Old bad habits show up and another new guy is arriving

Yes, it was an entirely ugly game, poorly played at both ends by the locals but if you’ve learned on thing about this team this season it’s that consistency is not a trademark.

Too bad because the good’s been pretty good. But the bad’s been pretty ugly.

The thing is, the bad usually only lasts a quarter or so which means every game can be competitive; when he bad lasts 48, you get last night.

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THREE POINTERS

New kid on the block

Okay, folks, time to get to know Ben Uzoh.

The press release should come out later this morning – not precisely sure when but it’ll be before the 9:30 a.m. start of their day – telling all and sundry that Uzoh, a 6-3 guard who’s been toiling with Rio Grande Valley of the D League, is the latest add-on as the season marches inexorably to its dreary end.

Don’t know an awful lot about him, I do recall he had a cup of coffee with the Nets last season and had an oh-so-brief time in Cleveland last month.

It’s unclear whether it’s another 10-day deal or something until the end of the season but with Jerryd Bayless being hurt – and Bayless wanted to keep going last night even after his hip seized up – more guard help can’t hurt.

Unclear, again, whether he’ll really help or get a chance to play but considering Alan Anderson got eight minutes last night even though he probably hadn’t even met some of his teammates, it’s entirely possible that Uzoh ends up in the rotation tomorrow night.

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Rotation time

Actually, with the dearth of guards – and who knows when DeRozan or Bayless will be back, although the plan is Wednesday – we’re getting a look at what a good guard rotation is for a playoff team when or if the post-season ever rolls around.

You run three guys through the two guard spots, first sub is for the shooting guard with a combo guard about 10 minutes, the starting point guard goes about 14 minutes before getting about a four-minute break and the starting shooting guard replaces the backup about five minutes into the second quarter.

You do the same thing approximately in the second half, no one plays much more than 40 minutes and it’s a nice, tight rotation.

Maybe it doesn’t happen for every game in the regular season because of foul trouble or back-to-backs or whatever but I really like that as a way to maximize your best players in the biggest games.

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One thing being learned

All season, even when he wasn’t playing or was playing a position he’s really not suited for, the coaches have been telling us that Gary Forbes was a true NBA scorer.

Guess they were right.

It may not be a revelation to them but I imagine some folks are surprised at how seamless Forbes has made the transition from spectator to contributor; he’s twice set career highs in points in the last week (20 in Memphis, 21 last night) and he looks entirely comfortable about there.

Not sure what the long-term plans are for him but it has to be comforting to know that he can score rather easily, and possesses a really smooth jump shot.

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Sure, a wee bit more

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Let’s say you’re interested in American college basketball solely for the Canadian content because (a) you’re a nationalistic zealot or (b) well, there might not be a (b).

So no reason to watch any more, is there?

As the funnyman used to say …

“Wrong, yak breath.”

If you can find it deep on some satellite TV station – and as far as I can tell there’s no one in Canadian broadcasting remotely interested in it and I can understand why – the NCAA women’s championship would fill that Canadian need. At least for one more night tonight as they finish up their Elite Eight.

Natalie Achonwa of Guelph (this is an old story but it might catch you up) plays an awful lot for Notre Dame, No. 1 seed in the Raleigh Region.

You’ll read more about her, and the rest of the very good Canadian senior women’s team, in the next few months because they’re off to the final Olympic qualification tournament in Turkey in late June and will be the big Canadian basketball story this summer.

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I (heart) Stan Van Gundy even more after this quote following the rather embarrassing end.

“I was like, ‘wow, they’re going to cut the lead to 16 and the whole place went nuts like they won the championship, I had no idea what was going on.

“I mean, everybody’s on their feet, standing ovation and the whole thing and then a guy in the crowd next to me sitting baseline said everybody gets a free pizza so I guess that was exciting. That was the loudest the crowd was all night, they were into that. That was a big basket by Ed Davis.

“They’re going to put that on their highlight film at the end of the year. I was like ‘wow what happened I though he had like an 18-point play and tied the game or something.”

