And a few things about the game

Told you I’d get here eventually.

Hello from the under-renovation O’Hare Marriott; can’t find check-in (it’s on the third floor), concierge lounge closed (dang Saturday games) and lobby bar closes at midnight (game better be quick).

Livin’ the dream.

But …

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THREE POINTERS

My fault; no my fault

Gotta love a guy who’ll admit a mistake.

Or two guys.

Look, in hindsight, everyone around the game knows Jamaal Magloire should never have caught an inbounds pass with less than 15 seconds left in a three-point game.

Of course the Pacers fouled him, of course he missed the two free throws, of course the game was lost.

And Dwane Casey took the hit.

“I take the full blame for that. I don’t think they were intentionally trying to foul but I should not have had (Magloire) handling the ball. He was the last big after (Amir Johnson) fouled out and I should have had it flip flopped. I should have had Ed Davis at the top (taking the inbounds) so it’s on me.”

Magloire was equally contrite, he knows he’s a professional athlete who is handsomely rewarded to make the requisite plays and he didn’t.

So, everyone learns.

Casey had a mental blip and Magloire isn’t likely to be on the court in that situation again. Actually, I have no problem with him being on the floor; Casey said they were looking for a quick two with the intention of extending the game and Magloire was the best rebounder available, it’s just where on the court he was that was the issue and that can’t happen again.

A lesson; a tough lesson, indeed.

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End of AC?

I don’t know that last night spelled the absolute of Anthony Carter’s run as backup point guard in Jerryd Bayless’s absence but the rotation was kind of telling.

Needing size, quickness and offence, they when seven minutes with Gary Forbes in the backcourt with Leandro Barbosa while Carter, who wasn’t hurt and available, got a DNP-CD.

As we’ve mentioned, they’ve been working hard with Forbes in practice and at shootaround, trying to turn a two-guard/small forward into a point guard (he’s never played the position) and he acquitted himself pretty well. Nothing flashy, no horrible decisions, no egregious turnovers and in the right matchup, I’d run him out there again.

But until Bayless gets back (maybe on this trip) and to save some wear and tear on Calderon, why not let Jose play the first 10 minutes of the half, Forbes and Carter go for maybe four minutes each and bring Jose back for the final six.

Then in the second half, use Calderon for another 10 minutes or so, get four or five minutes out of whichever Forbes or Carter are playing better and then finish with Jose.

That’d be about what? Thirty-five minutes for Jose? Works for me.

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Where’s it gone?

Know what we haven’t seen much of lately?

A zone defence.

Don’t think they played in for one possession against Indy, don’t remember it all against Sacramento and all I can chalk it up to is lack of practice time and personnel.

I know Dwane’s a bit of fan – it was tremendously effective for him in Dallas – and I’d presume as soon as he can get ‘em in a gym for a while, he’ll get more work on it.

Good way to “hide” guys and a good way to change up the flow of a game for a couple of possessions. It worked earlier in the year, I suspect we’ll see it again.

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And …

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Digression?

Don’t imagine you’ll mind.

Could be the theme of the day.

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It’s only 10 a.m. here, don’t have to be at arena ‘til 4, nap can’t take longer than a couple of hours so where’s the mail?

Yeesh. Send it here. Please.

Oh, and the Atlanta suggestions have been few and far between; guess a lot of you feel the same way about the city as I do. And Sam hasn’t called.

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Anyway, short and sweet ‘cause you’ve got all that mail to deal with; will be back tomorrow with another couple of offerings.

 

 

 

 

The start of the weekend mail; and usual stuff still coming

Hey folks.

Here’s what we’re going to do today and tomorrow:

You have fun with the mail bright and early in the morning and I’ll scribble some thoughts on the previous night’s game while I’m flying from Toronto to Chicago and then Chicago to Atlanta and we’ll have the regular fare up sometime around noon.

Sound good?

(Oh, if you want one more crack at the mail for this week, go right here and do it)

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Q: Doug, when did they start selling seats between the media/officials tables and the team benches? When I was watching on TV this week I thought one of the Raptor coaches was eating popcorn until I realized it was a fan.

Are they concerned opponents might buy these seats and report back to their respective teams? They are very close to the coaching staff.

