Great games, goofy time zones and other fun stuff

Totally random unrelated thoughts. Again.

But good ones.

Enjoy.

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Okay, is this a break, or what?

Suns go three overtimes and lose in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, they probably didn’t get back to Phoenix and their homes until the wee hours of the morning, it was a mentally draining loss and the Raptors had been sitting around all day relaxing and getting ready for them.

Know what that means?

Spurs by 12.

Seriously, I know there are those among you who now figure the Raptors have to be now somehow favoured because of the confluence of events on Tuesday but if there’s one thing we’ve learned this season it’s that you never know.

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What I do know, however, is that was a doozy in LA.

A handful of us were lucky enough to have been invited to dinner by a generous season ticket holder (Hello, Mike!) and sitting around the couches watching the three overtimes unfold was excellent.

And when HWSNBN kind of missed every significant shot he took all night, there were more than a few caustic comments being thrown about the room.

Vince went, what, 7-for-23? Not his greatest moment and I imagine a few of you were relishing in is failures, weren’t you?

But if you stayed up late and watched it all, didn’t you feel a twinge of regret that Captain Canada couldn’t pull that one out?

Oh, it is to be conflicted when you’re watching the Suns, isn’t it?

Kind of like being on the most exhilarating rollercoaster you can imagine; and I imagine more than a few of you love a good ride every now and then.

But that game was indeed one for the ages and put some juice into one of those end-of-the-year regular season nights that are so often so predictable.

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So what did the Raptors do Tuesday?

How about a lot of nothing, which is good and, I’m sure, was most welcome.

But before you think all they all did was sit around the pool or hang around the mall or sleep the day away (what a perfect thought that is) I’m told a few of them got up some shots, a couple of them spent some time with the trainers and it was a nice, slow, work day.

The kind we all like every now and then, right?

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There’s a lot to like about Arizona.

Nice weather. Good people. Cactus.

But the state’s dealing with time is, well, stupid.

I don’t know if it’s the only state that doesn’t change its clocks in March but it’s the only one that I’ve had to deal with and it now being three hours behind instead of two really throws a wrench into the my smooth-running clockwork that is my life.

And, truth be told, I had no idea it was like this until I got to the Denver airport yesterday, saw my 12:13 p.m. flight was about two hours long and got to Phoenix about 1:10 p.m.

Grr.

What’s it mean for me? And you?

Well, it’s a 10 p.m. Eastern time start, not 9 p.m. and it means there’s no way my game story makes the paper, only the web.

And it means a lot of you are going to have to stay up way late to be part of the IGBT shenanigans.

See you then.

Oh, and it makes the 7 a.m. flight back tomorrow a bit tougher, too.

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Harkening back, Irregulars will get the Spurs by 12 line; others need to know it came from a night San Antonio played without Duncan and Parker and were sure to be victims of the Raptors.

Yeah, right.

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You’re running out of days to get in on the big contest, the one with the six sets of two tickets to next week’s Bucks game.

Just click here to enter, we’ll close it off Friday morning and try to let the winners know that afternoon.

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Oh, no.

As I was typing this in the wee hours of my morning, news breaks that Elizabeth Taylor died.

Now there was a looker!

And a thespian.

And somewhere in some afterlife, if such a thing exists, she and Richard Burton are probably having some intense row right now.

I’ve probably got Cleopatra and National Velvet at the top of the Liz List, by the way.

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Speaking of last night’s Suns-Lakers classic, here’s how Paul wrote it up.

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Let’s get this one out of yesterday’s mail.

Q: Hey Doug. Do referees review some first half tape during halftime? Do they take a few moments to look over some calls that the crowd/player/coach thinks they may have really blown?

Colin C, Toronto

A: Yes, if there’s a call they want to look at, or a play they want to make sure they got right, or a situation they feel needs to be more fully explained to a coach they will review stuff at halftime.

I’ve heard refs say to coaches during first half discussions: “Yeah, I’ll take a look at it” and sometimes they’ve back and said, “Yeah, I missed that one.” Or “I looked, we got it right.”

Believe me, what refs want more than anything is to get calls right and if they blow one they feel bad and the good ones among them will admit it right away.

