That certainly wasn't one for the ages

Well, that was something of a stinker, wasn’t it?

It may take some weird kind of osmosis or channeling of past games to make it happen but someone -- anyone -- has to create some tempo in this series or we’ll be hard-pressed to stay awake most nights.

But, I’m not sure we’re ever going to get an electrifying, offence-first game with these two teams, they defend too well, but even by those standards, that was pretty dull. I blame the layoff between the end of the conference final and the final.

That gave the coaches all kinds of time to break down tape and devise defensive game plans that worked almost to perfection for most of the night. At no time during the game did you think either team did anything that was a huge surprise to the other and that’s why we got a grind-it-out, kind of boring game of contested shots and few great looks.

But the beauty of playoff basketball is seeing teams make adjustments game-to-game and to see if they work.

You can be sure that Rick Carlisle and his staff were up late dissecting video last night and they have just today’s practice -- which is always a light one at this time of year -- and tomorrow’s shootaround to make the necessary changes.

And that’s why I love post-season basketball. There’s no back-to-backs, no three-games-in-four-nights, there can be a healthy level of animosity that builds up and the intensity seldom wavers.

I think you can liken Game 1 to the opening rounds of a title fight, teams are feeling each other out, jabbing and running. The real fun starts now, or at least no later than Game 3. And given what happened in Game 1, that’s a good thing.

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Player of the game?

Yeah, guess it has to be LeBron, right? But I’m not sure we don’t have to give a wee bit of credit to Haslem, who played a typically understated defensive game as Miami simply turned the screws on the Dallas offence.

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Oh, this is one of the all-time digressions and I think you might have fun with it.

Q: Hey Doug. This might be a good one for a weekday.  Can you give us your top five fictional novels?

David S, Toronto

A: Well, we certainly can’t talk all basketball here, can we?

Okay, I have to preface this by saying I don’t read a lot of fiction; hard to find the time, hard to find a genre I truly like and, as you can see, I’m also rather old-school.

And, five? Five’s tough. Impossible, actually, but since we tend to the impossible here, why not.

That said, if you put me on an island with these five books, I’d be quite happy. No particular order here, either.

Have at it, kids.

The Great Gatsby

Bootleggers, class races, let-the-good-times-roll stuff? How could you not like it?

1984

It didn’t quite unfold like Oceania, did it? But the next time you talk about Big Brother, ask someone where it cam from.

To Kill A Mockingbird

I know people who use scoutfinch as their e-mail addresses. A wonderful book, it’s also one of those movies that when you’re flipping through the channels, and ou stumble upon it, you stay there

Great Expectations

There are those who think Dickens is a tad over-rated. I, and the people at Olde Cheshire Cheese, would disagree. That said, and a digression off a digression, the next writer who leads a story with “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” need to go work in some other industry.

The Old Man And The Sea

I’m not sure if Papa’s last major work was his best but I liked it. And, really, isn’t that all that matters?

Now, if I had to go to a second five, and I know there’s probably 100 more 5s out there, how’s this sound:
Animal Farm, On The Road, Farewell to Arms, The Grapes of Wrath, Underworld (if only for the spectacular Fenway opening).

And, no, I haven’t read any Salinger or Golding. I know, I know. I should. Must have ditched high school English when those came up.

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Bruins in seven, in case you were wondering.

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Goat of the game?

Well, we tend to rush to judgement but there is no way the Mavs can win even a game if Jason Terry goes scoreless for an entire half.

I’m not a huge Terry fan -- I think he’s got a lot of “look at me” in him and I like my athletes a bit more, um, humble -- so I may be more harsh than some but, really, he’s got to get points.

 

So, we’re less than two weeks away from the deadline to pick up the option year on Jay’s contract and while the silence, to some, is deafening, I guess it does make some sense.

Bryan’s been steadfast in not leaking any information about him, all we get is “all in due time, not going to make it public” kind of stuff but it’s not that things aren’t going on behind the scenes.