Oh, no, Stan, that was just for a piece of lukewarm cardboard covered in sauce and faux cheese.

“Really? We got a standing ovation for a slice? They told me they got a free pizza. A slice? A slice you have to sit in your seat and clap; you can’t stand up on a slice, that’s bad etiquette.”

Yes, folks. That’s what some of the Toronto fans are becoming known for around the league.

Proud?

And having watched Dwane Casey have to go down after the game and explain/apologize to Stan and having watched most of the bench up telling the guys on the floor to dribble out the clock, I’m kind of hoping Bryan meets with whatever marketing mavens came up with that nonsense and says something along the liens of:

“Will the ridiculousness ever end? Please”

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Hmm, I type “Wrong, yak breath” and have some time on my hands, start thinking about mayonnaise jars and Funk and Wagnall and one thing leads to another and …

No, they don’t make late-night TV like that any more.

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Okay, I could tolerate the camouflage jerseys on a one-off basis; support the troops and all that.

But to wear ‘em again? And with two more times to come?

Well, you can place the blame for that squarely with the Tallest of Foreheads in New York; the NBA mandates the minimum number of times a team has to wear an “other” jersey in a season.

I still think a one-off situation is the best way to show support for something but I’m not in marketing, which is one of the driving forces of the league I cover.

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Comments

[striker 77]

This pizza promotion, and the embarrasment that goes along with it, is precisely why marquis players will not come play for, or stay with the raptors.. Its just so infuriating!

Blogger's note: That's not quite true, actually

[Pablo Eguren]

Greetings from Spain! Re: Alan Anderson. Played in FC Barcelona for almost one season. Was signed to replace starting 3 Pete Mickeal and they kept him, because of his good release. Solid player, good shooter and good defender. A poor man's Anthony Parker. His main problem is that he tries to do too much, if you know what I mean. Used to have a good rep in Europe and it was a surprise he didn't find a place in one of the top teams in Spain, Italy or Turkey.
On the other hand, good moments for Nathan Jawai, who's playing very well with Unics Kazan in Euroleague last eight (third game today, Barcelona wins 2-0).

[Derek]

Morning Doug,
Tough, tough game yesterday (had the misfortune of watching it in person). After a miserable start to the game, the Raps managed to find themselves down only 2 at the end of the first. Not quite sure how they managed that - but kudos to Casey for making wholesale changes early when the starters came out flat. Unfortunately, the Raps couldn't seem to sustain any semblance of effort for more than a few minutes. It was so bad my wife and I left at the end of the 3rd quarter (and were hard pressed to last that long). I couldn't agree with you more about the pizza comment. Since I left early, I'd checked the score on the way home, and saw that the Raps lost (as expected) but made it to 101 points, and commented to my wife "I'm sure the lemmings were screaming with joy that they got free pizza, in spite of getting killed on the court". Sadly, reading your blog this morning, I didn't know how right I was. Have to love Stan's comments - right on the mark. I've been to games in other cities where they do similar promo's (a free taco, or something) and the crowd cheers if/when they get that, but they don't go mental like we seem to do in TO. Similarly, they don't get so distracted by the free morsel, that they become oblivious to the game going on in front of them. If someone has the time/energy, I'd be really curious to see the statistics - had Pizza Pizza given out a free slice for every Raps "win" in the last 3 years (instead of every time they scored 100 points), I suspect they probably would have given out roughly the same # of slices. I'd be just as happy to see the entire promotion scrapped, but short of that, just rewarding "wins" instead of meaningless points would be a good start.

[marc in panama]

Hola Doug,

Slice-gate eh? You really think the people of Toronto listen to or care what SVG thinks? It was a dog of a game. It's been a dog of a year. Let the folks who paid good hard cash do what they want, it doesn't make a whit of difference in the larger scheme of things. Frankly as far as Gundy's remarks go, I find them to be rather crass. He didn't know what was going on, said so, and then ripped the fans for cheering. Talk about a classy guy. I hope that when Dwane went down there to explain what was going on he spoke slowly and used small words.... What a twerp.

