And the end of the weekend mail

Okay, driveway and walk cleared, kitchen cleaned, mail’s all done and nothing now until the game.

Not bad at all, if I do say so myself.

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Q: Hi Doug. This came to me while watching the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "The Announcement" which follows Magic Johnson and his revealing he was HIV positive. One thing that struck me was how important a role that not only Magic, but David Stern had on the perception of the disease and developing an attitude of acceptance rather than prejudice. I'm thinking that will be one of David Stern's legacies and was wondering (Jackie Robinson excluded) if any other sport/athlete had made an impact on social issues as they did over those 3 years or so. Can you think of any?

Rob K, Peterborough

A: Outside of Robinson, probably not although the pucks saga about the abuse of teenage players must have done a lot to increase awareness of that issue.

That was a difficult time in AIDS and HIV awareness and the fear-mongering worldwide was getting out of control. Yes, there were some players who fed into the misinformation but those who stood by Magic – and Stern for his work making it a league-wide issue – played a significant role in enlightening basketball fans. And for that they should be forever commended

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Q: Doug! Did you see what Not-Grace got to do? Ride a Monster Truck!!! How is this even fair? Plus he got to be in Florida this week. And the icing on this crap cake? He got to see the Raps in two games that weren't stinkers. At All. (And do you believe that shot of DeMar's to win in Orlando?) Jeez. Doesn't that suck? 'Cause we all know how big a dream of yours it's been to be strapped in to a 1500 horsepower, 10,000-pound vehicle. (Not-Grace said it would be thrilling for him - a guy who drives a Subaru - to experience this. Well, Ahem. A Smelly Ford Focus? Of A Certain Vintage? Ahem?)

Anyway, Tall Foreheads want to address this travesty of sports-vehicular-reporting injustice and have offered you an opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of the following machines. Now, let's assume you are proficient at operating anything with four wheels. So, Mr. Smith, what's your preference: an F1 car (driven to speeds in excess of 350kmh at the Monaco Grand Prix) or a customized Chevy Malibu (at a NASCAR event - let's make it Talladega before 170,000 screaming, adoring, fans) or that antidote to road-rage and years of battling GTA gridlock - a 1972 Lincoln Continental - Texas Longhorns on the hood optional - at a Demolition Derby? What would you choose? Thank you!

Lorie P, London

A: Oh, I want something small and sleek and very fast. Something along the lines of a Mercedes sports car or something from the Rolls Royce line. A Jaguar would work, too.

But the best rental I ever got on the road was in Charlotte one time, it was busy and all they had was a big ol’ pickup truck with – yep! – a gunrack on the back window.

Felt absolutely at home down there.

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Q: Hi Doug. I have a couple of quick questions for you.

I was reading an article in SI the other day on hockey. They did a statistical analysis on how often certain shots are taken. Not surprisingly, the backhand shot was the least used. That got me thinking about basketball. Do you feel there is there anything in the game (ie. a type of shot, pass, dribble, system etc) that is underutilized and should be used more of.

How much credit for Damian Lillard's rookie success in Portland be attributed to the coaching of Jay Triano? I know Jay has had a big role in developing quite few current and former Raptors such as Chris Bosh.

Thank You for taking the time to read my questions. All the best.

Joe D, Mississauga

A: I think some players should try to develop hook shots because they are basically unblockable and the bank shot from the wing is vastly under-utilized.

And, yeah, Jay does a lot of work on the offence in Portland and the Blazers are an effective team. It’s not just him, though, the players have to be willing to put in the work and skilled enough to make lessons pay off.

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Q: Hey Doug. As someone who has seen more than a fair share of sub-500 Raptor squads, would you agree that this is one of the more enjoyable editions to watch? Despite the record, the team is competitive (despite some significant lost time due to injuries), it plays hard on a nightly basis, and has young players improving as the season progresses (Davis, Ross, and even Acy). There were seasons where the record was terrible and the team seemed to be going nowhere, but this squad seems to be heading in the right direction. What do you think?

Tom P, Windsor

A: I agree wholeheartedly that most nights they are fun to watch because they play hard and don’t quit. There is promise there, I just hope everyone’s patient enough to know it takes time to develop.

And one of Jay’s teams – I think his first full year – was the same kind of way.

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Q: Watching young Ross grow up before our eyes this year got me thinking about a "Ready for Primetime" all-rookie team, for both the Raptors and the League. Kobe wasn't Kobe right away and Dirk wasn't Dirk right away. Who, in your wise grunt eyes, really hit the league running and had an impact in their rookie year? Give us a team that turned heads almost immediately after taking an NBA floor.

Wilber L, Toronto

A: Well, I remember writing in his rookie year that LeBron James had impossible expectations to meet and he exceeded them so I’d have to say he’d be at the top of the list.

Others? And I’m sure I’m missing some but I’m going to go with Blake Griffin (even though his rookie year really wasn’t his rookie year) along with Jason Kidd and Grant Hill (they shared rookie of the year honours, as I recall) and how about Derrick Rose?

