Things you haven't seen before and a great player leaves us

There really is no figuring these Raptors out, is there?

Solid against New York, good against Chicago, execrable against Orlando and then last night with two guys playing who probably didn’t know all their teammates names, they beat a pretty good Denver team pretty handily.

I know it’s one game and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, but it was a pretty solid night, mostly from a coach who massaged a so-so roster masterfully.

And away we go …

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THREE POINTERS

Seldom-seen call

We all know this team really doesn’t have a break-down offensive player – especially now that Leandro Barbosa has taken his leave – and that often leaves them in a pickle when the clock’s running down on quarters, halves and games.

They always have to run something a bit intricate, some kind of screen-roll stuff, weak-side picks, something that involves two or three players.

Last night, however, with something of an abomination of a group on the floor to end the third quarter – including a point guard who’d been in town less than 48 hours -- we saw something I don’t recall seeing:

A one-four flat clearout for DeMar DeRozan.

Didn’t work – DeRozan missed a jumper before Ed Davis got a steal and Ben Uzoh a game-tying bucket – but it was at least an indication of what they’d do in somewhat dire straits.

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Travelogue time

Maybe you didn’t read the game story all the way to the end and if you didn’t, don’t worry.

Dwane’s discussing the end the first half, when three fouls on Uzoh and the fear of a third foul on Calderon forced him to use Gary Forbes at the point and the coach shows his Canadiana and, I’m sure, endears himself even more to the masses.

And broke up the post-game media session as we kind of giggled ourselves out of the room.

“He’s not a point guard as he showed right before halftime. You talk about emotions, that was probably the most emotion I’ve had this year; (I) was yelling ‘one shot, one shot’ and he went off trying to discover Canada … He went up to Winnipeg and over to Halifax and then he went to the hole.”

That’s a guy who knows how to play to his audience.

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But …

Not sure what more we can say about the play of Forbes late except that it’s been very solid offensively and if they were planning to use the final 20 or so games of the season to find out what they, they must be a bit pleased.

Another double-double last night – his second in three games – and he’s far, far more effective off the ball than he is with it in his hands.

His shot’s more smooth, he gets to the glass to give them more rebounding at the shooting guard than they’ve had in years and he’s giving them every indication he might be able to handle a greater role next season.

His defence needs lots of work – he tends to lose his man quite easily chasing someone around screens – but that could come with time. What he’s got – a true scorer’s mentality and touch – you can’t teach and it’s been quite the find over last week and a half or so.

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More?

Of course, along with the usual plea for mail.

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Not sure how many of you have heard of Earl Scruggs but you know his iconic song – at least those of you of a certain vintage certainly have – and he passed away yesterday at the ripe old age of 88.

Best TV sitcom theme song ever?

Not sure about that although it’d be on the list, that’s for sure.

The Ballad Of Jed Clampett may not have been Earl’s best work – the guy revolutionized banjo playing – but it’s the one everyone knows.

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Okay, so Super Son is now taller than I am and he just got his first job and he and the school band is off on a music trip to Vienna without any parents next month.

My job’s done with him, right?

Time to relax and live out my dotage?

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The one thing I was impressed with about Jeremy Lin far more than his playing ability was how he handled himself during that whole Linsanity thing that’s thankfully all but dead.

He was calm and deferential and not at all dismissive of the silly questions; he knew who he was, where he was and he didn’t let anything go to his head. He was mature and grounded and quite impressive.

Well, he went up another notch yesterday.

You know the ESPN guy who was fired for that rather thoughtless overnight headline a month or so ago?

Well, Lin, holding no grudges, took the dude out for dinner the other night; a first-class move.

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Kinda blew it by not putting this in here yesterday but remember how I was telling you about Natalie Achonwa and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the NCAA women’s Final Four?

She had 18 and 7 when Notre Dame drilled Maryland in the regional final and next up is Connecticut in the Final Four semis on Sunday in Denver.

People whose opinion on women’s basketball I respect tell me no one beats Baylor, which gets Stanford in the other semi.

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Okay, there’ll be lots and lots of time for us to chat about TOD (Team Of Destiny, the Seamheads, the Blue Jays) as the season approaches – chatting that’ll probably start pretty soon – but you’ve got to love a team with a 45-year-old backup shortstop, don’t you?

We of That Certain Vintage are quite happy that Omar Vizquel won a job yesterday.

And, yes, we’ll get into this more, but did you notice that they’re 21-4 in Florida? Twenty-one and four!

I’m telling you, that’s a team worth watching.

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Hang on a sec.

Baseball season’s already started?

Ichiro had four hits over in Japan yesterday?

How’d that happen?

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Comments

[Tom]

Hey Doug, I was wondering if you could explain "A one-four flat clearout for DeMar DeRozan" a little for me? Thanks.