Tamara S, Halifax

A: I guess it was three or four seasons ago here that they found a way to maximize the amount of money they could charge patrons for great seats right in the thick of the action. And while, yes, the fans do get a rather up-close-and-personal look at in-game strategy and could use it for nefarious means to tip off the other team, that’s not a really big concern given the income those seats generate.

Cool story this week, though:

In a Dallas-Detroit game, I think it was, the bench was too crowded, there were empty seats a couple down (with fans between them) and HWSNBN went down and sat in them, leaving himself a couple of regular people removed from his team. Someone at the league office saw it on TV, made a quick call or text or e-mail to the Mavs and Vince got himself back to the bench. Not sure if he was eating popcorn or not, though.

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Q: I assume that after all the calories players burn during a game, they eat some king of meal not too long after the end of the game. When they are flying out shortly after finishing, are they able to get food on their charter (unlike regular travellers)?

Penny D, Fredericton

A: Oh, yeah, they eat like kings on their charters, plus there’s food in the locker room if they want. Was on a charter one time when they were kind enough to offer me a ride over the holidays and you walk in to find a very nice spread in the middle of the plane – usually cold cuts, fresh fruit, a hot entrée or two – and then, once they’re airborne, a full meal is available to anyone who wants it.

Tough life, indeed.

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Q: I'm not sure if this has been asked yet but when do the pitchers/catchers report for spring training? And of course any news on any pitching help?

John P, Madison, Wi.

A: Not a minute too soon, actually. And a quick check with my seamhead buddies finds out that Feb. 21 is pitchers and catchers days for the TOD; some teams start as early as Feb. 18. No news on augmenting the starting staff, sadly.

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Q: It seems that this season, more than any before, the photos being run almost always feature players making funny faces, or doing something that isn't inherently a 'basketball move'.

Is there any reasoning behind this?

Matthew M, Waterloo

A: Not except it shows the talent level of our photographers and I think they do an exceptional job capturing emotion, which generally makes for better pictures than some guy dribbling or releasing a shot.

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Q: Hey Doug. I recently read on SI.com that Flip Saunders thinks John Wall picked up some bad habits playing summer league games and I immediately thought that it's what DeRozan has done as well. I follow DeRozan and a few other Raptors/NBA players on Facebook and Twitter and he constantly posted videos and all that promoting himself and his play in these summer games/events. He's even recently gone to FB to ask fans to vote for him for the All-Star game. Not a good time I would think considering his scoring average over the past several games and the teams record.

Anyway, while playing in these games over their extended break seems like a good idea to keep him in shape, I have to think that the drastic difference in defence and drive to win that's maybe given him a false sense of how good he thinks he is. For months he's been getting easy layups, jumpers, dunks, 3 pointers, showing off for the crowd and making fun videos - and now he's not, frustrating him and his fans.

I know DeRozan is young and talented and that he'll snap out it and eventually he'll help the team be better, but the summer league thing, while good for a show and charities and all that, seems to put players egos even higher than they already are.

How do you feel about how the players handled keeping themselves ready? I honestly think DeMar came into this season thinking he'd score 25+ points and be a highlight machine and never really thought about being a better team player. Do you think the summer play kills any thought to team play?

Thanks in advance! Love your blog.

Julian H, Toronto

A: I think those summer things were what they were, easy runs with no pressure and just for fun. I don’t think they’ve had an impact on how these regular season games have unfolded or how guys like John Wall or DeMar DeRozan are playing. I think Flip’s looking for some excuse, actually. Wall, and everyone who was in those games, had more than enough time to get back into the swing of NBA basketball and it certainly doesn’t seem to having any impact on guys like Kevin Durant, who played in as many as anyone, if memory serves.

The Goods On The Game, Pacers at Raptors

Hey everyone.

Welcome back.

Shocking news: Bargnani doubtful and "day-to-day"

This should come as no surprise.

Andrea Bargnani is “doubtful” for Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers and is being listed as “day-to-day” by the Raptors because of a left calf strain.

No word yet and who’ll replace him in the starting lineup if/when he can’t lace ‘em up; the choices would seem to be Ed Davis, Jamaal Malgoire or even Linas Kleiza as a minor possibility.

