The schedule may be the biggest thing for Raptors

See that the barebones details of the NBA schedule are out – 48 games in the conference (six teams four times, eight teams three time) and 18 games against the west (three teams twice, 12 teams once) and if you’re the Raptors, what to do want?

You know you’re going to get the Atlantic Division opponents four times each and you’re anxious to see what Jersey and Philly do to improve themselves and I guess you hope the likes of Miami and Orlando fall in the category of teams you only play three times instead of four.

You’d like the group of fours to include, say, Cleveland, Detroit and maybe Charlotte but a lot’s going to depend on what those teams do in the free-agent frenzy that’s going to unfold starting Dec. 9.

Now, the West.

It’s a tough row to hoe regardless but if you’re going to have to miss six teams, you’d hope it would be, you know, the good ones, like the Lakers, Thunder, Mavs and, I guess, Spurs.

Now, if you’re me and you’ve got a very compressed schedule coming (with teams playing between one and three sets of back-to-back-to-back games you can bet the Raptors will have at least two), the big question is which of the six cities you don’t want to go to.

Sadly, that can’t include Cleveland but the six on my hit list for the west are: Sacramento, Houston, one of the trips to LA, Oakland, Salt Lake and, yikes, I can’t think of a sixth.

Anyway, no firm word on when the schedule will be out but by its unbalanced nature, it’s going to have a lot to do with how this season unfolds.

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Promised this to a lot of folks over the last couple of days.

Last week some day, we kind of chatted about best rock vocalist and had Freddy Mercury as a jumping off point.

Well, that list was exclusively male – I guess simply because that’s what I was thinking of, no snub intended – but on the distaff side …

If you were to give me a CD of five female “rock” singers I’d listen to ad nauseum, it’d be:

(And these are purely personal, I don’t have the technical knowledge of the talent to discuss range, vocal acuity, depth of talent, whatever; I know what I like, not sure why I like it; some may not be “rock” but those lines are too blurred)

Gotta have Aretha at the top of the list, no?

Then if you loaded me up, in no particular order, with Annie Lennox, Sarah McLaughlin and, well, how about Maria Carey, for the younger set.

Oh, and Pearl. Don’t ever forget Janis

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Told you to take the Lions, didn’t I?

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So, the NBL.

Know what, it’s not bad at all.

Not sure if I knew what to expect before the trek to Oshawa but the game is played at a good speed, lots of talent, not a whole lot of big guys so it’s a bit different than the NBA and I’d say it’d fit in the middle tier of European leagues; certainly not Spain, or Greece, or Turkey or one of the top ones but certainly as good as the lower tier.

The visit was to gather information for an omnibus story later on this week so I’ve got to keep some of it to myself at the moment but suffice it to say it was a good experience.

Game ops were a bit, well, a bit NBAish and maybe that’s one place things can change but for the quality of the game, the price of the tickets and the overall experience?

I’d go if I lived in one of the league cities, and you should, too.

Of course, I haven’t been to another game – yes, London is absolutely on the list – so there isn’t a weath of experience to draw on but, overall, a solid night.

Oh, and I see my man Mike Evans is back! He got the gig coaching the Moncton Miracles on the weekend – the former coach had to bail for family reasons – and if there’s a better, more genuine guy I’ve come across in the league than Mike when he worked for Sam, I can’t imagine who it is.

Someone in Moncton say hi for me, please.

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Know what I don’t get?

Dudes sitting on stools in public houses screaming at the TV when a call or a play goes against their team.

I can see it, maybe, if you’re with a group of buddies and some pivotal moment in a game arrives.

I do not see it sitting by yourself in a half-empty saloon.

Sorry.

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Okay, kind of went off on this a bit last night at the start of the Grey Cup but some of you might not have seen or read it.

How in the world does a minister of the Crown, the minister of defence, arrive at a national event like that, flanked by two honoured members of our armed forces while others present the flag IN BLUE JEANS!!!!

Yep, Peter McKay, in jeans, standing there looking all goofy.

It’s not cool. It’s not hip. It’s not a message that, ‘yeah, I’m a big shot politician but I can look like a regular Joe.”

It’s disrespectful. To the men and women who serve our country. To the country. I don’t care if you’re Liberal, Conservative, NDP, Green, Libertarian, Communist or whatever, that’s just wrong and his advisers should have known it.

Now, I don’t expect white tie and tails.

What I do expect, if McKay was going to go casual, was slacks, a jacket and, while no tie is necessary, it would have been good.