Ciao amigo,

marc in panama

[sam]

The Pizza give-away is a little tiring. It's a marketing ploy that's run it's course.

I'm thinking the most patient man on the Planet must be Dwane Casey. The team plays a great game and then tosses up a game like last night.
It's pretty hard I imagine to get any form of consistency going when you have little depth and a roster that isn't fully healthy. Bayless goes out, Jose gets the run,,,Jose gets hurt, Bayless gets the run only to see Bayless get hurt again. Andrea hasn't been the same since he came back for the second time. . .
From what I understand (I tuned in the game late) Alan Anderson showed up to the ACC, got dressed and sat on the bench until his name was called. I heard the TV Talking heads call his name and wondered who the heck he was. I looked him up this morning and it seems he's a bit of a Basketball nomad, never staying in one place too long.

[Tim H.]

@ marc in panama - different strokes for different folks - I was TOTALLY embarrassed for Toronto and the Raptors by what SVG said. Really, you think it shows class when your so-called basketball fans cheer for a losing effort, just because they got a free slice of pizza??? Here's an idea - save the money you spent on tickets, and you can buy several, WHOLE pizzas!
It was an embarrassment to the Raptors, MLSE and TRUE Raptors fans.

[James]

Doug,

I was at the game last night and it was the worst time that I've ever had a Raptors game and I've been to 40+ games over the past 3 years. Between the lacklustre effort, the camouflage jerseys, and the embarrassing cheers for pizza, I left the arena in a pretty foul mood. It probably would've been worse if it weren't for Joe Carter.

Why not change it to holding the other team to less than 85 or 90 points? Or 6 Raptors' 3-pointers? Or blown Ed Davis defensive assignments to less than 8?

I can still remember a Raptors-Bulls game from 3(?) years ago where the Raps were done 100-99 with 8 seconds left and they had the ball. People were actually chanting for pizza instead of trying to cheer the team on. Just ridiculous...

[Tabber]

There might be more to SVG's whining if a Magician hadn't scored with less than 24 seconds left up 16. If you can't take it, Stan, then don't give it out. I actually thought "good, stick it to them" after the Magician scored and the pizza shot happened. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, don't go bitching when you've rubbed it in. Had the Magic not scored, just run out the clock up 16, then fine, it's bush league thing, but under the circumstances, tit for tat is fine. Suck it up, buttercup Stan. You don't like it, make damn sure your players don't rub it in. If you don't have control over your team for that, work on it rather than going off on the fans of a fairly dismal team getting a little joy from a bad result.

[Steve]

The pizza thing is just embarrassing. I buy tickets to watch basketball. Stan is not the type to "whine" either, he is just commenting on how ridiculous it is. I'm guessing he was in a pretty jovial mood when he made those comments given his team just wiped the floor with us.

[john]

I will never get what the big deal is about the Pizza promotion. Everyone keeps saying how its just sports and not life and death and there are more important things and blah blah blah and then get bent out of shape cause some guys scores a basket to make it a 16 point game and give the crowd something to feel good about. Maybe it’s not about he the pizza at all, maybe people just want to leave feeling good about their experience which is why the promotion hasn’t ended thus far and probably won’t anytime soon. The people cheering are also paying the salary for everyone directly or indirectly employed by the team, let them at least feel good about it! It also begs the question, does the crowd really want the slice of pizza (how many slices does Pizza Pizza actually redeem?) or do they just want something to cheer about?
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As for SVG, who doesn’t look like he’s turned down too many slices in his time and probably has a slice tucked away in his pants pocket somewhere, I am not convinced his comments were made in a derogatory way towards the fans. I think he was quite amused by the reaction it got more than anything. The whole sitting and clapping for pizza is one thing but a standing O is a little much shows his humor much more than disgust. There is no way that a coach who has been in the league for as long as he has didn’t realize what was happening in a stadium that hasn’t had a winner for so long. I will say this though, the official calling a foul was a little overboard.

Blogger's note: Could have made your point more effective without needlessly slagging a guy's looks, but that's just my opinion.