I do know that the two men have chatted more than once since Bryan got his new contract and while there wasn’t a formal “interview” -- that would be rather silly given how well they know each other -- they did talk about some specifics.

Anyway I think we have to get a resolution in a week, just so there’s some idea of whether Jay and his staff need to waste their time in the final stages of draft prep or not.

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Remember how I used to love my Macbook Pro?

Remember the morning I had to flit all over Miami looking for an external keyboard.

How about this morning, when I’m working now on Super Son’s personal laptop because mine doesn’t seem capable of holding a charge?

How much easier was my life with typewriters?

So much for the lazy day hanging around Casa Doug ignoring long-ignored lawn chores.

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Perhaps the most significant news out of the night came from Uncle David in his Finals State Of The Union media gig.

He said there’d be full blown negotiating sessions in Miami and in Dallas aimed at averting a lockout and after a couple of smaller meetings not involving everyone have been held, that has to be seen as at least a good, small step.

Now, labour talks and stories about them tend to elicit nothing but yawns from me so I’m not going to breathlessly care about what goes on day-to-day but talking rather than posturing can’t be bad.

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Okay, off day on Friday with no player or team availability so I’m guessing we’ll do the mail for here Saturday morning. You can do the usual stuff right there. Thank you.

Comments

[Stephen]

I knew it, and called it about 9 months ago. Triano option declined. Will now serve as a Consultant.

A brilliant basketball teacher, just not a great NBA coach.

Please oh please let the Raptors hire thier first ever, true NBA coach. No more Mitchells, Trianos, Wilkens. Someone real, with a proven track record, and not a current NBA assistant who wants " a dream job".

Blogger's note: I see your point but, dude, in the name of all that's right in the world you cannot possibly put Lenny, for all his foibles, on a list of people without "a proven track record" without being ridiculed

[D-Mac Ottawa]

@Rob V: Ding! Ding! Ding! Dang! Ding!! You nailed it, dude!!!
Cheers. Go Raps!

[Peter]

Wow, Rob V. with the first comment of the day really did hit that on the head! It's going to be another interesting off season. Let's just hope that there's no lockout.

[JHP]

Well all the best to Jay. In a way it's really for the best. Now the hunt is on for the next victim. I give Jay credit for sticking it out and I suspect he will land on his feet with another organization sooner then later. Of course what becomes of the assitant coaches could be interesting.

[Kent]

@doug. Can't you wait until a game when the Mavs play no defense, allow Miami to shoot 57%, but still win 112-108 to disagree me? After a 92-84 Miami win despite 38% shooting is bad timing buddy.

Blogger's note: "Buddy" is too presumptuous and I'd kill for 112-108

[Nick Kajganich]

I would be introducing Jerry Sloan tomorrow if it was possible.

[Nick Kajganich]

My list.... The Day of the Jackal, The Millenium Trilogy, The Hobbit, The Bourne Identity, and in Children of the Lion any order.

[sb]

Hi Doug...

Knowing that you might have *too much* to blog about on Thursday, I'll just throw this out there and see if you have time to mention it in a few words:

Howard Berger out at the FAN, and M.Grange (tm) in, ostensibly as a co-host to McCown. How do you feel Grange will work out? More basketball talk to come? Did they talk to you about the gig?

Nice job on breaking the story about Jay on Wednesday. I like Jay, I agree with you that Bryan played the card too soon, but I think he'll be with the team for a while still and will most likely thrive in his new role.

Thanks for everything Doug.

[Stephen]

I see your point Doug, Lenny does have one Title as a coach.

I guess I meant to say, lets get someone in their prime with a proven track record, not at the end of a career and out of touch with the players and the game as it is currently played.

Lenny is good people, but his last title, and only title was in 1979. He coached the Raps in the early 2000's. Quite the gap in success, no? Second all time, sure, not hard when you coach for 25-30 years, ask Don Nelson.