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So a guy sits down on a stool on a glorious afternoon at an outside joint to decompress and get the lay of the land.

Comely wench comes by with a cold, sweaty glass of sustenance and just before she sets it down on the paper napkin, she sprinkles some salt on it.

And a guy thinks: Wow, she’s a veteran!

Not sure how widely known this is – I first got it years ago from the one and only Frosty The Grizzlies PR Guy – but the salt on a napkin assures it won’t stick to the bottom of the glass when you pick it up to have sip.

There, public service done.

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When worlds collide.

As I mentioned, a few of us were lucky enough to have been invited to a wonderful soiree last night and a few of the usual suspects – hello, broadcast crews! – were there.

But there were some outsiders to and it was an honour for an old seamhead to finally be introduced to the one and only Mel Didier.

And if you don’t know who that is, you don’t read The Legendary Boxing Bob Elliott over in the other paper because Mel’s one of those all-time great baseball scouts/advisers/guys who makes talking about the game such a joy.

Anyway …

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No, there was no word on Amir Johnson yesterday; they had the day off as I mentioned and I didn’t spend a lot of time tracking people down.

But if I’m the Raptors, I have to err on the side of caution. Why trot him out there if he’s not 100 per cent? I know he’ll want to play because that’s what he does and he might be the toughest kid on the roster but he’s got to be almost healthier than healthy to be given the green light to go.

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All right, late morning shootaround here and then I believe it’s time to sit out and soak up some sun before heading back to what I hear is some snow.

Ugh.

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Oh, yeah. Long flight back home Thursday, I'd like to get started on the mail so, please, do your part. Click here, write something down and tell me what you're thinking.

Thanks.

 

A night of dubious achievements

Truly a series of unrelated random items today; it’s one of those days the morning after a dreadful game and a day that was spent mainly in the room writing.

With an off-day in Phoenix, we should be better tomorrow.

Or not.

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THREE POINTERS

Like it was unexpected …

Yes, the HOTH got drilled, never really in the game, not a whole lot of energy and they couldn’t really make a shot which let the Nuggets run and transition defence is not this team’s forte at the best of times, it certainly wasn’t going to be against one of the fastest offences in the league.

So what’s it all mean?

Nothing, really.

As we’ve said now for months, this version of this Toronto team is not particularly good and prone to wild bouts of inconsistency because they are young, some of them are probably worn out from the season and losing begets losing in many cases.

But to put a lot of weight on Monday’s outcome?

Nah.

Chalk it up to a bad game by an inconsistent team and hope they have more gas tomorrow in Phoenix.

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A big number

There’s a boxscore anomaly we look for every now and then known as a trillion, or two trillion or three trillion.

It’s when a guy plays whatever minutes and doesn’t do a thing. No shots, no rebounds, no fouls, no assists, no steals, no nothing.

Now, a garbage time one trillion’s no big deal, happens fairly often to end-of-benchers but we got one last night I don’t think I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Julian Wright had a 10 trillion.

He was on the court for 10 minutes, 16 seconds with nothing. Nada. Zip.

Now, I quite like Julian and there are aspects of his game I’m impressed with but, wow, that’s a feat.

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Things I never thought I’d see …

They put these little notes on the end of final boxscores that have notable individual performances highlighted.

These two tell you what kind of night it was:

MEMO: Ajinca career high rebounds, was 6 vs. G.S. on 12/7/10

MEMO: Ajinca season high points, was 10, done twice, last at Charlotte on 2/22/11.

Yep, big night indeed.

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Here we go with the more.

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I haven’t been around in a few days, anyone seen Sherm Hamilton dancing in the streets wearing his Virginia Commonwealth jersey? And to you NCAA aficionados out there, how cool is that two schools from Richmond, Va., are in the Sweet 16 and only two from the Big East are?

Guess that’s why they play the games.

(Hey, that’s quite an astute statement, isn’t it?)

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This is what kind of day I had yesterday, which I believe was a first in all my years.

I flew from one city to another and got to the new hotel in time to have breakfast in the concierge lounge before it closed for the morning.

I wouldn’t recommend it.

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When good guys do good things, you get this.

My man E. Smith, he of the dulcet tones and the Raptors insight, has branched out a wee bit into the world of fashion.

