We're back to the usual grind

We now return you to our regularly scheduled pap and drivel.

Enjoy.

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THREE POINTERS

Same old, same old

Reggie comes back after missing 47 games, plays 33 minutes (a number Jay admitted was “ridiculous), grabs 11 rebounds, misses four free throws and generally creates havoc.

All to the adulation of the fans and, yes, he heard you.

“It was cool. Definitely. I put in a lot of hard work to even come back to even do my est to give them what they’ve been missing. It felt real good and the love is there and stuff like that. These are terrific fans and they stick with us. These fans keep with us 100 per cent all year long.”

Aside from the fact he must have been away when the boos were raining down, it’s a nice sentiment.

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Lookin’ good

Or good looks.

At second blush, there were all kinds of good shots the Raptors took in those decisive last eight minutes and if they had to do it all over again, don’t think there’s much they’d change.

As we’ve known all year, this team isn’t chalk full of great shooters (they are dead last in three-point shooting entirely on merit) and the absence of Andrea Bargnani really puts a crimp in their offence.

And from the department of regressing to the mean, they were 3-for-4 on three-pointers through the first three quarters; the fact they went 2-for-6 in the fourth shouldn’t really be a surprise.

In fact, when Sonny made two three-pointers in the same game, it was only the third time in 45 outings that he’d made more than one.

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A new guard?

It’s been more than a few times now that we’ve seen James Johnson grab a rebound and head up the court leading the team in transition.

Good thing?

Absolutely and he can do it any time he wants.

All season long, they Raptors have been having a hard time getting solid rebounding numbers out of the small forward and Jay’s always been anxious to have someone there he trusts to handle the ball the try to get some early offence going.

The deal is: Get the ball and go but if nothing presents itself early, find the point guard of the moment (Calderon or Bayless) and let them run halfcourt stuff.

But with the ball?

It’s get it and go.

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Some more?

Got a few things, none British.

Well, maybe a couple of things.

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After two games in London of no national anthems, we were back at it last night with a couple of strong renditions.

But as I stood there, watching most people barely paying attention and the players mostly rocking to and fro as they rambled on, got to thinking that it seems a colossal waste of time an energy.

Some performers treat them as de facto demo tapes, which irks me to all get out; they seem to be something simply done out of some obscure sense of North American sporting tradition and while this is a pipe dream, I’d like of like them done away with.

In some way, doesn’t it diminish them when we hear them ad nauseum before every single game?

End o’ rant.

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What’s up in the Salt Lake fishwraps after that one?

This.

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Probably should point this out:

In 2009-10, playing with the likes of Anderson Varejao, Daniel (Don’t Call A Grown Man ‘Boobie’) Gibson and Jamario Moon, LeBron James’s team finished 61-21.

In 2010-11, playing with the likes of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and with the most talked-about team in years, LeBron James’s team has already lost 21 games and has 18 games remaining.

Karma? A bitch?

Most certainly seems to be.

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I drove the Smelly Ford Focus yesterday, knew which door to get in and drove on the correct side of the road.

Jolly good, I say.

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I have not watched one second of curling through this entire TV ‘season’ and feel strangely proud of that.

Wonder if I can keep it up?

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At one point in the second quarter, the Raptors had on the court an offensively-challenged group of Jerryd Bayless, Leandro Barbosa, Sonny Weems, Julian Wright and Reggie Evans, prompting one astute denizen of media row to turn around and observe:

“And people say it’s Jay’s fault they’ve got 17 wins?”

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From the department of esoteric stats, the crack staff came up with this:

Al Jefferson’s 34 points were the most ever scored by a Raptors opponent in a game without as much as a single, solitary trip to the free throw line.

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Holy smokes.

When did it get to be NCAA conference tournament time?

Must mean March Madness is coming and that moves us inexorably closer to having to pay attention to draft stuff.

Ugh.

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You know, I think it’s great that Kevin Love got his 52nd double-double in a row Wednesday night.

Solid accomplishment, no doubt, even forgetting for a minute that his team has the worst record in the Western Conference. The kid plays hard, seems humble enough, doesn’t cheat the game or his talent or his team.

But, really, we need to stop this chatter about it being an all-time record.

That’s Wilt’s. He had 227 games in a row with 10 or more rebounds and assists. Yes, different era, different circumstances, different competition.