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Q: Hey Doug. Jack Armstrong had an interesting idea about the Raps-Heat game near the end of the game. The score was tied with about 16-odd seconds to go and the Heat had possession.

What he was saying, was the Raps should foul the Heat to put them on the line and go for a three pointer to win the game. The idea behind it was that the Raps' talent level wouldn't match up against the Heat's in a 5 minute OT.

It is a very unconventional play and I don't know if any coach would have the guts to pull it off, but it could be a good strategy with the shooters that the Raps have. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Wesley L, Richmond Hill

A: I heard that, too. Rather unique to the NBA, that’s for sure, although it is something that happens with some regularity in Europe.

I guess it comes down to whether you have more faith in your defence to get one stop or your offence to get one score.

You also have to take into consideration – and with this team, it’s a factor – that you’d have to rebound a missed second free throw and that’s not a certainty.

And if you’ve played a team, even one with more individual talent, evenly for 48 minutes on a specific night, why wouldn’t you have confidence that you could do it for five more minutes, if necessary.

I see how it might be an intriguing bit of strategy, I don’t think I’d employ it.

The start of the weekend mail

Oh, those best-laid plans.

Got a lot of this stuff done Friday afternoon but then Super Son wanted to go out for dinner again, Baseball Steve was around and night devolved into dinner and a quiet evening at home.

The alarm was set for 5:30 a.m. to finish off the mail and, lo and behold, after a couple o rollovers and snooze buttons, it was 7:30.

So, here’s what’s finished to now, there’s plenty left and I’ll goof around on it the rest of the day. Should all be finished before the IGBT tonight at 7. See you then.

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Q: Hey Doug: Reading about you using your iPad mini the other day got me to thinking (an accomplishment in itself!). You've been a sportswriter for more than 30 years (according to your bio next to the blog). Can you give us one reason why it was better to be a sportswriter back then, and one reason it's better to be a sportswriter now.

Thanks!

Tim H, Windsor

A: Fewer bosses then and more money now? Nah, that's not it. Really.

Back in the day, I can vaguely recall having time to develop daily stories and not have to have them "up" so quickly. When I first started this beat, for instance, our deadlines were 11 p.m., 12:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. Now, even with advances in technology that are supposed to make things earlier, I have to file by 10:30 and again by as close to midnight as I can and there is no "final" edition.

What's better? Well, I guess technology is a big one. I can't write and file anywhere there's a wireless network and even if there isn't one, I can set one up of my own off my phone. The ease of work is far greater.

Oh, and one other downside? I was once told by one of the greatest beat writers I know (the one and only Bob Elliott of The Sun) that it was a cardinal sin to interrupt a competitor or colleague who was having a one-on-one conversation with someone. Too often these days if you are chatting with a player or an executive, you might be joined by three people toting microphones or tape recorders who aren't sure whether the ball is blown up or stuffed.

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Q: Hello. Only a couple of weeks until pitchers and catchers report! It is quite cool in the big O. The canal is open, so things aren’t too bad.

What do you reference as being a harbinger of spring? Is it the use of the word harbinger? Is it no boots? Leave overcoat in the car? Wiarton Willie? The Maple Leafs/Raptors playing for that final playoff spot? Chunks of concrete from the Gardiner?

Bob E, Kanata

A: The surest sign? First Leaves flag flying out of the window of a car and breathless stories how that week's games are must-wins to keep the playoff hopes alive.

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Q: Hi Doug. With mid-season grades being discuss ad nauseam, I haven't seen anyone rate the coaches' performance to date. How do you rate Casey's first-half coaching performance?

Vince D, Toronto

A: Actually, I didn’t do “grades” because I think they’re a bit silly and can’t really ever be put into any kind of legitimate context.

I think his first half coaching was pretty good; average. Started out trying to address a need (offence), it didn’t work out so he shifted gears. I’m okay with adaptability.

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Q: Hello Doug. I feel that Colangelo deserves another 2 year contract.

He's made some canny draft choices (hello TRoss!), the team is starting to gel, and I think there's a lot of potential for the team in 2-3 years.

When will the decision come down? End of the season?

Gary D, Stouffville

A: I can’t see ownership doing anything until the season is over and they sit back and see where they are. I think that’s most prudent.

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Q: I agree. Pelican's logo is great. Since you are such a fan - you must have heard of this poem by Dixon Lanier Meritt

A wonderful bird is the pelican,

His bill will hold more than his belican,

He can take in his beak

Enough food for a week

But I'm damned if I see how the helican!

Keep up the good work.

Bill W, Dresden

 

A: Excellent!

Have heard it, glad others will now, too

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Q: Doug: Has a team ever been called for a time violation on one of those rolling inbound passes? For example, Miami rolled the ball up the court from under their basket, to the Raps 3 point line where it was picked up by James. It seems like he got a favourable call. Thanks as always.