Now, Irregulars know me and fashion so take this for what it’s worth but Eric’s got this fund-raising thing going on for Japan disaster relief that you should really take a look at.

He’s designed a T-shirt that you can buy, with the proceeds going to help send some money over to Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

You can go here to buy it and here to learn all about it and I suggest you do.

Oh, as my inner fashionista says the shirts look cool.

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I cannot think of a more stark contrast in NBA crowds that going from Oklahoma City to Denver on back-to-back nights.

Super-charged to somnambulant.

And while the PA dude in Oklahoma was way over the top and the noise was incessant every timeout and stoppage in play there was a genuineness to it that was kind of refreshing.

Monday in Denver?

Yawn.

The place wasn’t full – the Nuggets aren’t a great draw yet – and, yes, the game stunk but even with that, there was still a feeling of boredom or something that pervaded the arena.

I guess there’s some middle ground but right now if you ask me, I want the noise because it was fun.

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So my spies tell me Kirstie Alley was the surprise hit of the opening night of DWTS? That true?

Oh, and one report said:

“The football player is quite good. The wrestler not so much. Worst guy was someone no one has heard of.”

And, you know, I know what all that means but I’m also glad I’ll be home next week to put names to the, um, descriptions.

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Contest?

Right. The contest.

It’s here, it’s for tickets for the Milwaukee game next week (six sets of two) and the skill testing question, I think is relatively easy.

It’s not like we’re asking you a Geometry 101 question like a the definition of octahedron or anything.

(No, I have no idea what that means but I presume it’s got something to do with eight)

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How did they report on that one from the Denver viewpoint?

You can see right here.

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Here’s one out of the mail:

Q: Hi Doug,. Just finished watching the HBO doc on the Running Rebels of UNLV. Coach Tarkanian mentioned Lloyd Daniels and I remember him playing for the Raptors for a brief period. Do you recall his time with the team? Any stories?

Thanks

 

 

Sonny B, Toronto

A: I saw that one Sunday morning, too. Pretty good look at that program.

Anyway, Sweet Pea was a 10-day guy in a wretched year, he played six games in January, 1997 (mid-way through the horror of the 16-66 season) and I remember him having a big night and pretty much winning a game for them in Cleveland.

About three days later, he was gone, never to return.

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I never, ever get invited to weddings like this.

Ever.

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I knew there was something odd about this trip, quite aside from the gorgeous weather we’ve had in Oklahoma and Denver and how it made me remember that it can indeed be nice outside.

It’s that we came to Denver from the East and that never happens.

We always seem to get here from the West, losing an hour and dealing with the altitude and being tired the whole trip.

And, yes, a quick check of the guide shows that we’ve come from west of here every year since the 2001-02 season and on five occasions since then the games here have been at the end of a back-to-back, which is another blow to any chance they’d have to win.

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The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Nuggets

Welcome back.

Another night, another city, another game.

Have fun.

What's that saying? Better late than never?

All together now:

That’s why they …

Anyway, that one certainly came out of nowhere, didn’t it? Great game, though; has to be in the top two or three of the season so far.

Kind of makes the trip a lot easier; I was really dreading covering three routs in a row.

And on to the fun stuff, sorry for the delay.

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THREE POINTERS

Well called, well done

Forget the game-winner, which came of a high screen-roll and was as much Barbosa read and react than anything.

The second-to-last basket, the one that got Barbosa a ridiculously wide open three-pointer was a gem.

Coming out of the timeout, Jay drew it up so he made sure the guy chasing Barbosa was behind him, rather beside or “on top” of him and there was no way who it was (and for the life of me I cannot remember who) could get through the double screen to get through the screens.

And once again, Jay said it was a case of practice making perfect.

“It’s a play that we’ve had and we’ve tried it a couple of times in the middle of other games and saved it for a late-game situation and the guys executed it to perfection and we got the three.”

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A game of changes

I think both Jay and Scott Brooks did a really good job coming up with different defensive looks all night and it was quite the chess game.

We saw Reggie guarding Kevin Durant and trying to beat him up a bit and James Johnson did a tremendous job harassing Durant all night. As Jay said, it might have been the best thing Johnson’s done since he got to Toronto.