But he still did it and to couch Love’s accomplishment in the terms that it came in the NBA’s “modern era” is ridiculous. They refer to that “modern era” as the period after the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 and to me, any difference in “eras” only comes when the discussion is of pre- and post-shot clock. That’s when the new era of the NBA arrived.

So celebrate Love, or celebrate love, I don’t care, but we need to stop this incessant chatting about it being an all-time record.

It’s a helluva great accomplishment. Let’s leave it at that.

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Oh yeah, I kind of decimated the mail the other day on the flight back so there’d be something of marginal interest here for you Wednesday morning.

But that means we’re way down on stuff for this weekend, I’d kind of like to get back on a regular schedule so click, write, send and make things normal.

Please.

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The Goods On The Game, Jazz at Raptors

Hey everyone.

Welcome back, feels like a long time.

Long flight. Lots of mail. Lucky you

Okay, I get the whole concept of head winds, there’s a lot of stuff going on 32,000 feet above the planet and I’ve had more than my share of long flights west in North America.

But, man, it taking almost 8:45 to get home from Heathrow last night was a bit much.

But it did give me time do a lot of this so have it but make sure you’re back here tonight at 7 for the IGBT.

Cheerio

(And that’ll be the end of that)

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Q: Hey Doug. Glad you hear you're having such a great time in London. Thanks for letting us know about the different beers, and your never-ending thirst for knowledge. Always a tasty treat!

As far as questions go, with regards to NBA Europe, if David Stern asked you where the NBA should go next, what would your suggestion be?

Cheers!

 

Mark H, Toronto

A: Personally, I’d pick Madrid. It’s a great city with fervent basketball fans, a good arena and another place where they would sell out for sure.

I would think other cities that might get some consideration would be Paris, Rome and, maybe Stockholm, but I don’t know about the feasibility of facilities all of them.

But I’d want Spain and I’d volunteer the Raptors to go.

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Q: Hi Doug, hope you're enjoying Europe. About 2 months here now, and just getting used to looking the right direction when crossing the road. The key is to look both ways all the time so you don't get freaked out.

A couple of questions, one is a quintessential "top 5" list: Top 5 airlines to fly with. You must have some good experience, are there some that stand out? I know it has a lot of factors, say points and service and food, but maybe just an overall sense?

Second thing: you brought up a good point in the blog today about teaching kids to lose? I think this can have a big effect on how a team grows up. Look at the Hawks: they grew together but never got over the hump. Some of that is personnel and competition, but do you ever think they lost so much they just took too long to learn to win? What can put a team over? A veteran leader? A new coach/GM? Roster overhaul?

Keep up the great work.

 

David, Toronto

A: I’m going to have to think a bit on the airlines and put in a regular blog; after spending hours at Heathrow and a looooong time in a jet, I’m not really feeling it. But I will send myself a note to do it soon, very soon.

I’m not sure the Hawks lost too much because their win totals increased every each season for about five. I think what happened there is that they didn’t tinker well each, or any summer, finding a way to make that one move that would have made a major difference. Could have been a great signing to add some depth, another big or something. It also could have had to do with the quality of the teams around them.

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Q: Hi Doug. I hope you are well and the flight back from London was uneventful. Sounds like you had some fun adventures - glad to hear it!

Although it was occurring at the same time as the Raptors' historic Euro-games, do you know if the organization sent anybody to the MIT Sloan Sports Analytical Conference? The area of stats/metrics has been gaining more "volume" over the past years, and I'm curious how much importance the Raptors feel it deserves.

Thanks,

 

Kate C, Toronto

A: I checked and they didn’t.

They do employ people who do advanced metrics but everyone who was anyone was in London. The people who work for them will go over whatever information is available and see what’s applicable.

I do know they were there last year and, in some ways, see it as a job fair as well.

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Q: Cherrio, er, ah, Good day, Chap!

Glad to read about the London (England, not Ontario) trip, but to get back to basketball related things, I have a non-Raptor question. What's going on with Darren Collison? I know Indiana could fight for the 8th seed, but to me, hasn't he been under-performing compared with when he was a starter for the Hornets when Paul was injured? Is he not the best fit in Indiana? Is their system much different than the Hornets? I was honestly thinking he'd challenge for most improved player this year. What gives?

Thanks as always!

 

Josh F, Ningbo, China

A: I really haven’t seen enough of the Pacers to know with any certainty, so take this for what it’s worth.