And if you’re interested in knowing how seriously coach Dwane Casey takes the chance to coach these guys in game-day shootaround situations, there was a history-making turn of events this morning, I’m told.

While I was sitting in the office awaiting some technological training – oh yeah, we’ve got something new up our sleeves coming in the next week or so – the Raptors had their usual shootaround at 10 a.m.

It was supposed to go until 11 a.m., when they had to give the main court over to Pacers, but when they didn’t have all their work completed in the appointed hour, Dwane packed ‘em all up and took them up to the third floor practice facility for another half hour or so of work.

Can’t remember that ever happening although this year, 90-minute shootarounds have been the norm. The only difference this time is the change of locale midway through, a lot of times this year, the opposing team hasn’t had a shootaround and the Raptors could stay on the main court as long as they wanted.

 

 

 

Warriors strategy fails, thankfully; plus beating out the 8-Ball

Was very nice of Dwane to give the lads a day off yesterday, made a Grunt’s day a wee bit easier. But it also took away the chance to fill up this space with entirely HOTH-related stuff so …

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I am entirely conflicted over what I saw transpire out in Oakland last night in the part of the Magic-Warriors game I saw.

In case you missed it, and I feel asleep but I imagine the game went until about 3 a.m. Eastern time, the Warriors intentionally fouled and intentionally fouled and intentionally fouled Orlando’s Dwight Howard so much that Howard set an all-time NBA record with 39 free throw attempts.

He made 21, and the Magic won and Mark Jackson’s strategy failed. I think that’s a good thing.

Now, with Kwame Brown hurt and Andris Biedrins only lasting 21 minutes before fouling out, I guess I can understand why Jackson did it but it still rankles me a little bit.

I’m of the school of thought that you play the game the way the game’s supposed to be played, man against man, team against and you try to win on the merits of your personnel, not be cheapening up the game and making it a de facto one-man-free-throw contest. I’d rather Jackson had tried to devise some legitimate defence – various double- or triple-teams, maybe a zone, different looks on different possessions – than turn it into a wrestling match.

Might not have worked but would have been a bigger challenge to his players, and his own strategic abilities, than just hacking Howard incessantly.

Jackson’s explanation:

"I can understand people thinking, 'Why?' but don't get caught up in the free throws. Think about when we didn't foul him. It was dunks, hooks, at the rim. He's a great player. And he's a bad free throw shooter. Giving ourselves the best chance possible, we tried to mess up their rhythm, take their 3-point shooters out of it, which we did. They made plays."

They didn’t make plays, though, that’s the thing. Howard made free throws and that’s how the game was lost.

I most certainly hope this doesn’t become the norm around the league – can’t imagine that it will since it hasn’t yet – because that would take all the fun out of watching the Magic play.

And denying fans the fun of watching Turk is a bad thing, right?

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Mail? Please. Here.

Still unsure how the weekend’s going to unfold here – game tonight, early trip tomorrow (and this icy rain/snow sure wont’ disrupt a flight to O’Hare, will it?) and another game tomorrow – but there will be mail and you have to do your part.

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Eight Ball, Schmeight Ball

On this, the best professional football weekend of the year (I think we can make that claim after three of four games last week were dogs), we don’t need no stinking inanimate object to tell us who wins, right?

We’ve got it right here:

Saturday

New Orleans at San Francisco

Drew Brees against Alex Smith?

Not sure I see a contest here; and, yes, I know people have been underestimating the Niners all year because Smith gets no respect and the defence is great but not really memorable, is it?

Glad they’re playing in the afternoon, though, it’ll make the inevitable power outages at decrepit Candlestick or whatever they call it now less of an issue.

Saints; and I imagine they cover.

Denver at New England

If I remember correctly, the courtside monitors at the United Center are hooked up to cable so in the IGBT drags a bit, well, sorry.

Now, we all know The Power Of Tebow, right? And you may be struck down for suggesting that his time has run out but these are Tom Brady and Pats and even New England’s relatively atrocious defence isn’t weak enough for the Broncos to out-score New England. Right? Seriously. He can’t pull another miracle out, can he?

