Do you folks know how to act these days?

I’m not entirely sure what to do now.

They win, a lot. There’s no angst. Lots of people are happy.

It’s a weird world, isn’t it?

Anyway, sorry I’m late; one of my New Year’s resolutions was to get more rest, waking up at 5 a.m. after a game is counter-productive to that goal. Not to worry, I’ll blow that resolution out of the water inside of a couple of weeks but until then …

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THREE POINTERS

Curly Fields

Okay, so maybe Landry Fields won't turn into some ball handling wizard but he was able to exploit the Blazers a couple of times last night that showed what he was talking about the other day when he said one of the advantages he would have in a small lineup was to take his man off the dribble.

I think the first time was in the first half right in front of the Raptors bench when he easily beat Joel Freeland to the rim and the second time came against the same defender at the other end of the court against the same guy if my chicken scratch note-taking is to be believed.

Now, I don't for a second think Fields is destined to be a power forward the rest of his life -- neither does he or Dwane Casey-- but in short spurts in some matchups it works well.

And if he continues rebounding that well from that spot -- nine in Orlando, seven last night -- it's a bonus.

Imagine that, eight rebounds a night from a guy at the four!

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An expensive career

Was standing in the back hallway of the locker room after the game catching up with some people while the colleagues scribbled and Dwane comes over to join the conversation.

One wag:

“Hey, coach. Quincy’s going to be the first NBA rookie to tell the coach not to play him.”

It’s costing the kid a lot of money to learn what it takes to play in the NBA.

With the technical foul he picked up late last night, he’s now got three for the year and at $2,000 a pop, that’s starting to add up.

And if you want an odd stat, the rookie now has as many technicals as field goals in his career.

Reminds me of another Raptors rookie and weird numbers:

There was a time in his career that Alec Radojevic had more surgeries than made baskets.

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More odd numbers

Yes, that was a very strange statistical game for the lads, wasn’t it?

The two main point guards wind up with 23 assists, two turnovers and zero points in a combined 45 minutes, as odd a stat as I can remember.

But it speaks to what’s really turned things around offensively for this group.

Sharing the ball does seem to work, the 34 assists they had as a team was a new season high, the previous was 33, set last Saturday in Orlando.

I don’t know what’s gotten into them – maybe it’s as simple as everyone’s just having fun playing – but it’s something to see.

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A wee bit more, as usual:

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So I’m driving home – a bit of a white-knuckler with some snow falling – and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird comes on the radio.

Pretty sure we’ve had this discussion before but there might be some new Irregulars who haven’t given it much thought and you know we’re all about though-provoking here, aren’t we?

So, you Of A Certain Vintage:

If you had your choice, how does the high school dance (do they still have high school dances?) end best. With Free Bird, Stairway To Heaven or …

I’m kind of partial to Color My World, actually.

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Still lots of room for mail, folks.

You know the drill, would love to hear from you but I’ll tell you right now, I’ve got more than my fill of Andrea Bargnani questions so we can let that subject go, right?

Thanks.

Click. Write. Send.

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Oh yeah, one more from the stat pack last night, which was as odd a numerical game as I can recall:

Toronto won despite having three members of the starting lineup (Calderon, Pietrus and Gray) not score a single point.

According to the folks at the Elias Sports Bureau and passed on by the good people at Raptors media relations, that’s only the second time that’s happened since boxscores started differentiating the starters from the rest of the team way back in the 1970-71 season.

The other time was Dec. 12, 1994 when Phoenix did it.

Bored of numbers yet?

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Boy, that’s a tough pucks 10 hours, wasn’t it?

No settlement (I believe we should all issue Disclaimer of Interests until they blow the season up or not) and then the teens get their heads handed to them by the dastardly Yankees in the semi (how’d Popeye’s kid look?)

Thank goodness for some that the HOTH are rolling. Puts a little sunshine in everyone’s life.

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So it’s about 8 a.m. here, I look out the front window to banks of snow about two feet high running up and down the driveway, there’s a dusting of the white stuff on the cars and roads and the Super Dog walk was a tad chilly an hour or so ago.

(And she’s not taking to this sleep in plan very well today, thanks for asking).

It’s gloomy and it’s winter and we need something to warm the cockles of our hearts, don’t we?

LESS THAN THREE MONTHS UNTIL OPENING DAY!

Yeah, saw a note to that effect somewhere yesterday: TOD opens April 2 and that’s less than three months.

That’ll get you through some of this snow nonsense, won’t it?

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Comments

[Aamou]

Yes there is some angst: Bargnani will sooner or later be back. This is just proof of what WE fans were saying about him all along.