And the kid loved the chance.

“Taking the challenge against a man like KD, it’s only going to help me get better. I never got the chance or opportunity to play against a man like KD or a team like the Thunder. They’ve got multiple all-stars on their team and they’re hard to contain. You’ve just got to hold your hand up and hope they miss.”

It’s a bit harder than that but …

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On the other end …

The Thunder had Durant all over the place.

He guarded Johnson for a bit, went over on to Bargnani after Bargnani abused Nick Collison a couple of times in the post and finally, the Thunder put Durant on DeRozan down the stretch so the Raptors couldn’t use their go-to guy too often.

It was really fun to watch it all unfold and you can’t say that about defensive adjustments very often.

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A bit more?

Got some.

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Another travel first.

For some apparently random reason, I finally got chosen for one of those full-body, second-level security pat-downs we’ve heard about.

Not sure who felt more awkward, me or the dude with his hands all over me.

I’m betting it was me.

Oh, the joys of the road.

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We’re back.

Or it’s back, I guess.

Yep, if you and a buddy want to come to a game – the March 30 one against the Bucks -- in the MGD Best Seats In The House thingamabob, you sure can.

Just click here, there are six sets of two tickets available and oodles of fun and frivolity and good times to be had by all. Or so I hope.

The contest – which is actually a random draw so you don’t have to be smart to enter – is going to be open until Friday morning and someone will notify the winners that afternoon.

Have fun.

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We’re getting ready leave the press room after writing when the good folks of the Thunder PR staff drop off an envelope with pre-game notes, quote sheets, boxscores and who know what else.

And I figure, along with all the other paper I get in the course of a road trip and the New Yorkers and Vanity Fairs that are in the computer bag, I probably need some small, portable bookcase to travel with.

Wonder if any friends have one that might work?

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The stuff you see on the road.

So, a guy’s sitting in a local establishment watching basketball on TV Saturday night in Bricktown – a wholly under-rated destination it the NBA – when another soul walks in and sits by himself at the bar.

“Hmm,” we think, “isn’t that Maurice Cheeks.” Sure is and it strikes the out-of-towners that they must be in the right place if Mo’s here.

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Forget the win in Oklahoma snapped a 14-game road losing streak.

Forget the win in Oklahoma was the first time the Raptors had won there in Thunder history.

The big news?

It was their first win in the black jerseys this year and how’s that for trivia.

Personally, I’m all in favour of the black jerseys and if I had to rank the ones they’ve worn in this incarnation, I’d put it:

Black

Red

Huskies

White

Green.

And if I never see green again, I’m quite all right with it.

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I’m sure none of you have noticed that both the Richmond Spiders and Marquette are off the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.

Man, someone must know something to have pointed them out.

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The stuff you see on the road, Vol. 2.0

Saturday, heading out of Pearson, at about the same time as a Westjet flight to Florida that’s chalk full of families with tiny babies (and that makes for a fun wait in the customs hall) and security’s rather busy.

Finally get to within one guy of taking off shoes, taking out laptop, divesting self of all things metal and whatever, when the chatty fellow in front of me sets off the x-ray machine.

Well, he gets the wand thing, all seems right but then the chatty fellow guiding the bags through the x-ray machine notices that Chatty Traveller is actually trying to bring through security a duffel with a bag tag on it.

Um, sir, checked bags have to go on the belt way back right after Customs.

Dude has to bring all his stuff back from the other side – keys, metal, belt, laptop, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah – and make his way back to leave his checked bag where it should be.

Me? Lots of sighing, rolling of eyes and joyful thought that there are only a couple of trips left in the season.

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What was the take in Oklahoma on that one? This.

What’s up in Denver for tonight? This.

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Riddle me this …

(Anyone get that?)

Why do public address announcers, and bless their rather over exuberant souls, feel compelled to tell fans when to cheer?

Seriously.

I know some game ops groups think fans are sheep and treat them like it but, surely to all that’s good in the world, the people in the seats now when to yell, don’t they?

And while I kind of like the collegiate atmosphere in Oklahoma City (it’s cute and they must lead all professional sports in time they spend standing up) the PA dude never shut up.

Cheer now.

