Saving money, lessons learned and, no, turkeys cannot fly

Want the good news?

There’s 70 games left.

Want the bad news?

There’s 70 games left.

I know the lads have today off, I think they – and I need it.

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THREE POINTERS

You spend your money

Had a whole lot of suggestions that maybe Dwane or a player or two should have “gone off” on the officials after the game, certainly incurring a fine.

Why?

Don’t for a second think that the league won’t hear from Toronto today (perhaps they already have) and they will be made aware of whatever grievances the Raptors have to make.

And they will listen because it will be done through proper channels and without any public fanfare, as the league wants.

There have been moments already this season, I’ve been told, when tapes and video have been sent and, yes, the league has concurred that mistakes were made.

Of course that’s too after the fact but you’d think an accumulation of them might have some impact.

But ranting and raving and “going off” does nothing; it’s counter-productive, in my opinion. No sense in publicly embarrassing anyone, follow proper channels and see what happens.

I don’t know what, if anything, eventually will but if enough complaints are lodged against enough officials and the league agrees calls are being regularly blown, some official is going to pay some price.

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Learning opportunities

Yes, Terrence Ross looked good and scored some points and didn’t get drilled defensively too many times. Best game of the season for him and if DeMar has another off-night like he did for most of Wednesday, Ross will probably get some more time.

But if anyone thinks he’s earned even 20 minutes a night off one okay game, they need to adjust their meds.

There are subtleties none of us sees – that’s a simple fact – as Dwane pointed out, all while lauding Ross for his effort.

“Terrence Ross had numerous teaching moments in the first half when (Ben) Gordon was hooking him. He’s got to show his hands to the officials and keep them away Gordon in those situations where he can’t hook him … All those situations were teaching moments for him in the first half.”

Those are things none of sees and few of us understand and it speaks to my oft-stated contention that we should leave coaching to the people who know what they’re doing.

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A good looking kid

There was a fair amount of young talent on display in that game, wasn’t there?

Know who I liked best?

That Taylor kid from Charlotte.

He wasn’t at all fancy, nor all that noticeable to many I suspect, but he bottled up DeRozan for most of the night with as good defence from a rookie as I’ve seen this year.

Now, I have no idea if he can sustain it, or if last night was some anomaly, but if he can keep that up, he’s got a chance.

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What else?

Well …

Given the day, you knew this was coming, right?

Best sitcom line ever, and maybe one of the all-time great scenes.

(Although Chuckles the Clown’s funeral is right up there, isn’t it?)

Anyway, if there are American Irregulars who can drag themselves away from family or flag football, Happy Thanksgiving.

And, no, turkeys cannot fly.

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Mail.

Please.

Click. Write. Send.

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Speaking of Thanksgiving, we’ve spent a few of them down here south of the 49th and I don’t know that there’s any comparable Canadian holiday.

Now, I don’t get lineups for sales – I don’t even get lineups for clubs – and I cannot imagine ever taking part in Black Friday because I’m sure it’d end with some homicide charge but the rest of the weekend is unreal.

It’s really kind of cool that it’s such a family event for every family; it kind of reminds me what Christmas was like 40 years ago around our lives, when it was all about time with the family. It’s not that way anymore – I think I’ve probably flown on 10 of the last 12 Christmases – and it’s too bad.

The Yanks don’t do an awful lot of things better than we do – it is a short, short list – but Thanksgiving is something unique and that they excel at.

Of course, if you’re a visitor without family, it can suck.

I can remember landing one year in Indianapolis sometime late on the Thursday. You could have shot a cannon off in the downtown and not hit a soul, saddest sight a travelling guy could ever imagine. It must have been so long ago that neither of the two downtown Marriotts was even built because I can recall wandering the streets in the early evening looking for somewhere to eat and we couldn’t find a single spot open.

And I don’t even think we had a mini-bar in our rooms.

So, on second thought, Thanksgiving sucks.

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So I’m sitting in the lobby bar at my hotel starting on this about 11 last night and who sits at the table behind me but the three officials and a retired ref who is now working a league supervisor.

No, I didn’t go over to say hello, I have a nodding acquaintance with a couple of them and a slightly better one with the boss but it wasn’t the time.

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Okay, here’s the deal on the Grey Cup and I probably need some help.

The Tall Foreheads want me to do some kind of rolling blog/chat/whatever on Friday and Saturday. Do I just start it around noon and see what transpires from wherever I am? Do I settle on some cool stool and chat for a few hours in the afternoon and, if so, where? Or do I become some kind of old, grumpy Where’s Waldo and move from spot to spot? You tell me.

But I promise you this: I’ve been to a bunch of Grey Cups over the years and it’s always fun. I know there’s talk of it being lost in a big city but, trust me, if you find Grey Cup revelers, it won’t matter where you actually are, you will have fun.

And it’s a darn sight better than Raptors-Pistons in Auburn Hills. Sorry, Cathal.

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And, finally, of course there'd be one of these in the hotel lobby; it's Nov. 22

 

Isn't it a bit early for this?

