here...can you tell me my future for the next 5 years, save me a awful lot of trouble and stress...so i guess we needn't watch the NBA for the next while ..@Lori for this trivial Pursuit World domination game I would like History and Sports...

[doug]

this would be the most stunning trade of the whole trade period.."the Boston Celtics agreed to ship center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for swingman Jeff Green and big man Nenad Krstic, two league sources told ESPN.com's Chad Ford "...wow I am speechless, makes no sense to me from a Celtic perspective...what a trade for the Thunder...I am shocked if it's true..

[Jonathan]

@Doug

Your crazy man, you do realize that bargs doing what he did last night just proves that this guy CAN play with 100% effort on D and rebounding and aggressiveness.

But what he's refused to do this the first half of the season?

The last two games hes been leading in rebounds. What does this prove?

The fact that he CAN when he wants to.

It's embarrasing for him and us as a team.

Until he starts performing to his potential consistantly he is no good.

Yea, you can't take too many cracks at Andrea for this performance.

What would you rather have? the mindless, numbing play of Andrea which we regularly see which involves ZERO effort on defense or rebounding and even in the offense it's all about him.

Last night we saw him playing with passion, I think everyone agrees that JJ helped lift this group of guys and we even saw Andrea benefit from this.

Andrea played aggressively, brought down some boards, played average defense (yes even his help defense wasn't terrible) but more importantly the guy actually made some good passes on offense that you rarely ever see.

If Andrea played with this much intensity and effort every game the record would look very different.

It just proves that all the supporters of bargs when he was playing like shit but still scoring 25-30 points a game are retarded.

Don't defend the guy when he's playing like that.

Look at tonight as an example, he only scored 24 points but had a well above average game tonight and one of his best performances of the season from an overall perspective of his gameplay.

So you know what, I'll take the whining anyday, because do you know what that means? It means he actually cares about calls, cares about getting the ball back, cares about playing HARD and if bargs does that this team is a play-off caliber team as witnessed last night.

So you know what? Hats off to bargs, I hope he can carry this passion and intensity to give us a few more entertaining to watch victories.