[marc in panama]

Hola @ Tim H,

"It was an embarrassment to the Raptors, MLSE, and TRUE Raptor fans"

Well there were 16429 folks who paid good hard cash last night (oh, minus Derek and his misses, so make that 16427) that would disagree with you on this. I could care less that MLSE is embarrassed by what Van Gundy said, although I can't imagine they are over 16,000 people paid to watch that game. MLSE did what they always do; they made a boatload of cash last night, they're happy, trust me. The Raptors are embarrassed? You figure Dwane is going to sit Ed Davis down for giving the fans what they wanted? Those folks in the stands, are the "true fans" you mention, and they were cheering after watching a train wreck of a game, in what is turning out to be another crappy season for the Raptors. Let 'em cheer, I say. They deserve something to cheer about, even if it's a crappy slice of 'za. We agree to disagree on this issue.

ciao,

marc in panama

[511]

I so agree with marc in panama. While we’ve seen some good play from our guys from time to time, we haven’t had all THAT much to cheer about this season ... and when the fans who pay their own hard-earned money and then sit through a game like last night’s (when there’s little chance of victory), hanging in ‘til the bitter end, then take advantage of a reason to cheer big and loud for a moment ... let ‘em, I say. Exclamation point! What SVG and some others disappointingly don’t get is that the cheering isn’t because the fans don’t know any better; it’s because that, in part, it’s quite hilarious to do so ... and why the heck not? I’d wager the players get it more than some of the snobby critic-fans do.

Didn’t Chicago’s crowd show disappointment a month ago because Derrick Rose missed free throws at the end that would’ve gotten everyone a free Big Mac? (Ok, I looked it up and yes, there were boos when he missed and he even apologized afterward. And the Bulls won that game. In that same story - ESPN Chicago, Feb 29/12 - the time was mentioned when former Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich had once led his team to victory in the United Center, but missed a free throw that would’ve given them 100 points -- and free food -- and was LOUDLY booed while being interviewed on the court after the win. So ... to the overly-self-conscious Toronto critics, I say, eat that.)

And really, who’s kidding who? A free slice - regardless of who disparages the quality of said slice - because your team hit a mark that (these days) it rarely gets to would most definitely taste better and be more fun to gobble down than if you’d paid the two bucks for it. I’d have gone straight to the pizzeria and cashed it in ... and enjoyed every sauce-and-cheese ‘cardboard’ bite.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

The problem is not the pizza, and it's not the giveaway – it's the premise on which the entire, lame pizza giveaway is based that creates an embarrassing, ridiculous and TOTALLY unnecessary circus that has nothing to do with sporting event that's happening on the floor. Blowout, barnburner... doesn't matter – the premise is just flat-out stupid, it's at odds with anything basketball related, and how tough would it be to simply change the stupid premise? You can still give away crappy pizza, you can still keep the paying fans happy, and you can entirely avoid looking like saps – all at the same time! Why should it take years and years to figure that out?!
Cheers. Go figure.
Can we change the subject now? How about some nice music by an icon who probably doesn't even like pizza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lsKbIIgEKA

[511]

PS: and ... while I (obviously) don't agree with you on this one, Doug, I certainly don't intentionally disrespect your viewpoint. (Had to add that.)

Blogger's note: Of course. And the feeling is mutual

[Lorie]

Hello, Doug:
Perhaps, once upon a time the Pizza Pizza promotion was a wonderful component to celebrating Raptors' team achievements. Perhaps, once upon a time when the Raptors scored 100 points there was a pretty good chance they were also winning the game. Perhaps, once upon a time there were players and achievements on this team that were just so remarkable that the chance of winning a slice of pizza was something secondary, and barely noted. Not the reason to euphorically cheer two FT's thus making it only a 16-pt loss. Not the reason to stay to the end of a dismal game. Not the reason to behave as though the team had truly achieved something. But maybe I'm wrong . Perhaps once upon a time that product being marketed was truly a quality one. Oh, and the pizza too. :) Sigh. Thank for Carnac. The. Best. Ever.