 

 

 

Comments

[Ray]

Hi Doug,

Do you know of any instances wherein a team complains through proper channels and gets a positive outcome from it? More calls down the road?

Happy American Thanksgiving!

Blogger's note: If the positive outcome is referees being reprimanded and held accountable, yeah; I do know that's happened

[Phil A]

I understand that there are still 70 games remaining on the schedule and that the season is not even close to being over but there has to be some concerns about the Raptors inability to close out games in the 4th quarter. They lack the killer instict. I'm growing increasingly frustrated with this team because I do think they have the right pieces to compete and win the majority of their games.

With all due respect to the Bobcats, there is no way the Raptors should of lost that game last night. The Raptors match up better than them in every aspect of the game (except in rebounding).

[Jack]

Same old, same old.
Sure, blame the refs for no-calls or missed calls. If you play better at both ends, offensively and defensively for 4 quarters, you don't have to rely on the refs to win the game.
Okay, so Ross scored 11 points last night. Will he see more action in the coming games? Don't think so. This team is committed to Bargnani, DeRozan and Calderon playing more minutes.
And to think that they hired a defensive-minded coach.
Same old, same old.

Good news, people.
It's only 3 months before spring training.
Go Jays go.

Blogger's note: So, you're gone 'til next season? Sorry to hear.

[Cluck Kent]

I've only watched 4 games this years, but as a fan, it's really frustrating to watch. Call me a homer, it's likely true, but I find that the refs make way more bad calls on the raptors than any other team I watch - and I watch a lot more other games that don't involve the Raptors. Add to that our resident Engima who will only have a great game if he starts and doesn't come off the bench, doesn't get yelled at by the coach, his teamates spread the floor properly, the temperature is right, the air pressure is just so, he gets the ball in the right place at the right time, his pants aren't too tight and he's thinking happy thoughts and things aren't any easier. Then of course as someone correctly mentioned they completely change their offencive style in the 4th quarter to late in the shot clock iso plays which inevitably fail. It's tough for a fan to watch. End rant.

[Rob]

Doug,
whats your biggest surprises and busts of the early season so far. Mine are the Knicks, i swear that collection of dinosaurs has surprised me immensely, but i do think they will come back to earth in the coming weeks. Gotta mention the bobcats too. As for busts, gotta go with the lakers. They are 6-6, but factor in that they have played 9 home games vs 3 road games, of which they have lost all. And even with nash hate to say he was terrible

[Brad B]

HI Doug,

I think my first post got eaten by the interweb so I'll try it again:

At what point in the season do the hard questions have to be asked of Senior Management if things don't turn around for the team and they start getting wins? Is it after 1/4 of a season? The half-way point? Or do we wait to analyze until after the end of the season?

My gut tells me that rebuilding should take about 5 years to reach playoff contention and the Raptors are almost at that point in the timeline. Shouldn't the team be better than they seem to be at this point?

Blogger's note: It actually didn't get eaten; it got caught up in the fact I had a two-hour flight home and, sadly, couldn't be here every single minute of it

[gjp]

Cluck Kent, I mentioned that fourth quarter late shot clock iso offense a while back. I can't stand it, and it really makes me question the coaching. Lowry's hold and heave from five feet beyond the top of the arc with a minute left and a slim lead was disgraceful.

The other issue is how easy it is for opponents to get deep penetration from the high screen and roll on the Raps. Their pick and roll defense is horrible.

[TL]

Yes, Doug, it's too early.
Too early to bail on the Raptors, for sure.
And way way way too early for Christmas trees in the lobby!

[Marcus Rush]

It"s tough to win a game when your starting 3 contributes zero points. It is also amazing that a player that contributes 83 assists in 7 games as a starter is on the bench and only gets 23 minutes. I feel somewhat cheated, not just in Jose not getting the opportnity, but that Nash is also out. These two along with Rondo in Boston could be putting up a season for the ages in their battle for the assist record. Unfortunatly both Nash and Rondo have better shooters around them which makes Jose's starter numbers even more remarkable.

Watched the Laker game last night and if the Nash injury is more serious than thought a call to Toronto might be worth while. They looked horrid.

[Moshigh]

Im going to turn my attention to the Raptors scouting. I know they have had some decent drafts, hopefully T Ross turns out good and so does JV, but they have lacked on getting a player in the 2nd round. A hustle player, a guy who has preformed higher then anticipated. This team's defense is just terrible. Doesnt matter who is the coach.

Bargnani good scorer,but Im sure he has been labled in the minds of ref's across the league as soft. He wont get those last 2nd tic tac foul calls. This one burned deep.

Im impressed with Charlotte;s hustle and grind as a young team. They got after it.

Im a conspiracy theroist as well...They have it out for Raptors

[GM]

Maybe I'm missing something, but when I heard about the atrocious foul-that-wasn't-a-foul on Bargnani to end the game, I thought it must have been pretty blatant. But when I watched it later, I didn't see much. On the replays, it looked like the defender's arms and hands were straight up. So even if he did get Andrea's arm, it wasn't a mugging. Plausible basketball call, coach!

