Some good shots, some ugly shots and Yu's payday

The sameness to games this season is starting to irk me, just so you know.

And starting to make me wonder how we’re going to write the next 51.

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THREE POINTERS

Time to be assertive

Lots of questions from more than a few people about whether or not Jose should be shooting the ball more because the offence is so dysfunctional right now.

(Oh, and the number of ‘they play better without Bagnani’ comments seem to have dwindled a little bit).

No, probably not.

I think he takes enough shots as it is, he takes good shots for the most part and to ask him to all of a sudden change the way he plays for the sake of four or five games doesn’t make an awful lot of sense, actually.

What Calderon needs is someone to run high screen and roll with because that’s where he’s most effective and that guy doesn’t exist right now.

None of the bigs can do it – none of them are good enough shooters – and Barbosa needs the ball to facilitate his play and the small forwards? Well, enough said about them.

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An ugly look

You know how people are always asking about worst-looking shot and the like?

Well, I’m telling you, watching Ed Davis hoist jumpers is, well, retina-burning at time and if it doesn’t get fixed, I’m not sure how effective he’s ever going to be.

Ball’s on the wrong side of his body, it’s more “pushed” than “shot”, it’s rushed and flat and it’s simply not good enough yet.

Now, I still think there’s some promise in Davis’s game because he’s got great instincts defensively and might be one of team’s best off-the-ball defenders. He may eventually become an accomplished shooter, or at least a better scorer, but he’s not nearly there yet.

But I guess that’s what this year’s all about: Finding out about guys and no one said all the discoveries would be good, did they?

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An old, old group

Now, I know it’s a relatively small sample size and includes only one viewing in person but, right now, the Celtics aren’t that good. They look old and slow – not a surprise – but the one thing they don’t seem to have is that swagger and cockiness they had in all those good years.

They weren’t really yipping and yapping last night, they played a relatively sedate pace (although Rondo was tremendous until he got hurt) and I don’t see them having any chance against the two best teams in the East – Chicago and Miami.

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Some more? Sure, we’ve got some more …

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Remember Yu Darvish?

Yeah, him.

Well, was I the only one slightly surprised that Darvish only got a six-year, $60 million deal from the Texas Rangers yesterday?

I know the total package with the posting fee and the contract is more than $100 million but, really, that salary does strike me as relatively small.

Wonder how they feel down at Blue Jays headquarters, where things have been awfully quiet of late. No, I don’t think whacking Mark Teahan or bringing back Kelly Johnson, Carlos Villanueva and Ben Francisco is, well, big.

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You’ve done well in the mail so far but I need a wee bit more to get me through Saturday and Sunday mornings with no games to deal with.

Some here would be good.

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Hey, my friends at Canada Basketball have some friends in town and it’s a pretty big deal.

It’s the FIBA technical commission that will be meeting here Friday and Saturday and, once again, it’s a bit of a feather in the organization’s cap.

I understand the likes of Patrick Baumann, the secretary general of FIBA; our old friend Stu Jackson of the NBA, and FIBA president Yvan Mainini are among the big shots who’ll be around for a couple of days that include Canada Basketball Night at the Raptors game against Portland on Friday.

The technical commission comprises officials and coaches from around the world who look at the international rules of the game. It’s a big inside-basketball but the significance is simply that these folks are here. One of the big tasks for Canada Basketball for years has been to enhance its reputation with FIBA and become more relevant worldwide.

Combined with the growing prominence of the country’s age-group teams – and the women who still have a good shot at making it to the London Olympics – these are the small things that can add up to big things in the future.

The stuff they talk about is probably going to be a bit dry for all of you – and for me – but that they’re doing it here can only be a good thing for Canada Basketball.

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You know I have little use for NCAA basketball at this time of year, right?

Well, there’s one team I’m kind of interested in at the moment, the unbeaten Murray State Racers.

And that’s got everything to do with Popeye Jones because he’s the only Racer I know and one of the good old-time Raptors.

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So I’m sitting here watching Mike and Mike In The Morning on one of the ESPNs (the tennis is on the usual station) and, once again, I can’t for the life of me figure out why some Canadian all-sports network/radio station can’t do the same thing.

