The road beckoned and we went

And so it ends, the road portion of an abomination of a season, with too many games in too few nights, too many oddities abounding, silliness to the Nth degree.

Thanks to My Man Kelly, only had to do 28 of the 33, which was fine with me, seeing how it felt like there was a game every day.

Fun?

Hmm.

A bit.

So as we’re sitting around sipping one last road Post-Game Decompression Beverage, the mind wanders:

 

Best trip

Well, there really wasn’t one but the lone western trek wasn’t bad.

Two nice wins to see in Phoenix and Utah, both snapping long streaks of futility, might have been the two most satisfying road victories of the year for them.

Toss in a delayed flight at LAX to Phoenix that afforded us some extra time for a bartender to tell us about the time the guy showed up in the lacey dress and nylons while we watched Giants-49ers in a playoff game and it was kind of cool.

Throw in the annual trip to Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix as part of that journey where the guy regaled us about the visits of the likes of Steve Nash for his birthday party, Chris Bosh and a guy he thought was Rudy Fernandez except it was Jose Calderon and it was a pretty good one.

But …

Saddest moment

It’s hard to get out of my mind the sight of Andrea Bargnani sitting on the bench during overtime in Utah with his head in his hands, his calf screwed up for the second time and wearing a look of despair I had never seen before.

Felt terrible for the kid, whose season was effectively over at that time.

He’d just had 30 the night before in Phoenix and was a huge part of an upset win at Utah before he got hurt again.

Sports sometimes pulls at the heartstrings; it did that night.

-

Worst trip

Easy.

Thanks to a delay in Toronto that would have caused a missed connection, having to ultimately go Toronto-Atlanta-Oklahoma City-Memphis-Indianapolis-Detroit-Toronto to cover two games on back-to-back nights was horrific.

It was the You Can’t Get There From Here Tour and robbed me of a Saturday night out in under-rated OKC and, thanks to the back-to-back, missed a night on a stool having shrimp cocktail at St. Elmo’s in Indy.

-

Since we’re talking about the road and my mind tends to wander a bit, how about One Of The Greatest Singalong Songs Of All Time (especially if your at some house party and it’s really late at night and the refreshments are flowing.

-

Worst game

The night they lost by, oh, 70 or so in Boston at the end of a back-to-back and Dwane came out a bit seething and announced they were flying home and would practice the next day because, and I’m paraphrasing here, “they don’t deserve a day off after that; they need to representing the city and the franchise better.”

Good on him.

-

Good start, good finish

Finish the first game in Cleveland way back in December and a gaggle of us stop by this Irish joint about a three-pointer from the arena.

Not only do they serve Samuel L. Smith’s organic lager (third place I’ve ever seen that sweet nectar in North America), there’s a little scuffle at the door involving five or six women and men pushing and shoving and getting into it and there’s nothing like a little brouhaha to get the season off to a rousing start.

Then it ends with a quick flight to Milwaukee and a late breakfast at one of the great greasy spoons on the road: George Webb, a 24-hour diner in the middle of desolate downtown Milwaukee.

What’s the place like? Well, it wouldn’t surprise me if Flo and Mel were arguing in the kitchen where I’m sure the cook has a hairnet and record.

Pretty good omelet and greasy bacon, though. And the coffee was strong.

-

Most relaxing

New Year’s Day brunch in Isleworth thanks the graciousness of Butch Carter and his family. Great company, great food, great tour (yes, I saw the fire hydrant Tiger backed into) and the most calm three or four hours on the road this year.

Much, much appreciated.

-

Best cab ride

Back to Phoenix and a 15- or 20-minute chat with a cabbie who used to do some boxing and knew all about George Chuvalo and who had worked unloading luggage off planes at Sky Harbour Airport next to Ellis Valentine.

No word on whether Valentine simply picked up the suitcases and threw them on to the belt with that stunning arm of his.

-

Things we missed

No game at Golden State, no time in San Francisco; a night off in Philly to go see my friends at the Palm.

Things we didn’t miss

Having to go to Sacramento.

-

Oh yeah, they played last night.

Figured there really aren’t three things that stood out.

They played hard, were over-matched in many regards, faded late in the game and lost a close one.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Most interesting thing got into the game story for second edition and was Dwane talking about the technical and ejection that DeMar DeRozan got in the first half.

“That’s one of the growing moments for him. No matter how tough it gets or how much frustration sets in, fatigue, whatever it is, you’ve got to buckle up and roll with it.

“This was a teaching moment for him and that’s part of his maturity process. When you’re the man on the team, you’ve got to be responsible.”

And then there was the technical that Kleiza got late in the game, when the outcome was still in doubt, another move that miffed the coach.

“LK had a tough technical in a close situation down the stretch, we can’t let frustration set in, we have to finish the game in a professional way and play the game the right way … That’s what we’re teaching for now, when these games count, we can’t have those mental mistakes.”

One more thing on the DeRozan play.

