No sense getting worked up about the one big hole

Yeah, sorry I’m late. Some hotel issues and I hate technology.

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There is all kinds of angst, and there has been all season, about Rasual Butler and what’s going on with the small forward spot with the Raptors.

But to listen to Dwane Casey, as we did yesterday when he was asked about him, there isn’t a lot of concern among those with the team.

Here’s what the coach said when it was mentioned that fans may be a bit worried:

“They see the wide-open threes and again, he’s hung his hat on his shooting and he’s still an excellent shooter and for some reason he’s in a three-point slump and for us the advantage is his defence. He’s done an excellent job on some threes in the league and some twos and some ones … I always believe a shooter never forgets how to shoot the ball. Whether it’s legs or whatever it is, I know it’s like swimming, he’s not going to forget how to do it.”

So there you have it from the guy who matters.

And I’ll just add this:

Butler is, quite simply, a placeholder. He’s like one of those seat holders at the awards shows, a guy who’s around for a short period and keeping a spot warm until the real guy either gets here or gets back.

We’ve known from the very start of training camp that small forward was going to be an issue. There isn’t anyone on the roster that can play the spot like it should be played – with a combination of good shooting, the ability to defend, the skills to break his man down off the dribble – and it’s probably going to be like that for the entire season.

It’s not the best situation by any stretch of the imagination but it is what it is and it’s probably not going to change until the start of next season and everyone connected with team knows that and accepts that.

The only thing I’d like is to see Butler perhaps pass up some of the shots he’s not making but it’s hard for a veteran to find himself wide open and not let fly.

But to complain really misses the point: There’s not a better option right now, it’s a glaring hole that has to be filled but it’s not going to get filled with a keeper until either the draft or the summer.

Sucks, but that’s what this season is, really: a seat-holder kind of season and that’s the biggest and best seat in the house that’s just being kept warm.

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We’ll have a lot more on this tomorrow and Friday (I’m trying to parcel out items on a rather busy week and have Nothing But Net to think about) but if you saw the NBA’s survey of GMs (something they do annually) you saw that Jonas Valanciunas was the pick as the “best international player not in the NBA.”

Nice, I guess. But nothing to get too worked up about, actually.

Yes, Valanciunas is good, he’s a 7-footer with solid skills – good footwork, a good work ethic, he’s big and mobile – but he’s also a kid who hasn’t had so much as an NBA practice, let alone a game.

I have no doubt that he’s going to be a good NBA player for all those skills we just mentioned but to suggest he’s the best international player not in the NBA right now is a bit of a stretch.

I would imagine there’s an older guy over there with a bit more savvy (hello, Milos Teodisic!) who might be able to more quickly assimilate himself into the deepest league in the world.

But it is a feather in Valanciunas’s cap – and a nod to the Raptors for drafting him – that some GMs think he’s got some promise.

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Boston?

Sure, why not?

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I’m reading the dispatches about the big pucks game up in the nation’s capital last night – sorry for bringing it up, Leaves fans – and one thing strikes me as quite odd.

And it’s this:

Don’t teams have to be, you know, good before you can have a “rivalry” that matters?

I guess it makes good copy and is a cool way to get into a story to suggest there is something significant about a game between two teams from the same area playing a relatively meanlngless game in the middle of a regular season but, really.

A rivalry has to be with something on the line and between teams that are contending for something, doesn’t it?

Battle of Ontario?

Yawn.

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So, what’s up with the Celtics?

These guys don’t lose five in a row, they certainly aren’t 4-8 and there’s never a question about whether they will be there in the end.

Except this year.

Talked to a couple of scouts over the past few days and all they say is that it’s simply age. Boston’s best players – particularly Kevin Garnett – are just older and slower and don’t have the same juice any more.

You could have seen this coming and it was probably worth it seeing what’s gone on with the franchise since 2007 but it’s kind of weird to see a team that was so good get so ordinary so relatively fast.

