Of blame and success and, of course, a rant

On the good side for them, think of all the money they’re saving in confetti costs.

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THREE POINTERS

It’s too easy, and wrong

Yes, the two inbounds plays were botched, the pass that Tony Parker intercepted and the five-second call.

But if you want to ascribe blame to one person, it would be a grave mistake. As we’ve said too many times to remember, it’s never one guy; there’s always something else going on that people tend to forget.

Except the people who count, like the coach.

“At that time that’s when you have to have that razor-like focus and get open, set solid screens and come aggressively to the ball. You can’t tiptoe and do that, those are things that are the mark of a young team, a team trying to find itself and that’s who were are.”

So, yes, the Calderon pass that Parker picked off was a bit soft but Lowry kind of nonchalant going to the ball, the screens in both situations were soft and there’s more than enough responsibility shirked to have a discussion.

As there always is.

But that’s not how the world works, I’m afraid; too many people are into much of a rush to find one thing they lose track of the bigger picture.

It is forever thus.

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Historical night

According to the great people at the Elias Sports Bureau and passed on to all by the inimitable Marc Stein, that game Sunday was the first since the advent of the shotclock in 1954 that the first five quarters of a game were either tied or with a margin of one point.

Does that make it the closest game in NBA history?

You could make that point and that’d be pretty cool to have seen it, no?

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Another admission coming?

Yes, that was Gregg Popovich out at mid-court – and I’m taiking right out at the circle – ranting the face of an official during a timeout late in the fourth quarter and, yes, that was an official shying away and swallowing his guts and his whistle and taking it like a chastised child.

Shameful.

And, shockingly, seconds later there was a cheap illegal screen call on Valanciunas.

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Oh yeah, here's the game story that should answer one of your burning questions if you haven't read it yet.

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More?

Heck yeah.

How about some Grey Cup stuff?

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Right after this.

Dean Martin singing about Houston? How good is that?

It’s certainly not my favourite city – it’s far too spread out (there are about four “downtown” areans) – and there doesn’t seem to be a lot to do in the neighbourhood where I stay for games (down by the arena for ease of game-day access) and I’d definitely have in the bottom third of league cities.

That said, it’s Dean Martin!

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Okay, so 34-22 isn’t 29-25 but you get my point, right?

Congrats to the Argos on a rather dominant victory – at no point at any time after about the start of the second quarter did you really think they’d lose.

Now, people, tomorrow there will be what’s known as a “victory parade” in downtown Toronto. It is when a championship team is feted in the streets by adoring fans and always accompanies some significant sporting victories.

It is not to be confused with people honking horns driving the main drag after some first-round single-game playoff victory.

It is bigger than that. Not many have experienced it, just want to let you know.

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The dusting of snow on the ground during Super Dog’s early morning walk was a bit dismaying. Almost enough to make me put the flip-flops away.

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Rant time.

You know, it's all well and good and quite nice that a global icon like Beebs or whoever you spell it appreciates the opportunity to perform for free at the Grey Cup.

Now, if only he was more respectful of his county, I'd take him far more seriously.

I say this not as a writer but as a Canadian: you may not like the policies or politics of the Prime Minister but if he is honouring you in any way you need to respect the office and the nation and you do not ever show up looking like some hillbilly punk.

I cannot for the life of me think of a more disrespectful look and for that he should be ashamed and whatever handler or family member let him dress like that should be ashamed of themselves, too.

That doesn't make me an old grump, it makes me a grown up and a Canadian.

I’m not talking a black tie outfit but in the name of all that’s good in the world, the kid needed to look like a human.

There is no explanation, there are no mitigating factors, there is no way anyone can offer any logical reason for that affront.

The kid should be embarrassed and ashamed.

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That said, he was better at the Grey Cup than The Who was at the Super Bowl, no?

Well, except for the obvious lip-synching, that is.

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Please, someone tell me that I misheard and that Burton Cummings didn’t really blow the words to O Canada?

I know he screwed up the “all thy sons command” line and that’s despicable enough but didn’t it sound like he missed later in the song, too?

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So what do the Argos do now?