Perhaps, and I use a phrase I’ve borrowed a few times, we are seeing a regression to the mean. Perhaps as a fill-in starter, Collison was enough of a new look to be very impressive; once he became “the” guy, maybe it’s a wee bit too much.

But there is no question he’s got skill and, perhaps, he just needs some time.

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Q: I was listening to the radio commentary on the BBC of both games (so let's give them some credit) and they talked about how Canada doesn't have a professional league of its own.

How much of that is because the NBA's profile would strangle it with profile, sponsors, fans, media?

 

Ally M, Edinburgh

A: I don’t think the NBA would strangle it as much as geography, expenses and depth of talent would. I know there are people at Canada Basketball who are trying to come up with a workable plan but it’s not happening any time soon.

The NBA’s impact might actually be negligible because I don’t think they’d try to put a team in Toronto, where it would get buried.

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Q: Hello Doug. I beg you not to malign those "mushy peas!" You need to go up North for decent beer and mushy peas! There is more passion for basketball up there too.

Cath D, Kitchener

A: Okay, mushy peas get one more shot. And that’s it. But they still look like baby food.

As for the North, if I go back for 2012, I’ll make a trek.

Celebrating a birthday and an unusual night ahead

Here we go, once more into the breach with little or no basketball and just more ruminations of a wandering soul.

(Not to worry, I’m heading home and we’ll be back to normal in a couple of days).

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Best.

Pub.

Ever.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.

In an alley off Fleet Street – yes, that Fleet Street – built in 1667, a hang out of Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and if that doesn’t get my writing mojo going, I don’t know what will.

Anyway, it was a must-see spot, it’s like a rabbit warren of tiny rooms and small staircases and it just oozes old and something memorable.

Forget that it sells the beer that tops my list – Samuel Smith’s Organic Lager and a new No. 2 in Samuel Smith’s Pure Brewed Lager – it’s the atmosphere and the people who make it.

I’m standing there by myself, soaking up the ambiance and talking to the bartender when a fine gentleman approaches the bar, orders for himself and his three cronies and looks over at me and says, “let me get you a pint, young man.”

Of course.

And that’s how I ended up being invited to the table to celebrate Derek’s 75th birthday with him and John and Roger and Steve and our two new German friends Michaela and Jochan.

The stories are flowing, at one point John starts reciting “If” by Kipling, the old lads break out in song every now and then for no other reason than they wanted to and it turned into one of the great pub days of a life.

Yes, this gig does provide some pretty good perks every now and then.

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Seriously, how much of a train wreck is the Miami Heat?

Coaches talking about players crying in the locker room after losses, players quick to say it wasn’t them shedding tears, an “us against them” bunker mentality with references to going to “war” with each other.

And I imagine tens of thousands of fans just love it.

I can’t believe anyone connected with that team could possibly be surprised by the over-analysis that comes with everything they do.

After all, they made a spectacle of themselves last summer with the over-the-top party to celebrate the creation of Super Friends, they referred to themselves as The Heatles and they have told everyone who’ll listen that they know they have targets on their backs.

They are getting what they asked for and had to expect and, frankly, they are not handling well at all.

And I’m sure most of you love it.

I think I do.

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I’ve just realized tomorrow night will be the first Utah Jazz game I’ve covered in my career that Jerry Sloan won’t coach.

That’s going to be quite odd.

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This happens all the time in Toronto, right?

We get in a cab the other night not entirely sure where we’re going, we’ve got the name of a pub and a vague idea of the corner it’s near in Leicester Square and the cab driver’s never heard of it.

No big deal, we say, drop us here, we’ll ask a local and find it no problem.

“Right,” the driver says, as the meter shows about 5 pounds 60, “just make it a fiver and it’s fine.”

No, no, no. Make it seven and it’s all cool.

Nope, the guy not only wouldn’t take a tip, he wouldn’t take the full fare because he wasn’t able to drop us precisely where we wanted to go, even if we weren’t entirely sure ourselves.

I’m sure that happens all the time in Toronto.

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The most fascinating thing about the London Underground? How far underground it is.

Really.

To get down to the Jubliee Line here at Canary Wharf, you take two escalators, each about three storeys down, to get to the tube.

That’s deep underground; messes up the Blackberry reception but it’s kind of cool.

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When it doubt, always ask an old gent for a nice pub.