Yeah, there’s not too much that gets me going. Disrespecting the national anthem and the armed forces would be two of them.

Dope.

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Best part of yesterday?

Texting with a guy I know who knows a lot about the Raptors and is pretty close to the organization and talking about – ta-da! – basketball.

Whether or not they’ll use this amnesty clause on anyone.

No.

What we think of Leandro Barbosa on this team.

Jason Terry?

(Speaking of Barbosa, I read a handful of tweets from him today letting us know it’s his birthday. Happy birthday!)

Who might start at small forward.

I’m guessing James Johnson by default unless Bryan makes some move.

What they might like to do defensively.

Think KO without the craziness.

Yeah, it was fun. And got me a tad pumped for Dec. 9.

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So the phone starts buzzing and the bbms and texts start rolling in around 4:30 a.m. Saturday with news that the NBA’s back and, rubbing the sleep from the eyes, one of the first questions:

Hmm, what’s it mean for me. And you.

As you know, we’ve kind of branched out here a little bit since the game went away and the summer arrived. We’ve got the Facebook thingy (go here and like it, would you, I could use the love), far more pop culture than we used to have and a whole bunch of other sports.

And you seem to like it so I think we’ll keep doing the other stuff with a relatively heavy bent on the Raptors after Dec. 9, okay? Yes, there’ll still be IGBT all the time, question-and-answer things and I have to come up with some video component but I kind of like doing the other stuff a bit so it’s not going away.

Sound ok?

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Comments

[Peter]

Awesome blog! It's SO nice to have basketball back. I like what you're thinking of by including a greater mix, but I'm thrilled that I can wake up each morning, and turn to this page of the interweb and find some basketball, and Raptors stuff. Welcome back Mr. Smith! (even though you were never really gone!)

[doug]

I have to put Ann Wilson on there and a newbie Adele, voice for the ages....something i find interesting about the new labour deal and could be one of the more interesting aspects as time wears on is that in the 1st 2 years of the deal teams have to spend 85% of the cap, and from there on in 90%,...in the NHL it doesn't work as you have teams signing middling and below middling players for big bucks just to get up to the minimum limit....but in the NBA I don't think the money in most cases will go to middling players, i think the above average player will be signing bigger,longer contracts, also this won't allow teams to sit on empty cap space for a whole season waiting for a free agent class, GM's will have to if they have sights set on a couple FA's have salary come off the books all at once..hence why some teams may not use the amnesty clause as some of those contracts may be more valuable on the books....be interesting all the little twists and turns coming up, to talk basketball again, now there is sweet music...

[Nick M]

Re: McKay, ten times AGREED!!!
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I said the exact same thing to my wife (although there was definitely more colourful langauge used), with the added comment of why a politician should even be standing there. I get he is the Minister of National Defence but in that situation I would rather see just the people that actually serve our Country. And, I may be wrong, or it may have been for completely different reasons, but I thought I heard a bit of unrest in the stands when they introduced Mr. McKay. If so, good on them!

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Morning Doug,
Nice list of warblers. If "rock" is the category, guess I'd have Tina Turner at the top of the billboard, along with Janis, Christina Aguilera (whoa, chops!), Whitney Houston and, though I often didn't care for the music, Karen Carpenter had one hell of a voice. Roll out a second line of Bonnie Raitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Patti LaBelle, Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee, and we're cooking!
If it's just pure, pure voice, no matter the genre, Barbara, Celine and kd are kind of in a league all their own, aren't they?
Really looking forward to seeing what the Dwayne Casey era holds in store. It'll be a patchwork year for the Raps, but it's going to be fun to see how it all unfolds. Like every year in NBA/Raptor Land. Cheers!

[Steven]

re: Mckay anger, ten times CONFUSED!!!

wow ... I guess I can just chalk it up to "old man" anger ... you guys get pretty worked up about what a guy wears. Not sure how jeans are disrespectful to our nation, our armed forces or our anthem. Guess I'm not old enough to be really angry about stuff like that yet. I can just picture you sitting with Statler and Waldorf complaining about everything you see with this young generation.

It was a football game ... relax.

Blogger's note: And you young 'uns don't get paying respect, I guess.

[Ren]

OK, Doug. I am taking a stab at it.
You are turning out to be some kind of Blogger.
When do you anticipate going all out blog?
Do you feel like your days as a regular paper writer are on the way out?
With so many jobs being lost in the hard copy field, you seem to have positioned yourself well for the transition.
Are you seeing your career making a complete move to the interweb?

