Good game, good new name, good all-star selections

How good a game was that?

Entertaining, close, fun to watch, lots to chat about in a micro-managing possession-by-possession manner but one of those when the season is over you might remember.

Wonder what they’ll have left in the tank for Orlando tonight?

All right, have at the usual fare, no IGBT tonight either, I’m afraid. Left to my own devices with Super Son, I can see a dinner/first half out night unfolding.

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THREE POINTERS

A make or miss league

No, not sure anyone can rag on Alan Anderson for taking a lot of shots early in the overtime, that’s what he does and anyone surprised hasn’t been paying much attention.

Is it right? Probably not. Is it best for team? Let’s just say that a lot of what Anderson brings his tremendously helpful and appreciated; there’s a whole lot of ball-sticking in his game that needs to be talked about. Yes, he’s a good defender and gritty and valuable to the rotation on this particular team. But the ball stops too often after he catches it.

But he can be criticized a bit for when he took them and from where. At least a couple of them came too early in the shot clock, one after just eight seconds, if my math is right.

There was no doubt that what the Raptors needed were solid, well-executed offensive possessions; they didn’t get nearly enough to them in those extra five minutes.

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Worst. Call. Ever.

I think perhaps even more than silly, bass-heavy, non-musical “music” being played during possessions, I might hate double fouls more than anything in the game.

The one last night – which was almost certainly a charge on DeRozan for putting his head down and barreling into Chris Bosh – was shocking.

One official had it a block, the other had it a charge and even after trying to talk it out, they took the chicken’s way out and gave each of them a foul.

Which, my nature of the rules, is impossible.

It’s a block or it’s a charge. Yes, it is the hardest call in the game but by its very nature, it has to be one of the other. Not both.

Not sure what the answer is: More replay or more forceful officials making their case after conversation but “double fouls” in those situations make no sense whatsoever.

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Making a move

Two Terrence Ross moments that show he might be getting it.

First basket: Jump shot. Off the dribble. Going left!

A very small thing but if you put on tape all the baskets Ross has made this season while dribbling and going left, I figure you get, um, one.

Next basket: See a somewhat stationary Shane Battier in front of him, a guy big enough to crowd him when he tried to shoot, he once again put the ball on the floor, went left, and dunked.

The kid is getting better almost every week.

(I’m not ready to say he’s made the DeRozan contract extension even sillier but we’re close).

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The more? There’s always more.

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You know what every team needs? A song.

Like this birthday boy and The Baseball Team I Used To Support.

Oh, and it’s Neil Diamond’s birthday today, too; he’s 72 and doesn’t look a day over 55 thanks to, well, thanks to modern medicine?

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Seriously.

Mail. Now. Please.

I do not want to have to get up at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning to have to finish it; I have most of Friday afternoon clear, plans for, perchance, a stool and some quiet time and I’d like to have a lot of it knocked off, thank you very much.

Click. Write. Send.

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Hey! They just said on the radio with the windchill it’s minus-26 C.

Come on, Super Dog, let’s go around the block!

Hope Cathal’s having fun in Florida. Really.

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Today’s the day Pelicans are born.

The New Orleans Pelicans become official according to about a billion reports yesterday and I’m all for the name change and cannot wait to see the logo.

The stories say the colour scheme is red, gold and blue and I bet it looks great.

I hate singular names like Jazz, Heat, Red Sox, White Sox, or what have you. They don’t lend themselves to either easy grammar or easy stuffed animals.

And Pelicans is one of those explainable (it’s the state bird, the city’s minor league baseball team used to have the name) and offbeat nicknames I just like.

Muskrats would be another good one, wouldn’t it?

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It’s that day again, the all-star reserves are being announced tonight after the head coaches voted for players in their conference but couldn’t choose guys from their own team.

The rules were pretty simple: Two guards, three “frontcourt” players and two wild cards who can play any position.

The East starters are Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett and Garnett is the one I don’t think belongs but the fans apparently do.

In the West it’s Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard and I know fans love Dwight Howard but he wouldn’t make it as a reserve on my team if he wasn’t a starter.

Anyway, when looking over the possibilities, it was harder to figure out the West than the East but here’s what I came up with (and, yes, you should keep score tonight because there’s nothing I like better than to be told I’m wrong.

EAST

Guards

Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland.

No, neither of their teams are sniffing the .500 level – and that’s a consideration of many coaches and I can see why. But both are having great, great seasons and I think the main snub would be Brooklyn’s Joe Johnson.

Frontcourt

Paul George, Indiana; Joakim Noah, Chicago; Tyson Chandler, New York.

Relative no-brainers all, aren’t they?

Wild cards

David West, Indiana, Al Horford, Atlanta.

Don’t think you can go to wrong with those two; I suppose Brook Lopez needs some consideration and will likely get some.

WEST

Guards

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City; James Harden, Houston.

