A bit of dissection of the big transaction is in order

So, what’s new?

A bit of a night, wasn’t it?

We’ll stick with the usual format but be focused on the big deal, okay?

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THREE POINTERS

(Well, maybe four or five, depends on what kind of roll I get on)

An interesting dynamic

You know what I’m wondering a lot in all of this?

How Dwane’s going to work with what Bryan’s given him.

Now, I am not for a second suggesting there’s any kind of conflict there, they get along, they want the same thing, they have as solid a relationship today as they did the day Bryan hired Dwane.

But …

We all know Dwane likes to coach with a defensive bent and with a rather controlled offence that will take its shot at an early shot in transition but one that he’d like to have that relies on a steady hand on the tiller if that doesn’t happen.

That doesn’t exist with the new group, I don’t think.

The Raptors are, as far as I can glean from what I’ve seen and heard, going to be far more high risk at both ends of the court than Dwane would like, I bet.

They will gamble on defence – and gambles seldom work – and they will be far more improvisational on offence. Kyle Lowry, who was very good in Atlanta, is not the precise, scripted kind of guard, at either end of the floor, that the coach prefers.

I don’t presume things will deteriorate at all between coach and players but I do think Dwane’s going to have to temper some of his expectations about his team and how that team is going to play.

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There has to be more

Bryan told us after the game (and it’s in here somewhere) that he thinks more could be coming in the three weeks before the trade deadline.

And it has to.

I know he’ll continue to try and find a new home for Andrea Bargnani (and Bargnani went through shootaround on Wednesday and could be back in action on the weekend at the latest) but there has to be at least one other move.

There is no way they can keep going with just two point guards on the roster, especially given the fact Kyle’s been banged up more often than not this season (his back’s not quite 100 per cent now) and John Lucas III is not the answer as a full time backup, even though he looked okay on Wednesday night.

So that has to be Job 1 and with an open roster spot now, I’d expect the hole gets filled sooner rather than later.

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Thin, thin, thin

Remember when depth was something that was going to be a tremendous help to this team?

Not so much now, is it?

Consider the knee woes of Mickael Pietrus and Linus Kleiza (I don’t now if either of them will play for a very, very long time) and the reluctance to use Aaron Gray (the last two games notwithstanding) and the vagaries of youth that make Terrence Ross Quincy Acy dicey propositions night to night, this is not a team that can go deep into the bench.

And that’s going to make health a significant issue as the rest of the season unfolds.

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We interrupt the various rants for this. Just because.

Big football game down in NOLA, I hear?

Well, this dude’s got some NOLA connections and if you hear some Harry Connick Jr. in your day, it’s not a bad day.

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A personal note

I think you all know this but there hasn’t been a nicer, more genuine, normal person to deal with on this roster in the 18 years I’ve been around than Jose Calderon.

He is just a good, good man; honest, friendly, respectful and he will be greatly missed.

He is an excellent NBA player regardless of the blinders so many of you wear; he plays hard every night, he turned himself into one of the best shooters to ever wear a Raptors uniform and his love for the franchise and the city cannot be understated.

Boss Davis? Dwane once said Ed was fooling people because he was the smartest kid in the class but didn’t want anyone to know it. He was a good and personable kid who never refused a request to chat and often had some solid insight to give.

The locker room is a worse place today than it was yesterday and since I spend a fair amount of time around this team – and, yes, it’s all about me – that’s too bad.

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Stevie Boy sends this photo array along; dude does good work, no?

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So …

I understand at a high level the love and desire this franchise has had for Rudy Gay for years; Gay is now the second- or third-best small forward in franchise history before he’s even put on a jersey or taken part in a practice.

But …

That was a steep price to pay, it really was. They are terribly thin in the frontcourt now and paper thin at point guard. Yes, Bryan suggests more moves are coming but we all know talk can be cheap and until something does come up, this is what it is.

I’m glad they didn’t give up either Ross or Valanciunas along with Calderon but I think they gave up too much.

It’s an okay deal at a steep price and until we see how this team performs over, say, the next month, I can’t suggest it’s a slam dunk.

In fact, it’s far from it but I’ll avoid kneejerk reactions and give it time.

Today? I think they might have fallen in love with a guy a few years ago and had some blinders on when it came to him and what they were willing to pay.