But what do you think? They knew the window would be small when they made the KG and Allen moves five years ago. Was it worth it?

Would you take what they’ve had for five seasons knowing the fall would be quick and dramatic?

Or would you rather have a team that was good, maybe not great but good, for those five years and the next five? A team that was a contender, but not a favourite, every year?

I would.

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Mail. Please.

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The other night, in Atlanta after the game, was on a stool and ended up ordering one of the all-time good bar appetizers.

It was kettle chips with a blue cheese sauce, crumpled blue cheese, bacon, finely diced tomatoes and some slivers of onions.

A great stool snack and it got me thinking.

What’s the best you can order when you have either a conversation going on or some work to finish and you don’t want a sit-down meal.

And I came up with …

Natchos.

Easy to pick at, not all that messy but they must have either beef or chili or something on the top. And you can hold the guacamole, thank you very much. But the jalapenos and sour cream are fine.

Fried things

Cheese, vegetables, whatever. Put five or six brown things on a plate and I’m okay. Nothing that needs a knife and fork, though.

Blue cheese chips

I tell ya, they were outstanding.

Wings

Hot, not too hot and not too saucy but …

Cheese fries

You know the kind? Regular fries with a nice hot cheese sauce drizzled over them, toss in some tomatoes, maybe, and some beef and it’s pretty darn good.

Vegetables and dip

Nah. Fooled ya.

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Comments

[sam]

Hey Doug, My Morning routine thrown for a loop. No Blog to read with my morning coffee and I had to clean a foot of snow out of my driveway. Happy Wednesday irregulars. . . .
For sure you would take 5 years of winning basketball, constantly challenging for the title. But could you put up with KG's oversized ego for that long?

[Rob.V]

Anyone else pick up their free Raptors tickets from MLSE this morning? Just wanted to give credit where credit was due. Apparantly they have added this as a value add to season seats holders this year and it was a nice surprise to be offered an extra pair of tickets to 4 games this season.
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I mean, thats just what I was looking for... an opportunity to share 4 more losses with loved ones this season. I guess misery loves company.
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Seriously though, they didn't have to do that, so it is very nice that they are looking to take care of their season seat holders.
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Having said this though, it did get me thinking about the losses and if I preferred watching this years squad (which cannot score without Andrea), or last teams squad that would score however get beat 150-145 on most nights.
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The answer? Definitely this years team.
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Is it just me or do the losses seem somehwat acceptible given the fact that they play defense and are working hard? It's strange because it actually feels that the team has turned the corner... even without the positive results.... or I suppose I could just simply be crazy!!! lol!
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Re: Shaq from a day or two ago. He's a naturally funny guy but lets not forget he's a rookie in this arena. Lets give him a season behind the camera to get comfortable, then see what we have.

[JHK]

You should eat your vegetables Dougie...

[RR]

I'd take what the Celtics have had in a heartbeat! Nobody remembers the good teams who didn't win anything, people will remember that team.

Maybe I'll change my mind if they really do stink for the next 5 years but that's a pretty big assumption at this point considering we're only 12 games into their first down season.

[Dave]

I live in an area where I listen to a lot of Ottawa news and radio stations. If you will allow me to generalize, I would say that Ottawa has an inferiority complex to Toronto in many ways, not only sports. After listening to many radio morning show hosts they seem like the jealous step-sister. A few years ago the two pucks teams met in some early round of the playoffs and it was so over the top that I came close to turning off the morning radio on my drive to work.

I am not sure if this is reflected in the population or just the media. Last evening's sports on the people's network (CBC) the sports reporter was talking about the injuries and already making excuses for the Senators even before the game was played.

As for Jonas Valanciunas, I am concerned about the expectations and pressure on this guy. He has become a hero in Lithuania with many demands on his time that it brings. He is being promoted as the saviour of the Raptors and with this recognition by the GMs the pressure on him will be great. When he arrives and can't hold his position in the post, turns the ball over and struggles to defend and score, the fans and media will not take any pity. A tough position for a very young kid.