Pats, but don’t be surprised if Denver covers, it is Tebow, after all.

Sunday

Houston at Baltimore

Glad the flight to Atlanta from Chicago is mid-day, gives me a perfect excuse to give this one a pass.

Maybe you should, too.

Ravens, in a rout.

New York at Green Bay

Think we’ve all learned not to underestimate the ability of Eli Manning to do something magical in the fourth quarter.

Trouble is, the Packers are so good, Lambeau’s so intimidating and, well, Aaron Rodgers is Eli Manning Squared that by the fourth quarter, this one might be over.

Packers; don’t concern yourself with the line, take the over.

You’re welcome.

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Oh yeah, I don’t have a night off in Chicago (boo!) and know a handful of places in Boston for Tuesday but can someone help a guy out with some downtown suggestions in Atlanta?

The Marquis has a nice sports bar with good food and lots of TVs but I’ll listen to other suggestions since Sam hasn’t called to invite me over for dinner yet.

Thanks.

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You’ll notice there was no news about Andrea yesterday, as we expected, and he’s the ubiquitous “day to day.” We may find out this morning about his availability for tonight and perhaps the trip but I wouldn’t count on him playing.

So what do they do?

Well, seeing it’s Indy and Roy Hibbert and David West up front, maybe they go with Magloire and Amir Johnson instead of Davis and Johnson to get more bulk.

But I do think what we’re going to see for as long as Bargnani’s on the shelf is much more of Kleiza and James Johnson joining the front court rotation as power forwards.

Sure, they’ll be undersized but I think both of them have the savvy to get the job done well enough; what a prolonged Bargnani absence truly does is put a whole lot of pressure and responsibility on Ed Davis and it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts.

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Right after I close this umbrella I’m sitting under at my desk, I’m going outside to grab the neighbour’s black cat as it walks in front of me, step on all the sidewalk cracks as I go under the big ladder and get to my car.

Take that, Friday the 13th!

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Hey, you see this?

We’re baaaaaaack.

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A cliche, a return, a tubby D Leaguer and it's Superdraft day!

Kind of tough times for the fans, no?

But there will be more times like these, folks; might best be getting used to them.

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THREE POINTERS

In spite of it all …

Look, they shouldn’t have won that game on the basis of their overall play without question – too many slow closeouts on shooters, too many bad decisions on offence, too little resistance to DeMarcus Cousins inside – but still …

They were right in the game with less than a couple of minutes left – can’t read my chicken scratch to know when exactly it was but I think they were “stuck five” – and it was there to be stolen.

But Barbosa has a three-pointer go in and out and Amir misses a gimme lob from Calderon on two straight possessions and any chance to steal one went away.

But it also underscores that no matter how poorly they function for long stretches of time, if they work hard defensively – and holding the Kings to 37 per cent shooting is pretty good – they might be in a lot of games.

And if they’re in them, they might find a way to win some; they didn’t last night but they might some night.

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Welcome back

I’m sure it was as much adrenaline as anything but Linas Kleiza sure didn’t look too bad, did he?

Kept up with the pace, gave them 14 1-2 minutes of solid play and with doubts now about Bargnani – we won’t know until Friday, please don’t ask a lot – he’s going to be more valuable than we originally thought.

Yes, he’s going to get some time at small forward – sing your hosannas, people – but as we saw last night, he’s going to get some minutes at power forward, too, if the big Italian has to miss a game or two.

Dwane went a fair amount with either Kleiza or James Johnson at the four and I can smell a bigs rotation of Johnson, Davis, one of those two and a bit of Magloire if Andrea has to miss a few games.

And so can Dwane:

“Everybody’s role is going to be a little different, we’ll see how that plays out.”

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You know what they say …

Among the favourite silly basketball clichés, I’ve got “you can’t teach height” right near the top.

But it’s almost a tie in my mind with one that suits the Heroes Of The Hardcourt (that’d be HOTH and that’s about the last time I’m spelling it out for a whlle) best right now. And that’s:

Your best players have to be your best players.

And until DeMar DeRozan starts playing again like he’s one of the team’s best players – and he is – there are going to be more nights like we’ve seen this week.