A Raptors official talked to the referee after the game and found out that tossing a ball that ends up in the stands calls for an automatic ejection. It’s probably a silly rule that needs to have some room for interpretation because it was obvious DeMar was just ticked and didn’t rifle it into the front row. He tossed it the length of the court, it bounced a couple of times and probably really warranted a simple technical rather than an ejection. But intransigence in the rules didn’t allow any leeway. Too bad.

-

Okay, rather long and odd travel day (you have to trust me, the decision to drive to Detroit, fly here, fly back to Detroit and drive home made the most sense) but I’m not likely back at Casa Doug until dinner time so I may not see many comments between, say, 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. I will get to them, though.

-

 

 

Comments

[AT]

Doug no way they lost by 70 what what was the actual differential for that game aginst Boston? (have to admit wasn't following our HOTHC quite as closely this year as years past waiting for the 2012-2013 version).

Blogger's note: 30-something? It was a lot

[john]

Hey Doug, is it me or does it seem that DD got more and more ticked about not getting calls towards the end of this season. Last year and the beginning of this year he would get hammered and just walk away. It seems that lately he has been picking up some T's. Is this by design to make the refs watch a bit closer or just a frustrated player?

Blogger's note: Frustration with a lot of things, I presume

[sam]

What I've enjoyed the most this past season is the personality of the HOTH when they are on the floor.
Jose, and Bayless - Andrea and Amir....JJ and DD - and the toughness of Linas and the ups and downs of Davis. Barbosa -
I understand what the HOTH have done in the last couple of weeks, playing the scrubs and limiting the minutes of some of the regulars, and shutting down some of the others.
But is sure hard to watch -

Safe travels home -

[Gord]

@Gord again -> not really sure where your number comes from....but the chances of receiving the #1 pick in 6th spot (6.3% chance) is almost 5% higher than in the 9th spot (1.7% chance).
…I received the information form (Larry Coon) at Hoopsworld – he is a “numbers” genius. As to how he came to this…I don’t know. I would hinder a guess that you are not adding the numbers correctly – in the sense you’re probably missing out on an important equation as a factor simply because you’re unaware. Ask him, he answers all questions, I know he will clarify this for you.

[grits]

Ellis Valentine had many great throws, but my highlight moment for him was during the 1979 pennant race, when they almost caught the Pirates. My memory is a little foggy, but I think it was a midweek game in September, and I believe he scored a key extra run getting home from second base on a wild pitch. Go Expos!!

P.S. Man, am I a loser.

[Tosh]

Hi Doug,
I've been hearing rumours that Bargnani needs surgery on his calf.
He has missed many games over the past two seasons.

Is there any truth to this rumour?

If there is, wouldn't he want to have the surgery NOW instead of waitng for the fourth time in 16 months for his calf to flare up?
Regards

Blogger's note: You know I don't do rumours; nothing I've heard. Give me a source, please?

[lee in ottawa]

Casey said" they don’t deserve a day off after that; they need to representing the city and the franchise better.” Really, how about BC and the raptors brass. Should they not have a responsibility to represent the franchise better. What they have fed us this April is disgusting. People pay good money for tickets or optional cable service and we have to watch this. We loyal fans who stick through thick or thin deserve better.

Blogger's note: You mean the month where they are two games under .500, which might be the best month they've had, record-wise? That's "disgusting?" Look, you may not have been paying attention all year but they are doing precisely what they said they'd do. You may not like it but you cannot possibly whine since everyone knew it was coming.

[Rob H]

Hey Doug,
What happened to Kelley's sports blog?
Has it been discontinued by the Star or is it still floating around somehwere in cyberspace?

Blogger's note: Believe it passed away peacefully

[Camy Wang]

I hope we lose every game this season to try to get the best pick. I know you're not a "fan", but you should too. It'll give you better stories to write about in the off-season and more potential next year.

Blogger's note: No, it won't. Different stories, no better or no worse.

[Wallace]

Hi Doug,

The situation regarding refereeing in the NBA has to be one of the more curious facets of professional sports. It is openly discussed by media, owners, coachs and players alike....not whispered about, or speculated on, but acknowledged and accepted that refereeing is biased; that calls are made based on who the player is, who the team is, the venue, the score, etc. I just can't get my head around how this is considered to be an accepted way of officiating in a professional sports league. I would like to find out your thoughts on this, since you are close to the action and see it first hand night after night.

[JHP]

Thanks for another year. Has DC done enough to change your opinion on coaches. Or is he the exception (influence wise) rather then the rule?

Blogger's note: I still say -- and will always say -- coaches get too much credit for wins and too much blame for losses; don't think that's ever going to change.

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:
I am getting entirely sick of hearing from the 'Tank Nation!' Do they honestly believe that ANYONE associated with a pro sports team would prefer losing to winning, for any reason? They apparently have never been part of a competitive team sport, or else they would realize that, even at the high school level, you want to WIN!
Doug, can you offer a suggestion to what a coach would say if management told him to sit certain players, to ensure a loss? Or what a player would say if the coach told them to deliberately miss shots, or get kicked out of a game? I realize that, this being a family newspaper, you can't print exact quotes, but a general feeling would be nice.