Wandering and looking for a respite from huge throngs of tourists, I ask a fellow on the street for a recommendation.

“Right, then. Go down the road, turn to your right, along the way about two or three turn-ins to your left, you’ll see one. Better class of people there.”

Where’s he send me?

To The Red Lion – which had come highly recommended by a fine research assistant/friend back home and a place I hadn’t found.

It was built in 1821, redesigned in the 1870s and one of the few places that completely survived the Blitz.

It’s full of these gorgeous ornate engraved mirrors that, according the blurb on the menu, are there because the local magistrate commissioned them to reduce the privacy of snugs and the activities of local prostitutes.

I don’t think I’ve ever been in a joint that’s had snugs where local prostitutes are a concern.

Check another thing off the bucket list.

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I’ve just realized that tomorrow night will be the first game I’ve ever covered where an ex-Raptor was the head coach of the other team.

That’s going to be quite odd.

(Of course, I somehow forgot Mike Curry so ... never mind)

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This is bizarre.

A guy goes into Lillywhite’s (this big sports store at Picadilly Circus) to perhaps find a Super Son souvenir or something and it’s jam-packed with jerseys and kits and all sorts of stuff.

Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, England, Scotland, Wales, you name it.

There’s one teeny tiny rack of basketball jerseys over the corner, I could see a Kobe one, there was a Gasol one and there was one that really stood out.

Yes, deep in the heart of London, a bloke could buy for 7 pounds a red No. 15 Raptors jersey.

With “Garbajosa” on the back!

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At some point yesterday, I’m standing in a pub that was built more than 400 years ago, there’s a real coal fire burning just behind me and I’m typing notes on a Blackberry and I’m thinking “this is a case of worlds colliding.”

And then I had another pint and BBM’d a friend.

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All right, I’ve got to go run through the shops at Canary Wharf to knock off the last of shopping and then head to Heathrow.

Wish me luck, you know that Air Canada and I haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye lately.

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Basketball? We don't need no stinking basketball

Be forewarned.

There is precious little basketball in here today, it’s more like a series of unrelated rambles from A Grunt Does London, Day 1.

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Disembark from the tube thingy at Picadilly Circus and I can’t find a tent or a clown or a sideshow anywhere.

But it’s a good time to sit and start to plan the day and since there’s a pub every six steps it seems, best to sit and sip a London Pride to figure out the day.

And the day turns into a few stories, several local delicacies never before sipped and a story or two.

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So we’re standing in the Flag and Lamb, which is now my favourite old London pub until I get to more today, and written on an arch between two of the tiny rooms is this:

“To die in a pub is my definite plan, with my mouth to the tap just as close as I can;

“The angels would say, when the singing began, ‘O Lord, please show mercy on this Boozy Man.’”

I’m pretty sure I’m not going to get that as my epitaph but …

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If you try a London Gold Ale at one place, an Abbott Ale at a joint called the Tipperary and then a Doombar beer by Sharp’s at another place whose name escapes me at the moment, you come to realize that Doombar’s the best of those.

All in the name of research, folks; all in the name of research. And hopefully more today.

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Every stop on the journey included a chat with the barman or the saleslady or whoever was in charge and, inevitably, the reason for the visit comes out. A few people were a bit shocked to learn there’d been two NBA games in their city at the weekend (not “on” the weekend but “at” the weekend because I’ve taken to the language over here for a bit) but everyone seemed happy to see a visitor from the colony.

One guy, the barman at Lamb and Flag, recounts this:

“A guy came in the other day and said, ‘I’m an American, what should I try?”

“Try telling people you’re Canadian.”

He’s there all week, folks; today I’ll try the veal.

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Think if I make a sign that says I (Heart) Corgies that Liz will open the door at the palace today? She ignored me the other day.

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Oh, fashion?

Well, I don’t know squat about fashion, as some of you know, but I have to say that, for women, it seems that tights or leotards are back in vogue.

That’s about all I’ve got on that issue at the moment.

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So, a guy goes away for a few days, loses touch just a wee bit, and comes to the realization that now the Miami Heat suck?

Giggle. Giggle.

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Yes, on my walkabout I did say farewell to Liecester Square.

(That might take some googling for the young ‘uns among you).

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I’m pretty sure you didn’t see this but the European indoor track and field championships were all over the BBC on the weekend. And then there’s the breathless coverage of the cricket World Cup and huge, dramatic win for the English the other day and if I had any clue about how to keep score in that sport, I’d tell you what they won by.