Cheer for defence.

Show the Thunder some love.

Shut up!

(The first three are him, the last one’s me)

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All right, I believe it may be nap time since I’m operating on about three hours sleep and have a game tonight.

Will get to the comments when I can.

Night, night.

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Beat by the clock

Central time, early flight.

You know the drill.

It all adds up to a rather rushed morning and it'll be a late day here, I'm afraid.

Good stuff coming, though, including yet another shot at winning a couple of tickets to a game.

Oh, and there'll also be some stuff on a game that was - behind the win in Dallas earlier this season - maybe the most impressive and unexpected of the season, But, as we all know, that's why ...

Anyway, I'm allegedly in Denver about 9:30 Toronto time, give me an hour to get downtown and get settled and check back then, would you?

Thanks. See you then.

The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Thunder

Ladies. Gentlemen.

How are we tonight?

Was sunny and about 23 C here today, if you care.

A little mail for a lazy Sunday

Good morning everyone.

Having fun with this March Madness stuff? Wildest finish I think I’ve ever seen in that Butler-Pitt game. Not sure what was worse, the fouls or the calls.

Anyway, here’s some stuff to tide you over until the game tonight.

Enjoy.

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Q: Hey Doug, as always, love the blog.

I was wondering what is your sense, given your contacts and the time spent around the league, of there being a lockout next season to the point of actually loosing games? I'm not looking for a percentage or odds, but rather if you're leaning one way or another regarding what will occur regarding labour negotiations.

Thanks,

 

Diego S, Toronto

A: For the longest time, I truly thought saner heads would prevail and they’d know enough not to kill the golden goose. Now? I’m not as sure.

I can see a situation where we have a summer lockout and the sides come to their senses in September and October so that no games are lost.

But that’s a total opinion gleaned from various conversations, I don’t think anyone can say for certainty what’s in the minds of David Stern and Billy Hunter because they’re keeping things close to the vest.

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Q: Hey Doug. I am very curious about your perspective on the management running the various NBA teams. I am not simply speaking about the GMs either. Undoubtedly there is great management and poor management.

In your opinion what are the top three and the bottom three? The Class Acts versus the Gong Shows.

More interesting, what might be the reasons for your ranking.

Thanks

 

Andy F, Aberdeen, Scotland

A: I’d say the poster children for good management, from top to bottom today, would be:

San Antonio: Great drafting, financially prudent, consistently good.

Oklahoma City: Solid young core, connect with fan base, built for long-term success.

Los Angeles Lakers: Yes, they spend more than most but they make bold moves that pay off.

Now, on the other side?

Los Angeles Clippers: Donald Sterling. ‘Nuf said.

Cleveland: Dan Gilbert strikes me as a bit of a blowhard and they seem to have messed up the post-LeBron era because I don’t’ know how well positioned they are for the future.

Detroit: Ownership muddle, wretched roster of young and old, coaching changes almost annually. It’s been a mighty fall.

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Q: Hey Doug, you've been dropping Jerryd's name here and there over the past several weeks, and I read that one piece you wrote specifically about him about a week ago. Given that it's almost time to evaluate the season and look ahead to the next several years, do you think he'd fit into the master plan? In this environment, do you think he can improve to possibly being a quality starting PG? I remember watching him in the documentary "Gunnin' for that #1 Spot" and thinking this guy could really do something in the league, and I was excited when we traded for him. Of course, we all witnessed some of his growing pains early in his tenure here, but he showed some upside to his game as you pointed out and he's a guy I still want to like. He seems to have the work ethic and personality to a) want to improve, and b) fit in with the culture of the team and city. Plus, let's remember that he's still a pretty young guy. What do you think?

Joe P, Toronto

A: I think he’s made great strides in the last month as he’s become more comfortable in his role and with the team and I’d count him as a piece for the future.

I think he may morph into some kind of backup combo guard at both backcourt positions, but he’s shown me enough to warrant hanging around.

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Q: Hi Doug. Long time reader of your blog. Always full of mildly interesting information about the Raptors, basketball, and the trials and tribulations of being a grunt.