Ken B, Matheson

A: Actually, there’s no violation. A player simply has to inbound the ball in five seconds, teams can take forever to actually pick it up.

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Q: Hey Doug, long time reader but haven't written in a very long time. Quick question about Dwane Casey's coaching tactics. While I realize neither you or I is an NBA coach, I am confused by DC's use of Jose at the end of games. He seems to leave Lowry in the game in the fourth quarter, despite it seeming to me that Jose is the better closer. Any reason for this?

Thierry M, Sudbury

A: You’re right, he uses Lowry way too much.

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Q: Have to ask - what is up between Lowry and the coach. this month out of 11 games in 4 he has less than 18 mins - in one it was like 14 minutes.

A funny way of treating a guy who was brought in to help "save" us.

Jay S, Oshawa

A: You’re right, he uses Calderon way too much.

An important win for a variety of reasons

Hey, Cathal? Sorry.

(Tee-hee)

Overtime one night, buzzer-beater the next night after a boring game-day drive from Miami to Orlando and I think you told me you had an early flight back.

Hope you got to the $1.50-a-pint-of-Yeungling pizza place on Semoran to decompress.

I owe you.

Anyway …

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THREE POINTERS

No, it wasn’t great

That was without doubt a clutch shot by DeRozan to win it at the buzzer, fading away in the left corner, high-arcing toss over two defenders that got nothing but net.

Clutch, no question.

But good?

Probably not.

I don’t know if it will imbue him with a sense of confidence – and maybe that’s why he’d been somewhat ordinary the past three or four games – but I will tell you this:

When he drifted to the corner, I guarantee there was some hemming and hawing on the bench; they’d much rather he’d stopped, spun and gone down the lane.

But it was a helluva shot and coming at the end of a 14-point quarter in a tight game under tough circumstances on the road, maybe just what he needed to really kickstart a run of good games.

After all the failings these guys have had late in games this year, it was kind of nice to see one go their way, even if it wasn’t exactly what they wanted.

Did you miss it?

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A solid assessment

So, I’m stealing this line for Cathal’s gamer (yeah, I owe you more) but it’s Dwane and he hit the nail right on the head:

“Everybody’s questioned our toughness. Anybody who doesn’t feel like we’re in this to win it, they’re totally wrong.”

That was without a doubt a less mentally tough team would have spit up – and these guys may have folded a bit earlier in year, now that I think of it.

Tough emotional loss the night before, a rested opponent at home they’d beaten three times already this season (and it’s difficult to beat any team four times in one season) and they hung in.

I’m not all that big on day-to-day momentum, I don’t think it carries over a lot, games come and games go and you just go out and play.

But confidence is another thing entirely and hanging in when Orlando made that fourth quarter run, getting the lead back and then winning like that has to help, doesn’t it?

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Oh oh

Yeah, the quotes from Amir Johnson (they’re down the bottom of Cathal’s gamer here) about yet another rolled ankle are troubling, for sure.

I can’t tell you how impressed I am with that kid’s ability and willingness to play through pain and he did it again last night.

I know his teammates notice and hopefully it gets in their heads a bit because if Johnson can go out there and fight through stuff, they should, too.

I’m not saying anyone needs to rush back – the medical people still have to clear them and their opinion is the one that counts – but if someone gets banged up in a game, they need to look down at Johnson and just keep playing.

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More? There’s always room for more, right?

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Robbie Burns Day?

Right, it is.

(You know he wrote Auld Lang Syne, right?)

And, no, haggis is not a good bar food.

But this is pretty good music and all the McAteer and Barr ancestors from Glasgow and Edinburgh will be looking down fondly on me today.

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So, Super Son and I are on the stools about to tuck into a plate of delicious chili-covered nachos (hello, Jack Astor’s at Square One!) and watch the first half of the game when it strikes me:

Best bar food for watching sports?

Well, if I had my druthers, it’d go …

Nachos

Lots of cheese fully melted (nothing worse than the bottom of the plate and congealed cheese) with beef or chili. No chicken and whoever thought of vegetable nachos doesn’t get the whole idea of bar food.

Wings.

I prefer hot over mild, dry over saucy with as many drumsticks as you can get.

Stumpy used to order them dry with the sauce on the side and I guess I can live with that.

Irish nachos

See above, only substitute potatoes for tortilla chips; the ones at The Kells in Portland were particularly good.

Pizza

Pepperoni and hot sausage, please. If you have to do mushrooms, I can live with it.

Fries

I know, a tad boring.

But hot, fresh, lightly salted and peppered, not cold and taken from some bin where they’ve been sitting for 40 minutes.

Deep fried brown things

Mozzarella, jalapenos, mushrooms, doesn’t really matter, does it.

Veggies and dip

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Fooled you, didn’t I?

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Football picks this week, since I nailed all those playoff games?