But no basketball. Nada. Zip.

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One of the cooler things here?

Names of pubs and bars.

You know about the Lamb and Flag and I’ve got to go to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (apparently Dickens hung out there) but how about this chain:

The Slug and Lettuce.

Sounds delicious, no?

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And always – always – choose the garden peas over the mushy peas unless you want to eat something akin to baby food.

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Sigh.

Sitting at the end of the day in the lobby bar, catching a bit of a break and the conversation comes around to how quiet it was after a weekend when nights ended with 100 or so NBA types – players, coaches, league bigshots, grunts – milling about.

He: “Were you here for the basketball?”

Me: “Sure was. Was a bit crazy in here, wasn’t it?”

He: “Yeah, we ran out of a lot of stuff. But it was fun. I went to the Friday night game.”

Me: “Cool. Not as good as Saturday but did you enjoy the game?”

He: “I’m not much of a basketball fan, but I liked the show with the dancers and the mascots and the music.”

Me: “Grrrr.”

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Seriously, the best part of walking around this city, at least in the heart of it on a busy Sunday, are the places you’ve heard of and just happen across.

Charing Cross, Notting Hill, Covent Gardens, Liecester Square, Picadilly Circus.

All names that kind of resonate for some reason and you turn around a corner and there they are. I guess it’s the same with neighbourhoods in most cities but, frankly, I’ve never heard anyone anxious to fall into Malton, or High Park, or the Beaches, or anything like that.

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Oh yeah, the Raptors.

Well, not sure what they’re up to except that I heard from a couple of people that they’re glad to be back home in their own beds and back to some semblance of normalcy.

But, because I’m still here doing some reporting for a story to come and not back until Tuesday night, there won’t be much live stuff here until we get to Wednesday’s game.

So, I’ll tell you what you’re most likely to read:

Reggie’s coming back, Jay will find it hard to mix in minutes for four bigs but he’ll manage them somehow; everyone will say publicly they enjoyed the trip and no one’s going to know for sure how tired or messed up they’ll be for Wednesday’s game until Wednesday night.

It’s like you don’t even have to be there to cover them, to cover them.

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Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.

More walkabout and some work here today (and, perchance, some shopping because I think I need something from Saville Row) and that should yield more tales for tomorrow.

Then I’m going to sit in an airplane for a very long time and I think I should do some mail so, please, feel free to click here and send something along so I can fill up this space on Wednesday morning.

Thanks.

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A pretty wild end to a pretty good weekend

Well, well, well.

Wasn’t that something.

Yes, at 3:22 it was, by time, the longest game in franchise history and I think everyone got their money’s worth.

Took a big chunk out of my night but what the heck, it was worth it.

And …

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THREE POINTERS

Duh!

Of course he should have.

Of course Andrea should have driven the ball on that final possession of the third overtime because he probably would have been fouled and he might have only made one free throw and we might have a history-making fourth overtime.

But, seriously, that’s the kind of thing relatively young players have to learn and I would imagine the next time he’s in that spot – and he’s never been in it before – he’ll be more decisive and put the ball on the floor immediately.

Tough lessons learned. But valuable ones.

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Mixed and matched

Had to like the way Jay managed his backcourt over the final few possessions of each overtime. He went offence-defence with Jose and Leandro, went small with DeRozan and two guards to spread the floor a little bit and had all kinds of different last-possession plays.

He tried isolations with Bargnani and DeRozan, ran that little mid-post play with Calderon, threw some high screen-roll, side screen-roll and flare screens to get something going.

Didn’t work in the end but when you’re 17-46, it’s about learning as much as it is about winning.

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But …

The one thing they did too often was call timeouts after every Nets miss in the final minutes.

I know coaches like to coach and feel far more in control when they can settle everyone down and run a play but, just once or twice, I’d like to see Jay let them go and see what they can come up with on their own.

I can’t recall how many times I saw the Raptors grab a rebound and be ready to head back up the court only to have things come to a screeching halt.

One thing Butch Carter did more than any coach in this team’s history was let them go in that situation every now and then, to attack a scrambling defence and to let the players try to figure things out by themselves.

Not a bad idea.

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Now the interesting stuff.

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So, was it all worth it?

Did packing up old kit bag and travelling thousands and thousands of kilometers work?