I know at least one guy – hello, coach Steve! – who vows to return as a season-ticket holder after a few year’s absence following the success of this season but the real trick will be if they can attract new fans.

And I wonder if they will.

I’d hope that they have their 2013 season ticket program ready to launch today because if they don’t, they will lose a huge opportunity to cash in on the goodwill of the week.

It seemed to be a wildly successful celebration and game and result, now is the time to somehow leverage it with tickets and videos and souvenirs and the like because sports fans tend to have short memories and if they wait until the spring, it will be a huge chance blown.

By the time they start up against next summer, the Blue Jays could very well be the talk of the town; right now, the Argos pretty much have the city to themselves and a championship to crow about.

I hope they do.

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Comments

[coachd]

Hi Doug,
I think we saw yesterday and during the Philly game what is lacking with the Raptors. In both games we saw a coach at an important moment in the game change the flow with a well-timed rant at an official. For whatever reason, Casey seems unwilling or unable to do the same. Casey needs to hold the officials to account. That's what good coaches do. Both Collins and Poppovich know that and what we've seen is that they are willing to do that during the game for their teams. Sending videos to the league after the fact doesn't change the outcome of a game.Further, Casey needs to hold his players to account as well. They are making too many silly mistakes to win these close games. It should be noted that Casey is a young coach himself who is still learning the trade of being a head coach in the NBA. I just hope that he's learned from watching a couple of masters in the last week ply their trade.

[Kevin]

My boys have official permission to skip school tomorrow for the parade. It's going to be hard to throw together a grade 4 field trip from the 905 to get down there myself.

[Dan]

I think the ball was actually deflected by Manu on the inbound pass which out the blame more on Jose. Jose just seems like he gets more timid every year. It gets worse when the game is on the line. He doesn't even try to get lay ups anymore. Everything is long twos and threes or try to set up a pick and roll. In the 4th when the D picks up he is very easy to guard because you know he will only do one or two different things.

[Dr. BB]

I think a case can definitely be made for Doug's supernatural influence on the Grey Cup game ... after all, the Spurs were in Toronto, and the Argos won by 12.

That cannot be a coincidence.

[Steve]

Well, I can't say I had the lads pencilled in to beat the Spurs in any event but it was good to see them compete at least.

A little dismayed to see Ed Davis to play arguably the game of his career only to be benched for the stone cold Bargnani down the stretch, but perhaps EVEN more dismayed to see Demar appearing to get mugged on the way to the basket to tie it up at the end of 1OT and no call for the and-1.

[Dell]

I was disappointed in the lack of adjustments Casey made late in the game as well at OT. I understand coaches tend to put out their OT team and dare not substitute unless there is a fouling situation or a player picks up his 6th. Surely Casey saw that they exploited Bargnani on Defense over and over by putting him in the pick and roll. Had Bargnani been making shots it would have been a different story...but he wasn't. He was rushing them and shooting flat, then played poor defense. Davis was playing a strong game and should have been the guy on the floor in OT to have the footspeed to defend the pick/roll.

Blogger's note: Except for the textbook pick and roll defence they played on the last possession of regulation

[john]

The beebs rant hit the nail on the head. Well done.
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Who was that band at half time who sang the stuttering song. Could they really not come up with a song that didn't make light of a physical disability to sing in front of a national audience? What’s next on their hit list, a little ditty about Polio victims or maybe something about Epileptics? Talk about poor taste. The organizers should be ashamed of themselves.
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I patiently await the league to review the Ginobli flop on the screen and give him his fine. On top of his fine they should give Pops a fine as well for sticking up for him.

[Michel G]

The only thing from yesterday's game that made me angry was Casey's quote that he would stick with Bargnani through hell or high water. I'm a fan of Andrea's, but when did he ever earn that type of leeway. All this talk of culture change is meaningless if your supposed best player is not to be held accountable. With seven of the next eight games on the road including a 5-game western swing, the team could very well put themselves into a hole they won't be able to dig themselves out of. At least we won't have that incessant tank conversation this year having traded our first round pick.