AFC over NFC.

And if any of you dare to watch even a second of the NFL’s Pro Bowl, we’re going to have issues.

It is, without question, the worst “all-star” game of any professional sport. No debate.

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Hmm, let’s see:

Me, East all-star reserves

Holiday, Irving, George, Noah, Chandler, West, Horford.

Coaches, East all-star reserves

Holiday, Irving, George, Noah, Chandler, Deng, Bosh.

Deng and Bosh over West and Horford? I guess, but I still like West better but can’t really argue.

Me, West all-star reserves

Westbrook, Harden, Aldridge, Duncan, Curry, Marc Gasol, Ibaka

Coaches, West all-star reserves

Westbrook, Harden, Aldridge, Duncan, Lee, Parker, Randolph.

Hmm. No Stephen Curry but David Lee? Okay, that’s a bit tough to take for me but Parker and Randolph over Gasol and Ibaka I can live with.

But even if I got some of them wrong, Nothin’ But Net’s awards are bang on, trust me.

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We’re in the process of switching over our mail system for the weekly mail so I’m not sure what’s going to work when.

And I could use a few more questions because after the haircut today, there’s time to work.

The old usual way might still be operational (and you know how I love to hear from you) and supposedly a new e-mail (askdoug@thestar.ca) is up and running. I can’t access it yet but that should get worked out this morning.

Thanks for your patience.

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One last little thing.

I think they absolutely nailed the Pelicans logo; it's got some weird tinge of voo-doo to it, don't you think?

Can't wait to get there next season and see the stuffed animal they come up with.

 

 

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.

-

 

 

Schedule turns, a day in history and some halfway stuff

The Raptors?

I’ve got nothing of substance, really, since they practiced in Miami and I was back here. Just a couple of text messages back and forth with a couple of people to find out nothing of substance happened.

But a quick check of the schedule does show it could be an interesting time – and a time Dwane will love – over the next little while.

After the back-to-back tonight and tomorrow, they don’t play on consecutive nights until at home to Denver and at New York on Feb. 12-13 heading into the all-star break.

That means practice-game-practice-game-practice game for more than two weeks and with the expected returns of both Valanciunas and Bargnani, that will give the coaching staff all kinds of time to get them back into the swing of things.

And players will like it, too.

May have mentioned this before but there is a rhythm to a season that players really enjoy; having a game followed by a game followed by a day off followed by a game gets their bodies and minds into some routine and it’s generally when they perform their best.

Just like mid-December and then early January when the arduous schedule changed dramatically, the next fortnight could be intriguing.

I’m not suggesting they’ll do anything like climb into the top eight in the East – more on that in a bit – but given that we’re less than a month out from the trade deadline, it could give Bryan Colangelo even more pause to think about things.

What if there is a more improvement and a natural growth of a team that’s still kind of young? Is he then reluctant to do anything – not so much for this year but to not disrupt the predictable pattern of improvement? Or if something irresistible pops up – and, no, I have no clue what that might be – does he pull the trigger knowing there will be a predictable step back as new people get familiar with other people and perhaps new roles?

It’s easy to sit back and say, yeah, they have to do something to improve the roster; it’s harder to know what that might because everything’s a gamble and one wrong move can undo any good that’s been done so far.

-

What do you do with an idle hour or two in a late-afternoon when stools are out of the question?

You flip through the channels while loafing on the couch and run into, as we’ve mentioned often, one of the most under-rated and early-cancelled sitcoms in the world.

News Radio!

And yes, Phil Hartman’s really and the whole cast is solid but – and I absolutely did not realize this under yesterday afternoon – Khandi Alexander’s in it!

And since I see a lot of CSI while I’m typing in the morning – HBO on Demand every now and then, too – and I love Treme, it’s pretty cool to have traced her career arc.

Those are three pretty solid shows. Impressive.

And now you know how little it takes to impress me.

-

So we got this very cool huge poster from Preservation Hall in New Orleans framed – not up, but framed – and it led me to the iTunes and who doesn’t need a little Rebirth Brass Band to brighten the day?

-

Yeah, that was a wonderful day of coasting yesterday.

Was supposed to do this Raptor and it turned into that and then this league thing and I was typing two-thirds of the day.

You might want to read it, just to make me feel good.

Thanks.

The league one was interesting because it would seem we’re headed for a typical mid- to end-of-season pattern unfolding.

There’s always been a theory floating around that teams spend the first third of the season getting used to each other, they spend the next third of the season solidifying a playoff spot and the last third of the season jockeying for position in those top eight slots.

And I can see that happening again and it will render the next three months or so kind of boring in most cities.

The case can probably be made that the eight playoff teams in each conference are close to settled – I guess you can see how there’d be races for eighth and maybe seventh but that’s about it – and that leaves a handful of teams in each conference with little to play for in the last half of the season.

Wonder when the tanking talk will start for real?

-

Hey, remember Canada Basketball?