I think it might have.

For sure, as one-off gig, the fans were treated to one spectacular game and one so-so one; lots of offence, no real defence to speak of and as a pure sports spectacle, Saturday was outstanding.

So, yes, in that case it was well worth it. And I’m kind of glad Bryan said in this story that we’d come back – or go somewhere else – if the league wants to do it again.

One thing, though. And, David, if you’re reading as I’m sure you are, pass this on to the right people, would you?

We need a day off between games.

Lets the players get some more rest, might allow them to get out and perhaps do a clinic or visit a hospital or a school or something and, well, it gives us another day in some great city.

You’re welcome.

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This you don’t see every day.

Guy sitting a few seats down from me on media row – and it wasn’t one of the five North Americans, I can assure you that – with a beer watching the game and doing a little work.

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Know who I’m quite happy for?

Hump.

Watching him play the last two nights was kind of cool, he wasn’t too over-the-top, as he had been during his short stint in Toronto. Shot selection was good, his energetic style was well placed rather than simply frenetic and talking to him privately after, you come to the realization that he knows what he is, understands his role, appreciates the opportunity afforded him by his coaches and, simply, he “gets it.”

Hump’s a good kid, friendly, genuinely nice and I’m glad he’s found his niche.

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Okay, I’m a big fan of London.

Great city, great people, excellent sights to see and lots to do.

But …

What self-serving significant world city would close its subway lines at 12:15 a.m. on a Sunday morning?

Really.

We had to run – and I don’t do running particularly well, trust me on that – to catch the last train on the Jubilee Line after the game Saturday because the cab line looked about 90 minutes long. They were tearing down the media seating in the arena so it wasn’t feasible to work there, we had to get back to do some typing before doing some socializing and absolutely sprinting – well, I suppose rumbling might be a better word for my gait – to catch the train kind of wore us out.

Oh, and the nice lady at the top of the first of two escalators down yelling “30 seconds to the last train” didn’t help, either.

Come on, London. Get with it.

If you don’t have that whole thing changed by the time we get back here for the 2012 Olympics, we’re going to have some serious issues.

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Just when you thought you were far enough removed from the reality of home …

Work gets done early on a Sunday morning (I’m guessing about 1 a.m. your time before I filed) and it’s time to stop by the lobby bar, which is an NBA end-of-night gathering place with players, coaches, league officials and some of the nicest family members of Raptor types I’ve ever met, and what’s on the TV?

The Leaves!

Really.

Pucks.

In London.

At 2 in the freaking morning.

Luckily, if you stood at the bar chatting, you couldn’t see it.

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Speaking of the tube – I am getting the lingo down, aren’t I? – apparently they’re about to change the law that made it totally legal to drink while you commuted.

Some of the locals are up in arms about it; personally, I think it’s not a bad idea, especially given the over-served state of this couple we saw coming home Sunday morning, the lovely lady bent over and practically asleep and her consort being held upright by the door with an empty beer bottle on the floor.

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All right, Saturday was a bit of sightseeing, with stops at Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham and Westminster Abbey, all lovely places.

Today?

Today might be a pub crawl, I heard about this place Dickens used to hang out in and how good will that be?

Wish me luck.

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The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Nets

Hey everybody.

Back for more?

A wee bit of stuff off an underwhelming game

Okay, I have no idea what time is here or there or anywhere, it’s taking way too long to get used to the change.

But whenever you get up, this is here.

Have fun, I’m off to take pictures of things before Saturday’s big fixture.

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THREE POINTERS

So, what was it like?

That’s the big question about the game and the answer is pretty simple:

It was like a lot of NBA games.

Yes, it was in a new arena in front of fans with no allegiance to either team but if you ignored the surroundings, it could have been a December Tuesday night game in the Air Canada Centre.

And I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

I wanted, or hoped for, some kind of true Euro-sport experience but what I got was an NBA game.

And as I sit here watching the BBC’s report on it, I’m hearing about the “giants of USA basketball” coming to town and I wonder if the copy writers got a look at the table to see just who these teams are.

The TV report did, however, talk about the “dancing dinosaur’ (aka The Chicken) and showed a clip of Didier Drogba taking his seat so the peripheral stuff was taken care of.

And, sadly, that’s often what it’s about. The show, not the game.