[sam]

The love for Ed Davis seems to be at an all time high. He had a good game, where Andrea couldn't buy a bucket. What's been good so far this season is that aside from the game against the Celtics the HOTH have been in each game. If a few bounces, or calls go thier way the win loss record would be better and the great unwashed would be less critical of individual players.
A tough game for Andrea, but one easily forgets the 34 he rang up on Friday night and that DD was stone cold. Yesterday was the opposite. I'm still not 100% sold on Kyle logging the big minutes as the starting point guard. The scoring is nice, the toughness is a bonus, but I guess the familiarity with the rest of the team will take some time. A good game for JV.
Popovich really is an exceptional coach, and after the game we saw more evidence that Duncan is one classy guy.

[O.J.]

I don't think the coach is to blame here. He is going with Bargnani because as a coach, you're supposed to trust your "star" player. Unfortunately, after 7 years off watching Bargnani sputter around the court with that deer-in-the headlights-look while taking jumpshots in crunch time, I can say the experiment with him has failed. Doug, I was the biggest Colangelo fan coming in, but Bargs is no Dirk. He is no leader and he doesn't exude confidence or put fear into an opponent. Not only that, after 7 years he still doesn't consistently box out his man or make the hustle plays that star players make. Jose is having a good year, but he is also a product of many losing seasons. So if we're trying to make a fresh start, I think we should consider packaging Bargs and Jose for a PF that can defend & score in the paint and elevate Lucas to the backup roll. We won't get value for Bargs but in a package with Jose, it might happen. As long as we get a player we can plug in to Casey's system that is an established defender, it will improve our chances. Then the priority in the off-season, once a new GM is found, should be to draft or trade for a quality small forward because at 3 - 10, with our current personnel (rookies getting extended minutes) I don't see a turnaround substantial enough to give us a hope in the improved eastern conference.

[AT]

this team is deep with good role players... but I think it is time to do at least 1 or maybe a couple of 2 for 1 or 3 for 1 deals. There is a huge hole for a stud at the 3 spot you have to think the BC is working on something....

[Mike D.]

Holy Toledo, Doug, that Bieber picture just made me swallow whatever rant I had planned about the Raptors/Spurs game.....the kid looks like he was Photoshopped into a photo of someone else meeting Stephen Harper! That outfit would be an embarrassment just walking down the street, but wearing it to the PM's office is pathetic.

[born_ghost]

Sigh...a few days shy of x-mas and the team is already careening into the gutter. If they get hammered on this upcoming stretch on the road this team will effectively be out of the playoff race before the holidays. Surely, if that's the case then it's time to clean house, no? I'm honestly a fan of consistency, but at this point BC has helmed not just a losing team the whole time he's been here, but an utterly forgettable one at that. What's been the bright spot of the last 5-6 years? The annual discussion about how Bargnani finally "gets it" and is going to take his place as a star (never going to happen at this point)? The accumalation of middling draft pics that we're told are likely "diamonds in the rough" (how's that working out?). A parade of coaches who will bring a "new attitude and accountability" to the team? It's all getting a little tired at this point. At the end of the day, this is a losing team, with a losing record under BC (a very bad record at that), with no draft pieces outside of JV, even though we've lived in the basement all this time. Who can justify that job performance? Really?

[DC]

Disagree with Doug Smith that "going off" on the officials isn't worth it or doesn't really accomplish much. I see every winning coach demonstrably stand up for his players when they are getting hit. It's disappointing that Casey doesn't want to lose 20-30 grand if it means demonstrating how poorly a job the officials are doing of giving his hard working players credit. A relatively calm guy like popovich getting in a refs face seemed to make the point adequately (and he wasn't fined).

The Sunday loss had little to do with how close it was or a few bad inbounds passes. The raptors had a lead in the fourth and couldn't close. They had two overtimes at home and did enough on defence to hold the spurs to 42% shooting. The raps lost again because they cannot score when their opponents up their defensive intensity as the game comes to an end. Sure, that may be a sign of a young team, but it is also clear to even casual observers that the raptors lack movement in their offense. They rely heavily on a simple pick and roll with three guys essentially standing around the three point line watching and waiting. Without the other three players moving, cutting and setting real screens, they are easy to defend and box out. This helps explain why they give up leads and can't hold off even the worst of nba teams as the clock winds down.