Blogger's note: Sorry. Isolation play; DeRozan at the top of the key with the ball; other four guys spread along the wings, giving him room to try and take his man. Think back to the Jeremy Lin game here way back when and the final possession before he hit the three. That's the play

[Matt Daub]

Can you explain what "A one-four flat clearout for DeMar DeRozan" is? Already erased the PVR so I can't go back....

Blogger's note: Sorry. Isolation play; DeRozan at the top of the key with the ball; other four guys spread along the wings, giving him room to try and take his man. Think back to the Jeremy Lin game here way back when and the final possession before he hit the three. That's the play

[sam]

All seems right in the world when the HOTH win a game.
Good effort down the stretch - Nice to see a win against a tough team.
Andrea found some energy, Jose was solid, and Forbes looks to be fitting in pretty well.

[Moshigh]

Nice win for the Raptors last night. I was at the game with my wife good entertaining game, bonus that she had a good time.

Yes there was a roar for the free pizza, I was specifically watching people and regardless of what people say, you can see on the faces of many that they would certainly come back or keep supporting the team because of this silly promotion. I thinks its brilliant.
Also out of all the major sports games in Toronto, By far far far bringing your child or wife who isnt into sports is the best place (in my opinion)

Casey was a great pick up as a coach. New guys played well. Love the way Forbes gets those rebounds.

Finally, Im tired of hearing about tanking the rest of the season, Toronto is currently tied for roughly 5th worst record in the league. Do you guys really want to see Toronto as a laughing stock like Charlotte-who get hammered every game killing there already bad fan base.

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:
Glad to see the "Word of the Day" thing make an appearance - execrable (meaning, 'wretched').
Thanks!

[Dave B]

Sorry Doug but the job is not complete for Super Son until he finishes his Post Secondary education, gets a job and moves out of the house. He will be on the payroll until then. Even after that, he will call you to discuss life and career decisions. As he matures you will get smarter!

However, the first job is a good first step. When kids look for their first real job (after college/University) they need a well rounded resume. It is amazing how a part time job at McDonald's helps. I know kids who concentrated only on education and summer fun like golf. lessons. When they finished University they struggled to find employment because they had nothing to put on a resume. Employers want to tsee people who had a balanced life and who had to juggle priorities as a part of their development.

Continued good luck my friend in the development of Super Son.

[jc]

Hey Doug,
Thanks for highlighting that play. Ironically, I thought you were talking about another play towards the end of the game when Demar was on the left side and the team cleared space to give him a great path to the bucket, where he made the shot (or was fouled..I forget). It also struck me as something we haven't seen much but this one worked. Does that play ring a bell?

Blogger's note: Vaguely, yeah

[Lorie]

Hey Doug!
Wow! Vienna! Home of Schnitzel, Strauss(es!) and Stiegl (not Stella, but close). What a wonderful trip for Super Son and his school band. (Boy, back in my day the Big Band Trip was a drive in a yellow school bus along the 401 to Expo '67. It was fun, but it was definitely no Vienna.) And I wish you many, many happy years to enjoy your dotage, but believe me: as far as your job with him being done - what was that saying - "Wrong, yak breath". Now things really get interesting. First, those driving lessons and that insurance. Followed soon after by the post-secondary process. Wait until you're asked to fork over in excess of $500.00 for a single university textbook that will be used once. It'll make it a tad easier when he gets a passing grade in the course. (But then again, if the book's spine not been cracked, you get a better price in the resale market.) So, while your job with him isn't done, you can sit back and relax a bit. But, while you're doing it you might start to feel like you're an ATM. :) (I'm only half kidding here: the late teen years were among the very, very best with my kids - just very, very pricey!) So, back to beautiful Vienna: Billy Joel saluted you in this lovely way. And our children, too. Cheers! Prost! And Go Raps, of course!
http://youtu.be/1dMSYFIsUFo

[Lee in Ottawa]

Raps win, nice positive comments. Raps lose the venom flows. Hey, thats sports fans for you. I do it too. Have a good day Doug.

[JHK]

I know you are an anti-tanker, but I'm gonna say it: this is a lost season, why start winning now? There are tons of good players coming in the draft, all solid maybe up to the 8th pick or so. We go on this mini run with the D-leaguers and move past teams like Sacto and Detroit... what good is that???

Blogger's note: Not having that debate; teams need to learn how to win; forget the luck of the lottery. Go check to see who wins it? Seldom the worst team. It's not even remotely a discussion to have, in my mind. Not sure what you'd have them do? Play Less Than D Leaguers?

[Steve]

@JGK Chicago were hardly 'tanking' the year they got Derek Rose as the #1 pick.

I am somewhat entertained that winning 6 out of 16 for the month so far qualifies as going on some kind of run though (and let's face it, barring a miracle on Friday it's going to stay at 6 for the month). There's definitely been improvements made since the all star break in terms of effort but the results seem pretty consistent with the rest of the season to me.

