No, it wasn't great but at least it's over and time to move on

Oh, no, it wasn’t pretty at all.

A quick recap of the start of the post-game chat:

Grunt: That wasn’t a particularly tidy game.

Coach: Tidy? That’s a good word. Okay

Grunt: How about ugly?

Coach: Yeah that’s probably a better word.

But everything isn’t always going to be rainbows and puppies and lollypops; sometimes you play and move on.

Sounds like a good idea.

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THREE POINTERS

Getting some job security

Alan Anderson was a pretty good story a week ago; turns out he can help on the court, too.

Anderson made at least three plays I know the coaches were impressed with last night and there’s no reason to think they didn’t cement his employment for at least another 10 days.

First came at the third quarter buzzer when he beat the clock with a jumper to give the HOTH a comfy 10-point advantage; the second came on the first possession of the fourth quarter when he drained a three-pointer.

But the big one – and the one that was pointed out to me in a private post-game conversation – was when he went to the line with 19 seconds left and made two free throws to push a three-point lead to five, a nice little cushion.

Toss in some solid defence and Anderson’s doing exactly what you want from a guy on a 10-day deal: He’s not trying too hard or attempting to do too much; he’s, as they say, staying within himself, and that’s a surefire way to remain gainfully employed.

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Stern talking to

It was as if Dwane had just had enough.

About five minutes into the third quarter quarter, Andrea Bargnani absolutely forgets to box out – or even pay attention to – Jan Vesely, who follows a miss with an easy dunk to pull the Wizards within two.

The ball had barely been inbounded before Dwane’s got Ed Davis up to take Bargnani out and when Bargnani leaves the game, he’s stopped for a little chat with a rather chuffed head coach.

There were probably have a dozen occasions of that kind of lax Bargnani defence in the game and the Vesely dunk was like the last straw.

And true to his word, Casey hooked Bargnani far earlier than normal, left him on the bench for the final seven minutes of the third quarter and first three minutes of the fourth as some kind of harsh lesson in what is acceptable defensive behaviour.

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Safety, first

How many times have we seen it?

Jose’s on a break, ahead of the pack but with defenders closing, and instead of going hard to the rim and seeing what happens, he looks for someone to dish the ball off to.

He found Amir with a tough little drop pass on a play late in the second quarter and while Amir dunked the ball and got everyone kind of excited, sometimes it’d be a bit wiser for Jose to keep going to the basket, draw some contact, and perhaps get an and-one.

Can’t say it’s trepidation – we’ve seen him initiate contact at the rim and go flying into the first row of the seats countless times – and it’s probably just a knee-jerk reaction to wanting to see a play with a big finish.

Whatever; sometimes it’s the layup that counts rather than making a somewhat dangerous pass that could lead to a turnover.

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Sure, there’s more.

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Hey, did you notice that Kansas and Kentucky are in tonight’s NCAA final?

Now, I’m not one to brag and I blew all kinds of stuff early but …

Yeah, I do have that as my NCAA final and if the Jayhawks win, I’m going all “nyah, nyah, nyan” on you in the morning.

And if they lose, well, if they lose I’ll probably not mention it at all.

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We’ve talked a few times about sports, and sports events, that seem to have lost their lustre over the years and I bring this up for one very specific reason:

I hear The Rock won at Wrestlemania or something like that?

Now, Super Son has some marginal interest in it so I can slag it all together but there was a time when that was a spectacle not to be missed.

Heck, I can remember working at Another Toronto Paper back in the heyday and I’m sure we chartered an airplane one time to send a reporter and photographer to “cover” the event in, I believe, Jersey.

But as for an “event” it’s nowhere near where it was and while I don’t really care an awful lot, I’m sitting here kind of remembering Haystack Calhoun, Dory Funk Jr. The Shiek and the nefarious Abdullah Farouk, Tony Parisi, Tiger Jeet Singh, Fabulous Moolah and, of course, Captain Lou Albano.

And, really, you can’t think of Captain Lou Albano without thinking of Cyndi Lauper, can you?

Well, I can’t.

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Presume you've all seen this but take a look at Gary Forbes from another angle.

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I think Sunday was a perfect, high-profile example of the abomination of an NBA season we’re experiencing.

For reasons to do with travel – Heat was playing its third game in four days – or injury – Derrick Rose may end up missing a third of the regular season – two games that should have been good were dogs.

Now, I’m not saying there aren’t some awful games in a typical regular season but I’m sure that if things were normal, the Bulls, Thunder, Celtics and Heat would have combined to at least give fans one good game on a marquee Sunday afternoon.

Instead, it was about five hours of lopsided basketball and the regular season can’t get over with quickly enough for me because the post-season will afford teams legitimate rest, give them time to prepare and should – hopefully – be exponentially better.