I read your blog this morning where you discussed the apathy about the Raptors of late. That is when I realized I am in the boat of fans who just don't seem to be as interested as before. I wouldn't know (or care) when and who the Raptors are playing this year, which is a shame. You mention needing to "hit a home run" and I was wondering if you can expand on that. What do you think needs to happen between now and the start of next season to build a renewed sense of optimism?

Thanks.

 

Sal L, Toronto

A: I didn’t mean one specific thing, like acquiring some “star” because I like the idea of building a group. What I think fans need to see is astute drafting and the addition of solid core players who truly address needs.

I’ve said all along there are some intriguing pieces on this team but it’s a delicate job to fill in the holes that exist without cutting into what’s building.

So I’d rather see Bryan pull off a handful of solid moves – a “home run” – rather than strike out with one guy.

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Q: Hey Doug. If there's something from a Canadian perspective to be excited about watching the NCAA tournament it has to be watching perhaps future Canadian NBA talent, in particular Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson of Texas, both from the GTA, as well as seeing potential Raptor draft picks. My question is in regards to many of these athletes going to college prep schools in the US in order to get noticed by the big time universities. Do you think that the only way for Canadians develop into NBA players these days is to go this route? Is it impossible to get noticed from playing high school basketball in Canada? Myck Kabongo, a McDonalds All-American high school player from Toronto and committed to Texas next year, also went this route.

Kristian B, Toronto

 

PS. How great does Canada Basketball look going into the future with all this talent coming down the pipeline??

A: I don’t think it’s necessary to go to prep school in the States at all; and in some ways I think it’s a bad idea to get yourself into what can be an unseemly process that early. Trust me, if a kid’s good, they’ll find him, like they have with so many Canadian high schoolers, who get the level of competition they need to improve in summer leagues and tournaments.

Yes, Myck Kabongo went to a prep school, Kevin Pangos (another name to remember) went to a tiny high school north of Toronto.

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Q: Hi Doug. Long time reader but never weighed in with an opinion or question until I saw your query regarding waning interest with the HOTH. My husband and I have been big fans of the Raptors for the last several years but this year we have not watched as many games. Not because we don't want to, but because we hate being held hostage by whoever makes the decision to broadcast on channels you have to pay extra for. Of the next fourteen games we can only get four on our cable package. Who does make that decision by the way? Ok - so now I've sent you an opinion and a question.

Joanne WF, Etobicoke

A: That’s a Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment decision in consultation with their broadcast “partners” and I think it’s ridiculous they are spread over so many networks, and versions of the networks like Sportsnet One and TSN2. It’s silly and is one of the main things I hear about from disgruntled fans.

Ace free-throw shooting and all kinds of fun stuff

Yes, that was a win. Who cares that it came over a terrible team and was kind of in doubt with two minutes to go, it sure beats the alternative, no?

And as I get ready for Toronto-Minneapolis-Oklahoma City (now that’s a Lewis and Clark kind of route), you get this:

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THREE POINTERS

A defensive gem?

Now, we don’t often write about staunch Raptors defence and you do have to take into consideration the quality of the opposition but …

There was a stretch of 5 1-2 minutes in the second quarter, after a Jordan Crawford bucket and before a Yi basket – when the Raptors held the Wizards without as much as a single field goal as they took control of the game.

It was, by my calculations and we know how I am with math, a 19-4 run that turned a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead and gave them back the confidence they had in the first quarter and first couple minutes of the second.

Doesn’t mean they’re going to do it all the time or that they can against quality opponents but they still did it when they had to on one night at least.

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One from the files

I remember talking to Jay after a game earlier this season, the one where they got a really tough shot for DeMar on the sideline on a last possession to try to win a game, and him lamenting that night they he had so few options (a lot of guys were out with injuries) that he really didn’t have many plays to call that would have worked.

I remember him grabbing a notebook and saying what he might have done, had he had the right guys, was start Leandro in the backcourt, get him a couple of screens to create some space, hit him with a pass on the fly and see what he could do. Maybe one of the screeners would come open but, mostly, maybe he’d just be too quick to chase down and he’d get a good look.

Less than 10 seconds left in the first half, Raptors call a 20-second timeout to set up a last play and what do they do?