I have no strong opinion on how much playing time Ross gets but what bugs me is the inconsistency. When DeRozan was a rookie and making the same mistakes, it was felt that he needed to not only play to learn, but that he needed to start. Granted, it was a different team with a different coach. Still, someone else made a great point: others, vets even, continually make egregious errors yet are allowed to play through them. So it has to come down to something else, like better players in front of him or whatever.

Being a Canadian who's never experienced American Thanksgiving, I admit it puzzles me. But you give a good explanation of it. I could never figure out why it was such a big deal down there. Oh, and that Christmas tree? In my neighbourhood, I've noticed several houses with trees up already in the past week. Unbelievable. And they were selling Christmas decorations in Costco at least a month ago, before our Thanksgiving.

Reading about Butch Carter and Sam Mitchell still being unemployed brings me to another inconsistency. When a player is out of the league and not with any team, you chalk that up to him being no longer NBA-calibre, but when these guys haven't been able to land a job in the Association for years, it's no reflection on their abilities.

Why would enquiring about when a player is due back bring you embarrassment, even if it's week's away? You're well known enough with the team that they wouldn't think you're some rube or fanboy who thinks they should be back tomorrow. Seems like a legitimate question. So they say, "We're looking at two more weeks before we reevaluate" and presto, you have an answer. Not an interesting answer, but an answer.

You have better or easier access to records than I do, but I seem to recall the Raptors starting out horribly (like, this horribly) the last time they made the playoffs. I think I remember they made a big push in February and were winning every game. It was under Mitchell, I think, and Jose was playing and Garbo and Bosh. It might be instructive to some of the doomsayers who think it's all over to learn what their record was at this point of the season that year. Or maybe I have false memory syndrome.

Blogger's note: They were something like 8-17 that year, as I recall. And I'm dead certain there were doomsayers around then who suddenly found the light later in the season. It's forever thus

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Explanation of U.S. Thanksgiving is dirt simple: It's the only guaranteed four-day weekend of the year. Cheers. Go Raps!

[GM]

Oh, one other point. That fine on Reggie for flopping. I agree there has to be some way to get players to stop flopping, but what I can't understand is why the refs call it? The one he got busted for was ridiculous. If the ref was watching, there's no way he would have called anything. So clearly he wasn't watching. He made the call based on the after-the-fact movement. You simply cannot do that as a ref. If you don't actually see anything, don't make a call. If it really was something, then explain to the coach that you just missed it and then do better to watch away from the ball next time. Reggie is being punished for poor officiating. But hey, if it helps curtail some of the obvious soccerfication of basketball, great.

[Steve]

"Reggie is being punished for poor officiating."

Not exactly, Reggie is being punished for flopping. The way the NBA are looking at it the fine for flopping it applies regardless of whether or not the flop is "successful" and generates a call in the player's favour.

So by rights in the event the referee swallowed the whistle instead Reggie still gets the fine and/or oscar he deserves.

[Lorie]

Hey Doug!
Any chance you're going to report on some of The Vanier Cup festivities, too? There may not be a Marty to generate headlines and hilarious stories, but the matchup of McMaster Marauders and Laval Rouge et Or has got my attention...last year's game featuring these same two teams was one of the most exciting CIS finals I've ever seen - and you know I've seen a few. :) So, Cheers! And whichever Grey Cup and/or Vanier Cup events you end up crashing...umm...I mean being invited to attend, have a blast! Oh, yeah. And watch where you step.

[doug]

That Reggie fine is like me getting fined a quarter..it's a totally bogus system, suspensions are all that matters without pay....I always have said go back to the 2 ref system with 3rd official on sideline for replays...the 3 ref system has never/ever worked....and people that complain on here about Lowry and Iso's need to watch every team in the league, they all run iso's for their best players as coached like to stay employed....speaking on iso's Knicks are a mirage as Woodson's iso Joe/Iso Melo now never works in the playoffs against good teams, and the Lakers have both Nash/Blake out, so they are not under achieving they have no guard, all that matters is how there playing in March moving forward and they know it.......ok cheers......

[JHP]

Keep up the good work and it's going to be a bumpy year. Not sure what the damage will be but time will tell.

[KD]

http://blogs.thescore.com/raptorblog/2012/11/22/nba-admits-it-missed-foul-on-bargnani/

[sb]

From NBA.com just now:

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/11/22/nba-officials-missed-call.ap/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpts

NBA says officials missed call
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Posted Nov 22, 2012 11:21 PM
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New York (AP) -- The NBA said Thursday that officials Ed Malloy, John Goble and Violet Palmer missed a foul by Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist against Toronto's Andrea Bargnani on a jump shot in the final seconds of the Bobcats' 98-97 victory Wednesday night.
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The league also said Bargnani should have been given two free throws and the clock stopped with approximately 2.4 seconds remaining. Replays showed Kidd-Gilchrist's right hand made contact with Bargnani's left wrist as the Toronto player shot, with the ball coming up well short.
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It'll suck if we miss the post season by 1 game. I'm not saying that the foul called correctly (yes, I saw it clearly as a foul) means that we win the game BUT AB is going to hit at LEAST one of those free throws, no? Can we agree upon that? Probably will hit both...