Breathing comes a bit easier; and a non-news event

Everyone feel a little bit better?

Thought so.

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THREE POINTERS

The Compton Worm?

That probably doesn’t stick but if DeMar DeRozan keeps getting seven rebounds every now and then, someone’s going to sit up and take notice, aren’t they?

Dwane has, as he mentioned after the game last night.

“DeMar’s rebounding, I thought that was huge. When we get that type of rebounding from our guards, those guys out-rebounded our frontcourt so … that’s huge.

“We knew Kyle was a big-time rebounder from the guard position, he’s tough, but that’s two big-time games from DeMar and I’m really happy to see him take that next step.”

Now, I don’t think we can put too much stock into DeRozan’s rebounding until it’s a 10-game thing but he has looked more assertive going to the glass, especially defensively, of late. He’s not looking to leak out as he did far too often in the past, he’s finding his man, wrestling him if has to and going to get the ball.

And – and I know how this is going to sound – the bigs must be doing their jobs unseen because there’s room for DeRozan and Lowry to get to the loose balls. It’s not translating into stats, it never will, but if the bigs engage their guys, DeRozan and Lowry should have the strength and quickness to get to loose balls and that should ignite some of the transition stuff Dwane wants to see.

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I have to mock, at least a bit; it’s what I do

Confetti?

I know, first win, celebration, other teams do it, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

But, really?

Confetti?

Here’s what they should do instead of firing off confetti cannons after a win over Minnesota in Game 3 of a long season.

Fire off pizza slice coupons.

Now, that I could get behind.

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A glimpse, perhaps

No, Landry Fields has yet to have an obvious impact on any game and I don’t know that he’ll ever be a guy who’ll score a lot of points or make a lot of noticeable plays and listening to Dwane before the game, I don’t think the team figures that’ll happen too often.

But there were a couple of moments Sunday night that showed what he can do, as long as he does it consistently.

One was a nice backcut along the baseline, he took a pass and finished with a dunk and that’s the kind of off-the-ball play he needs to make until his shot either comes around or is repaired, neither of which is likely to happen really soon.

The other was Dwane trying to get Fields more involved by calling post-ups for him and even though they didn’t work great against Minnesota – Fields held the ball too long before making a move – if he uses some of his basketball smarts to get the ball to open shooters quickly, it’ll make him a bit more dangerous.

Casey and the staff aren’t anywhere near ready to give up on him yet and more stuff like the few glimpses Sunday show why.

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More?

Sure, a little.

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This came up on the iTunes shuffle the other day and since I see it’s Art’s birthday today, why not a little Simon and Garfunkel.

For a Grunt Of A Certain Vintage, this is part of the Music Of My Life and I have to say, I used to be able to croon almost every word to every song.

I know, it might be a tad soft but I really liked these guys when I was a young ‘un.

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Remind me the next time I’m running through lists of the worst airports in the NBA to put the terminal at LaGuardia that houses Air Canada right near the top.

Few services, nothing approximating a good coffee place, gloomy, hot, cramped.

The place sucks.

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Lakers 108, Pistons 79.

I have a feeling that says as much about Detroit as it does about Los Angeles.

So by all means continue with your Lakers angst.

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This is how Timberwolves-Raptors played in the Twin Cities.

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Okay, I find Mickey Mantle’s a tad pretentious at times (although you can have fresh air in the separately-vented bar) and Blix is an excellent spot for a burger, a beer and a game and Beerwerks (hope I got the spelling correct) has a great, great selection, but if anyone with an OKC connection has another suggestion, I could be all ears.

After an eight-hour travel day between airport arrival and a layover in Chicago, may need a night to unwind.

Thanks.

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I guess this is news because it’s not news and that’s a pretty good thing.

The NBA has added two female officials to the staff this season, bringing the complement of women referees to three.

And, gladly, gone are the days when people are writing about it and talking about it because it’s a curiosity rather than two well-trained officials simply moving up the ladder from D League to NBA.