[DaveB]

"Yes, that was Gregg Popovich out at mid-court – and I’m taiking right out at the circle – ranting the face of an official during a timeout late in the fourth quarter and, yes, that was an official shying away and swallowing his guts and his whistle and taking it like a chastised child.

Shameful.

And, shockingly, seconds later there was a cheap illegal screen call on Valanciunas."

I couldn't have said it better myself. There wasn't even any contact on the supposedly screen. As stated earlier, both Doug Collins and POP did this to the referees. doug did get a technical. However, after both of these outbursts, their teams got questionable calls from the referees. Disgusting.

[RealRobFord]

"As we’ve said too many times to remember, it’s never one guy."

Umm, how about: Bryan Colangelo?

Blogger's note: As we've said too many times to remember, it's never one guy

[Kent]

With each and every loss, we get closer to the end of the BCo/Andrea Bargnani/Jose Calderon era. I cannot be happier. Playoffs??? Yeah right.

[Lorie]

Well said, Doug. And while I'm all for marching to the beat of one's own drummer sartorially speaking and not robotically following fashion industry-mandated trends, there are still rules to be observed and times where one's attire must reflect the dignity of the situation and surroundings. But....there are other times where the only style rule is - as Harry Nilsson famously said in this song - to be 'going where the weather suits my clothes'. Or footwear. Enjoy Houston where even post- Labour Day flip-flops are perfectly suitable. So long as they're not white. :) http://youtu.be/2AzEY6ZqkuE

[Rob]

Another very tough loss but lets try to shed some optimism, as tough as it is:
- Raps are a good competitive team, that could easily be 9-5 instead of 3-11. We are in prettty much EVERY game against any opponent save 2 games

- JV is showing signs that he can be the dominant centre this team has never had, for years to come

- As tough as these losses are, the team is giving it their all and never give up. Customers are getting their moneys worth.

- Don't know about anyone else here, but i can see a Lowry-DD-Ross-Ed Davis-JV lineup being VERY good 2 years down road

[David in Oakville]

Good Morning Doug,

No question, we need to look at the big picture, but in the end, adjustments can only be made on a player by player level (or multiple players if you are AA and an improbable deal falls in your lap). At some point we need to stop looking at the big picture, step closer and make the one or two player adjustment that puts the team right.

I like Bargnani. I think he can be a decent NBA player on a championship team. But he needs to play alongside an experienced big man and he needs someone on court who will hold him to account. I think Bryan sees that too and was hoping JV and Lowry would be those pieces. I think in time they could be... but not before this season is lost and JV needs at least 2 years to develop. AB will never be the go to guy because it is not in his nature. This has to be the season that he is moved to a team that is better suited to his abilities and his disposition.

As far as Coach Casey's decision to hold back the hot Davis in place of the hopeful Bargs... yep.. it definitely qualifies as "plausible basketball judgement". Not effective yesterday, but plausible that it could have been effective.

I didn't see the game, but it was on the radio while I was cooking in the kitchen. Paul & Eric both expressed their surprise with how much complaining and ref baiting the Spurs got away, especially Duncan and Ginobili.

[Rob.V]