Today? I think they are vastly improved at one position and much weaker at two others and that’s not progress, that’s just change.

Unless Bryan has more moves up his sleeve – and moves for this year, not in the summer – this trade makes them different but not a whole lot better.

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Oh, yeah: The refs.

Now, we all know I am far more supportive of NBA officials as many of you would like and I won’t rant about a call here and there because it’s often whining and not worth it.

But that being said, they blew the last Toronto possession like I’ve seldom seen a play blown. DeRozan got hammered – heck, I thought Anderson might have been hit on the scramble shot before DeRozan’s – and Dwane going off as he did won’t do anything except make him feel better, and a little less wealthy.

But what everyone has to realize is that Dwane finally snapped publicly not because he’s looking for calls, he was and is looking for fairness and he didn’t get it last night.

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Couple of quick housekeeping issues.

The askdoug@thestar.ca e-mail is up and operational, I’m told. I can’t get access to it until the chipheads get at my machine tomorrow but I’ve missed hearing from some of you and hope there are all kinds of interesting missives there when I can look at them.

Oh, and it was odd not doing an IGBT, missed some of you. But it was necessary and we’ll be back tomorrow night.

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And, finally, before I head to the airport to rush back and hopefully get to practice in time to get more reaction (it’s doubtful that Gay will get there in time to talk to us today), there is just one more question:

How is Delta going to screw me today?

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We have to take an IGBT night off

Sorry, folks, but with the trade of Jose Calderon and Ed Davis about to be finalized and a fair amount of work to do because of it, we have to pass on the usual in-game blog tonight.

I'm sure you all understand; I'll try to tweet out stuff as we go along but not sure how much of that I'll even be able to do.

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow for the usual fare and you'll see the trade story on-line as soon as I get it written.

 

Raptors at Hawks, game-day Dino-bytes

The usual game-day update on tonight’s Raptors-Haws game.

 

TORONTO (16-29) at ATLANTA (26-19)

Phillips Arena

TIPOFF: 7:30 p.m.

TV: TSN2; RADIO: FAN590

WEB: We’ll be here for the usual in-game fun and frivolity just before 7:30 p.m.

 

Probable starters

Toronto: Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Landry Fields, Ed Davis, Amir Johnson; Atlanta: Jeff Teague, Devin Harris, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith, Al Horford.

 

Key backups tonight

Toronto: Alan Anderson (Raps need consistent production at both ends from him), Aaron Gray (career night Monday, any impact tonight?); Atlanta: Ivan Johnson (big man is a physical presence), Zaza Pachulia (another tough big man to deal with).

 

Season series

First game of the year; Hawks are 19-13 vs. Toronto in Atlanta but Raptors won at Phillips last season.

 

What happened this morning

New kid in town

Andrea Bargnani, who has been out with a torn elbow ligament since early December, took part in the team’s shootaround.

It’s another step in his rehabilitation process and there’s no firm word on when he might get back to game action.

But for a team that’s been operating with a decimated frontcourt (only Amir Johnson and Ed Davis play regularly, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray fill in when needed) getting their best true stretch four back can’t be a bad thing.

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More from sickbay

Kyle Lowry’s here with the team and his wonky back appears a bit better. He missed Monday’s game and was limited on Saturday.

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Interesting but likely meaningless stat, Vol. 1

Ed Davis has 11 or more points in 11 straight games.

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What’s the word in Atlanta?

After a miserable 2-8 run, they’re starting to feel pretty good about themselves with three wins in their last four games.

At least that’s what this morning’s Atlanta Journal Constitution says.

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Who’s in charge?

Tonight’s officials are Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert and Eric Lewis, for what it’s worth.

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Some slippage

Toronto’s defence has taken a step back in the last three weeks; the Raptors have allowed more than 100 points in seven of their last nine games.

They are 1-6 in those games and just 1-22 this season when they give up 100 or more points, the lone win came over the Los Angeles Lakers.

It’s especially troubling looking ahead to this game specifically because the Hawks are averaging almost 109 points per game in their last four.

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Interesting but likely meaningless stat, Vol. 2

In 14 January games, the Raptors have had six players average at least 10 points per game.

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A tragic story that won't likely change a thing

Another athlete lies perilously close to death today after a snowmoblile crash at a made-for-TV competition where young men and women push themsevles to untold limits in seach of, well, in search of a lot of things.