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Oh, the game

Followed a rather typical script for the Rptaors, who got good games from a couple of guys – Bargnani and DeRozan – but nothing much from anyone else and what we’ve all learned this year is that there’s a definite pattern that’s needed for the Raptors to win any game.

To upset a good team, they need about four guys to play well.

To beat a bad team, they need three guys to win.

And when they get nothing, really, from three-fifths of the starting lineup, they can’t even beat the Nets.

And when Johnson and Johnson give them a grand total of 10 points and nine rebounds and when Jose misses nine of 11 field goal attempts, they’ve got no chance.

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A turning point?

Despite the struggles of so many guys, the HOTH were actually in the game, down seven, with about four minutes left.

And then on one possession, Jose missed a wide open corner three and, after an offensive rebound, he missed a pretty good look at a two seconds later.

Nets come down, Lopez hits a little hook, it’s a nine-point game with three minutes left and it’s over.

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More?

Sure.

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Jamie Oliver’s got this Italian restaurant that’s about a 10-minute walk from the hotel and how could we not stop by for a bite on the way to the game?

And I can now cross English Wild Boar salami off the list of things I haven’t eaten.

Tasty, too. A bit spicy, which is great; and not too fatty.

That’s today’s epicurean note.

Tomorrow: Fashion!

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One of the more cool things outside the arena when the fans were traipsing in was seeing groups of kids cheering the spectators.

They’d line up at an entrance in two lines, 10 or 15 of them, and urge the fans to run through the lanes they’d set up.

Cool kids, too. At least the West Brom Albion Under-15s, who were apparently their league champions and were quite interested in chatting with a visitor from the colonies.

One of the first questions they asked when they found out a guy’s business?

“I’m good. Can you get me a scholarship in the United States?”

I’ve got some juice, but not that much.

Anyway, good kids. And they were having fun.

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I guess another day when I didn’t get clipped by a car looking the wrong way crossing the street has to be considered a good day.

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So what about this European expansion pipe dream that’s kicking around here these days?

We had Adam Silver, David Stern’s right hand man and presumptive next commissioner, in town to say it’s not in the immediate future but certainly doable and something they’re investigating (you can read more about it here in Dave’s piece).

I go back to what I said yesterday: Can’t see it working.

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It’s a bit cloudy out here, wonder if I should take my brolly to go on the lorry, pip, pip.

(Yes, am being acclimated quite well, actually)

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Of all the cryptic things heard around London, I think Larry Tanenbaum’s “Bryan has a plan and we back his plan as a board” comment might be the most newsworthy.

The contract extension, or new deal, or whatever you want to call it for Colangelo has been rumoured and expected now for quite some time but it’s not done yet. The Tanenbaum remark was the first public utterance by someone at that level of importance all year and had to be welcome news.

Now, you know I think they should, and will, give the GM a new deal. Yes, this year has been bad, last year was so-so (we all remember the good feelings of February that died with a Bosh injury after) and the first two that ended with playoff appearances had fans over the moon and the team on the rise.

I’ve always thought there’s a solid core of good kids on this roster that just needs some time to grow up, physically and mentally, and things will be all right.

And I think the guy who started the process – going to Ground Zero and building it up – is the guy who should get to end it.

Yes, this season has been ugly, but it’s also been in some ways necessary; there is a plan in place – young kids, financial flexibility, a group rather than one guy to build around – and the quicker they get the future settled, the better.

I don’t know if the hold up is because of ownership issues (is Rogers still in play? Are there other groups or individuals sniffing around?) or senior management issues (a replacement for Richard Peddie must be found) but it’s time to get on with the business of settling the basketball hierarchy.

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I haven’t really glanced at the mail in a couple of days and figure it’ll be Tuesday morning before we do an omnibus mailbag, but click here if you’ve got something to ask so when I look, there’s stuff to read.

Thanks.

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Know why we have to get these games over with?

So I can get on to some sightseeing.

I hear there are some palaces and pubs that need investigating.

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Hey, you know how I thanked all of you for not suggesting the Raptors sign Mo Pete now that he’s been waived in Charlotte?

Well, a tip of the proverbial chapeau for no one writing to ask if they should hire Ettore Messina, who resigned suddenly as head coach of Madrid on Friday.

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The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Nets

Hi everyone.

What's new?

Of time changes, Euro divisions and a new and wonderful beverage

More random thoughts from an idle mind and a guy still trying to figure out what time it is here or there.