[Andrew H]

Which of those questions were you answering "I would" to?

[Diego]

So Doug - you'd take 10 years of the Hawks over five years of the Celtics?

[SEAN]

I just gained weight reading that. EIther way, my favourite bar food is "Thai Chicken Bites" at Boston Pizza. I know, not a real "bar", but when we want to catch the Raps its always a good place to watch (minus the leaves fans going nuts). Add to that a pint of Rickards White, or a double shot of Johnny Black on the rocks and you can't really complain.

I wrote in another forum how the hype surrounding JV is kind of unprecedented in Raptors history. We have a whole year and a bit to drool over someone who hasn't played one game yet. There will be an immense pressure I feel from the fans (not the brass) to perform straight out the gate. How he handles that pressure is something that intrigues me. Great blog Doug!

[Al]

Keep crapping on the Leafs Doug... but at least they are within sight of the playoffs.

[Mike D.]

I'm not sure a 6-5 180-pound guy like Milos Teodosic would ever be the Raptors' centre of the future. And he's 24 years old, so he's probably stopped growing. :) :)

With respect to future articles, I would love to see something lengthier on the Gary Forbes PG experiment, particularly how it even occurred to the coaching staff that a 6-7 swingman might make a good PG. Smitch did occasionally use Rasho as a point centre, but I believe there was at least an entry pass involved there.

[onemanweave]

Rasual Butler is in a shooting slump. Our foul shooting sucks; so does our outside shooting.
Time to add Dave Hopla to the staff and I know any thinking basketball follower would agree. Under Hopla's eagle eye, the Raps were a good three-point team and their foul shooting, led by Jose, was excellent.
Every PGA player has his own shot coach. Our Toronto Raptors need and deserve no less.

[Nick]

Doug, I am complaining when Butler or whoever takes a dumb shot and disrupts the flow of another Raptor who is hot at the time. A couple of games as I can recall where either Bargs or DeRozan were hot and then they just stopped going to them. That's also a coaching flaw.

Then there were a few occasions where Butler would jack up a shot with 15 seconds to go on the shot clock. I don't mind if he misses on a good possession but to play silly and knowing your shot is not great does not set an example for the young squad.

Doug, I've heard them (Coaching staff) say that the squad is struggling on the offensive end because of the focus on defence. How is this possible when they keep turning over the ball, don't make free throws, missed layups, or selfish plays?

[Bill]

Doug, the Leafs/Sens are finally playing for something these days...playoff berths. It's ok to be negative when their play justifies it, but let's face it, this year the Leafs are exciting and the Raps are well....yawn ;)

[DannyFromFreddy]

Doug, I had "more than a feeling" that you would post a Boston song on the Blog today. It's been a "long time" since I listened to Boston so thanks for giving me "peace of mind" by posting the link for this "smokin" "rock and roll band".

[Billy Biroux]

You know your shots at hockey are getting embarassing.
You say people yawned over the Battle of Ontario?
Are you serious?

TV ratings for the Leafs Sens were probably bigger then the last 10 Raptor televised games combined.
But of course nobody ever mentions this.
Can't try to ruin the myth that the Raptors are a major team in Toronto can we?

And I mean if the Leafs Sens are a yawn, what would you call a basketball game?
Because while you'll never admit it being a basketball cheerleader and all, but nobody, I mean nobody, outside of you and your thirteen readers would care if the Raptors disapperared tomorrow morning.
Luckily all the basketball apologists in the media would never dare say this.
But its true.

Blogger's note: And yet you seem to take a lot of your time reading and writing. I, and the 13 readers, are truly blessed.

[David in Oakville]

Bloody hell Doug, walked right into the kettle chips and blue cheese sauce and now I have a full on craving and I am desk bound today with an apple and granola bar for lunch.. thanks.