The young man’s name is Caleb Moore, many of you have likely never heard of him (I hadn’t until yesterday), and enough of his story is here for you to catch up on.

It seems far too often that we’re reading this sort of thing but it’s probably got to do with evolution of our games, the youthful exuberance of some athletes and the lust of some TV viewers and spectators for drama.

One thing we have learned over the years is that people will push themselves and many wll always; most will marvel at every extra revolution, every added spin or somersault or move of gravity-defying trickery.

The old “games” are not good enough for some, they do not provide the rush, they are too mainstream, they are seen as boring.

So what do we get?

Twenty-somethings and even teenagers trying to find fame and notoriety and fortune, to do something no one’s ever done or do something that’s been done better than it’s ever been.

They know the dangers, they know the risks to life and limb, and they willingly accept them.

I don’t get it but I’m not supposed to understand it and neither are you; I get the sense these youngsters are simply wired differently than many, either the old fogies who basically ignore what they do or the kids who live vicariously through their exploits.

And we can shake our heads sadly at stories like Moore’s and wonder why but the why is the basic attempt to reach levels never reached before.

I don’t think there is blame to ascribe in this story or any of the others we read, seemingly annually.

ESPN, which basically invented the X Games becuase it was going to be that network’s Olympics, has made what seems like a good business decision by marketing it.

The fans who watch, watch with genuine interest to see exploits they’ve never seen before; it’s trite to suggest they are interested only for the off-chance they’ll see some crash, just as it’s trite and simplistic to say people only watch car racing to see wrecks. The fans understand what they’re seeing and appreciate it for what it is.

The athletes? They are fully aware of the dangers, of the consequences of their actions but that’s what makes them special, isn’t it? Isn’t their willingness to take those risks what makes them stand out from others?

No, there is no blame and no responsibility to be doled out in accidents like the one which befell Moore.

It is a sad story and a tragedy that a 25-year-old should be clinging to live simply because he was plying his craft.

We may very well mourn his passing, just as we’ve mourned the other young lives snuffed out in the name of athletic competition.

And people will continue to watch.

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Delta!!!!

And the intonation, which you can't get from the written word, is this:

Anyway, I knew there was a reason I had blocked that airline out of my mind. It's the one that made me sit through about a SEVEN FREAKING HOUR DELAY IN SACRAMENTO EARLIER THIS YEAR!

And how do I remember this?

Because the same disembodied robo-voice that kept calling me that day in Sacramento to tell me I was screwed called a few times yesterday as I sat out an hour delay -- for no clearly stated reason, of course -- in my flight to Atlanta.

And if you have to spend a second longer than is absolutely necessary in the Seventh Circle of Hell, er, I mean the US departure side of Terminal 3 at Pearson, the day gets progressively worse.

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I have no idea how my mind works the way it works, I honestly don’t.

But a comment the other day about the variety of things we do here in the music vein got me thinking.

And this is where it ended up.

Go figure. But this is really nice.

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Airport rules that go into effect the second I Am Put In Charge Of

Everything (and that day is coming)

Anyone wanting to watch video on their phones who don't use headphones shall be banished. I don't care where they are banished to but I think some tiny Arctic island inhabited entirely by like-minded people would be suitable.

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The Raptors did not trade for Rudy Gay yesterday.

That would be the extent of any "update" because even a suggestion that, perhaps, maybe, possibly some third or fourth team might perhaps be involved is another of those due diligence issues that happen.

All I know is that the trade deadline is three weeks from tomrorow and it really can’t come soon enough, either for something significant to happen or for it to come and go accompanied by yawns.

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Things I don't recall ever hearing In a lobby bar that's showing Wisconsin-Ohio State basketball game on it's only TV and a couple of us are paying marginal attention since it's college basketball with a 4-minute shotclock and marginal talent:

New guy to bartender:

Can you change the channel?

Bartender to us:

You mind?

Us to both of 'em

Nah, what else is on?

New guy

I'd like to watch a soccer game. It's US-Canada in an international friendly

Me to anyone who'd listen

Another Stella, please

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Okay, I see what the Tall Foreheads have been up to: inventing a new look for our website.

What do you think?

And one part of it is trying to reconfigure the mail system for here, we’re getting an askdoug@thestar.ca thing going but I can’t access it yet so I have no clue if you’ve been sending stuff there.

