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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Comments

[JHP]

Good Morning. Over the years it appears the Raptor's usually have at least 4 guy's banged at any given point in time and with the compressed schedule that seems to be the case this year. So we start with 15 - 4 gives us 11. Alabi is slowly playing his way off next years team and that gives us 10. Now if you factor in the short term rentals that seem to be rather offensively challanged that leaves the coach with 6/7 bodies to work with. I guess staying close in games is the best we can hope for. By the way has any seen or heard from BC these days or has he taken the winter off ?

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:

Your mail link just takes us back to the top of the blog - not that that matters - I think I can find the mail link on my own!

[Alan C.]

Doug, it seems to me that the Raptors do not run a fundamental part of the offence very well -- the high screen and roll. I watched for it specifically yesterday, and found that most of the time, either the screen was set too low, or it was moving (and called), or the guard was early in his movement. Now Teague did an excellent job getting above it, but the guard didn't react well to that, either, continuing with the play instead of cutting the other way. And when the big did break open, the guard often was not even looking for him (a fault I've seen -- as a former big -- in many NBA games). It's like they waste 6 or 7 seconds in a 'pro forma' part of the offence. This is not the only game I've seen this in, either. How can they be so poor in something so fundamental, or am I missing something?

[Alan C.]

Wow. I was looking at the scoreboard for yesterday, and of 22 teams playing, only 6 broke 100. Nine were in the 80's or below, and one game finished 73-70. Are we in a new era of defence, or are teams reacting to the condensed schedule by slowing things down?

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:

"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?"

I know this is not as good as recommendations from the Irregulars, but you might be able to use www.restaurantica.com if you need help finding suitable establishments in your travels.

[Dave]

When is a rule not a rule? When it is a NBA official (not) making the call. I am so tired of hearing the 'he's got to earn that call' comment. If its foul, call it - don't make the decision based on who it is. That's just wrong...and bush league.

[john]

Hey Doug, missed the game yesterday but saw in the box score that DD had 0 free throw attempts which has to be very concerning to the coaches. I also noticed he had a technical foul which I thought quite surprising cause he rarely ever complains. Was his tech a sign of frustration?

[Peter]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the blog.

Small note: the mail link in the blog just opens a new window with the blog in it, it doesn't take me to the mail page. Maybe it's on my end, but I thought I'd let you know.

On a basketball note, it does feel like the team is headed in the right direction. With their leading scorer out of the game, and two key reserves hurt, the Raps still hung in there it seems. Somehting to build upon for sure.

[Mike D.]

I would have believed you were 40ish and prematurely gray, but all that wisdom reveals your true age.

[sam]

Work got in the way and I missed the first half of the game. I found it hard to follow the IGBT, and work. How does Lorie do it? I did get the flavour of what was going on in the game. Another loss was to be expected, but the kids were in the game for the most part. It looks like Anthony Carter will be glued to the bench in favour of Forbes for the next little while. Perhaps there's a roster spot that may become available. A return of Bayless and Andrea will help with the scoring....Kleiza just needs more time to get into game shape.

[Dave]

I agree with you on Shaq. He tries too hard to be funny, but doesn't add much. I like Chris on the show.

Charles hosted SNL a couple of weeks ago. They did a skit on the NBA desk where Charles played Shaq. In the skit, Shaq was totally disconnected and made off the cuff one liners. So you are not the only one who noticed this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eETGKBoYGlY

[Jeff]

Doug, you presented Muhhamed Ali as the most influential athlete of your time. I see a top 5 list - most influential athletes of all time. Jackie Robinson, Ali, not sue of the rest. Your opinion?

Blogger's note: Robinson pre-dates me

[SheikYurbouti]

G'Day Doug,
Great tribute to Ali. As the expression goes, you took the words right out of my mouth, though they may not have come out so well. Skill aside, isn't it fitting that his birthday would be so closely following MLK Day.
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hmmmm, agreeing with everything usually isn't my thing (sometimes good, sometimes not so good), but I also totally agree with your Shaq assessment. The exact same thoughts went through my head as I watched and listened last night. He even had to read from a script for the little he did have to offer. Very disappointing all around.

[Rob]

totally agree on shaq, and yesterday was a good night for him... he is a good one liner guy but that is it.

[JT]

I don't mind the losing because I think by season's end, it'll be much cleared to Raptors brass what they need to do and the potential (or lack there of) of the younger players.

[JHK]

Seems like no one on this team can shoot outside of Jose, Bargs and Barbosa.

[John]

@JHK
Correction : No one on this team can do anything.... but the good news is "the train is headed in the right direction". That's something, right?
Do people still actually watch this rubbish?

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Hi Doug,
Thanks for another awesome tribute (and link!) again today. I see Ali stuff, I get immediate goose bumps, my eyes get all freakily welled up, I go totally agog. There's absolutely nobody in my time who's ever created anywhere close to that kind of instinctive, gut, beyond reason reaction in me (John Lennon might be in the running, but that'd be about it).
There's absolutely nobody on the planet I'd more love to have the pleasure to meet, just long enough to shake that monstrously incredible right hand and to say thanks, for picking us all up and making life just a little bit bigger for all of us, and helping to open all of our minds and eyes just a little bit wider, and to see what true greatness is really all about. Happy Birthday, Champ! You're still the greatest of all time.
And to all who missed those amazing 60s and 70s, the music, the 'culture', the turmoil, the lessons learned, the lessons taught by the incomparable likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammed Ali, well, ya just really had to be there. I thank my lucky stars to be an Irregular of a Certain Age.
Cheers. Go Raps!

[Lorie]

Hey Doug!
Money's no object, right? Because you are ohh-so-close to Ristorante Villa Francesca - fabulous Italian seafood and casks and casks and casks of robust reds. Isn't it Mr. Devlin's turn to buy??? And I'm in total agreement about Chris Webber replacing Shaq on the TNT panel; Shaq fills a chair but offers no more insight than I would - with a lot less panache, style and a pair of fabulous Louboutins. Cheers!

[Kate C]

An another to the "agree about Shaq" group - I've actually never found him that funny, just attention-seeking.

[OU]

That was not an off night. Shaq has been totally disappointing.

[The J]

So "Superman" has found his kryptonite, basketball analysis? And all this time I thought his kryptonite was foul shots.

[JHK]

@John
Well, I wouldn't say 'anything', since Ed Davis and Amir can still rebound, JJ can play some D...
but in the end, this game is about putting the ball in the basket... and when you have only 3 guys that can do that... you are in trouble.
And yes, I am still watching (just purchased the LP broadband for 100 bucks...)

[Vincent Lam]

Hey Doug, you've had a few kinds words about Alex English in past posts. I just saw he's been hired as an assistant coach with Sacremento. Good for him. I hope he can show Demarcus Cousins how to be a pro.

[KD]

Yesterday while I was watching the game I heard Leo say several times that in order to get calls from the refs you need to earn their respect first. I've heard similar comments from other analysts as well. To me this is wrong. If a foul is made you call it, simple as that. It shouldn't matter how many wins your team has or how young you are , or even if your viewed as a physical/non physical player. Doug, is this assumption about the refs more fact or fiction? Thanks.

Blogger's note: Perception is reality but I tend to think it's more urban myth