Halfway home and time to take a breath

Halfway home?!?!?!?

Yeah, we are.

We’ll have lots more specific stuff in this piece I have to write from the comfort of Casa Doug tonight while the lads are frolicking in southern Florida but you’ve all noticed, I’m sure, that we’re 41 games through an 82-game regular season.

Nice!

Anyway, where are they?

Short story would be that they are slightly behind where I though they’d be, maybe two or three wins in the standings, but other than that?

Awful close.

There’s been growth of the kids, everyone’s doing pretty much what I thought they’d do – the injuries have, of course, cut into that a little bit – and if you were listening all fall, the fact they might still climb into a situation where they are playing significant games in April with a hope of grabbing maybe the final post-season slot means they are pretty much heading in the direction they should be.

Yeah, there have been disappointments (and we’ll get more into them as I start typing a far bigger look at the team for tomorrow’s paper) and a few rocky stretches (seems eons ago everyone was supposed to get fired when we landed back in Toronto from Portland, doesn’t it?) but, all in all, the season’s unfolded pretty much as we expected.

What I can’t get over is that it’s halfway through. This has been as busy a first 2 1-2 months as I can remember; hopefully the second half unfolds at a much easier pace.

That’d be nice, no?

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At no point, ever, do I want to hear a hockey fan whine about greedy owners or ungrateful players who spit in the eye of supporters, arena workers, support staff and any number of others.

Not after those same people who moaned and criticized all through the lock out and then came back wallet in hand to fill arenas the first chance they had to give their money to the same people who took money away from so many innocent workers during the four-month lockout.

Shameful and never again will I, or should you, believe anyone who says anything like “I’m done with this sport.”

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You never know what’s going to pop up on the old iTunes shuffle some days. It’s like a box of musical chocolates, isn’t it?

This is on there, a quick google look to learn a bit more and maybe find another tune or something and, voila!, this is the anniversary of Sam Cooke’s birth.

Let’s dance!

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We should start early since there’s the odd Saturday night game this week and mail is going to have to be Saturday morning.

And I’ll probably need some leftover to use Monday since I’ve been invited to this Team Up Foundation’s Red Party on Sunday night and who knows how that’s going to turn out.

So …

Click. Write. Send.

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Yes, I was remiss here yesterday morning and I am absolutely going to give you Stephen Lewis as one of Canada’s great orators.

I heard him several times at several events and most them were apolitical so the words resonated at a different level.

But here’s one for you:

Do the words make the speaker great or the style?

Sometimes I wonder, to tell you the truth, and maybe a lot of wonderful, would-be moving speeches are lost by bad delivery, monotone-speakers, boring men and women.

And, conversely, could someone with a brilliant style and a distinct voice – say a James Earl Jones – read a phonebook and still stir us?

I would hope that great messages are not lost by bad speakers; I fear that’s not the case.

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I will say that having to get Super Son to school for Seven Stinking Ayem one day and then to the doctor for Eight Stupid O’Clock the next is going to wreak havoc with the usual morning stuff today and tomorrow.

Plus it’s about Eleven Billion Degrees Below Zero and I’m not built for the cold so that sucks, too.

(Actually, I’m not built for the heat, either; I need temperate, dammit).

End of the whining.

For now.

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Bit more Raptors?

Not sure if you saw this Alan Anderson piece that went up yesterday (shame on you if you didn’t) but there’s one more point about him that I think might be understated a bit.

He’s a bit of an agitator.

Not mouthy to the point of punkishness and he doesn’t go out of his way looking to stir stuff up but he does.

He got to Dwight Howard on Sunday, that’s for sure; and there’ve been a couple of other times (DeMarcus Cousins comes to mind) where he’s rankled.

Is it him? He doesn’t seem to care, as he told us after practice.

“I just play hard, whether it gets under their skin or not, I don’t control that. I control what I do and that’s play hard. When I play hard, some guys don’t like when you play hard, some guys can handle it. Whether or not they handle it is up to them.”

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So one day after saying that Pau Gasol was going to be a starter again, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni changes his mind in Chicago on Monday and Gasol’s now a backup with Earl Clark starting.

That team is more of a train wreck every passing day.

It’s astonishing what’s gone on there, simply astonishing, and if Gasol’s not moved by the trade deadline, I’d be stunned.

And you know what that means?

More Toronto rumours, I’m sure.

Now, would you do Bargnani and, say, Anderson, Kleiza (who the Raptors are likely to amnesty next summer) and John Lucas III or something like that for him?

I might.

I wouldn’t do anything that includes Bargnani and Calderon – you’d be gutting your backcourt and making the team simply different and not necessarily better – but if there’s another package that could be put together, I’d make a call.

Not sure if there is but why not give it a shot and you can imagine the Lakers are ready to make a move.