Okay, lets get this right out of the way. The "mugging" of DeRozan at the rim (end of 1st OT with 0.9) should be sent to the league. He was fortunate to get the rebound and tie the game so it's easy to lose sight of this however, that once AGAIN was not just a missed call. It was blatantly and purposefully overlooked.
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Popovich inducing a future call is terrible. The ref who withstood the barrage during the timeout is indeed shameful. Terrible!. The only thing a berating like that should have accomplished was a technical foul. Nope!, we call it respect in the NBA. Again, the league has a severe problem.
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Anyone still think these are the best officials in pro Sports?
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Having said this. What's happened to the quicker "tempo" the Raptors had talked about earlier on the season?. I thought there were many opportunities for them to get out and run after securing rebounds in the OT's however they strolled the ball up the court, let the Spurs dig in on D and settled for long jump shot's (outside of DeMar).
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Now, I'm not against half court play at all, but you need a big with post presence if you're going to play this way (see Gasol below).
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You wouldn't think this was a young athletic team playing against an old Spurs squad. We should have tried to run them out of the building.
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I actually do buy into what Casey is saying about the team getting better however with the current schedule the season could be over by next month.
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We may not make it out alive to December 15th!!!.
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I'm not an AB basher, however 7 footer's should not be expected to play behind the 3 point line in crunch time (regardless if their shot is dropping, or not).
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Look, maybe the Gasol rumours we're starting here are not such a bad idea after all. He'd still be a great release valve for JV going forward as his mid range game is probably the best of any big mans in the league. He'll board 9-10 times a game, his post play is second to none down on the block, 1.5 blocks per game, and he's a 2 time NBA champion. Leadership is something this team could use more of (AB spreads the floor for D'antoni).
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DeRozan needs help!. This team desperately needs better post play. Demar is trying however a Gasol type creating on the block might just be what this teams needs in crunch time... if you want to play a half court game.
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It's also (very) clear to me that a decision is going to have to be made with Ed Davis and Amir sooner rather than later. I like them both and wouldn't be happy to see either go however one of them has to be moved because we're going to have to define minutes at the back up PF spot. Moving one of Amir or Ed with AB for Gasol might clean this up as well... these guys never know when they are going to get minutes.
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December 15th!!!!... still 19 days away.

[DMcG]

Hmmm, obsessed with a single call? I don't know what I did to you, or what you think I did to you, but I apologize for whatever it was. Why do I say this?
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Early in yesterday's game, you commented on Bargnani's 0/3 "dubious start", and I sent a comment: "Bargnani, dubious. How the refs could miss the Duncan foul on him on the first one, is beyond imagination"
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Again, I don't know what I've done to you, but the snotty response I got back was: "Please. The obsession with single calls, frankly, ridiculous. Not sure you just saw DeMar kick Duncan; how that wasn't a foul is beyond imagination. Tell you what? Sit around tonight and watch a tape of the game and break down every call/non-call; and then we'll talk."
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I don't know where you get this obsession thing from, nor what you feel warranted that kind of snotty response, but when you later comment on:
1. "Odd call there, goaltending on DeRozan on a shot that never got over the rim"
2. "Wow that was a weak call on Valanciunas for an illegal screen; really weak"
, which you also devote some space to in today's blog.
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Dude, what is with the pompous attitude toward something you proceed to do a couple of times yourself, and even follow up on it (obsessed?) the next day? Again, my apologies for whatever the heck you think I've done to contribute to the misery, but sheeeesh! For the record, I'm not some kid who has pounded you with stupid, sometimes insulting, remarks. I'm an elder (to you) who tried for a little rare participation in your in game chats. *shaking head*

[james]

Unlike Dell, I actually thought Bargnani was pretty good defensively. Preferring to accentuate the positive, that was a significant game for Valanciunas; he looked terrific.
What I heard from Cummings was the omission of the supernatural from the anthem. But maybe mastering the francais lyrics caused him to forget a few lines.
Question: In the future, who is more likely to use that photo-op, Harper or Bieber? I'll place a modest wager on the PM.

[RealRobFord]

But this is BC's team, is it not? There is no baggage left over from a previous GM. These are his guys. How much more time should we give BC?

Blogger's note: It's never ONE person; sorry, not debating with you. Thanks for reading

[g.t.]

You know as a long time NBA fan it has slowly become difficult to watch NBA games due to the performance of the refs and the way they allow players and coaches to influence them.I know I already watch less games as a result.

Those late 4th quarter calls were ridiculous, illegal screen? You mean like what Tim Duncan does 9 out of 10 times.

The way the refs get dominated by star player and coaches and make calls in their favor just gives the feeling that im watching the Globetrotters play the Washington Generals. The outcome is already pre-determined.

It is time the NBA make strict rules about lobbying refs. If you dont like a call suck it up. If you want to get lippy be prepared to get T's up or ejected