Forget Rasual Butler or Anthony Carter or James Johnson, they are bit players with specific roles.

DeRozan has to be better, it’s that simple.

Dwane suggested last night that teams are defending him differently and maybe that’s the case but DeRozan saw some double teams and one-and-a-half-men last season when he was the absolutely focal point of the offence and he still seemed to thrive.

I do think it’s one of those slumps that athletes go through and he’ll be fine eventually but until he is again there are going to be continued tough times.

And you know what they say about slumps, to go to another cliché and borrow from the seamhead world:

Slumps are like a common cold. Everyone’s got a cure but they still take two weeks go away.

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And

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Hey!!!

No one told me The People’s Choice Awards were on last night!

Thanks for that.

Actually, had I known, I still wouldn’t have watched because I have them as the most bogus of ‘em all.

The winners know they won – why else would they show up?; it’s more popularity with the general public than I care to know about -- most people’s tastes and mine generally differ greatly; and they’re televised on a Wednesday night in early-January.

Plus, awards shows in general are like bowl games: Too many have diminished them greatly.

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Mail. Here. Please.

Seems a bunch of you took yesterday off; we can’t have that.

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OMG!!!!!!

For some reason, I was in a saloon last night finishing up some work and saw a wee bit of Bakersfield vs. Idaho from the D League Showcase.

No, this has nothing to do with Solomon Alabi.

It has to do with Antoine Walker and I saw Antoine Walker play and Antoine Walker looks like he swallowed Boris Diaw.

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Well, I know what I’m doing this morning.

The MLS Superdraft is at noon and I haven’t worked on my mock yet.

But I was heartened – and I don’t know why I found this funny, but I did – to find out the TFCs had signed some tiny Ecuadorean teen to a multi-year deal.

That’s one of those phrases that I just found cool.

Sort of like Panamanian strongman.

Remember him?

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The Kings?

Man, I don’t know I’ve seen a team more selfish than that one.

It was like they were afraid to pass the ball more than once or twice a possession. It’ll kill ‘em in the end and all I can chalk it up to right now is the vagaries of youth.

I will tell you this, though: DeMarcus Cousins is a beast and I know he has some maturity issues and maybe some anger management issues but if that kid ever figures it out, he’s going to be a good one.

I also suspect, given the troubles he’s had in Sacramento already, that he’ll leave the first chance he gets and teams should be figure out how they’ll be able to make a run for him because he’s got some skills.

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Okay, it’s an off-day for the lads and since a few of you have been asking for more league-wide stuff, we’re going to do some kind of weakly weekly item in the Friday paper (and the Thursday night website) to give you what you want.

It, like the HOTH, is a work in progress but give us a break – and some feedback – and we’ll get it rolling today.

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The Goods On The Game, Kings at Raptors

Hey folks.

What's new?

Can't make a shot, can't stop fouling; things have been better

Man, did I ever pick two good ones to miss on the road, eh?

Figure Cathal’s in with the Tall Foreheads today asking to do more soccer and less basketball because there’s more scoring from the Toronto team.

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

A curious case

No, I have no real idea what’s going on with DeMar DeRozan, who has dropped about four stinkbombs in a row.

He’s getting good shots, working hard on the offensive end, can’t buy a basket or an explosive scoring night.

But the alarmists out there need to take a pill when it comes to the level of over-reaction.

The kid’ll score again, he’ll make shots and get to the basket and things will be back to normal.

Yeah, 12-for-46 from the floor in four games is awful, no question; but it’s not like he’s all of a sudden lost the ability to play.

The young fella’s in his third season, there are going to be ups and downs. He’s in a down; the ups will come back.

And listen to Dwane after last night’s game, he gets it:

“He shot 4-for-16 and like most young players it carried over to the defensive end. We can’t let that happen. There are going to be nights when you’re not going to shoot the ball well and you have to continue to attack the basket and go from there. But again, he’s a young player, he’s going to be up and down and I expect this. That’s who he is right now.”

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Fouls

If there is one thing that’s a bit of a concern it’s the propensity of this team to foul and all the problems that creates.