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There was all kinds of chatter around the practices here Thursday about whether these games are some kind of test for an eventual European division of the NBA.

I can’t see it, actually.

I think the only thing that could possibly work is a four- or six-team conference over here but I don’t know if there are enough good arenas or TV money to be made or corporate sponsorship and ticket-buying support to pull it off.

And that’s not even getting into finding a way to convince teenage Americans that playing in London or Rome or Madrid is a good thing and not something to be feared or seen as some kind of punishment.

I can’t see a time in the future – and I’m talking about the next decade – when a Euro division works or makes sense.

These things as one-off deals are good ideas, it spreads the game, gives the locals something to look forward too and isn’t a hardship on the players and teams, really.

It’s a fun trip. It’s not something that works on any larger scale.

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But …

Alex English brought up an interesting point yesterday with this comment.

“I think with David Stern’s vision of possibly having a European division, you’ve got European players, at least a quarter of the league is European so there is going to be support. It’s been a slow build up to this but now you can see he support being there. If you’ve got a team in Rome, they want to see Gallinari, they want to see Bargnani, and Belinelli and they want to see the greats.”

Once or twice a year, maybe.

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I can absolutely recommend the cod at The Frontline Club in Paddington.

And Adnams is one fine, fine beverage that would now be on the list of favourites.

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So now I know why they call it The Tube.

You have to see these subway cars, skinny, low-ceilinged, jam-packed at 5 p.m. when you’re headed out from the financial district to meet a friend for dinner.

Kind of feel like you’re in a bullet.

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I’m standing in a scrum listening to the conversations going on and all I can think is:

What do the Brits think of Avery Johnson’s New Orleans accent mixed with a Texas twang and how in the world do they understand each other?

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Hey, Mr. Stern.

If you’re reading this, can you send a memo to Schedule Guru Winick to make sure that if we come back things change.

I know it’s the season and all and it’s hard to pack all the games in but, really, if you’re going to do this again, don’t make it back to back games. Play Friday night here and then Sunday afternoon local time, it’s no big deal at all. TV would have a Friday afternoon game back home and an early Sunday morning game and the flight back for the teams would still land early evening Eastern time on the Sunday.

Makes sense, no?

With a day off in between, the players, coaches and grunts could get out to see more stuff (as it is, I’m having a hard time getting out and about) and you could make the day in between games one of those NBA Cares kind of days where both teams do stuff in the community.

While I think some of the players who aren’t going to go out are being sucks and might simply be afraid of new things, having a day off between games would give them more of a chance to see stuff.

You’re welcome.

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I missed Lady Gaga back home?

Damn.

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You’ve got to see this O2 joint where they’re going to play the games.

Best way to describe it is that it’s a nice arena – just like many we’d see in North America – surrounded by a circular mall.

There’s an 11-screen movie theatre, bars, restaurants (yes, a Starbucks that’s exactly the same as the ones at home) and all sorts of things to do.

It’s going to make the post-game decompression time much easier to handle.

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Yes, we will be here for an IGBT today, game’s at 3 p.m. Eastern time so if you’re thinking about slacking at work, feel free to join in.

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With all the talk about whether the players are going to get out and do stuff or see stuff, I think Jay hit the nail on the head when we were talking about it yesterday.

“I’m sure that some of these guys will want to do something and will probably find a way to do it and I think that’s the way it should be. I don’t think we should do a team thing and drag some guys out who maybe have no interest or who have seen the sights before.

"For each player, it’s going to be something different and I think that’s the way it should be. That way they can go and see what they want to see.”

Makes entire sense, no?

Don’t force guys who don’t want to do something to do it and the ones who stay cloistered in hotels are the losers in the whole thing.

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Blimey.

I’m told by someone who’d know that the use of “cheerio” to start a conversation, like I did yesterday, is dead wrong.

Oops.

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No Kardashian here, I’m told.

Not by Hump, who only talks basketball on the record with guys like me, but I have it on good authority.

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All right.

I cannot get used to the time change over here and, therefore, I cannot figure this stuff out.

I think it’s time to get fully on British time, do this in the middle of your night and start living like the locals.

It’s, what, 8:30 a.m. back home? That makes it 1:30 p.m. here and I’m just getting this done? That’s not good, I don’t think.

So for the rest of this journey, which doesn’t end until Tuesday night, you’re going to see things here at odd hours. I need some time to wander.

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