One night's dull, the next night is grand; it all evens out

Well, that was a great game, wasn’t it?

Huge rally by the home side, contentious calls, excellent plays, close game.

Can’t ask for much more, can you?

I missed the three OT game but that one Wednesday was the best I’ve seen this year.

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THREE POINTERS

Got ‘em again

Wonder if an apology is coming again?

Of course that was a blown call on the final foul on Amir Johnson he was absolutely trying to take a shot when he got knocked down by Noah and it was all Dwane could do to hold his breath in his post-game media thingy lest he cost himself some money in a fine.

Too bad, really; although I will say there were other plays before that one that has much to do with the outcome as it did.

Still, that was a very below-average officiating crew that put up some dubious calls both ways, it blew one of the biggest of the game and the only recourse is to send the video to the league – and I promise they will – and hope for some kind of censure against those three, um, zebras.

Not sure they’ll get it but they should because if there was ever a blown call on a shooting/non-shooting foul it was on that play.

Now, it still would have meant Amir would have had to make two free throws to tie – and the way the night went that was no sure thing – but he should have had the chance.

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Welcome back, Kyle

Yes, that was just the kind of effort – for the most part – the Raptors need out of Lowry, a good mix of looking for his own stuff and getting his teammates involved.

And one thing struck me in the first half that might make some sense. Hang with me on this.

We all know he has a penchant for gambling a bit too much on defence – watch the next few nights to see how often he’s caught under the other team’s basket trying for some steal he won’t get – but there is a way to mitigate that.

Haven’t run this by anyone who knows more than I do but it strikes me he’s a far better defender – for this team and its system right now – when they’re playing zone, as they did for a huge chunk of that second quarter.

He can hang around and only has to sprint back to guard a spot rather than run back and find a man to cover; it doesn’t expose he or his teammates nearly as much.

Don’t think they can play all zone when he’s on the floor but maybe a wee bit more.

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A failing

I don’t know how many times Dwane’s talked about “attention to detail” and how it’s one of the team’s issues but last night there was one glaring example of not doing it that we saw an awful lot of.

This team sets horrible screens.

I mean they don’t even make contact with the guy they’re suppose to be screening, not even close, and there’s more than enough blame to go around.

First, the guy setting the screen – and this an Ed Davis issue I saw last night – seems way to intent on rolling rather than starting the contact and it gives the defender all kinds of time and space to avoid getting caught up.

Second, the guy using the screen – and this is a Kyle Lowry issue I saw last night – need to wait and set up his man, to run him into the guy setting the screen to use it effectively.

It’s a little thing but it’s an important one and if they do it right 10 more times a game, that might get them five more baskets and that means a world of difference most nights.

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A bit more?

Got a little, sure.

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So, everyone going to be glued to the TV tonight for the big all-star starter announcement?

Oh yeah, they’ve turned it into a grand television spectacle, turning what should take about 90 seconds to announce into a breathless, full-blown “show.”

Yawn.

Anyway, as you recall, this is the first time voters chose two guards and three “front-court” players because they figured – and I was part of it – that the bigs are so interchangeable it made sense.

Maybe.

I’d still think a more representative manner to chose starters would be one point guard, two wings and two bigs and maybe that’s the way things shake out in the future. Seems a bit more fair to me, although the difference in point guard and shooting guard can, and sometimes is, a bit blurred.

But I guess it doesn’t matter at all in the end.

The fans got to choose the starters and I presume there’ll be at least one head-scratcher among the 10 but it’s up to the coaches in each conference to fill out the roster with seven backups and they usually get it right.

The fans? Well, they can be part of the process because it’s all fun and games for them; even if they blow a choice or two, there is recourse to have it fixed, thanks to the coaches.

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Speaking of TV, was glancing at yet another Criminal Minds re-run yesterday afternoon – the one where the graphic cartoonist has the psychotic break after his girlfriend is killed and goes on his own murderous spree – and, of course, there are commercials and promos.

And I’m thinking that one of the things I’m most proud of in my entirely television watching life is that I have never, ever, not once watched an episode of either Hoarders or Intervention or the idiotic one about bidding on storage bins.

Yes, my good people, there are too, too many channels with nothing on.

I’d say about 57 of them, right?

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Let’s get at it folks, and you Irregulars know who you are.

I’ve got this afternoon and a bit of tomorrow in Philly to kill and perchance a period of Stool Time Saturday so …

Click. Write. Send.

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No, there’s not a chance in hell that I will intentionally watch any of this Oprah-Lance Armstrong telethon thing tonight.

I will either be at this cool sports bar under the arch at the Reading Terminal Market or on a stool at The Palm or somewhere like that; no way I’m paying attention to it.

Besides, I’m likely to have my phone fully charged and I’m pretty sure the tweeter thing will let me know what he says

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Okay, I have a few things on tap this morning and then the flight to Philly, will get back to comments as soon as I can.

And maybe it’ll give me time to get my head around this Manti Te’o story, which is one of the more incredible tales I’ve heard.

And, along with a story or two, will help me through tomorrow.

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Comments

[Michel G]

It's kind of late for me to post this but I'll post it nonetheless. I'm not quite sure anyone will read it. :)

Boko, I don't think you appreciate how hard it is to make smart trade in the NBA.

You posted this list :"Andrea, Kyle, Landry, Linus, Mickael, Alan, John, Quincy, Aaron, and a 1st rounder in 2015 can get us that, IMHO.

I could write 2000 words explaining why most of those guys have little to no value in trade discussions. Alan can't be traded without his permission, Kleiza is hurt, who's going to want Landry's contract, etc., etc., etc.

The only guys on the list that can bring value back is Andrea and Kyle. Andrea's hurt and Colangelo just gave up a lottery-guaranteed first round pick for Lowry. Do you think he's going to just trade him without seeing how he fits with this team long-term. Didn't you watch last night's game?

Concerning the playoffs. Considering we would have to go 26-17 to get to 40 wins, I think our chances of making the playoffs are not great. We've only beaten 3 teams that have above .500 records. An we're almost halfway through the season.

And if you want a point guard to back up Jose and "learn" from him, draft one instead of trading for one.