They foul more than any other team in league – 23.6 per game through the first 10 games – and that slows down games and keeps them from getting anything consistently in transition, obviously gives opponents a chance to score easy points and takes a lot of flow away from the game.

And the funny thing is, it’s not one guy.

In 10 games, only one Raptor has fouled out so it’s not as if there are one or two guys getting themselves in foul trouble every night.

Sure, it’s nice that they are playing aggressive defence and trying to get up into people but it’s got to stop. Maybe they’ll figure it out, maybe they’ll find a way to defend the way they want without the unnecessary fouls – and here’s hoping they learn to set better screens so they don’t get four or five offensive fouls per game – but it better happen soon.

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Time to change?

All kinds of calls for Rasual Butler’s removal from the starting lineup given his recent shooting woes.

(Guess the New York game was too long ago for anyone to remember)

Not yet.

Sure, he’s going bad right now but he’s got to play and try to play through it, at least for the next little while. They aren’t nearly deep enough at the three and I’d rather have him start and play eight or nine minutes each half while James Johnson gets the bulk of the minutes than vice-versa.

Maybe when Kleiza’s back and fully up to game speed you might consider a change but for now you live with what you got and hope, like DeRozan, Butler comes out of whatever funk he’s in.

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And …

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Hmm.

Leaves have won four straight (or so I’m told), HOTH have dropped three of four (two roadies in a rather alarming manner) and it gets a guy thinking:

Maybe the Pro Sports Gods have decreed that only one of the Maple Leaf Sports teams can be good at one time?

Kinda sucks for the soccer and the minor pucks, neither of whom may ever be going well under my theory, but it makes as much sense as anything, right?

Gives one group of fans a chance to crow; gives another group of fans a chance to practice their angst and what’s better for a city than one up and one down? Covers all emotions and makes sure guys and gals in the media have both good and bad to talk about daily.

Works for me.

Speaking of …

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Teee-boooowwwwwww!

(Just haven’t done it in a couple of days, that’s all).

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Yeah, it’s that time again.

And, again, with games Friday and Saturday, not sure when the mail’s actually going to get done this weekend but it will.

So send stuff here, okay?

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Every month I curse Rogers when I have to give them so much money but credit where it’s due.

You know me and the Oshawas of the National Basketball League: I think they’re in tough in a difficult market with a good product not enough people are taking the chance to see.

Well, if you read this, you’ll see they're getting some help from Rogers to get people in the building later this month and it’s a good thing.

I still say you people in those NBL cities should give your teams a chance and the way to build awareness of the league isn’t through guys like me; it’s through local deals that speak to local fans through the local media and give Oshawa some credit for a unique idea.

Get tickets, folks out there; I bet you go back a second time.

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Yes. IGBT tonight. Be here about 7; come for the hoops, stay for the surprise appearance by The Most Beautiful Woman Ever.

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The usual Raptors fare and debating Barry Larkin a bit

The game as far too choppy thanks to whistle-happy referees and their ticky-tack fouls but the result makes up for it for those who really care, right?

THREE POINTERS

That didn’t take long

First possession of the game, the HOTH run a play that gets DeMar DeRozan going to the basket – he missed a layup before Amir Johnson got a put-back – and, yes, it was entirely by design.

Dwane Casey knows, DeRozan knows and you know and I know that DeRozan’s far more effective attacking the basket than shooting 3s and it was a not-at-all-subtle message, according to the coach.

“He’s capable of making the threes but he’s smart enough to know when to take them and when not to take them. I don’t think he’s fallen in love with them but he can’t forget attacking the basket, attacking the basket. It’s one of the reasons why I ran the first play the way I did, so he could attack the rim and try to get to the free throw line.”

DeRozan ended up just 3-for-11 from the field, he missed all three three-pointers he took and he only shot three free throws – half as many as Amir Johnson, a third as many as Andrea Bargnani – but it’s at least a step in the right direction.

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Gotta like the way he thinks

Andrea Bargnani logs 45 minutes – and he had to since no one else was really scoring besides him and Amir – and, sure, it’s a toll, especially with three games in three nights but you know what?

Who cares?

Not him, as he told his personal chronicler, the Lovely and Talented Adriana, after the game:

“I’m not worried. If I can’t do it now that I’m still young, when can I do it.”