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Okay, so we’ve got Opening Day this week and The Masters on the weekend and if you’re at all interested in the pucks that season’s apparently drawing to a close and if this isn’t the best weekend of the sports year, there aren’t too many that are better.

-

 

 

 

Comments

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:

I keep waiting to see, one day, in the blog after a game:

"More? Nah, I got nuthin'" ;>)

[Mike D.]

Jose is the archetypal point guard, Doug: I truly believe he'd rather have a teammate score, if that option is available, than score himself.

[charles n.]

Good morning, Doug.
To this day in Mexico, the wrestlers are very popular - hugely popular.
It is family entertainment, villains and heroes, usually in masks.
Some masked wrestlers have unmasked themselves on TV, declaring themselves as political candidates
Occasionally a grudge match takes place and the loser is unmasked by a winner - this is very, very rare and totally shaming.
The matches themselves are very, very funny and athletic - I once saw two "little people" (midget) wrestlers dressed as Pinnochio and Robin from Batman take on two full-sized wrestlers. When it was over, all the wrestlers posed with kids for photos alongside the ring.
The wrestling "drama" is about society: refs are corrupt, the technically proficient wrestlers do not always win. It is quite an outlet, quite a sight.

[Diego]

Nice piece on Forbes. And I know you're not a puck head Doug, but as a humble irregular I must point out that Bobby Clarke is perhaps one of the most famous athlete to suffer from childhood diabetes (and a tremendous success he was).

[Peter]

Hi Doug. I think that headline, "No, it wasn't great but at least it's over and time to move on" can be used to summarize the entire season as we move towards the merciful end of the schedule. Thanks for your patience and hard work...chat during the next IGBT.

[Wallace]

Hi Doug,

Crystal ball time. Two players who are way below the radar but seem to have shown some solid skills that could help the team down the road are Aaron Gray and Alan Anderson. Do you see either or both on the 15 man roster for next year?

Blogger's note: Likely not; maybe Gray

[Wilber]

Hey Doug,
Caught a few minutes of the OKC game on TV and found myself daydreaming a little about Sunday games. Not Sunday games where my team is playing out the string, using some 10 day contract guys to struggle to defeat another injury-depleted bottom dwelling team.

No, I was watching OKC and daydreaming about my team playing a Sunday afternoon game on national TV in April, with the team pumped, the fans jacked, and the ACC filled with energy. My talented young team will treat such a game as a test to see how they measure up against another elite team for what should be a long playoff run, and they will send a message to those opponents (who they might meet in the finals) and the entire league, that they are ready for big things, that for their collection of young stars, their time is now.

That's not my team yet, but a guy can dream, right Doug?

[Simon]

Hi Doug,

My youngest really enjoyed the story on Gary Forbes today. He read it before the comics! He also has diabetes and loves basketball. Two weeks ago after his most recent doctors appointment we talked about diabetic athletes and how it did stop any of them from doing what they wanted to.

Great timing for the article and thanks to Gary Forbes foe being a role model.

[Mos High]

I really dont agree with many. To me this has been one of the best basketball seasons in a while. You ask why. Because every single night there is at least one game on tv, most nights 2.

Also in this Toronto Maple Leafs have been so horrible in the last 2mths that I dont have to be killed with talk about them.

I cant say it enough, Dwayne Casey was a major step forward for this Raptors Franchise. Lets hope he works with Colangelo to get some other good players and continue to build this franchise.

Im still wondering how come Babcock and anyone else in the Raptors organization who signed off on the Vince Carter trade have still not been locked up in Federal Penn for that deal, they deserve jail time at least banned from coming anywhere near a NBA Franchise!!!.
I truly cant get over it.

[sam]

I like the way Casey approaches players he feels are under-performing. Letting Andrea know that defence is a big part of the game , and sitting him in the bench for an extended period seems to be the tonic for a more consistent effort. We saw that effort at the beginning of the season, and I'm certain more than a few of us had stars in our eyes about what we could expect from Andrea through out the season. Scoring is never going to be an issue with him, either from outside the 3 point line or attacking the rim and drawing a foul. Once he understands his consistent effort on defence is what will make him a star player in everyones eyes, there will be no stopping him.

[Steve]

So the general feel seems to be that Anderson (probably) gets another 10-day, whereas Uzoh likely doesn't. Where would that leave them at the point with Bayless out for the remainder of the season, do they get Forbes to play the backup role as he did earlier in the season or find another 10-day to try out?

All hypothetical I guess, I am mainly curious because as a fan it's been entertaining seeing Gary play a role he is obviously more comfortable with.

Blogger's note: Another 10-day guy or someone 'til end of season since they're running out of days

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:

I think your blog may have been hacked! There are some less than flattering words about AB, and we all know that you are secretly his PR guy, right? ;>)

I sometimes wonder how much or how often some of your commenters actually read the blog.