But I will get it so keep trying and we’ll have the usual probing questions and your deep, dark secret thoughts here on the weekend.

Good luck. And let us know about the new look, will you?

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Making do, working out and, yes, more Rudy Gay!

That was kind of a fun game until it became a bit boring in the last 11 minutes, wasn’t it?

I could get to like watching that Golden State team a lot.

The Raptors? Well, as we mentioned in the game, they looked like they it some collective wall there with about 10 minutes left and hit it hard.

Anyway, as they say …

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THREE POINTERS

A move out of necessity

There’s lots to like about John Lucas III, he’s a good kid, quite personable, fun to watch and can make a bunch of shots in a row every now and then.

But I’m not sure how much Dwane likes using him as a point guard; the coach sees Lucas as more of a scoring guard who doesn’t have the greatest grasp on getting his team into its offence.

And that’s why we saw what we saw on a bunch of times in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter: Alan Anderson trying to facilitate the offence while Lucas played a bit off the ball.

It’s certainly not an optimum deployment of the players but something they just had to do to try and get things going again.

It didn’t work but it was the only option they had.

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An odd scene

Not game-specific but a thing unfolds about 2 1-2 hours before the game these days that’s kind of interesting. And might provide a bit of hint about the timeline on a Jonas Valanciunas return.

He’s out there with assistant coach Eric Hughes and a couple of ballboys going through a drill that encompasses a lot of things. There’s a chair, Hughes puts a ball on the chair, Valanciunas takes a couple of steps, bends down to get the ball and takes about a 15-foot shot. He does it five times at each of the five “shooting stations” around the paint and then runs the stairs to the top of the lower bowl in the arena.

It’s a three-pronged drill, Hughes told me. They run the stairs – and shoot two free throws after each jog – to do some cardio work, which makes entire sense.

The chair serves two purposes:

By forcing him to reach down on the run to get each ball, it gives him a consistent shooting motion of bringing the ball up in one flow and – this is more precautionary than anything – they don’t want to pass him the ball to make sure nothing untoward happens to his finger with some awkward catch.

Not a big deal and nothing anyone sees but maybe that answers some questions about what he’s doing to get healthier.

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Impressive total

Lost amid the result and the bad ending – and in the shock of Aaron Gray’s career scoring night – were DeMar DeRozan’s career-best nine assists.

It’s an aspect of his game – recognizing the different defence he sees and moving the ball quickly – that needed some work and he seems to be getting it.

He had back-to-back seven assist games down in Florida last week and now nine against Golden State and if he’s making that kind of contribution, it can’t be a bad thing at all and speaks to his overall development, as Dwane said after the game.

“When he comes off pin-downs, he’s got a big guy coming at him also. He’s getting basically double-teamed on a pindown so he’s doing a good job. What we have to do on the weak side is make those shots if he kicks it out.”

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A bit more? Why not.

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In this era of institutionalized security paranoia (a termed first coined by My Man Sheridan back in the early 2000s when we were considering investing in a firm that makes those wands), I believe I have now seen it all.

Did you know that patrons entering the Air Canada Centre must remove their hats before going in the door?

Not sure if they’re checking for bad hair-dos or teeny tiny pipe bombs or trying to catch the silly men who carry their concealed weapons precariously balanced on their heads but doesn’t it strike you as a bit much?

But it works, I guess. No one’s snuck any contraband into the arena by hiding in the coiffures. Way to go! I feel safer already.

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You know I prefer my music of a certain age but someone should have told me about these folks before.

Heard ‘em last night and unlike the incessant bass and drum noise and indecipherable lyrics or wildly inappropriate sexual innuendo in videos, this is stuff I could actually pay a bit of attention.

And the name Of Monsters and Men kind of sticks, no?

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Which Toronto centre wearing No. 34 had the best game: Aaron Gray last night or Hakeem Olajuwon at any point in is Toronto tenure.

Discuss.

(I’m joking. A bit)

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Delta Airlines today to Atlanta; wonder what it’s like. Don’t think I’ve been on it more than once this season and it’s always an adventure trying something new.

It also goes out of Terminal 3 at Pearson which I would suggest is one of the weakest international departure areas at any airport anywhere in the world.