Natchos... good choice. There is a bar here in Oakville that once had (perhaps still does) natchos made from parsnip chips.. awesome. You have to admit though, it is really hard to find good pub natchos. Natchos can go bad real fast and it takes some talent and care to make them good.

For me, tempura anything (especially sweet potato) or chinese dumplings (potstickers).

I wonder what Jose would suggest if you asked him, he being of the spanish small plates persuasion.

[Cluck Kent]

Food glorious food! That's my list! I might only add that they are even better when you have that entire selection to choose from. I'm also a big fan of the deep fried dill pickle, the deep fried cheese stick and gosh, what else can you deep fry? But I would trade them all for the very tasty buffalo shrimp (deep fried of course!)

Here's a question, esteemed sage, why would a body crave all this deep fried coronary in the making when they are soooooooooooooooooooo bad for you?

Blogger's note: Because they're tasty. And traditional

[The J]

I wonder if the fans would be less annoyed by Rasual Butler, if Derozan was playing up to snuff. It's one thing to have a weakness at the 3, especially as we all expected it, but it's another when both wings are useless. Almost makes you miss Sonny Weems. Almost.

I would take the last 4 seasons of the Celtics in a heartbeat. One championship, a season where they had what it takes but an unfortunate injury to KG, and then a run to finals where they come as close to winning as you can. I still think if they didn't trade Perkins last year they could have made another run. The Heat couldn't touch the Celtics until after that trade, and we all saw how far they went. I don't see the big 3 disappearing in the 4th like Lebron did when he got to the finals. Not to mention when the rebuild starts, at least you have Rondo to work around, and maybe some veterans to trade to bring back some peices.

[J]

@ Billy,

Thanks for a good afternoon laugh! Bet you keep coming back to read more about the sport you hate so much!

[Penguin]

Doug, honestly, all or at least most of us love reading your blog, your stories, and enjoy listening to you on the radio from time to time. We'd hate to lose you to a coronary. For heaven's sake avoid that list of bar appetizers! Or at least develop a workout regime to offset it somewhat.

As for the Celtics, and it's hard to feel sorry for them, don't most well-managed teams gradually transition out there maturing players while they still have value. At the least, why wasn't Allen or KG traded? How much do they miss Big Baby Davis who they allowed to walk?

[Keith]

Totalyy agree about the pucks, Doug. BORING!!!!! I turn on a hockey game if I am having trouble sleeping. Guaranteed to be out cold in under 5 minutes!

[Lorie]

Hello Doug,
So, based on years of research (let's call it that, shall we?) I say, save the salad, spare the soup, and bring on a little somthing (preferably potatoes, bread or nachos) that's been prepared using a minimum of four cheeses that you can, if you wish (and I always do), be additionally dipped into a side made with a minimum of four cheeses. Bacon, sour cream, sauteed veggies are decent add-ons, but you've absolutely got to keep it to something that can be eaten without having to use both knife AND fork - you've got to keep one hand free for other things. You know, the beverage. :)

[Paul B]

DEEEEEP, FRIIIIEEEEDDD, PIIIIIckles!! in the the tone of "ice cold beer" from roger's centre.

[GM]

You know you're going to attract more hockey puck readers now that you're a general sports blog, right? Which is why it's silly to call it such a thing when the primary focus is basketball.

[doug]

nachos at Joe Kool's the best bar food going....as far as the Celts go, to me Ainge dropped the ball (pardon the pun), he had hard decisions to make last year about this core group but instead he moved other players such as Perkins.Baby Davis etc...Garnett's game was obviously starting to slide a couple years ago, he stuck with this group for too long, and it shouldn't be a all or nothing proposition, good GM's move parts and keep their teams competitive, bad GM's such as Dumars just move parts...so the Celts are what they are, are they this bad, no, are they as good as their championship year no not even close....their fair to middling which in NBA vernacular means your going nowhere...