Needs a head coach for its women’s team?

Well, all we’ve got so far is that the application process closed last Friday and it’s almost interview time.

I’m told they cast a pretty long net, to CIS schools, NCAA schools, through the contacts of their corporate sponsors to whittle down a list.

Not sure what the next step is or when it’ll unfold, just wanted to let the few of you interested in Canadian women’s basketball know what was going on.

-

So I’m out walking Super Dog about 5:30 this morning and it’s a zillion below and where she normally wants to go to the corner to get all her business done, today she gets to the end of the (very small) front yard and she’s all finished and running back to the door.

Smart dog.

And not-so-smart owner who could conceivably be in Florida rather than here.

-

No, there will be no IGBT tonight or tomorrow; I figure tonight’s a couch night and tomorrow might be a stool evening so I’m a bit sorry about that.

But I’m sure to have this stupid machine on and since I caught you entirely off guard by an early call for mail yesterday, why not send a note or two to say hello since I may putter around on it during the game.

You know the drill.

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Speaking of the Raptors.

Remember this?

Seven years ago.

Kobe.

81.

No, I wasn’t there – I’d done an early part of a west coast trip and Jim Byers got to it – and, no, wasn’t all the disappointed I missed it. Saw it on TV and it wasn’t like it was 101 or anything all-time record breaking, it would have just been an awful lot of work on an awful tight deadline.

But it was something, that’s for sure

Enjoy. Or don’t.

-

 

 

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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A good game and a day to recall good speeches

So what’s everyone getting excited about?

The HOTH beat a sub-.500 team at home. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?

But it must have been a fun afternoon nonetheless.

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THREE POINTERS

Change needed

I don’t know if it has to be done through the competition committee or board of governors or what but there does seem to be one change needed in the way the game is officiated.

It’s the fourth quarter, the Raptors get a steal and two of them are headed up the court for an easy layup.

Except that behind the play, Kobe Bryant waves his arms in disgust – hardly the most demonstrative he’d been all game – and a referee (Ken Mauer?) blows his whistle to hit him with a technical.

It robs Toronto of an easy basket, Kyle Lowry misses the free throw, Raptors don’t score on the ensuing possession and the Lakers do.

It was a call that went by the letter of the law but something has to be written into the rule book that says technicals should – if at all possible – be called during stoppages in play if they are to be assessed to the team without possession.

That would seem to make entire sense to me.

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An added bonus

I know Landry Fields’ jump shot still looks wonky and his free throw shooting can be an adventure but, you know what, the dude can flat out play smart basketball.

He knows how to cut to space and finish at the rim and in traffic and if he and Jose do develop some kind of chemistry, Fields is going to keep getting easy baskets.

I still think in a perfect world you want a more consistent shooter and offensive threat at that spot but if Fields keeps giving them 10-plus rebounds a game and plays the kind of defence he has been, that position it at least under control.

And I won’t have to hear people whine about the contract.

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The Lakers?

Yikes!

I know it’s a terribly small sample size and this is a rush to judgement at the level I don’t usually like to do but, man, I honestly don’t know if they can get it together to even scrape into the playoffs.

They look old and slow and play defence like the worst Raptors teams of all time, Toronto absolutely carved them up with screen-roll stuff.

And here’s the thing that really caught my eye:

I don’t know that they really “like” each other. At no point in the game – and I know they were down early and never led after Steve Nash made the first basket of the game in the first 10 seconds – but at no time did it look like they were having anything like fun out there.

I know it’s a business and a business of winning but isn’t there supposed to be some level of enjoyment apparent when you’re playing the game you love? Yeah, I thought so, too.

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More? Sure.

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You know what I like? A lot?

A good speech.

Something that’s forceful and stirring and hits the listeners at the very heart.

I like speeches that inspire and challenge and are filled with brilliant turns of phrases and raw emotions.

I bring this up only now because today is Inauguration Day in the United States and it also happens to be Martin Luther King Day.

The world doesn’t seem to have as many great orators as it should, right? We live in a time of sound-bytes and “lines” and talking points, we seem to have lost the great speakers.

I’m not sure who I’d put on the list today – Obama might be at the top – and it’s not like Canada is blessed with women or men who can command an audience and stir them to crazy levels of passion with mere words.

Best speaker that I can think of off the top of my head?

You’d probably put Churchill up there, right? And Dr. King? And John F. Kennedy, right? How’s that for a list.

Top Canadians in my lifetime? Can’t really thing of one; maybe Trudeau but it was more the strength of his personality rather than his speech-making abilities.

And I know this is long but given the day and given what you’ve just read, watch this.

It may be American-centric but the words should still resonate worldwide.

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Line of the day Sunday?

Someone asks Dwane about the technical that Howard got to earn his ejection. Dwane says he has “no clue” what the chatter was about.

“Two dogs barking is all I saw.”

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Man, we are in for one classic Super Bowl since my picks San Francisco and New England both made it.