Put two guys in the backcourt to set screens if needed, curl Barbosa off them, hit him with a pass in full stride and he was simply too quick for the defence. He went almost the length of the court in about four seconds, made a layup and got fouled and all I could think was Jay had stored that play in his mind and when he had the chance, he broke it out.

And it worked.

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Things you didn’t think you’d see

Reggie Evans, intentionally fouled, hitting two free throws with just over two minutes left in a four-point game and then hitting two more to ice the win with 72 seconds left.

Those two made him 5-8 from the line on the night, he was 4-for-4 on Wednesday in Detroit and shooting like that is going to allow Jay to keep him on the floor all the time in close games, rather than going only defence-offence with him.

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More?

Sure, there’s some as the sunrise hits and another good day dawns

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Oh, you’re quite welcome on the Marquette thing, by the way.

Lot of friends went to journalism school there – hello, Sheridan! – and I’ve spent a hour or two in establishments near campus so it was a bit of a no-brainer.

Plus, there’s a Toronto kid – Junior Cadougan – who plays a key role and why not think about the locals?

Today?

I’ve got nothing, really, but I line of like Notre Dame over Utah in the women’s tourney.

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Stevie Boy was the crack photog on the scene Friday.

He weighs in with these images.

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Oh, this is shaping up to be a dream road trip.

I’ll probably delve into this more for a story in the paper but did you know that, against the first four opponents on this trip (Thunder, Nuggets, Suns, Warriors) the Raptors have lost – get this – 22 straight road games!

Four against Oklahoma City and six each against Nuggets, Suns, Warriors.

Oh yeah, this could get ugly.

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Wonder where Jalen and Grant are getting together today to watch Michigan-Duke?

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We’ll get this one out of the mail just to ease the glut and offer one last shot at writing to say hello by putting the click, write, send link here:

Q: Hi Doug. Couple of quick ones. First, will Jack Armstrong be back sometime after the NCAA Sweet 16 or so? He hasn't called a game with Devlin in, what, a month? Second, think John Bitove would be interested in taking another run at co-owning a basketball team? Thanks!

David M, Ottawa

A: A whole lot of you have missed Jack, haven’t you? Many a note wondering about his whereabouts but the good news is I expect to see him on the streets of Oklahoma City tonight (or perchance a couple of stools over) so you’ll hear his dulcet tones tomorrow night.

Bitove? Haven’t heard the name at all and doubt there’s any interest but now that they’ve got a Wake Forest guy on the team, he might want to honour his alma mater and do it. Or not.

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Must be tough writing something of interest off a game when the team you cover loses its 31st of 32 road games, no?

Let’s see what Michael Lee said in the Post.

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All right, I’ve got a stop at Mickey Mantle’s planned for later tonight in Oklahoma (a restaurant, not his house) but if anyone’s got anything else, I’m all ears.

Haven’t spent a lot of time there so am still getting the lay of the land.

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Please, for the love of all that’s good in the world, can we ditch the green jerseys forever?

Not just between now and next March but forever?

Thank you.

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I’ve got to tell you, the comments the last 24 hours about waning interest and what it might all mean were among the most interesting I’ve read in a long time and I hope whatever henchmen are reading this tell the grand poobahs over there to have a read of them to take the temperature of the populace.

I guess the overall impression was that they need to win more than anything else to bring back the over-the-top passion and that makes entire sense.

But just to prove that there is still a lot of interest out there, I note that attendance for Friday’s Washington game was 18,017, a huge gathering given the quality of the opponent, average crowd size and lack of success this season.

And it seemed, to the eye at least, to be a legit 18,000 or so.

Odd.

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The Goods On The Game, Wizards at Raptors

Good evening, folks.

Enjoy yourselves tonight.

Dangerous times and you've got to love those Spiders

Missed practice yesterday because of the drive so there’s a dearth of anything really new here but it doesn’t mean it’s not interesting nonetheless.

Really.

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Had an interesting chat with Bob McCown during a stop on his show Thursday that touched on one topic we don’t get to very often here.

Whether there are still many of you who actually care what’s going on with these guys.

There is no doubt that there is a level of apathy that’s setting in, a troubling sign for any team, and that’s probably the one thing they need to be worried most about.