Blogger's note: Complete? No but it's moving more that way

[Andre]

Anyone know where i can read the details for the labour deal?

[jwss]

Hey Doug,

I'm definitely no "young 'un", but I have to agree you're letting your old fuddy duddy side get the better of you. You probably long for the days when men always wore jackets and ties to sporting events. I see nothing wrong with Peter McKay's attire at a football game - and I think his countless visits to Afghanistan and his recent honoring of those who served in Libya show his high regard and respect for those who serve in our Armed Forces.

[David in Oakville]

Hmmmm... I saw Damian's tweet/comment about Minister MacKay's blue jeans last night and I thought, okay.. but really, so what. To be fair, I am no fan of our current government and quite frankly I am in my 40's. I think I get respect.. but what is it about Blue Jeans that has you guys so riled? Mackay was wearing a jacket and he looked liked a well dressed guy going to a football game where he is likely going to be around people drinking and spilling beer.

He dressed the way I dressed when I go to sporting events. I go to church like that too sometimes.

What would you have him wear? A full on suit with tie? at a football game or you would have been happier to see him in a pair of Khaki's? Blue jeans have come along way.. just ask Harry Rosen.

I think the better question is why was Mackay there at all? If he wants to take in the game he can do so as any other citizen... he had no business standing alongside our soldiers for the singing of the anthem.

[John Bastedo]

Will this really be KO-esque under Casey? That was a particularly boring, walk-it-up-and-burn-the-clock style, that would seem to counter the "Transition" offense The Raps have attempted the past couple years (with the success basically tied to their rebounding success on a given night).

And MOST importantly, what about the Pizza promotion! If I'm not mistaken (and I rarely am when it comes to pizza), during the KO era they changed the promotion from "when the team gets 100 points" to "when the team reaches a random number selected by a fan from 3 cards", because KO stifled offense so passionately.

[B]

Do you know the software the people who will make the schedule use?

Blogger's note: Haven't the foggiest notion

[David in Oakville]

One more thing... as someone who enjoys taking in a few basketball games each year at the ACC, I am sure hoping the Raps don't miss the Lakers, the Mavs and the Thunder.. especially the Mavs. Pretty sure the front office (that is going to be hard pressed to sell tickets to see this team) is hoping for a visit from the Lakers too.

My real hope for the year... Nash gets traded to a contending team because the shortened season might just be to his liking come playoff time.

Lets play some ball!

[Alan C.]

Doug, thanks for the NBL love. I was at the Power game on Sunday, a good, back and forth, 4-point victory by an undermanned (8 player) home side. Very enjoyable, including a monster slam by Marcus Johnson, the player in the photo above. The only downside was a very small crowd -- only a few hundred. So anything you can do to help get this league over the hump would be much appreciated.

[TLI]

Doug, I find it somehow reassuring that we're often on the same page for what makes great music, TV, etc... but a top 5 list if female vocalists that doesn't include kd laing really needs a second thought. Love Aretha at the top, though!

For the benefit of the young'uns - the respect thing comes in when the minister responsible for the armed forces appears WITH the troops and the troops are in uniform. If he's supposed to be part of the group, he should dress like part of the group. If it's "just a game" and everyone's having a casual day, the troops ought to be in casual dress, too. But since that's not possible for the soldiers, their civilian leader should "respect" the same standard as they do.

This wasn't just an ordinary guy at an ordinary game - it was a position of honour for a military official who dressed down like it was no big deal.

[james]

Pardon the cynicism, but McKay is a politician who was taking advantage of an obvious photo-op. You can't rely on his signature either.
Now, back to b-ball and not a moment too soon.

[sam]

Female rock Singers - The list is so subjective, and what really classify's Rock singers. I'd like to add Grace Slick - Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crowe and Crissy Hynde to the equation. There are also a couple of good Canadian Girls that don't carry the hype and record sale success but are great Rock Singers; Sass Jordan - and Suzi MacNiel -

The Jeans debate seems might just top the PG debate. While I agree the occasion was more of a casual nature - He was standing in front of a rather significant percentage of the population - representing the government and the country.....I'm a fence sitter on this one.

Can't wait until the wheeling and dealing starts on Dec 9th and we can see who BC can grab to fill the holes on the Raptor's roster. I'm thinking no one significant will be added from the start and it will be a work in progress through out the season, building towards next year - Which can make for a rather long year with a shorten schedule - But anything is an improvement over nothing at all.