Tiny Customs hall, oddly laid out security area and a shocking lack of services (ie NO STARBUCKS) once you clear the x-ray machines.

Hate Pearson.

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I guess I’ve got to do this, although it’s definitely not going to become a habit.

Nothing new – at all – to the reports yesterday about discussions with Memphis about Rudy Gay, we’ve been writing they’ve had interest for, well, longer than I care to admit and, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it continues to look – right now – less and less likely something gets done.

That could change, of course, but the price has always been too high, continues to be too high my spies tell me, and yesterday’s report was just a continuation of chatter that’s been around seemingly forever.

Stand down, folks.

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The Goods On The Game, Warriors at Raptors

Back again, I see.

Warriors at Raptors, game-day Dino-bytes

A closer look at Monday night’s Raptors game

 

GOLDEN STATE (26-17) at TORONTO (16-28)

Air Canada Centre

TIPOFF: 7 p.m.

TV: TSN; RADIO: FAN590

WEB: The usual hijinks of an in-game blog start to unfold at thestar.com just before 7 p.m.

 

Probable starters

Golden State: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, David Lee, Festus Ezeli; Toronto: Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Landry Fields, Ed Davis, Amir Johnson.

 

Key backups tonight

Golden State: Jarrett Jack (ex-Raptors guard having an excellent season), Andris Biedrins (limited offensively but a big body in the paint); Toronto: Terrence Ross (Raps will need his scoring against explosive Warriors), Quincy Acy (rookie has become first big man off bench).

 

What happened this morning

Oh, his aching back.

While I was home shoveling the drive, Dwane Casey was telling the shootaround masses that Kyle Lowry is still having some issues with back spasms and would be a game-time decision.

If he can’t go, it’s going to force John Lucas III into more action than he’s used to.

Lucas hasn’t played more than 11 minutes in a game since Boxing Day in San Antonio.

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Esoteric stat, No. 1

In nine January home games, Toronto’s leading scorer is Alan Anderson, who has averaged 15.4 points per game.

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High on the kid

Dwane Casey was asked Sunday about Terrence Ross and the fact the kid’s been on the court down the stretch of close games of late.

Of course, the foul on Redick’s three-pointer in Orlando and the three he took late in the Cleveland game (I was fine with it, Dwane saw driving lanes) notwithstanding, it seems he’ll keep getting those crunch-time minutes because of what he brings.

“Right now? Defensive rebounding,” said Casey. “He’s one of our better perimeter defenders as far as (being) attentive to shooters, staying connected; e has athletic ability, speed and quickness.

“Now what he’s got to learn – again, he’s going to make some mistakes – is when to leave his feet, when to help and all those things a rookie has to learn.”

-

What they’re saying

Some angst with the Warriors over woeful rebounding of late and some questionable efforts, according to Rusty Simmons in the Chronicle today.

-

Men in charge

Ron Garretson, Mark Ayotte and Michael Smith (no relations) will blow whistles and be the subject of scorn and ridicule this evening.

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Esoteric stat, No. 2

Thanks to the good folks at Raptors media relations, we now know that Toronto’s quarter-by-quarter three-point field goal percentages, from first to fourth are:

36.8, 35.6, 37.3, 33.1.

You can’t get that knowledge just anywhere.

 

 

 

 

And the phones start ringing right away

About 25 minutes, as I recall.

That’s all it took from the time I first heard that Rajon Rondo was likely to have season-ending knee surgery until the first e-mail arrived suggesting the Raptors trade one of their point guards to the Celtics.

Wonder why it took so long?

Seriously, it’s only logical that a team in need of a point guard would come calling the Raptors, who have two with varying degrees of amenable contracts and diverse skills.

And the Celtics now have a need.

But I don’t see a good fit for Toronto either way, actually.

It’s not like this team here at this time in its development needs any of the old Celtics – Paul Pierce is the name you’ll hear floated out there more than any in that group – and any young players Boston have they’d want to keep as they try to move on from this aging group.

Do you do Kyle Lowry and his desirable contract (only $1 million guaranteed next year on about a $6 tab) for a pick or two and some backup kids?

Is there a fit that lets you deal Jose Calderon and his much more expensive deal (about $10 million) without taking on contracts past this year and not screw up next summer’s cap flexibility? And what kind of package could you get back that does that while improving a Toronto team that would then be missing arguably its most important piece?