Yes, there are still very many of you who care passionately, which is a good thing for them, but the sense I’m getting here and during games and anecdotally just hanging around is that so many of you don’t really care as much what happens, that it’s more about what’s going to happen in June and July that’s at the front of your mind.

They are destined to have the lowest attendance in franchise history, they could very well be headed to a lockout that would bring any summer interest to a screeching halt and there are signs that the interest that’s waning will be hard to get back.

I’m not sure what they can do to create any kind of buzz or to get back the fans they’ve lost over this season but they need to do something.

The worst thing that can happen to a team is that it becomes somewhat irrelevant in its market.

I don’t think we’re to that point yet with the Raptors but we’re closer than we’ve ever been and they need to hit some kind of home run between now and the summer to get some juice flowing again.

Best of luck to them.

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Hey, how about them Spiders?

Not bad for a dude who has no clue about NCAA basketball, eh?

Didn’t see a whole lot of the tournament on Day 1, a long drive and an important appointment will do that to a guy but I guess it was pretty good.

That’s probably the best thing about the drama of last-second elimination and I’m glad that’s part of it because watching teams run three-man weaves for a shot clock that’s about five minutes long before missing a three-pointer is pretty hard to take.

Anyway, since I’m channeling my inner Al McGuire, keep a close eye on Marquette today.

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One from the mail? Sure.

Q: Hey again Doug, hope you had a good St. Patrick's Day. I don't remember mine :D

Was just wondering... To rack up an assist, does the person receiving and scoring the bucket have to score within a certain number of seconds? Certain number of steps?

I ask this because I notice a lot that yes, an assist is counted when the scorer makes a basket less than a second or 2 after getting the pass, but I also notice that sometimes even after 2-3 seconds and a hop-step, or even a dribble drive and a score that an assist is still counted. Please enlighten me with your logical information.

Thanks again, peace man.

 

 

Sky D, North Bay

A: St. Patrick’s Day?

Dead quiet, actually. Got a wee bit of Irish on but it was a work day most of all; I tend to see the day as almost as close to Amateur Hour as New Year’s Eve but with a bit more legitimacy.

Oh, and it’s Super Dog’s birthday (she’s five) so that kind of dominates home.

Anyway, there is no strict rule on assists except that the pass is supposed to lead “directly” to a basket. Doesn’t always seem to work that way and there is some subjectivity to it but those are the guidelines.

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What’s up in Washington?

Let’s check with Michael Lee and find out that the Wizards seem far worse off today than the Raptors do.

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Back to the tournament for a second.

Do you think the Butler coached designed a play where a dude fell down into a buzzer-beater?

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So, the road trip that’s coming up is a bear – Thunder, Nuggets, Suns, Warriors, Clippers in seven days – and you can almost count the games left in the season on the fingers of two hands.

Oh yeah, we’re in for a big finish, aren’t we?

Kind of makes tonight’s game pretty important for their collective psyches, no?

They haven’t really played a good game since beating New Orleans here what seems like an eon ago and I wonder what they’ve got in the mental tank for the Wizards.

I’m not suggesting this game will be season-defining or any huge benchmark but it might be a late-season measure of mental acuity; they need to play well and they need to play hard.

It’ll be interesting to see if they can.

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Interesting stat.

(Or not)

In 10 games as a Raptor, James Johnson has 14 blocked shots.

The other two players who’ve started at small forward, Sonny Weems and Linas Kleiza, have combined for eight all year.

And that, folks, is a big reason why it makes sense that Johnson starts and factors largely into the team’s future plans.

As I wrote today, there are still parts off his game that need improvement – shooting being the primary one – but if he gives them that kind of defensive presence, I can live with the odd missed jumper.

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Nice calm drive back, if you care.

No snow, no wind, no nothing and I don’t know what kind of scenery it was – I’m pretty sure the 402 and 401 aren’t lined with Eucalyptus trees – but it’s not that bad a journey when the weather’s good.

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Want to send in some mail and say hello?

You can do it by clicking here, telling me your innermost thoughts (well, within reason, please) and sending it along.

Since the journey tomorrow from Toronto to Oklahoma City is rather circuitous (you try getting from one place to the other in a direct line), I’m going to have some plane time to get it done.

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