Blogger's note: These are my people. Never, ever satisfied. I hope he comes back and plays great, like Lowry did and like he's done, so the incessant whining of some will abate for a day or two.

[coachd]

Hi Doug,
Stairway to Heaven all the way. Raps are looking good. I agree with coach Casey, they still have a ways to go, but it's looking much brighter today than it did a couple of weeks ago.

[sportschic]

Hi Doug - I intended to drop by and say hi, but was stymied by my lack of knowledge of the various entrances of the ACC. The nice security person in my section told me where I would need to go (although said I wouldn't actually be able to get in behind media row), but somewhow I missed it and walked around the whole ACC and decided to get back to my seat.

Anyway, I did wave at one point, but I don't think you saw me on account of the two rather large gentlemen I was trying to peer from behind during the game.

What was Acy's technical for? Dwane looked like he asked Acy what it was for and looked furious and sent Acy away. Presumably contritely (Acy, that is).

Blogger's note: That's too bad. Next time. Acy kind of bumped or elbowed the other guy, was a well-deserved tech, or at least that's what people told me in the locker room

[Rob]

This team has EXACTLY the same level of talent they had 3 weeks ago. All the personnel is the same now as 3 weeks ago. Yet its a completely different team now. What is the single biggest difference for their turnaround, if you could point your finger to it?

Blogger's note: Trust

[Alan C.]

Well, for someone who is past a certain vintage (kind of vinegary by now, I guess), you wanted a slow song (yes, couples actually danced together back then) to end the dance (but, hopefully, not the night) with her in your arms, the closer the better. A common one for that was Put Your Head on My Shoulder, by Paul Anka.

Blogger's note: Now, that's a tune!

[David in Oakville]

Good Morning Doug,

Hope the extra rest lowers your BP but not your level of snark.
+
Stairway to Heaven. I don't recall ever hearing FreeBird as a last song but when Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell was released in the mid/late 70's, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad was often our last dance song. Personally, I could never stomach Chicago.
+
I think with the play of Ross and Fields lately, many people are starting to give BC the benefit of the doubt and at least the benefit of another month.
+
I am loving the dread some are expressing about the return of Bargnani. While I am not convinced Bargnani and the Raps are the best fit, I do think Andrea is a complete professional and will play to meet the expectations of his coach and more importantly his team mates upon his return. And if not, he will find himself sat on the end of the bench.

GO RAPS!

[john]

Hey Doug, with the angstometer being at its lowest level in recent history, is this a good thing or a bad thing for the daily blog? No one seems to post when its sunshine and lollypops (where is moshigh these days?) which must make for a rather pedestrian day for you, no? Would a nice three game losing streak (cause we know ones lurking just around the corner) add some juice to the blog?

Blogger's note: Juice to the blog and three points to my blood pressure

[Lorie]

Last songs have to be what we used to call "slow songs" - all the way through. Those tricky time changes are cool for musicians but for high school dudes who were more Fred Flintstone than Astaire, they usually resulted in awkward dance waters no one knew how to navigate. So Colour My World preferably. But vintage Paul Anka ideally. Or the Bobby's: Vinton, Vee and Rydell. DO they even have high school dances anymore? One more question. Whose bright idea was it to get up at 3:30AM? Disappointing finish for the Canadian squad, but Popeye's kid played well, indeed. And considering young Mr. Jones reportedly said in interviews several days ago that the US team was the best at the tourney, nice to see it playing out for him, so far! Doug - do you think he gets his chutzpah from his 'Pop'? Was Popeye a "good quote"?

[AT]

I was and am still a Bargnani supporter but like many question how he is going to fit in with the way the team is playing now? The offense seems to be working on all cylinders with everyone moving the ball and with a lot of off the ball movement as well. The ball tends to get very sticky with AB. To borrow one of your tips for coaching kids, maybe DC puts in a rule, no shot until you have at least 5 or 6 passes.

My question to everyone would be, if you get rid of Bargnani, who do you bring in and how much of an upgrade would it really be?

[Hope Caper]

Hi Doug, good points on the fans' angst. Gray has been serviceable but I have to admit that this year when he plays he is more like a pylon than a player. His foot-speed has never been great but has been able to compensate with positional playing. He is not that old so I'm assuming the game has sped up.

What did you think of Mitchell's comments re: Andrea?

BTW I am not one of those hunting for his head. I agree with you. He will come back and I believe will play great.

Blogger's note: Sam stirring stuff up

[GK]

Meh...I like it better the way things were. Trade Bargnani!! Fire BC!!!

[sam]

The Raps are on a bit of a roll and still there is a focus on Andrea....
He showed last year what he can do - who says she can't do it again?