They are Brenda Pantoja (she’s the one in the picture) and Lauren Holtkamp and they join Violet Palmer to give the NBA more femaie referees than its ever had at one time.

There was never really an issue with women doing the job in my opinion, they were no different than their male counterparts – they may some good calls, some bad calls and went about their business as professionals, trying to do their best every time they stepped on the floor.

But I do think it says something about fans, and reporters, that now it’s not an oddity to be explained or even noticed. The three women are just part of the staff.

That’s a good thing; we’ve taken another step on the road.

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Comments

[Derek]

Morning Doug,
Having watch all three games, your blog today touched on one of my early concerns - which is the play of Landry Fields. I couldn't care less how much he's making, and strictly worry about his impact (positive or negative) on the court. I thought that one of his "strengths" was his alleged 3-point range - but in the first three games he seems terrified of shooting 3's. In yesterday's game alone I saw 3-4 times where he received the ball on the perimeter and was wide-open to attempt a 3, and he couldn't pass the ball of to someone else quick enough. One or two of those times was late in the shot clock, where he definitely should have shot, rather than forcing someone else to jack up a hurried shot on a short clock.
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Especially this early in the season, I'd have expected him to be shooting "more" and figured the coaching staff would be encouraging him to do so. Thus far I've been "underwhelmed" by Fields (to put it mildly), and my only concern about his salary, is that if he continues to play at this level, the Raps will continue to give him minutes ahead of Anderson (who's playing better) and Ross (who needs to play to develop), strictly because they're paying Fields too much to have him relegated to the bench.
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I agree with you - I've seen "glimpses" of him making plays, cutting to the basket, but he seems to do that very rarely, and more often is throwing up rushed, off-balance jumpers. I'd think a 3-pt attempt when you're set-up, ready (and open) would do more for your confidence than what he's been doing. Have you heard any rumblings from the coaching staff about encouraging him to try more 3's?

Blogger's note: No, I haven't

[Andy]

Landry Fields, for the life of me, having watching basketball for so long I don't know why he is a starter. Hack, I don't even know why we sign him in the first place! He can't shot, can't finished close to the rim. Bad passer and look loss on the court. That two plays you said? Well, it was a glimpse, but if they start this guy, there is no chance for the raptors to win a game if the other team didnt already have two of their best player side lined.

[Lorie]

It was a Friday night in Willowdale and I was 11 and being dragged to a party with my much older cousin who I knew was only using me as an alibi in the official story to her parents that we were just going to Yorkdale to buy shampoo. Or conditioner. Or something. (And by 'much' older I'm talking 15.) So we arrive at the forbidden festivities. I'm immediately cast aside like yesterday's Toronto Star - no, we'll make it The Telegram - and my evening loomed ahead without much joy or promise. But, one of my cousin's friends must have seen how miserable and out of place I was, took pity on me and asked if I liked music. Well, of course, I did! I mean, it was the 60's and Music Was Everything. So he gave me an enormous pair of headphones, placed a large pillow on the floor and told me to just sit and listen to his new album. It was magic. I know I listened twice through. I'd never heard anything like it. It was, of course, The Sounds Of Silence. My consciousness was raised. My tectonic plates shifted. And my mind was blown. That song still has that effect on me. Oh, and my cousin - who got to stay till curfew and on whom I've never ratted out until now - was happy about all this, too. So, on that album, Joe South was one of the studio musicians and he's known as a pretty decent singer/songwriter as well. In fact continuing with the aural theme, he wrote this one that was a hit for Billie Joe Royal. But I prefer the Deep Purple version. http://youtu.be/u1kZ9zYr7kk Cheers. And safe travels. And Go Raps!

[jwss]

Doug, I know the number of fouls the Raptors committed is annoying, but when he was interviewed after the game, Rick Adelman sounded like he'd accept that on a team he coached because it clearly demonstrated who the more aggressive team was. Coach's frustration or legitimate viewpoint?