[Pipit]

Andrea is back to his old self Triano days again. Poor attitude towards the game and his job. Everyone knows that the season is loss but he is being paid to play hard at all times and it will be unfair to all paying customers. Good working habits are hard to find. I just hope when the time comes that a reasonable trade scenario comes into play, they should not hesitate to trade this guy in exchange with someone who will lead this team as Casey has envision it.

I'm not sure how long has this pizza promotion has been going on but all I can say is that it works. One of marketing purpose is to stir the mind of consumers and retain brand recall. If these promotion always hype up people when the Raptors are approaching the 100th mark and made people talked tirelessly in every blog like this, then it works and kudos to the one who thought about it and put it in place.

[striker 77]

Hey Doug,

Maybe you are right, it was much to say that marquis players dont come or stay in toronto because of pizza nonsense..I should have worded it differently...
but it doesnt help, right? do players think about that sort of stuff? how do the raps players feel about it?

[Michel G]

Toronto is not the only City that offers these type of rewards. The Bulls, for example, offer a Big Mac for everyone if the home team gets the score to 100. The Bulls fans booed Hinrich a few years ago when he blew it at the end of a game they'd won. They didn't boo Rose this year when he did the same thing. Booing the MVP for a Big Mac would have been interesting. Anyway, SVG has been around long enough that he knows that franchises offer these type of promotion. He's just being a curmudgeon. That's the way we like him. I'm just surprised people take him seriously. I'm with Marc in Panama with this one. Who cares!!! As for our reputation around the league. Having 16,000 plus fans show up on a regular basis for such a crappy product trumps any negative image a stupid pizza promotion engenders. To be honest, I don't care what people around the league think. Some of their pundits think we can't even beat a college team, for goodness sakes. If I took them seriously, this season would be even more depressing that it already is.

[Alex L]

"Will the ridiculousness ever end?"

LOL awesome KO quote Doug. God I miss that man!!

[Jamie]

Kyle Wiltjer, the 4th best freshman for Kentucky and the one who will actually stick around is a dual citizen after spending most of his time in Portland growing up and his Dad played internationally for Canada. He's their first big off the bench and a kind of stretch big. Go Wildcats!

[Phil A]

@Pipit I agree with your view on the pizza pizza promotion. It's all about brand recognition and they are also an official sponsor of the Toronto Raptors.

[Lee in Ottawa]

Pizza promotion nothing. Means absolutely nothing. Fans can cheer for whatever thay want. Put something on the court that is better than a slice.

[larry lukeeborg]

how can anything that gets fans to cheer be negative? i think it's great, to be honest.

[doug]

I am tired of this pizza talk, come on let's get real we have a team that Barkley mentions whether joking or not that couldn't beat Kentucky (which is closer to the truth then people may think), we have a player in Bargs who hasn't showed up in a few weeks now, we have a a roster with 2 ten day players, we just traded are best player off the bench for well nothing, were heading for a lottery pick ...again....but yet this is what raises a sports writers and fans passion, and this is what BC should resolve??...are you kidding me, this isn't what Toronto is known for around the league, what it's known for around the league is having a bad team, so let's get real here.....and Toronto isn't the only team where the fans react, Rose MYP was booed by fans for costing them a Big Mac, so real b-ball news would be appreciated instead of this pizza slice garbage that is rolled out for discussion every few months on schedule....unreal...cheers...

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/02/derrick-rose-owes-his-bulls-fans-21919-big-macs/1#.T3HrG9mWKqY

[Jonathan M]

In addition to Big Macs in Chicago, there are free chalupas in Portland and Cleveland, tacos in L.A. (If the Lakers win scoring 100 and the opponent gets less than 100), probably a few more. In Toronto it must be great advertising for Pizza Pizza since scoring 100 points is a rare feat, and most people don't bother even redeeming their stubs for the slice.

And so you know Doug, while I would have agreed with the "cardboard" description 25 years ago, they have actually improved the product a lot. Not that it's at the level of a Vinny Massimo's bocconcini slice or anything, but it's entirely edible these days. Cheers.