Fun game last night if you were cheering for the HOTH - The PG's played well, TRoss was pretty impressive from behind the 3 point line. Ed Davis was pimptastic....Amir looks like a fun guy....I'm seeing more of his personality this season.

[m]

What's with those clowns over at NBA.com's Raptors message board? Calderon is just OK now, but still should be traded and Bargnani, wow. It was decided long ago that he was no good, but after every game they seem to have a contest in who can slag him the most in the worst way. They want to amnesty him, retire him, trade him but they don't think the team could get anything for him, and send him to the D league. One mouth breather in the group that a countryman in a fedora should take him out. It's become unreadable. Your page, even with it's share of knuckleheads, rises far above the competition

[Brad B]

I don't know what schools everyone went to, but my school always seemed to end with Alphaville's "Forever Young".

As for Bargnani, I don't think he's tradeable. If a team plays better wihtout him than with him, doesn't that indicate to other teams that he'd actually be a detriment if he joined them? I know he can play better player than he's shown this year, but do GMs have as short a memory as the fans, and would they lowball any offer to BC?

[jc]

Hey Doug,
Two things. Were you a bit surprised at the sound you heard when they put Triano up on the big screen during a break in the game (ie crickets)? Also, you mentioned that Demar could take his game to another level if he could go left. How easy/hard would that be to do? Can you think of a similar player who's made that adjustment? I can play guitar with my right hand but it doesn't feel the same at all playing left. Then again, if the guitar was my job, I guess I could get used to it.

Blogger's note: Didn't notice the Triano thing; and hard work gets it done.

[Dell]

@AT

If you were to look at players within Bargnani's salary range and did straight up or with low salary players to make it work, there are very few players that may actually be available by the teams who have them. Those players that hold any kind of upside (IE still improving or peaked but not too old in their careers) are guys like David West, Thaddeus Young, Jeff Green, Paul Milsap, Nic Batum, Ryan Anderson and Danilo Gallinari. West and Anderson give you a similar game to Bargnani and are not pieces those teams will move. Young, Batum and Gallinari won't be moved for Bargnani. That leaves Milsap and Green. Milsap is a redundant player to Davis and Johnson skillsets. Green is a gap player between a 3 and 4...so there really isn't a position on the team for him where you can guarantee a marked improvement...other than overall team defense. The best way to utilize Bargnani when he comes back is to take him out when he doesn't perform defensively.

[larry lukeeborg]

hope caper, i missed what sam said about andrea; care to elaborate?

[james]

Lorie: ". . . but for high school dudes who were more Fred Flintstone than Astaire"
Ouch! A shock of recognition there.

The Trail Blazers must also have been shocked to find the entire Raptors squad had somehow morphed in a few short weeks into the polar opposite of the team that visited Portland. I hope the folks back home enjoyed Ross' performance as much as I did. When he hit the 3 at the end of the half, the noise that emanated from my throat startled the dog out of a deep sleep.

[Liam]

After being submitted to that dreadful 20 odd first games, I can say that the last ten odd games have been amazing to watch. Thank you basketball Gods for taking Bargagni out of the lineup (not to wish injury on him though).

[larry lukeeborg]

never mind, hope caper; got it.

[JHK]

I just can't see Bargs "changing" or "accepting" whatever he is asked to do.
He's not going to rebound like Ed Davis or dive for balls like Amir all of sudden.
He might stop jacking up those 3's but then what else can he offer?
Best I can see is him coming off the bench to play the 4 spot when Ed is resting, and Field's is too small to handle the match up.

[Lorie]

Brad B's mention of 'Forever Young' by Alphaville reminded me of Dylan's 'Forever Young' and how much I like that song. But then for some reason I was reminded of this song and video - and how, even though I suspected the NBA was manipulating our emotions a wee bit (maybe a big bit) here, on Christmas Day 2011 I remember enjoying it. A lot. Watched it again this morning. Still gives me shivers. Great song. Greater video.
http://youtu.be/OfvproRmoF0

[Jerry]

Andrea Bargnani just needs to become more of a role player. He is obviously very talented. Maybe without the pressure of being the franchise player he would fit in better.

He may do better on another team where the expectations are not as high. Or hopefully he can find a way to fit in with the Raptors that does not put the expectation of franchise player on him.

[saatuk]

In the mid-60s in YYB all high school dances ended with 'House of the Rising Sun' by the Animals.

[jc]

Re Triano. It was really weird. They put him up on the screen during a time out and highlighted that he was an ex raptors coach. It was up for a while and then they switched to the sign welcoming him back that you mentioned in your blog. It was very odd. A bit of clapping, didn't hear any boos....mostly just silent. To paraphrase what I believe you said of Shawn Marion....did he ever really coach here?