A quandary, no? And one that Bryan is going to face every time he takes a call from any other general manager around the league.

Personally, and I don’t imagine this will surprise anyone, I’d look to move Lowry first for a couple of reasons.

And, no, it’s not at all because he’s a bad guy or a disruptive force or is doing anything to cause trouble around the team.

It’s just that his contract is attractive and what you could get back money-wise wouldn’t hamper your ability to move forward this summer too much.

A Calderon deal would have to be a blockbuster and no team is likely to deal expiring contract for expiring contract so you’d really be banking on the guy or guys you get back would make the difference for years to come.

This is a delicate time in this team’s growth as the plan unfolds. There are good young pieces in place – no stud, but good young pieces – and making a move in the next month or so is going to have repercussions for some time to come.

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Oh, I’m going to say this and take the slings and arrows.

Rajon Rondo was, and will be, a delight to watch on a basketball court; he is a gifted, creative spark who epitomizes point guard play these days.

He also took games off when he didn’t think they mattered and when he didn’t care and I remember him loafing through a game here against Toronto when it looked as if he’d rather had been some other place.

I hope he recovers quickly and fully and has a long career of great games against good teams on national TV.

-

Hmm.

Golden State’s here tonight? They call Oakland home. Oakland’s in the Bay Area. So …

-

Speaking of trades, Mike D of Toronto wonders in a leftover from the mail:

Q: It's more or less obligatory for players to answer questions about potential trade rumours with some combination of "I never think about it; if it happens, it happens" and "It's a business." Can you suggest a few responses that, from the perspective of story opportunities or just personal entertainment, you'd rather hear?

A: Heck, yeah.

Here are five in no particular order:

“If they do it, thank heavens for small mercies.”

“It’s a good team calling, right? Playoff money?”

“I don’t know if it’s true but if you can make it happen, please go right ahead.”

“They don’t have Customs there, right?”

“Yes! My 15 per cent trade kicker with kick in!”

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Speaking of Golden State, there’s no a lot of doubt in my mind that the variety of uniforms the Warriors wear make them the best decked-out team in the league, right?

I love the one with the cable car but the newest edition looks great, too.

It’s always fun to turn on a game and see what they’re wearing.

-

Just gonna throw this out there for no real reason to those who watched the end of the Celtics-Heat on Sunday afternoon.

Anyone notice how, with about 90 seconds left and down two, the Heat blew an inbounds play and turned the ball over?

And if you did, I’m pretty sure you stuck around to watch the Celtics, up one with 25.1 left, get forced into blowing their last timeout of regulation time because they couldn’t get the ball in, a timeout they could have really used when they had a possession with two seconds left in regulation and when they couldn’t call a timeout.

Figure that’s on Doc and Spoelstra, right? They need to get better coaching there or practice out of bounds plays more often.

-

A bit of piling on and, no, I didn’t watch a second but did you read this story about the 62-35 Pro Bowl?

Yeah, that’s a game that can go the way of the do-do bird and I can’t imagine anyone would miss it.

Sounds like it makes the NBA all-star game like old Lakers-Celtics battles of the 80s by comparison.

-

So we’re at the Red Party Remix – an outstanding event that raised a lot of money for a worthy cause and everyone should be congratulated – and all the players and coaches are there bowling and shooting pool and playing ping-pong and schmoozing at lots of levels.

And the most popular guy in the house?

Might have been Alvin Williams, every time I wandered past his little corner of the room there were pictures being snapped and autographs signed and people going ga-ga.

Good for him.

-

 

 

The mental part of the game is as big as any part

Well, these guys sure give us entertainment, don’t they?

Gut-wrenching for many, I presume, but fun games to watch at least. And I’ll take that every day.

-

THREE POINTERS

Too much space

Of course Alan Anderson played too far off Kyrie Irving on that last possession, I think everyone connected with the team would think that, regardless of the fact it was about a 28-footer that Irving hit.

I can see waiting at the three-point line for a couple of seconds, maybe, to take away the drive but once the clock got down to five or six seconds – and it was in plain sight of everyone on the floor – it was to get up in him and force the issue.

But no, they let the only thing that could beat them, beat them and that’s one of those Basketball IQ things or “winning play moments” that they’ve been harping on all season.