[Pipit]

Poorly played game last night by both teams especially Denver. Andrea just hit a couple of forced threes during the last few minutes of the game which sealed their victory. Most of the Raptors played slow almost the whole night and Denver didn't capitalize. I like Forbes especially his rebounding the last few games but the end sequence on the 1st half was atrocious. Had a turnover which resulted to points by Denver then afterwards went for a drive against two defenders quickly without taking the last shot giving enough time for Denver to convert again. Luckily these players are playing with the Raptors. You play with disciplined teams like the Spurs, make a mistake like that, and you will be buried to ends of the bench instantly.

Blogger's note: Unreal.

[Michel G]

Players and Coaches can't tank. It's against their DNA. However, management can tank, and Toronto did a nice job of tanking this year. They brought back 9 of the primary 10 rotation players from last year's 22-win team, made some minor moves, preserved their cap space (actually improved it with the Barbosa move), and have set themselves up nicely for the coming summer with a high draft pick and flexibility. This whole 'tank' conversation has become so tedious.

[Geoff]

Some people can only find the misery in life and even sports which is supposed to be entertianment. I used to work in the food and beverage industry for many years and it always amazed me that it didn't matter what the REAL experiance was, people always seemed to find something to bitch about. I always thought the experiance was supposed to be fun!!
As Johny Mercer once wrote:

"You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium's
Liable to walk upon the scene"

Go Raps and thanks for making my day, Doug
Win as many as possible!

[Mike kovacs]

Doug did you get SuperSon to watch The Third Man before going? Get him to bring you back some world famous Sacher Torte from the Sacher Hotel!

Blogger's note: Trip's still to come but I will

[john]

Hey @Pipit, whatever side of the bed you got of this morning, try getting out of the other side tomorrow...

[The J]

Leafs are Tanking, the Raps are Tanking. There are so many Tanks in Toronto, you would think it was a snowstorm and Mel Lastman was still mayor!

[james]

Poorly played or not, a win is a win is a win. My birthday made it sweeter because, after all, it is all about me. I am pleased someone mentioned the "couple of forced threes" Andrea "just happened to hit". I had just mentioned to a disinterested visitor "he's their best player" and damned if he didn't prove it almost immediately.
There aren't many more interesting place to go than Vienna. Lucky boy. I think my big high school trip was to the O'Keefe Centre. I second Mike kovacs' comment about The Third Man.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Ah, the dotage may very well have kicked in, Doug, but the fan hasn't even been switched on yet, let alone had any real opportunity for fun stuff to hit it... you'll probably want to post Lorie's sage words on your headboard to review each evening, and start practising your very best ATM impersonations...
Thanks for sticking your neck out last night to speculate about next year's lineup, brave soul that you are. I'd probably guess 8 returning right now: 5 'bigs' (Bargs, AJ, ED, JJ and Gray) and 3 guards (JC, DD and GF). I'd guess both Kleiza and Bayless might be 'on the bubble', as they say, depending on what's offered/available (and maybe one of AJ or ED, too, but I'd like to see them hang onto both). Mind you, I don't think there's one guy on the roster who'd be off the table in terms of being capable of being upgraded. Maybe Bargs. I actually can't think of anyone in the league who might be an improvement over the full, tall, quick, excellent shooting package he has to offer... okay, Kevin Durant, but let's get real.
If it's "organic growth" BCo is looking to foster, then I'd think he'd want to keep a good majority. If he axes 7 and keeps just 5, that would be more like "organic housecleaning", and there's something to be said about having some continuity to work with, finally, for a refreshing change.
The thing I like about what I think I see BCo doing is an attempt to land guys who are versatile enough to be able to play multiple positions. Bargs, JJ and Forbes are that. DeRoz can be that. Bayless and Kleiza can be that. Work Jonas V into this mix as a true, solid, anchoring center (again, finally, for a refreshing change), a slashing, scoring 3, a starting-level PG, with room to add another forward or two... think about it: If you've got the luxury to have Aaron Gray covering the end of your bench where you have Solo sitting this year, you've got a deep, deep, talented team. Big "if", but hey, why not dream big. I'll bet BCo is. And I'll bet Dwane is too.
Cheers. Go Raps! RIP, Earl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSGtwtCeUaE&feature=related

[Gus]

Hey I saw you at the Subway where I work today in Mississauga, meatball marinara fan eh? I kept looking at you funny because you looked familiar then I realized after who you were. A little taller than i expected, but maybe because your always standing beside NBA players, duh.You should come more often, big fan.

[Brad]

I hate the whole concept of 'tanking' and can't wait to stop hearing people say its our strategy. This was a great win, I'm excited to see what Casey can do with a full training camp and more talent next year. Nice to see Bargnani with a bounce back game.

Is it just me or does baseball spring training take a year to get through??

[Tim H.]

@JHK - Please tell us your definition of "tons" - as in "tons of good players coming in the draft...up to the 8th pick or so" Do you even think about what you type, before you type it?? Yeesh!