What?

Oh.

Okay, never mind.

Here’s a quick question, though: Which are you going to tire of more quickly, Ray Lewis or the Harbaughs.

I say it’s going to be a tie and we’ll be gagging ourselves on those stories before the teams even get to New Orleans.

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It would appear by every report out there – and this is just representative because there are a lot of stories floating around – that the Sacramento-to-Seattle thing is done and settled, we’ll be back in the Pacific Northwest for a second city next season.

Probably talk a bit more about this tomorrow once more details emerge but I hope that whatever joy there is in Seattle today is tempered by the fact they are benefiting from the same kind of situation that made them feel so horrible when the Sonics bolted for Oklahoma City.

I’ve been in Sacramento at the highest time in franchise history – I was at the Game 7 overtime game against the Lakers, I saw the passion dozens of times over the years – and that’s a tiny city that supported its team very well; it got screwed over by owners who couldn’t make a deal with a city that bent over backwards to keep its team.

Too bad.

But I wonder what KO will be doing next fall, maybe we can have dinner at the Metropolitan Grill again.

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(Oh yeah, those pics up there? My Man Rene was in the building snapping away all day yesterday; does great work)

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The end of the weekend mail, all in the same day!

Told you I’d get this done tonight.

I love my iPad Mini because if you’re sitting on a stoll goofing around, it’s easy to work on a small space.

Have a read of this and since it’s a quiet night, the alarm won’t be ignored like it was this morning and we’ll be back with the regular fare about the regular time.

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Q: Hi Doug - a question about referees (with a bit of a preamble, as is my habit). When I was at the game a few weeks ago, I was sitting baseline, quite close to the court. It was more apparent to me in person than on TV that there is a LOT of contact that doesn't get called. If they called everything the game would take forever!

Now on to the referees. It seems apparent that certain referees may not be regarded as highly as others, but I wonder about reputations certain referees may have and how it affects the players. For instance, if one referee has a reputation for 'letting the game flow', and may let a lot of little stuff go, do the players have that in mind when they start the game, or do they take it as a game by game thing and see what's being called? All within the scope of the rules, but it seems that some refs may be sticklers more than others.

Just to clarify, this isn't about questioning the referees, it's more about the players and whether they may change their play slightly when they know a ref will let certain things slide, or perhaps if they know the ref calls a tight game, they go in and play accordingly right from the start.

Sheila C, Ottawa

A: Most players that I've asked about this tend to "take the temperature" of the game early, despite knowing who the officials are and how they might have handled games in the past. Even officials who are known for "letting them play" can become whistle-happy hard-asses every now and then. It basically is a night-to-night learning experience for them and us.

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Q: Hi Doug. Glad you made it back from Chicago. Your story about Stumpy not knowing what city you were coming from got me thinking about Spinal Tap and so - what do you think the best Rock and Roll movies are? I've got to have Spinal Tap and The Commitments at the top. Do you agree?

Art H, Sharbot Lake

A: If the list cannot include documentaries, those two would definitely be in my top five. Not sure how I'd rank them but the other three might be High Fidelity, School of Rock and Wayne's World?

Sound ok?

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Q: I think it was a really poor choice on Casey's part to have Demar throw the ball in after the timeout at the end of the game. Demar has the potential to be a good NBA player but he's not a very quick thinker. My choice would have been Landry Fields. Dwayne is a good coach in my opinion but everyone has to take the blame for that loss. But Dwayne IS the leader isn't he?

Bill H, Ailsa Craig

A:I was a little surprised that it was DeMar the first time, even if he did have the presence of mind to call the timeout. And it made more sense to me to have Jose do it the second time, even if it didn't work out.

And, yes, Dwane is the leader and accepts ultimate responsibility but I don't think it's too much to ask a four-veteran to make an inbounds pass.

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Q: So the NBA apologizes to the Raptors again. Is this something new this year. I don't recall it happening before. We see it now because it is the Raptors. Is this something that happens regularly to other teams and in other years?

Dave B, Cornwall

A: Not regularly, no. In fact, I don’t remember another case this year.

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Q: http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/18/daily-telegraph-nba-pistons-knicks/1846861/

Nothing like British prose .... Wonderful description of the modern day NBA with all the distractions. Of course that's music to this curmudgeons' ears. My fondest Raps memories were the VC years where the atmosphere in the building was electric. which was all related to the product on the court.

John C, Mississauga

A:Those were the good old days, weren't they? And the more legit British sportswriting I read, the more inadequate I feel. Those blokes can flat out craft.

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Q: Hi Doug. I was so frustrated after regulation last night that I couldn't bring myself to watch the OT... and then not surprised to find they had lost.

In any event, I'm curious about Bargnani and Valanciunas? Are they able to get any work in on the court while they're off or is it all limited to cardio, etc.? Is there any timeline as to when we might see either return to action?

Thanks as always.