[Lorie]

Hi Doug!
Well, that game may have been ugly. No lollipops or rainbows in sight. But nor was there gore...not even Lesley Gore. So here she is now. (And check out the funky footwear. Remember Go-Go Boots?)
http://youtu.be/9RptJaOrZew
Cheers! Go Raps! Go Jays! And Go, Rory! (Can't you just smell those azaleas?)

[striker 77]

Hey Doug,

A non raptors, but basketball related question for you... Actually, two of them which are technical.. (been meaning to ask you one of them for a long time...)

1- When is an assist not given? I mean, a player takes a pass, shoots immediately, and scores, thats an assist... lets say that player takes the pass, dribbles a little bit, and creates their shot of the dribble, then the assist is not given. What constitutes the amount of time, or movement, in which the assist is not given? Furthermore, why is it not an assist, if the player who receives the pass is fouled and shoots? The player that passed it "assisted" the other one in making the play for the foul? You know what I mean?

2- Did you see what happened to Batum yesterday? He dunked, the ball hit his own head, and popped out, and then back in.. They did not count the bucket, calling it "goaltending"! How can an offensive player be called for goaltending his own shot? Hilarious.. Is that a rule that needs changing?

Thanks buddy,
S77

Blogger's note: Will check with stats heads when I see one

[doug]

the thing that is making this season seem a little longer, or harder to get thru lately as a Raps fans are those darn uni's, I hope we never see them again after there last appearance for this season...I think the Winnipeg Jets have dawned a new era in sports jerseys and not a good one in my eyes.....good bit on Jose, as it is the one thing he does on a frustratingly regular basis, as a defender I wouldn't front him, i would play him to the side, take away one of his passing lanes and dare him to drive, as he is reluctant to do it, not all the time just change it up on him....good article on Forbes, I remember reading a lot about Bill Gullickson and his diagnosis then dealing with diabetes as a athlete, plus how he also spread his knowledge and experience....and Casey sets a example every game, as he coaches his butt off, and is a solid in game coach that will try anything to get/maintain the upper hand, he has learned a great deal in his short tenure, he hasn't been out-coached lately....and your right best week of the year sports wise, a real humdinger, cheers...

[deebee]

hey doud - i don't think that "chuffed" is what you meant, unless casey was pleased that bargnani forgot to box-out.

Blogger's note: Yeah, wrong word

[Jack]

Bargnani and defense are two words that don't go together. No amount of time and teaching can make him play any semblance of defense. If you watch any Raptors game and just concentrate on what Bargnani does on defense, you'll see that he just watches the plays as they go by. Occassionally, he gets a rebound or two, because they just fall down in his direction. But as to making an effort to defend, box out and fight for rebounds, you'll get nothing out of him. Watch him try to block a shot. He doesn't even look at the ball. He just raise his hands and look away.
He knows one thing, to shoot the basketball. That's it.
Dwayne Casey, you're gonna have to have a lot of patience with Bargnani. Otherwise, your hair will turn grey sooner than you think.

[Steve]

@striker 77: The call would have been basket interference, not goal tending. Slight but important difference.

It's the correct call because he interfered (albeit with his head) with the ball while it was in or above the cylinder (as it had not fully passed through yet). This is an NBA/WNBA/NCAA rule, FIBA is a different.

[doug]

don't know if you saw this article today, Peter King posted a link to it on his MMQB on the S.I. site...it's about a reporter Jerry Tipton that reports on Kentucky Wildcat b-ball for the Lexington-Herald Leader and has did so for many years...what he has had to endure in order to write objectively about the Cats is mind-boggling, the death threats, the slurs/slanders...it's a good read....

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/sports/ncaabasketball/jerry-tiptons-kentucky-basketball.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss

[Gerald]

Doug, if you are really wondering why Jose Calderon would not try to initiate contact to get an and-one, in my view there is a very straightforward reason for that:

Jose gets fewer calls than just about any guy you can care to mention.

And no, I am not saying that as a pure homer. It has been that way for quite some time, but in recent weeks it has been even more painfully obvious than usual. The guy simply never gets a call, despite being mugged on a relatively consistent basis. He got steamrollered a few weeks ago by Baron Davis, who literally ran him over near the sideline. Even on the play late at the end of the game last night when he went to the hoop and got a layup, he clearly got fouled but ... no call.

I find it inexplicable. The guy is a classic PG who plays the game the right way. He hustles. He is unselfish to a fault. Plenty of NBAers openly respect his game a lot. He does not try to show up refs. Yet, he gets no calls.

I understand that Derozan may not have earned his share of calls yet, but why do you think calderon gets ZERO love from officials?

Blogger's note: I really couldn't hazard a guess

[J]

@Jack:

I'm just wondering how long you've been waiting to post that comment. ;)

Until he went down with his injury, there was a surprising absence of Bargnani naysayers. Guess they've found work again. =P