It’s a crushing blow to lose a game that way, when it could have gone the other way.

Sure, maybe Irving drives and makes a runner in the lane or kicks it to someone for an open shot; they needed to take that gamble, perhaps get into overtime, rather than let him take the one shot that could lose them the game.

A Learning Opportunity, for sure. A harsh loss, no doubt.

-

Gamble time

Think it’s easy coaching?

So Amir Johnson picks up his fifth foul with about 5 1-2 minutes left and they’re up one and everyone wonders what Dwane’s going to do.

Either way is a gamble.

If he sticks with him and Johnson gets a silly foul in 30 seconds – and the way they were calling illegal screens it certainly could have happened – you lose him for the rest of the night and, possibly, overtime.

But if you sit him, you’re too small up front and the 10 offensive rebounds the Cavs got showed just how active they could be on the glass. Maybe the game gets away from you then.

He gave Johnson a rest, sits him for about three minutes and the game goes from up one to down two. Not critical, it was escaping more than anything.

But you know what Dwane needed to do?

He needed to look down the bench and see a legitimate big man he could use. What he had to do was look down the bench and see two 7-footers in suits.

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Speaking of …

Dwane told us before the game that both Bargnani and Valanciunas as ramping up their work on the court and a return is much closer.

There was no timeline but he did say he thought Bargnani was closer to getting back and 10 days was the only phrase he used. Both need to get some further examination but with practiced days today, Tuesday and Thursday, there’ll be a much clearer picture mid-week.

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More? Sure. There’s always more.

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This comes on the shuffle this morning as I’m typing and it’s a wonderful tune for a lazy Sunday, no?

And who among us didn’t have a wee crush on Margo Timmins?

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Garbo!!!

Yep, the big fella was in town, I’m sure you saw him on the broadcast and it took some hunting – and thankfully Dwane was a couple of minutes delayed for his post-game chat – but I did run into him.

Garbo, as you may recall from the Olympic visits with him, is working with the Spanish federation getting ready for the 2014 world championships.

The conversation, parsed a little bit:

“What’s up, big man? Why are you here?

“I don’t know. Guess I’m lost.”

“No, seriously.”

“Federation visits, see all the guys. Two nights in all the other cities; four nights here.”

Nice. Dude always did like a night or two on the town.

Bit later, after he kind of shakes his head at the plight of the team (“can’t finish games”) it’s almost time to go.

“So, things are good for you in Spain?”

“Of course. Always. How is your family?”

“They’re doing great, thanks. My son’s grown up, taller than I am now.”

“So what, that’s not too hard.”

I miss that guy to liven up the locker room conversation.

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There was no way I was getting up – or staying up – to watch the Australian Open men’s tennis final; my interest in that sport peeks at the Grand Slams but I do have my limits.

But is it wrong of me to have the level of interest drop considerably if Federer’s not in the final?

I was pretty glued to one of several TVs I could see from my stool on Friday afternoon to see some of Federer-Muray but once the big Swiss dude lost, I kind of lost some interest because Djokvoic (who does look a bit like Jason Kapono, doesn’t he?) against Federer is about the only thing I want to see these days.

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I wish I didn’t have to say this – and perhaps some day I won’t – but the fact the delegates to the Liberal leadership convention in Ontario chose an openly gay woman to lead them makes me very proud to be an Ontarian.

Almost makes a guy want to sing.

Proud of Super Wife for working hard to make it happen in some small way and proud at the level of tolerance many have shown.

I don’t know enough about the specifics of the politics of Kathleen Wynne to have a serious discussion on those matters but her becoming Premier is a step forward. A big step.

And to those who wonder how we got a Premier without them voting for her, I’ll mention this:

It’s freaking Canada. It’s our freaking system. It works. And if want to whine about it, you better be first in line at the polling booths at the next election.

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So we’re off to the big Red Party Remix tonight thanks to a generous invitation from the Team Up Foundation people and because they seem to have lost their minds and think I’m somebody, they asked whether I’d take part in some of the games that’ll be going on, either ping pong, bowling or pool.

And I immediately say I’ll shoot pool for sure.

Why, they ask? Are you any good?

“No, but I know my way around a table. After all, you think I wasted seven years of high school going to class?”

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The Good On The Game, Cavaliers at Raptors

Good evening, everyone.