Jim F, London

A: Actually, Valanciunas has spent a lot of time working on his left hand jump hook since he’s been out; Bargnani’s been doing a lot of cardio.

And both have been cleared for non-contact on-court work now so the process is unfolding.

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Q: Hey Doug, I'm not a basketball novice by any stretch but I've always been curious about how a "scoring run" starts and ends. I used to think runs were just consecutive basket streaks until you gave one up, but of course I've heard announcers talk about a team scoring to end, say, a 13-4 run by their opponent. So how exactly is a "scoring run" calculated from start to finish?

Simon S, Toronto

A: It’s actually quite arbitrary and depends on what fits best into the story if you’re me or the broadcast if you’re talking about it.

I just calculate and make reference to one if it’s what turns the game from one team to the other.

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Q: Hi Doug. Just wondering how long we are going to be subjected to the nutritional primo ads when all the Raps seem to do is pay him to be injured and sitting on the end of the bench taking up space. God you would think he could at least look a bit interested in what the team is doing. Same for klaisa. Wow your three bigs sitting on the end of the bench. How uplifting is that.

Ric B, Cambridge

A: Man, burr in your bonnet or what? Do you think they should put on costumes and hit the court with the June Taylor Dancers? Yeesh.

You’re going to put up with a two- or three-year-old ad until the contract for it to air runs out. Mute your TV or change the channel, no one’s forcing you to watch.

And Kleiza and Valanciunas? If you want chest bumps, dances and overt displays of emotion, go watch old video of M.L. Carr.

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Q: Recent comments about the Atlanta Hawks reminded me that the Hawks of Bob Pettit days were once a great team in St. Louis. St. Louis supports baseball with great fervor. Is it not on the radar for a future NBA franchise? Why did the team fail there in the first place?

Richard W, Toronto

A:The St. Louis Hawks were pretty good, young kid named Lenny Wilkens was drafted by them, I believe.

But I have not heard St. Louis as a viable NBA now and I wonder if there's enough corporate money there after baseball and, to a much lesser extent, hockey.

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Q: Hello. Re: cabbie rip off artists. Did you know that there are more lawyers than cab drivers in the U.S.? Lawyers also have a creative way of making you pay for your "ride.”

In honour of Philly, how about a little TSOP, or even further back "South Street?”

Gotta fly now.

Bob E, Kanata

A: What’d my man Bill say:

“The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.”

(I’m kidding, all my lawyer friends, really)

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Q: Doug! I'm sorry. I've already submitted but just thought of another one and I'm blaming it on your choice of music in today's blog. Oh, and we'll blame The Boss a wee bit, too. So, I don't know if you've ever had this happen to you but I a few days ago decided I wanted to add a channel to my cable package and called my subscriber and asked if they could help me do this. And of course it could be done.

For a price.

And with the accompaniment of several other channels I knew I'd never watch. Never. Ever. By this point I know my viewing habits and preferences! But, I told them, I only want this one! So, even though we can put men on the moon, little trackers on Mars and send a telescope way, way, WAY out into the universe one can not apparently add the one channel I wanted to my cable package. Who knew the complexities of running a cable network?

Anyway. Enough ranting. So, Doug, if it were possible - and hopefully this glorious day will arrive soon - and you could design the cable package you want, with only say the 20 or so channels you know you'd watch, what would it include? Thank you.

Lorie P, London

A: I feel your pain, I hate cable companies and the “bundling” solely so they can give marginal networks some money to do shows no one watches while maximizing profits. They are evil.

That said, I’d probably have all the sports networks so I could see games if I was so inclined – and it’s more about baseball on summer nights, actually; and I’d have to have some comedy network that showed repeats of The Office, Seinfeld, The Big Bang Theory and 30 Rock. There’d have to be CBC, CNN and BBC, the Food Nework for sure and while Arts and Entertainment is no longer Arts and Entertainment, it would have to be on the list.

Toss in Showtime and HBO Canada and I’m fine.

The rest? Crap, mostly.

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Q: Hi Doug. I watch Bob Macowan's talk show on sports net almost every day. Recently the best coach we ever had(as far as coaching is concerned)Butch Carter was on the show twice. Once in person & once over the phone. He gave some "interesting insights" regarding the Raptors.

I would like to see you there too regularly like Damian Cox etc.& give your take on the Raptorland day to day issues. I think you will be the most knowledgeable basketball writer on that panel. Will it be possible for you to do it with your hectic schedule?

Keep up the good work.

Cheers!

Savath M, Milton

A: I appreciate the kind words but once the season starts, those Friday round-table things are impossible to do because of the timing. So it’s phone-in stuff, which I really enjoy doing.

And I heard Butch one time, he’s really good and should do more.

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Q: Although somewhat realistic of its limitations I am positive about the young developing core. Do you think that the priority is still an upgrade at small forward or has a more serviceable muscular big to protect and enforce become a more apparent need?