It’s a long show at four hours, gets great guests, is simulcast so people at home can watch while they’re getting into the day and, simply, is good.

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Oh yeah.

Remember how I mentioned in the IGBT that Jose would likely be crushed by the El Clasico result Wednesday?

Well, when he got done dissecting the Raptors game, he did express much dismay at Madrid’s loss to Barca. Can’t figure out how they simply can’t figure out a way past their biggest rivals this year.

And that game … well, it remains the one football fixture I try to seek out; too bad no network had it on down here.

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The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Celtics

Hello, people.

What's new?

Is Casey cooking up something new for the Raptors?

Is change afoot?

Dwane Casey wasn’t saying at the end of a 100-minute shootaround at the Boston Garden or whatever they call it now but there was a sense that he might be considering a starting lineup move for Wednesday’s Raptors game against the Celtics.

“It’s always a possibility,” he said. “When you lose five games in a row, change is good. Get a different look and that’s a possibility.”

Now, Dwane is adverse to showing his hand too early on any game day so that’s all we got.

Whether it’s a move at small forward or centre would seem to be the big question.

While he’s happy with Rasual Butler’s defence – look at the post just below this one to read about it – they might want a wee bit more offence there or they might want to go with a bulkier big and let Ed Davis go back to playing off the bench.

Aaron Gray is expected to be back tonight, maybe he gets to go against Jermaine O’Neal or maybe Dwane goes with Jamaal Magloire for a couple of games until Andrea Bargnani comes back.

Guess you’ll have to tune in for the IGBT about 7:15 tonight to find out.

Other than that, scant news out of the lengthy shootaround. We did hear the Bargnani is doing a little work and should be back for sure during the west coast trip next week and Jerryd Bayless continues to do more stuff on the floor and is about on the same timeline as Bargnani.

And James Johnson’s all set to go tonight after missing Monday’s game with a bad ankle.

 

 

 

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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Same old story and some birthday wishes

Dwane Casey said he didn’t want to sound like a broken record as he lauded many aspects of his team’s effort in yet another loss and who can blame him.

But he has a point and the results may not show this but the train is headed in the right direction.

So …

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THREE POINTERS

The first pressing

We know that Dwane likes to show all kinds of different defensive looks, man-to-man, a couple of different zone defences and he always seems to be changing things a little bit.

Last night we saw a full court trap on a couple of occasions and, in the second quarter at least, it was pretty effective.

What it does is speed up the game a bit, kind of junk it up to disrupt the other team’s flow and the one thing the Raptors did well – and the most important – was get back quickly into their zone to make sure once the trap wasn’t successful that they didn’t give up an easy basket.

The trap, and the zone, got the game at a much quicker pace and was part of the reason Toronto got back in it after getting behind big, early.

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So, what do we think …

Of Gary Forbes after three games, and limited minutes, as a point guard in progress?

I think there might be something there and I’m glad they brought him along slowly, working in practice and shootarounds until they were confident he could do the job, before throwing him out there.

He doesn’t run a lot of high screen-roll yet; they tend to use a lot of the high double-post, dribble-handoff action when he’s out there but he’s got good size, a solid court awareness and once he hones his decision-making a little bit more, he could be quite serviceable.

One play in particular stood out last night. He had a baseline drive that was being cut off but instead of forcing a bad shot, he made a great diagonal pass to Barbosa for an open jumper that showed the kind of instinct you can’t teach.

Now, I don’t know what comes of him when Bayless gets back but I do see him growing into a pretty good player at that spot.

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A first …

Look, I know block-charge is the most difficult call in the game, every referee will tell you that, but surely to goodness is has to be one or the other, right?

That’s why the call late in the first half is the oddest I’ve ever seen.

The trail official out by the hash mark on the left side of the court – and I don’t remember which one it was or I’d tell you – called a block on Jose Calderon; the lead official, about seven feet from the collision, had it a charge on Jeff Teague.

Now, I’ve seen cases where two officials have differed on a similar call but they’ve always discussed and made a decision.