Fine attitude, actually. Yes, it’s going to be tough to get back up to full speed tonight and maybe it’ll be harder on Wednesday but the kid’s only 26 and it’s not like he had to fly commercial coach and stay in some fleabag motel overnight without the massage therapists, trainers and nutrionists to help him out.

And if you’re Dwane Casey – or any coach worth his pricey Windowpane suit and per diem – you coach every game to win and how cares about tomorrow? Would it have been better and cut Bargnani to, say, 38 minutes and lose and still have to lay Tuesday and Wednesday? I say go for it every night and see what happens; maybe someone else steps up Tuesday and Bargnani only has to play 36 minutes.

Take your shot when you get your shot. That’s the way to do things.

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Switch it up?

I know it might only be for a couple of games, maybe three, but it might be time to consider letting Leandro Barbosa run the team as the backup point guard for 10 or 12 minutes a night until Jerryd comes back.

They really aren’t getting much of anything from Anthony Carter and Barbosa’s ability to at least present some coverage issues running high screen and roll might allow the second unit to do a bit more damage.

And if you can eke out six or seven minutes a night for Gary Forbes at the two – taking the time Carter would be on the floor – maybe it gives that guy a boost of confidence.

Of course, this is only until Bayless gets back – and I’m guessing Friday or Saturday – but maybe it’s something that should be looked at.

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And …

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Okay, I’m far from an expert – as one or two of you have reminded me since about the middle of the summer – but I gotta say …

Barry Larkin was a fine baseball player, solid numbers, on good teams, won titles, lots of individual accolades and if the learned colleagues in the BBWAA have deemed him a Hall of Famer who am I to argue.

Look at it this way, though: I’m not sure many of us, or many of you, watched Larkin during his career and thought “I’m watching a Hall of Famer.”

Maybe some did, maybe he was that good and I just wasn’t paying close enough attention.

But look at this, this way:

Every time I saw Jack Morris pitch a big game, he was other-worldly. And I thought almost every time, “man, that’s a Hall of Famer.”

Just sayin’

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Stevie Boy Russell isn’t the only brilliant guy we’ve got on staff with a camera in his hands.

Richard Lautens does outstanding work as well – you can see a lot of it here – and I don’t think there’s any question that basketball lends itself to photographic excellence far more than any other professional sport.

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No, I haven’t forgotten about the IGBT chatter on TV commercials; just need a day or two to do some research and find a morning where 800 of the planned 1,000 or 1,100 words are taken up with game minutia.

But just in case you'd forgotten this thespian effort.

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I don’t know Dwane Casey’s political bent, or if he’s at interested in the shenanigans that go on involving elected leaders but I bet he would have liked to have been at the White House yesterday with the Mavs to meet Obama.

Maybe not as much as he liked coaching a win but, just the same, when you get to meet a fellow of that stature, it’s got to be pretty good.

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The verdict on Ricky Rubio?

Still fun to watch but certainly not at his highest creative level.

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Of all the ridiculous things in North American sport – and the list is long – the one thing that might be the most ridiculous is NCAA football.

I don’t watch an awful lot but bowl season used to be kind of good, one on New Year’s Eve and a handful on New Year’s Day and it was at least destination viewing.

Now? Now they play one game sometime in early January between teams that haven’t had a game for more than a month and it’s supposed to determine some kind of paper champion?

Not only did the game suck – or so I’m told by people who know these things – but the lower ranked team won and is now No. 1 despite splitting two games, neither of which was a playoff game, over the course of the season.

Aside from all the other stuff wrong with that sport – and we don’t have to get into it right at the moment – that’s downright stupid and turning the sport, for me and a lot of others, I imagine, entirely irrelevant.

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Oh yeah.

Some real life things have popped up at the last minute – and Cathal was scheduled to do the game all the time – so I’m sitting out tonight’s titanic struggle between the HOTH and the Winless Wiz.

Real life things and I’m not sure I’d be able to handle the angst and anger should the locals lose.

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The Goods On The Game, Timberwolves at Raptors

Hey, you folks miss me on Saturday?

Nah, didn't think so.

Anyway ...