Blogger's note: Raptors let Minnesota back in the game by fouling too much in the third quarter and they were mainly lazy fouls. Not entirely clear on your point but if any team fouls like Toronto did in the third, a coach should be ticked

[Penny]

Hi Doug - I'm having the same problem as someone pointed out yesterday - cannot easily read the IGBT from the week-end games as I can't get it to switch to the next page. The second scroll is not very easy to navigate and the page numbers don't always come up at the bottom.

[Mike kovacs]

If you addressed this in the IGBT I'm sorry but I did not read it as I was at the game but why did Rick Adelman pull AK47 out just 1 min into the 4th quarter and not put him back in? He was one of the few who was playing well for him.

Blogger's note: Not entirely sure, I'm afraid

[Ben]

Doug - kind of a weird question - do the female referee's get a separate locker room than their male counter-parts? Do most arenas have change rooms for referees of both sexes?

Blogger's note: Yes on both counts

[Steve]

I'm going to buck the trend and say that in Fields the Raptors are probably going to get about what they expected. Even on that basis he's still probably under-performing a bit based on what he's being paid but I expect him to come good.

I'm much more worried about if or when Bargnani's going to come good, clanging his way to 10 points on 4/16 shooting and no trips to the line last night in the 24 minutes he was on =/. Not exactly the same signs we were seeing from him at the start of last season.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Just a guess, but because it seems that D Casey puts some bite into his demands for accountability, it may not be long at all before we see Anderson starting for Fields (he's earned it) and Bargs logging some seriously deserved bench time (he's earned it!). As @ron morissey smartly suggested yesterday, "why not have him come off the bench and play more with Calderon". Good call. It would also likely sober him up pretty quickly to get back to "earning" his minutes.
Otherwise, things seem to be moving forward. Lowry + DeRoz makes for a good story and some good ball. Cheers. Go Raps!

[Phil A]

@Penny I'm having the same problem. I'm not entirely sure what the problem is but I suspect that it might have to do with our internet browser. I can only view the IGBT from my mobile device.

I was happy to see Brandon Roy back playing in the NBA but he's not the same player that he was with Portland. It almost seems that his body has aged by 10 years. I'll never forget game 5 of the Dallas-Portland series 2 years ago where he came out of nowhere and won the game on his own. That was a moment that I will never forget.

[PK]

Agree with you on Laguardia being the worst to fly out of. With Air Canada you're cramped into the end of the terminal, with 6 gates crammed within a 50 foot radius of each other. You're guarenteed to be delayed on your flight out even on a good day and can expect to arrive at the airport to find out that your flight was cancelled and you've been moved to a flight 3 hours later than your original departure.

[Rob.V]

Could someone please explain to me why there are no more harmony's in music?.
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I generally think older songs should be "retired" from radio play and Simon & Garfunkel were before my time, but what a great song. Great!.Song!.
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Now, maybe not up there with gems like today's #1 hits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA4iX5D9Z64.
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Don't get me wrong here. Cute broad who can sing (and all), but seriously!.
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After just listening to the sounds of silence it seems as though the "responsibility" of good songwriting has gone out the window, and it's a shame... although I suppose this same argument could have been made 50 + years ago as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rYoRaxgOE0.
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Now in my expert opinion this was a very close race, but cameo from the guy in this video pushes this song way ahead of Miss Swift's #1 smash hit... the dude is classic!!!
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On Landry Fields - How good is that guy Kirilenko?
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Maybe it's a new system for Landry, new players. So what's it gonna take, 10-15 games? What are you guys thinking out there, do we have 10-15 games of patience in our bag... or do we just string him up right now?
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So what's happened to the "zone"?. The Raptors seem to be giving up more easy points in the paint this year (although I haven't crunched any numbers). Dude, has Casey gone away from the zone or am I maybe not looking for it and missing it during the games?
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Oh and just in case you've already forgotten... lolli pop, lolli pop... oh lolli lolli lolli... Deal with THAT! for the rest of the day. Lol!