Not so much with this crew, they talked and ended up taking the easy way out, a foul on each guy and a jump ball.

Chicken call.

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And …

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When it comes time to write the final pieces of a writing life, when it’s really time to look back on a personal era and try chronicle it in some historical perspective, I’m sure the question of who was the most influential athlete of a life will have been.

And while I have seen some true greats, and men and women who have had an impact goes beyond the purview of their athletic abilities, one name will come quickly to mind and there will be no debate about it.

It will be Muhammad Ali and case closed.

No one in my life – and I am approaching my mid-50s in case you missed it – has come close to Ali, and I can be sure that no one will.

He stood for something and fought for it and took the lumps and punishments and criticisms and ostracisms like a man. He was true to his beliefs, never wavered and no one – no one – of this time will have the guts, or the conviction to do what he did.

He is a true global icon, he is remembered by some more for what he did outside the ring than the sheer brilliance he showed in it and his boxing skills were unparalleled at a time when boxing mattered.

I remember being a press party before the Sydney Olympics, in a tent set up at the top of the home stretch solely for the use of the world’s writers and broadcasters who wanted to go. The refreshments flowed, the food was never-ending, we had our own private touts and it was a time of high revelry.

And all of a sudden there was a stir in the crowd like nothing I’ve ever seen. Everyone rushed to this one entrance, a murmur went up among the throng.

It was Ali.

And people from all over the world, people who had been close to sporting excellence like no other people in the world, were awestruck simply to be in his presence.

For all that he did and all that he was, it was fitting; the right thing to do.

I barely caught a glimpse of him that day so large was the crowd to rush to his side but I’m glad I did.

The Champ is 70 today and I would hope the tributes will appear all over the world.

They should.

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Right.

Ivan Johnson.

No one’s heard of him, really, but there is a story.

Seems he was with Erie of the D League for a spell last season and he might have been a bit of load to handle, personality-wise. A bit, um, over-exuberant, and something of, well, a bully is how it was put to me and some of his teammates didn’t take too kindly to the way he comported himself around the team or at practice.

One of them got so ticked he got into a physical altercation with Johnson during a practice, a totally out-of-character move for the other combatant.

And if Mr. Johnson can provoke the often-gentle Solomon Alabi to fisticuffs – and that’s the story I heard from someone who’d know – you know his “edge” is a bit too hard.

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Okay, what’s the nicest little joint, maybe Italian with a good bar to sit at, within a short walk of the Long Wharf Marriott in Boston?

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Thanks to the early start – and an early flight which meant I had to sit somewhere last night and get a lot of this done – got to see a fair amount of the TNT doubleheader for the first time this season.

And I have to tell you, I was entirely underwhelmed by Shaquille O’Neal. He seems to add nothing to the panel, no insight, not a lot of comedy, not a lot of personality. He’s just there, it seems.

Now, maybe I saw an off night or something but if they’re going to crowd the best pre-game, halftime panel in the business with a fourth voice, I’d rather see Chris Webber there.

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It’s early but let’s start. Mail. Here. Please. Thank you. And some outside-the-box, non-game specific stuff would be grand.

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I cannot believe I didn’t use this yesterday. Oops.

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The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Hawks

Hey, everyone.

You all slacking at work?

A day that should resonate everywhere

A bit personal here and not a lot of basketball because there wasn’t a lot of basketball yesterday, I hope you don’t mind.

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It is perhaps because I’ve spent a lot of time around Wayne Embry, Sam Mitchell and Alex English – three men who provide a context and perspective to history that I cannot truly comprehend – that this day resonates with me.

It is, of course, Martin Luther King Day and while it may not have the importance back home that it does down here, it is one of those days that should cause all of us to sit back and think.

What can we do to make this world, or at least our little corner of it, better? How can we live our lives so that others see compassion and caring and a sense of fairness and equality that will allow all others to live in peace as well?

It doesn’t just go to black and white these days, at least not where we’re from. The lessons preached by Dr. King back in the day can now be applied to the way we deal with all people of all different races, yellow, brown, black; everyone. We need to understand each other, whether it’s here in Atlanta or in Brampton or in Markham or in Vancouver. We need to live in peace and with respect for each other and in some kind of harmony.