What’s the word I’m looking for? Oh yeah:

Duh!!!!

Frontcourt

Tim Duncan, San Antonio; Marc Gasol, Memphis; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City.

Lots of good ones don’t get picked here, as I mentioned. I could probably be persuaded to trade Gasol for teammate Zach Randolph.

Wild cards

Stephen Curry, Golden State; LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland.

I know, I know. Where’s David Lee of the Warriors or Tony Parker of the Spurs or Utah’s Al Jefferson.

Told you the West was harder.

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Okay, halfway award winners in Nothin’ But Net later for more mockery.

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Comments

[GM]

That double foul was nuts. I understand it could have gone either way. I don't think a player should get a charge just because he lowers his shoulder -- unless the defender is stationary. And Bosh was moving. But it was close. Just flip a coin and make a call one way or the other.

I, too, was wondering what you thought of the TV production, sitting home watching the game with the masses. Specifically, the score. It kept disappearing because the score would be wrong. I could sense whoever was sitting in the truck in charge of such things was confused and had to verify the score. Without exception, Raptors telecasts have the slowest score updates. Any other broadcast from any other team or network adjusts the score within milliseconds of a basket. With Raptors game, it's often anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds. I don't know why they have such problems with such a simple task.

Yeah, Anderson's overtime shots were bad, but it was probably a function of a couple of factors. One being the poor offensive unit Casey put on the floor, and two being he hit his first two shots in OT, and was shooting well in regulation.

@Lorie, Diamond and Manilow look bad, but at least they're recognizable. They still kinda, sorta look like themselves. Have you checked out Kenny Rogers? I still can't reconcile the current face with the past one. They're like two completely different people.

[john]

Its very strange how it happens in the NBA where a player ie. DD, averages around 20 points a game for a while and the other teams decide to put their best defender on him making one of the other players score. They didn't even bother to defend Gray on the pick and roll. It was almost embarrassing...

[james]

An excellent road effort by a team that continues to improve. The recent stretch of games has been most heartening. Yes, a better won/loss record would be nice but for me that is a secondary consideration this season. The one thing I wish had not happened is the Valanciunas injury.
For anyone who hasn't yet seen it, I commend the piece about national team veteran Carl English who is having a boffo season in Spain.

[Penny]

@mw - the reason why having KL and Jose on the floor at the same time in close games doesn't work is because, for some reason, Kyle becomes the PG and Jose the shooting guard. The problem then becomes that Kyle either can't or won't pass to Jose to shoot. Jose is without question the better playmaker. He could then find Kyle for the open shot or get the ball back for his own shot. Another big, big part of the problem is that AA is usually also on the floor and as Doug mentioned, when the ball goes to him, it doesn't seem to be passed to anyone else. It was absolutely ridiculous that AA took that many shots in OT last night - even Jack said that AA took a shot with Jose (5 for 6 on 3s) wide open asking for the ball.

[DC]

meh, shaq quote was from last night. I read it as a slight against a lack of scoring talent (guys that can manufacture a shot), below average rebounding and the fact they allow opponents 100 points a game. seeing as raptors are actually the fifth best team in the atlantic and did actually lose the season series to philly, barkley quote not out of context at all IMO (though true, they still have to play boston). when he said it has nothing to do with the accuracy of the statement. Just the opposite.

To clarify, raps can compete with below average teams that have losing records. Just my observation that teams with average or winning records coast through playing against the raps and then turn up their defence and offense as the game wears on. Sometimes opponents are caught playing that way and raps squeak out a W, but that explains losing so many 4th quarter leads better than a ref bias or 'basketball gods', a 'sticky ball', or losing guys to injury. Just my opinion. They play hard, sure, but they don't have the kind of roster that a team like say denver, indiana, milwaukee or utah has that makes them truly average and competitive (and gives them a more respectable win/loss record). It's called 'the thrill of victory' (and not 'the thrill of keeping the score close') for a reason. But I'll gladly accept that I'm a crazy with little to no clue if they win 23 more games.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

It's great to see Jarret Jack is getting some love for the Sixth Man nod. Doug, could you see the coaches giving Jose even a hint consideration as an All Star wild card?
Cheers. Go Raps!

[doug]

you have your inside sources..were those reports on the Pelicans being made official and uni's being unveiled bogus??....I still am concerned with Casey's offensive coaching down the stretch in games, that is his ability/inability to coach offense, too many blunders in match-ups, lineups, strategy...he needs to improve that area of his game, we talk about players needing to improve well Casey needs to as well, as last there there were more then a few....ok cheers...

[doug]

ye ask and thy will receive....Pelicans it is and new uni unveiled ...my vote i love makes me want a new Raptors name and uni...

http://nba.si.com/2013/01/24/new-orleans-pelicans-logo-hornets/?sct=hp_t2_a4&eref=sihp