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Lost amid the whole sordid history of the HOTH, the Leaves and the creation of the monolith that is Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is the contribution of one man many forget.

Allan Slaight.

I used to joke that they should name the arena The House That Allan Built because he was instrumental in bringing together two warring factions in the only sensible manner.

And when it comes time to write the official history of that company – as opposed to a more singular look at the zaniness what is the basketball program – he cannot be forgotten.

I mention this only because I haven’t or spoken to him in years but I see his name in the papers today for an astonishing piece of philanthropy and it’s worth noting that he had something to do with the sporting landscape in Toronto as well.

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Comments

[Rob.V]

I think Rudy Gay is a player that could help an aspiring playoff team win games. Is he way (way) overpaid vs. just overpaid?, sure. It's unlikely that he will live up to the dollars of his contract however I wouldn't say he's overrated. Not a dead eye shooter however he's a handful when he posts you up.
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Regardless, with the salary dump to get Memphis under the tax it looks like he's not going anywhere... or is it just a ploy to up the offers from other teams knowing that the Griz are no longer desperate to make a deal?.
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If they do trade Gay in the next 30 days for more than what was on the table previously, this little salary dump thingy today just might be a stroke of genius!
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Dude, a GM every "hint" at possibly leaking something that might be beneficial to the organization. I.e. If you could leak a Mr. Smith rumor with team A (from the purple in gold team), it might get team B (say the Wizards) moving on that deal we had discussed for Nene that they were sitting on.
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Any previous GM ever allude to a leak of information that might help move along a deal?

[Steve]

My bad *3 more of their games, I forgot they had one against Boston in the middle of November.

[Michel G]

"Thanks for calling out the hockey fans, Doug. What a joke."

Always a classy joint. Maybe the regular hockey fans like myself just watched other sports until the "grownups" got their business done. I thought both the NHL and the NHLPA did what they needed to do. And now it's time for us fans to do what we do, cheer for our team and have FUN!!!

Why would I boycott a game that I love?

[SR]

@ John... Just thought it's kind of funny that your first paragraph is saying "who really cares what someone said at the beginning of the season...."

Then your 3rd paragraph is saying "Doug, correct me if I'm wrong, but did you predict 38-40 wins?"

#brown nose much?

[Mos High]

I believe the Paul deal is certainly on the table because I really dont see them dealing D Howard.

I Like Andersons play, but come on if your getting Pau its a big deal. Amir and Ed are doing good but dont tell me they are at Pau's level even at his current age.

If the deal makes sense then I believe BC will pull the trigger and even re-sign Jose. Im sorry I have to appoligize I was down on Jose but he is playing really good and his defense is better or should I say guys behind him are also playing better.

I said from day one I would cry if Nash comes to Toronto now, his defense is horrible I mean its very very very bad. Imagine Toronto paid $36 mill for 3 yrs. Im glad he didnt so people could still like him.

Bye Bargnani its was nice while it lasted

[doug]

to me anytime a GM has a opportunity to make a team better he has to not only pursue it but push that button...and also a GM should not have any emotional attachment to a player on his roster which BC has shown in the past he hasn't, so whatever people on here think of Jose it doesn't enter into BC's thinking....Gasol as evolved into a eastern conference center as Howard should be....Chandler to me is the prototypical western center, so if we can get Gasol , as to compare Amir or Davis to him have some on done on here is absurd....so of course BC makes that trade it's a no-brainer as it improves the team, and also to those that question throwing Anderson into the mix come on, he can easily be replaced....good music selection today, I love the shuffle button its like a mystery tune appears out of nowhere.....

[doug]

oh 4got cheers....

[joe]

I find it amusing how people used to rip Calderon a few years back and couldn't get him out of the city fast enough. Now all of a sudden we can't live without him. I have always been a Jose fan and am really happy that he is finally getting the respect that he deserves.

[John]

@SR, how exactly is that 'brown nosing'? I can see your point about why I asked but it was really more of a curiosity than anything cause I really don't pay much attention to predictions at the beginning of the year cause they are so often wrong! If anyone predicted how many wins the raptors got correctly within 2-3 games either way consistently they should move to Vegas.

[charles n.]

Sam Cooke:
So good that sometimes you cannot tell whether he is singing or speaking. Listen for it.
One of greatest ever.
More whenever possible, Doug!

[Robb]

Not sure I get this trade. I wouldn't do Bargnani for Gasol straight up. Why would you? You get half a season from Gasol and trade Bargnani at his absolute lowest value.

Everytime I read the LA blogs all the talk about is how slow Gasol is and is a pylon out there defensively.

You know Calderon has little value at one point as well, people screaming to just get rid of him. Let Bargnani play within the system, if it doesn't work, you don't lose anything, if it works, his trade value rises significantly.

Why do we want an old guy with only a couple years of value left?
Don't get it.