This is not to diminish Dr. King’s efforts to correct unspeakable wrongs of a bygone era, nor is it to remotely suggest that his work is done and things are as they should be because they most definitely are not. There are still subtle signs of racism in our world that may not be as violent or disgusting as what occurred in the past but they are there and I am sure they hurt.

My life, as you well know, involves almost constant interaction with African-American men and women of all ages and backgrounds, young athletes, older coaches, oldtimers who lived through times more difficult than we can understand

Wayne (and you should read this old story I did one time; it’s among those I’m most proud to have written) and Alex and Sam have educated me about the struggles and the impact they had on them as youngsters. They, and others, also know there is work still to be done and they are trying to make sure the youngsters in their charge understand that.

They also have tried to make those kids understand how far they have come, how truly despicable things were in the past and how much men like Dr. King gave of themselves so that young men of this era can enjoy the creature comforts of life that they do.

What Dr. King and those who were with him did was simply to change the world. They suffered, gave their lives, so that others would benefit; they had to know what they were going to sacrifice yet they soldiered on simply to carve out a better existence for future generations they would never get to see.

The true end of their work would come after they were gone from this earth and they still did it.

Someone asked the other day what the good things about my job are and I gave a nice answer about seeing cool things and not having the “sameness” to days that make them boring.

But you know what?

The best thing about this job is the interesting people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve heard about, the perspective I’ve been able to glean.

The very, very best part of this gig is the people I’ve met and how they’ve enriched my life and today – a very significant day for men I consider friends – I realize the best part of my job is I can say I know people like Wayne and Sam and Alex and I thank them for making my life better.

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So, you saw this about Casey and the turnovers and how the Raptors are rather awful at giving up possessions, right?

Well, more than the lack of production at small forward or the gaping hole in the offence that the absence of Bargnani creates, it is the single biggest problem facing this team.

And it simply focus and intensity and basketball smarts that are the problem.

I, and any coach, can live with the odd bad pass, it’s going to happen; even those head-scratching length-of-the-court mistakes that end up in the fourth row are, well, part of the game.

But not setting good screens, dribbling the ball off your foot, committing an offensive foul because you’re way out of control on a drive are, to me, the worst kind.

And these guys might lead the league in them.

Look at it this way: They have a starting point guard who is among the most careful guys with the ball in the game, Jose turns it over fewer than two times a game despite his big minutes, and still as a group they’re among the worst turnover teams in the league?

That has to be the one area that needs cleaning up more than any other and until it gets better, this team won’t.

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We mentioned about checking in to find a Bridal Fair here in Atlanta – never saw so many zombie-ish young men being led around by the ears – and it’s the first convention-like thing I’ve seen on the road this season. But over the years …

The thing in LA

It was like Comic-Con Lite one weekend at the LAX Marriott, a whole bunch of relatively geeky young ‘uns in goofy costumes of their own making wandering the halls, lobby and lounges.

Since I have absolutely neither interest in nor knowledge of sci-fi or any of that stuff, it was, um, rather overwhelming. And if Super Son ever gets into it …

A whole lot of ink

I want to say it was in Phoenix but it might have been somewhere in Texas but the weekend we rolled up to the hotel to find the convention of tattoo artists – and the subjects of their art – made for some interesting people watching indeed.

Teacher talk

I remember sitting in a lobby somewhere – could have been Charlotte, or maybe Memphis – listening to four or five tables of people at a teachers convention ripping on their students, their bosses, their pay and their duties.

And I stopped wondering why some of America’s public school system is, um, lacking.

Oh, and there was the time – for a much younger, different breed of grunt – when we ran into the convention of student nurses in Philly. The kids had fun.

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How good were the Golden Globes?

Yeah, the post-football evening (and Suns-Spurs was a bore for the most part) there was an awful lot of time spent watching them and they seemed to me to be the kind of awards thing I’d go to.

Fun? There were bottles on the table.

Relaxed? There was hooting and hollering when winners were announced.