Robert M, Meductic

A: It’s even more apparent now that a three-point threat at small forward is the key; I don’t mind a four bigs rotation of Valanciunas, Davis, Johnson and Bargnani. But if they could turn Bargnani into an upgrade at small forward, they should.

The Goods On The Game, Lakers at Raptors

Hello, folks

The start of the weekend mail

What’s that one about best laid plans?

Sorry, folks, had hoped to have all the mail done by this morning but got to a Mighty Red Tigers coaches meeting last and night and lo and behold we were joined by Stella and her friend Sambuca and whaddya know.

So, here’s what I had done, will get to the rest of them this morning or after the game and there’ll be some light reading later tonight.

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Q: Hey Doug: You can answer this just from your (very good) memory, or you can get the RMs (Research Monkeys) on it.

In the history of the Raptors, in what game did they get the worst beating? And in what game did they give the worst beating?

Thanks again for all of your hard work!

Tim H, Windsor

A: So many beatings, so many choices.

But if you're looking for the all-timers, here you go:

Raptors 96, Heat 54 on March 19, 2008.

Knicks 125, Raptors 79 on April 15, 1996.

I remember the Heat game, they played a marginal D League team as they prepared for the coming summer; the Knicks game was a road one in the first year and I wasn't at it so I've wiped it from whatever corner of my cluttered mind it might have been in.

Q: Hi Doug. Recently I started following @CanBallReport on Twitter. I knew the Canadian presence in NCAA hoops was growing, but the daily reports of Canadian ballers accomplishments is astounding. I wouldn't have guessed there were that many playing - and contributing.

Can you think of any comparable era in Canadian hoops history? There's even a chance (I know - way too early) that Canadians could go Number 1 in the next two NBA drafts. Andrew Wiggins in 2014 and Anthony Bennett this year. Chad Ford says Bennett is "a stud" and would likely be the consensus #1 if he wasn't a bit short for a Power Forward. Even so, Ford says he'll go in the top five and could still move up to the top spot. The future looks bright!

Joe S, Kingston

A: There is no question this is the greatest crop of teenage Canadians ever and, yes, it is entirely possible that the next two No. 1 picks could be Canadian. A true accomplishment and I think attributable to the overall growth of the game at the grassroots level thanks to the presence of the NBA and the Raptors, the decision of many young families to eschew the exorbitant cost of hockey compared to basketball and the work that all the groups -- Canada Basketball, Ontario Basketball and the club teams -- do to assure our best young players are getting better coaching and a chance to compete regularly against the best, often.

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Q: Hi Doug, wondering if you have any inside knowledge of the NBA trying to speed up the last few minutes of games. It's absolutely brutal sometimes. What separates basketball from most other sports is the constant fluidity and speed. Seeing timeouts and replays and free throws just sucks the life out of the most exciting part of the game.

Last nights Raps-Bulls game was exhibit A. After the last couple minutes of regulation took forever I timed the OT and it was over 25 minutes!

Granted, there isn't much that can be done about fouling but any chance the NBA limits replays and timeouts especially?

Chris D, Toronto

A: Speed up? Sorry. With new situations for which video replay is allowed in the final two minutes of a game and overtime, they're actually going the other way. They have, however, cut down the length of timeouts in the final two minutes. That, however, is small consolation.

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Q: Good on you, Doug, for weight loss and it being noticed by US Customs! It brings to mind a question about travel and weight: How DO NBA players control their weight considering all the travel, different eating establishments, irregular hours. How successful are they with weight control? What lessons for good or ill can they teach the rest of us?

Charles N, Toronto

A: They mostly control weight and body fat percentages by being constantly monitored, they are weighed at least monthly and after each game are given protein drinks of some sort. The meals the teams provide are healthy and well-balanced, of course.

And I guess the biggest lesson people can take away from this is that despite a rather odd lifestyle, it is possible to have a healthy diet and control weight.

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Q: Ok, I’ve bit my tongue long enough. Now, I don't know if the refs are against us, or they just totally miss calls because they don't see the fouls but it's become frustrating. thanks for letting me vent.

My question: does the NBA ever consider having officiating crew grouped as crew, similar to how MLB does it with baseball? My guess, if the same crew works together a whole season, the calls will be more consistent as they will know how to work with each other and understand their missed calls and mistakes.

Frederick L, Mississauga

A: I honestly don't know if they've ever considered that system and I'm not entirely sure it would be workable with the schedule and travel concerns. But I also don't think it's unfamiliarity with each other that causes each missed call.

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Q: Hey Doug, long time fan and reader. How about a brief "Where are they now?" update on these "fossils" : Milt Palacio, Jerome Moiso, Big Country?

Thanks, Keep up the good work.

Richard L, Berlin

A: The last I heard about Milt he was missing layups in Russia; sorry, but I've got nothing on the other two. I usually just catch up with people I hear about or run into, Moiso and Reeves do not fall into that category.