Blogger's note: A coach with any ounce of self-respect would fight it and perhaps eventually resign; a player would ignore it and tell everyone he knew to avoid that organization like the plague

[J]

@Gord:

Sorry, Gord, but if Larry Coon is accurate, then you clearly misread or misunderstood. I do like how you say, "you’re probably missing out on an important equation as a factor simply because you’re unaware." There are no equations (or adding, as you suggest) to miss out on; if there are no ties, then the 6th worst team has 63 of the 1000 total balls, and the 9th worst team has 17 of the 1000 total balls--as in 6.3% and 1.7%, plain and simple. To take it a step further (again, assuming no ties), the 6th place team will have approximately a 21.5% chance of drafting in the top 3, whereas the 9th place team will have approximately a 6.1% chance of doing the same. The draft is still a crapshoot, but clearly, the 6th spot has a far greater chance (~252% better) of moving up than the 9th spot. Maybe you need to ask him to clarify this for you. =P

As a note, it's not that I'm hoping the Raptors lose their final game; I just want the Nets to win.

[Steve]

@Gord: There is no need to ask Larry when it seems pretty clear to me you've just misinterpreted what he said. The Raptors were indeed locked into at least a 2% chance at #1 pick (actually 1.7% but anyway), but the key words are "at least" and this doesn't mean there hasn't been an incentive to lose over this last little stretch - not that I particularly believe tanking is an epidemic as many seem to (ESPN anyone).

Even the very last game against New Jersey which breaks the tie for 6th last will make the difference between a 4.3% chance at #1 pick for the 'winner' and a 6.3% chance for the 'loser'.

[Moshigh]

@ Lee and others who complain about this team. Look at the roster. 2 games under .500% is great. They had a couple nice wins. Limited talent on this team is being nice.

Majority of the games have been close (even last 2 losses). Not a big deal if they lost last couple. Be nice if they win the final game at home for the fans!!

Oh since I know alot of you own dogs or family/friends with them. Please not all of us like them, not all people like when you let your Dog stoop over on our lawn that our children play on. I dont care if you pick it up. Do it at your own house. Im tired of going to park dog off the leash etc. There was a sad story dog gettin killed yesterday. Dont know all details but some people get fed up with Dogs. Just my mini rant

Lets go raps

[Mike kovacs]

@gord: these are the chances of getting the 1st pick. The comment from yesterday about the 6th pick having a chance of 6.3% and the 9th 1.7% was correct.:

As of 2008, with 30 NBA teams, 16 qualify for the playoffs and the remaining 14 teams are entered in the draft lottery. These 14 teams are ranked in reverse order of their regular season record and are assigned the following number of chances. ( 4 of 14 ping pong balls numbered 1-14 are drawn giving 1001 possible combinations ( order of numbers does not matter ))

1.250 combinations, 25.0% chance of receiving the #1 pick
2.199 combinations, 19.9% chance
3.156 combinations, 15.6% chance
4.119 combinations, 11.9% chance
5.88 combinations, 8.8% chance
6.63 combinations, 6.3% chance
7.43 combinations, 4.3% chance
8.28 combinations, 2.8% chance
9.17 combinations, 1.7% chance
10.11 combinations, 1.1% chance
11.8 combinations, 0.8% chance
12.7 combinations, 0.7% chance
13.6 combinations, 0.6% chance
14.5 combinations, 0.5% chance

[deanor]

Doug,

I have seen some questions on other sites in the past couple days talking about "the James Johson incident" and how it could relate to his future.

Am i missing something, did he do something silly recently??

Peace

D

Blogger's note: No. Had an issue a while ago, long forgotten; ignore other sites, please

[doug]

it's curious that the NBA has taken so long to act on the MWP suspension...maybe waiting to see the true impact on Harden....now I am not a stats guy, never have been never will be, as intangibles are as big a part or larger then stats are in my opinion, I watch the games, as unbiased a observer as I can be and I am better at it as I am getting older and wiser??/...that's why I think the whole moneyball thing for the most part was and is a sham, as talent wins plain and simple for the most part....now where I am going with this is that I read this piece on S.I. today, a reputable site, and it was on this week's baseball 'Power Rankings", it just made me shake my head, and say to myself (or maybe out loud as i was that dumfounded) that this is stat's gone utterly crazy....look at what team is ranked 7th in these rankings based on some statistical analysis and what team is ranked 20th....nonsensical to me....ok cheers...oh and I see where Howard wants to be traded again, talk about nonsensical, it is that dudes head....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/baseball/mlb/04/23/mlb.power.rankings/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

[doug]

well no sooner ask or question when and it happens...MWP gets 7 games, pretty fair not a over-reaction by the league and what Metta and the Lakers had to expect...to me a fair ruling...

[avinash]

Hya Doug, so Glen Grunwald is the newly minted Knick GM! Good to see hard work and achievement rewarded. Your thoughts?

Blogger's note: He's done a good job in tough circumstances; good for him.