The Oscars? Way too stuffy and self-important; I now have a new favourite awards show.

You?

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Finally, the usual stuff; hope it was worth the wait

Yeah, well, what’s that thing about best intentions …

Tried to get this done at O’Hare a few hours ago but the wireless system was on the fritz or something. Not sure it’s worth the wait but …

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THREE POINTERS

Not even a record night

So, we’re into the third quarter and we’re watching the free throws and the HOTH haven’t made one and everyone’s wondering if any team on NBA history has ever gone an entire game without making a foul shot.

Pshaw!

Sure they have. And I was there.

It was in the old Charlotte Arena, back in 1996 and the Raptors were pretty bad. When 0-3 from the line, I think Darrell Walker snapped after the game and it’s just one of the Moments In History that stay with you.

Not only was Dwane unimpressed with the one make – Kleiza kept ‘em from tying the record but, of course missed the second – the 1-for-7 night rankled, too.

“One for seven? We have to do a better job of shooting free throws, I know it’s gone south the last couple of games but that is something we can control, is making sure we make our free throws.”

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What’s not to like?

From all reports, and from a short personal history gleaned in regular season games and a bit of Chicago-Miami in the playoffs last yare, Derrick Rose is a guy who gets it.

Great player, great guy, suitably humble and truly concerned with overall team success. His skills, as we saw last night, are off the charts, it seems like he sits back and waits to see what the game needs and then does it with ease.

So there’s that; there’s also what Casey sees, what we all see, and if Dwane feels this way about the kind of kids he feels are good ones, I hope Bryan gets him one to coach.

“I love his game, I think he represents everything the NBA should be about, how he carries himself and how he plays … I can’t say enough good things about him.”

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Oh yeah, back to free throws

Elias Sports Bureau is one of the all-time great things ever invented and the guys and gals who work there are spectacular.

Anything you want to know, stats-wise, they can find out, and in a hurry. A call or an e-mail and you can find out, say, a team’s record on Tuesday nights in February in road games during which they’ve trailed by double digits. Want to know how many times a guy scored 20 or more points while taking 20 or more shots? Gotcha.

Well, the Raptors and Bulls stumped ‘em.

After watching both teams go 0-for-3 from the free throw line, the crack staffs of the Raptors and Bulls were asked to find out when the last time two NBA teams went a half without making a foul shot.

The answer? Well, a long time ago is about the best we can do.

As far as Elias knows, it’s been more than a decade since that happened, even if they don’t know the specific date, and it gives you one reason to remember a rather forgettable game, doesn’t it?

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And …

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Hmm.

Arrive at Marriott Marquis to find lower level of the lobby teeming with people and booths and all sorts of goings-on.

Ask kindly Desk Lady what’s up:

“Oh, it’s a Bridal Fair. Biggest in Georgia.”

Hmm.

Where’s stool?

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Guess we had one of those “instant classics” yesterday from San Fran?

Think you know I like these things to stand the test of time and, I would surmise, that when they go to show that game and tagged it a “classic” in five years, everyone will fast-forward through the first 56 minutes.

Sorry, good game, great finish, classic is a stretch.

Besides, a guy picks the Saints and remains a tad bitter but, wow, the Tebow thing sure died a quick death, no?

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Okay, so it’s not Ray Charles, for sure; and it’s not Charley Daniels, that’s for certain; but …

Oh, and this is from a guy who once here Gladys (sans Pips) do a New Year’s Eve show in the Washington arena and you haven’t lived a sad life until you’ve been in the Verizon Centre with the clock approaching midnight with a party going on and you’re tying a story about Darrell Walker saying Tracy McGrady better shape up or he’d be out of the league in three years.

Oh, the fun we’ve had.

 

 

 

 

Same drill as Saturday, only a day later: Mail now, usual in a while

Here we go again; have at this now and I’ll be back sometime before or after a flight to Atlanta with some stuff from the game.

Deal?

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Q: Hi Doug. Which state would you prefer to live in??? Illinois (leads in Pumpkins and Nuclear Power plants) versus Georgia (the state with the most personal bankruptcy filings.)