[Steven]

Since the Raptors' philosophy is to have patience and not spend on high end free agents, they will have basically the same team that won 22 games last season. As a result, there is a good chance they will finish in the bottom 5 again (not that there's anything wrong with that :)). As a fan who attends games, I would much rather see Kobe, Durant, Wade and James than see the weaker teams that give the Raptors a chance to win a few more games so they can finish 10th in conference. If we're going to be told to be patient again this year, then hopefully we can see some of the top talent in the league from other teams.

Blogger's note: Actually, 21

[Mike D.]

Doug, I'm a little disappointed: no comment at all on the Joe Kapp/Angelo Mosca dust-up before the Grey Cup? If nothing else, it should demonstrate to those disrespectful, jeans-wearin' whippersnappers submitting dissenting posts about the Mackay issues that old guys shouldn't be taken lightly......

[Angelo]

Do you know what this escrow in the nba labor deal is about Doug?

Owners still will retain 10 percent of every player contract and have the right to keep that money if total salaries go over the allotted percentage allowed in a given season for player salaries

Blogger's note: That's what I hear; of course, they gave money back in the last deal

[D-Mac Ottawa]

On the blue jeans thing, I think the combined comments of @TLI and @james above sum it up pretty nicely, in addition to Doug's initial observation. Yes, there is a time and a place for everything, including dignity and respect – even these days. And the day we all turn the corner on bringing that recognition back into focus and back into acceptance, the sooner we'll have turned the corner on that slippery slope to "ah, who gives a s**t about anything"... Cheers.

[Rob.V]

Great to be able to talk shop again, isnt it?
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Okay, is it too early for this:

Bargnani sucks - trade him, what has he done all summer anyway?
Dwayne Casey - Come on, the right move was Van Gundy or Messina!
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So, I'm not so sure I like the amnesty clause in this deal for the simple fact that it is going to bail out teams like the Lakers, Magic, and Mavericks. The Lakers had their run, and the Mavericks might be hard pressed to re-sign a Tyson Chandler (if not for this amnesty).
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The Magic have been mired in quick sand themselves however these teams now have the ability to dump huge dollars and can go out and sign the free agents they need to stay in the hunt for rings.
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I'm not suggesting Chandler was a done deal signing with the Raptors however knowing the trade history of last season, the dollars we'd have to offer, and the fact that their may be a relationship with Dwayne Casey the Chandler camp would have had to consider us if the dollars made sense. Now?, not so much because even with the increased tax the Mavericks can free up salary to retain him.
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I suppose we could entertain a Brendan Haywood if he became available however I dont see how this amnesty is going to help the Raptors. Maybe Bryan can take a shot at an expensive FA knowing he could amnesty the deal if it failed like the JO move (but unlikely given where we are in the rebuild).
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Not necessarily rock however since no one has mentioned her based on sheer chops, you'd have to have Whitney Houston up high, VERY high! (take what you want from that) on the list of singers... pre all the crack of course!.
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And I-- eee---I--- will always

Blogger's note: Amnesty is only available for guys who were under contract with your team on July 1, 2011. Can't sign someone now and amnesty them later; that's a non-starter

[m]

I basically agree on the McKay thing but I think that he and his cohorts disrespect the country in far more serious ways than their lack of fashion appropriateness.

[TLI]

Just reading this whole thread over again -- what's cool about the blog here is that you not only get a great mix of basketball plus "other", you get people who comment on both basketball and "other" in the same post!

Nimble minds, Irregulars - thanks for being a regular part of my day!.

[The J]

I tend to agree with Steven, maybe the Raptors don't want to see teams like the Lakers, Mavs, Heat, etc. but I sure do. With Colangelo sounding like he's not planning on making many moves before the season, our high draft pick in europe, and a new coach with no time to implement a new system, this season might be a little rough. Might be nice to at least get some of the elite teams into the arena. But I guess a mix is best. I know some people will be cheering for the team to tank, but you need to see some close and exciting games just to get any level of entertainment from the year.

I'm going to miss asking questions about how they will run the 2012 draft. Oh well, I'll just stick to asking if the Raptors should try to sign A.I.?

Here's hoping I will soon start forgetting what a BRI is, or who Kessler is, or what's the system issue of the day. And hopefully I can go back to thinking of Michael Jordan, not as the hardline owner we all grew to hate, but rather the man I once saw him as, the inept basketball guy who drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.

[Phil A]

Feels good to have some Raptors news back on this blog!