Blogger's note: Haven't shown a zone, still working on getting starters used to man system. It'll come

[sam]

After the first three games, there's one thing that is pretty obvious - The HOTH 2012 2013 edition are a work in progress,
There has been some highlites to be sure. DD and Lowry have meshed pretty well and it is only a matter of time until Andrea gets in the groove, and shoots for a higher percentage. I'm not comfortable writing off any of the new additions, most importantly Fields, but his lack of scoring is taking away from the other things he does well. Still much work to do, but it looks promising -

[LeeZ]

Um....Doug? Can you please explain Mayor Rob Ford for me, in 10 words or less? You see, I live in Ottawa. Here in Ottawa we don't vacate two packed city buses to ferry, what was it, a group of frail senior citizens? No...um...a group of elderly women and young children? No...um, oh yeah, a poor, defenceless group of FOOTBALL PLAYERS! Oh, and it was raining! Heavens to Betsy!!!! So, yeah. Doug, please explain. I really want to understand.

Blogger's note: Oh, how I wish I could

[GM]

The NBA will really take a step forward when they hire all three female refs to ref one game. What's your prediction when that will happen?

> > "Here’s what they should do instead of firing off confetti cannons after a
> > win over Minnesota in Game 3 of a long season.

> > Fire off pizza slice coupons."

I've got to say it: Ding! Ding! Ding! Well played, sir. Well played. What would be even better is if they fire off the actual pizza slices through the cannon. (And as you know, I'm all for the cheering and/or booing over said pizza.)

Blogger's note: Refs are divided into a handful of "groups" and I don't think even two of these three are in the same one; years away, I fear.
Pizza slices!!! Only for "really" big wins

[BuffaloSojourn]

A little extra powder in the machine, and you could have pizza coupon confetti! Maybe even a contest- first to patch together a whole coupon gets a free pop with their slice.

[Jonathan M]

If you don't mind putting on a decent shirt for something perhaps a bit trendier than you might want after a long travel day, the Republic Gastropub looks like it has no business being in a place like Oklahoma City. 150 beers on tap, 250 more in bottles, and a massive screen for sports events.

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/republic-gastropub-oklahoma-city

[Josh]

@LeeZ

Uhhh you picked a weird story to clue in on our blowhard mayor but this was probably to least of his offences to date as it is a thing in our city to reserve TTC buses for school event transportation and when those buses don't come you can phone to ask where they are.

[sportschic]

You could always check Urbanspoon for recommendations for OKC. With Andrea having an off night and Landry Fields not in sync yet, the best could be yet to come. I must be drinking the koolaid, and this upcoming road trip will bring me back to reality with a thump.

Blogger's note: Got my Urbanspoon on my handy, dandy iPhone

[doug]

first off I would like to apologize to Doug if it seemed I was giving him a hard time on the IGBT last night...I wasn't all it was just me talking to someone with knowledge and opinions with my own just like 2 guys watching a game over a few brews...that Simon and Garfunkel clip is gold but I recommend to anyone that hasn't seen it to peruse that whole 25th Rock and Roll anniversary concert is unreal, great lineup and acts that all seemed to be on their game....as for last nights Raps game what impressed me the most is we beat a team we have to beat, we are a mid-level team now I believe so we have to defeat those teams below us to take the next step....ok cheers...

Blogger's note: None needed, but thanks

[Johnn19]

Raptors team numbers after 3 games, 97ppg vs 90 last year, and 94 points against, the same as 94 against last year
A completely differnt guard oriented offense though, with Lowry dominating, and scoring along with DeRozan, vs previously Calderon including the forwards and guards as scorers equally, and only looking for his shot to keep the defense honest.

Very much a work in process to involve the whole team working together, on the same page in the offense, and Lowry learning who wants the ball when and where to be the most effective.

Just a note about DeRozan. His contract for $38mil starts next year. This year he makes $3.3 mil and his qualifying offer to be a RFA after this year was for $4.5mil, and his potential is unlimited.
His new contract will be well earned in the coming years combining with Lowry in an outstanding backcourt for the Raps..

[Mr. Cook]

There's no harmonies in today's music, huh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQRS40OKNE Or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r39d5d4MYsY Or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjecYugTbIQ Or