How about Sweet Home Alabama as the tune for today? I know the game is in Atlanta but I'm tired of Ray Charles.

Bob E, Kanata

A: I truly have such a distaste for Atlanta that despite the huge edge in weather and all those nukes here, I’m taking Illinois in a landslide.

Cubs beat Braves; Bulls beat Hawks, guess pucks don’t count any more and I’m waaaaaaaaay more Chicago than Atlanta.

Oh, and I never get tired of Ray Charles and Georgia but, for you, how’s this:

(Second-best song ever written about the Devil gambling on something?)

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Q: Hi Doug. Here's one of the rare questions about the Raptors (as opposed to miscellaneous). I like Casey's approach on defense but I saw a red flag on him riding El mago for way too many minutes, using AC instead of the Blur for backup PG and the Pacers game putting in Big Cat for the crucial possession where he ended up shooting airballs on the charity stripe. Any concerns there? I'm no ball player but I have never shot an airball on a free throw. Yikes for Jamal.

Kam H, Richmond Hill

A: Okay, I’m going to try to rankle a few and debunk this “Bargnani played too many minutes and that’s why he got hurt” stuff that seems to be rampant out there.

Yes, he did play 45 minutes Monday against Minnesota and that’s a lot but it was the only time in seven games he’d been over 38 and he followed that 45-minute night by playing just 29 in Washington, a season low until the Sacramento game.

Even with supposed heavy workload, he’s averaging just 35.2 minutes per game this season, which is lower – marginally – than the 2011-12 season. So, sure, he’s got a muscle problem but who knows how it actually occurred; it certainly wasn’t solely because he’d been shouldering some super-human workload.

And Leandro Barbosa is too pass-adverse to be a point guard, which is why they were grooming Forbes for the third-string spot and went to him when they felt comfortable.

We’ve discussed the Magloire mistake enough, everyone knows it was a mistake and it’s time to let it go.

So, no, there are no concerns right now whatsoever.

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Q: Hello Doug. This may not be the best month (year???) to ask you this, but I'm wondering if you'd tell us what you like best about your job - not your profession per se - but your specific assignment of reporting on the Raptors. I think we have some ideas about the challenges you must endure: travel, time zones, the zealousness to the point of outright wackiness of some readers, mis-positioned elevator panels - but what is it that spurs (by 12!!!) you on? Thank you.

Lorie P, London

A: I have to come up with something, right?

(I keed, I keed)

Guess what it mainly is is the variety that comes with the job; you never know day-to-day what you’re going to get to see or write about; that kind of variety and promise of perhaps something unique developing at any moment is the true fun of the job.

I’ve said this forever when I talk to school groups or adult groups or whatever: There is a great amount of “teaching” in this job, obtaining information and disseminating it to an eager class and that fact it’s a new story every day with these guys is fun. A challenge to perhaps find one every day – sometimes two or three times a day – but fun nonetheless.

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Q: Hey Doug. Love the blog. Now that Kleiza is back (and when Il Mago returns), does James Johnson start at the 3 to take on the starting wings of the opposing teams? He would be a 5th option offensively (4th, tops) and Kleiza could bring some offence off of a bench that has lacked an ability to score so far this season? Or would the starting 5 benefit from a spot up shooter (I would think Kleiza is a more reliable shooter than JJ and Butler, who now seems destined for extended stretches on the pine)?

Thanks for making my weekday mornings that much more bearable.

Alex H, Toronto

A: I don’t know what Dwane will do when Kleiza is finally back up to game speed (and he’s nowhere near it yet) and I don’t even think Dwane knows what he’ll do for sure.

I could see them going to Johnson and bringing Kleiza off the bench as the first wing and using Butler in specific defensive matchups but I will tell you this, and you have to believe me: The coaches are not concerned about Butler’s offence, they really love the defence he plays, generally against the most prolific scorer on the other team, so it may not change at all and they’ll use Kleiza and Johnson as threes and fours for a while.

I’d probably go Johnson as the starter in that first scenario I painted.

The Goods On The Game, Raptors at Bulls

Hey everybody.

Hi from cold Chicago