Fun game, big finish but at least one troubling sign

So as I said to a felllow with a vested interest in the fortunes of the HOTH last night:

“You guys do make it interesting.”

Fun night, though; even if there were some heart palpitations at the prospect of OT without a word written about 9:15 p.m. and a 10:30 deadline looming.

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THREE POINTERS

Troubling sign

Look, I'm not going to rip Kyle Lowry for not being able to keep Ty Lawson in front of him, Lawson is among the quickest guards in the league with the ball and no one can; Lawson living at the rim is as much on the bigs and wings as anyone.

No, the troubling sign was seeing how hard a time they -- and he -- had dealing with aggressive traps on high screen-roll. I didn't chart every play, the IGBT makes that impossible, but I would bet half a dozen of the turnovers came off screen-roll traps.

And you know that every team in the NBA will see tape of that today -- bet my man Walker D. Russell would be phoning the Knicks before he left the arena -- and now that's something the Raptors really have to work on.

Of course, not every team has the quickness of Denver and not every coach would gamble like George Karl would but it's going to be interesting to see how many teams now aggressively trap Lowry.

And how he handles it.

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Just like they drew it up

It was the possession that ended with the first basket Andrea scored, a jump shot with about a minute left in the first quarter, and it had to bring a smile to Dwane Casey’s face.

I can’t read my scribbling to figure out precisely how it went down but I do know that every Raptor on the court touched the ball on the possession before Bargnani knocked down an 18-foot jump shot; one of the few times in the game the ball moved so swiftly and efficiently without a turnover or a quicker shot.

It might have been Bargnani’s shining moment of night – you could tell he was stll feeling the effects of the flu bug that laid him low for a couple of days but it was still good to see.

Bargnani was basically ineffective most of the night but I’m going to chalk that up primarly to the bug, he looked terrible and was a step behind.

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Gambling can be good

We know from the game story that Dwane was itching to get Rudy Gay back in the game in the fourth quarter when he had to sit him with the five fouls for about five minutes with the game hanging in the balance.

But a gamble of equal proportions came in the third quarter, when he sat him for all but 69 seconds with four fouls.

It’s always a tough call for a coach in that kind of situation, when do you roll the dice and leave the guy in versus sitting him so he’s at least around later in the night.

Personally, I’m kind of adverse to pulling a guy with two quick fouls early – I’d ride out an entire first quarter or at least enough of the first quarter so that they can use a regular rotation – but after haftime, I’m erring on the side of caution and have no problem with the way Dwane handled things.

Gay’s a special case on this team because they so desperately need him late in close games and since it seems every single game they play is close assuring yourself he’ll be around for the final five minutes is of paramount importance.

Now, if they’d blown a lead in either the thrid or the start of the fourth with Rudy on the bench, I can only imagine the howling.

I know hindsight is perfect but I have no issues at all with how the timing was handled last night.

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More? Yeah, I’ve got a bit before I have to deliver Super Son for one last check of the collarbone and shoulder down at the fracture clinic.

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So I get settled after the tome is written, turn on the tweeter to find out what's going on in world, especially to see how good -- or bad -- the State of the Union address was.

Imagine my surprise to find out that Ricky Rubio had such an intense interest in American politics.

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Yes, I have been known to have an issue or two with the musical selections at Raptors games because (a) I don't consider some of it music and (b) most of it isn't.

But the game's on the line, HOTH are inbounding the ball and they play this?

In The Air Tonight was an inspired choice.

Well done, folks.

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You saw in the IGBT that Stevie Boy was around clicking off some frames (not sure you can use that phrase in the digital age but I’m an old codger so I will) and here’s the end result of his evening.

Some pretty good stuff here.

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As I said last night, DeRozan Mozgov’d Mozgov!

This was as impressive as pretty much anythig I can remember DeMar doing in a game.

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I’m loafing tonight, big time, since Not Grace Kelly is in New York before I head to Houston so we’ll dump the IGBT for an evening in case I want to have a nap duirng the game. But if I don’t, I’d lke to get a head start on the mail, please.

It’s askdoug@thestar.ca and there’s barely any over there so write and say hello, please.

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I’m trying to figure out precisely why the opening of spring training is so far and away more anticipated than the beginning of any other North Amrerican pro sports pretend season.

And it’s not just this year with the TOD – although I’ve got a feeling we’re in for a special year – because it’s the same every spring.

Is it simply the time of year, we see sun and grass and guys playing catch and cannot wait for our own summer?

Is it basically because of the length of time between the end of last season and the start of this one?

What is it?

You have to admit that regardless of how your team’s fortunes might look, there’s something special about this week.

Sure, spring training is way too long, there are too many games, too many guys playing that you’ve never heard of before and likely won’t ever hear of again.

But it doesn’t seem to matter; this is an exciting week and month, isn’t it?

How come?

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Comments

[Greg]

2 thoughts re last night's game... 1) making the "flu" excuse for Bargnani just doesn't cut it - with him, it's ALWAYS something. Amir played a few games back with the flu, and was good for a double/double and about a million minutes of tough defence. 2) re trapping Lowry on the high screen and roll, I don't recall teams being able to do that effectively on Calderon, and frankly, I haven't seen anything improve defensively at the point guard position since the trade. The panic/forced turnovers that the shorter Lowry makes consistently just didn't happen with Calderon at the helm. I still see Lowry as better suited to being a 2nd-string "energy off the bench" type of point guard, and hope the Raps make a hard pitch for free agent Jose in the off-season.

[Colin W]

I had my reservations are the trade and how much Rudy would or could help this team. I am now a believer. Whether his productive play is a carry over from the trade and the fresh start in Toronto or the system he now plays in is debatable. Either way, the guy is very good and a bona fide Mr. Clutch. It really has been good watching the past several games since he has been here.

I watch with great interest how his presence will push Demar to the next level. They seem to play very well together and with their work ethic, they may be a dynamic duo that present some problem for opposing coaches.

[cc]

I still don't feel Gay wanted to be here. I hope I'm wrong.
When he made that winning basket (and all other clutch shots he made in the last 6 games),
I don't see much emotion from him.
Was he always like that when he was w/ Memphis?
I just hope he is not here to increase his value...

[charles n.]

Spring training: Baseball is the only sport where the defense initiates the action - like the players we wait for Nature to signal it is time to start playing again. The ball starts in nature's hands; Nature "gives the ball" to the pitcher.
The batter strives against big odds to hit a pitch or otherwise try to get on base, and then navigate hazards, human and otherwise, all around the bases. If successful, the batter-runner may finally "score", i.e. arrive back where it all started...back home ( home plate is a house icon turned upside down)...home, where we all wish to be/return to. Welcome back all to the cycle of life, to baseball, a place to call home.

[John]

Hey Doug. It seems to me that the only 'loser' in the big trade seems to be Boss Davis. He's getting 6-7 minutes a game, 3-4 points and about 1 rebound per game. Do you think this is because of depth on Memphis or he is just an odd fit in the rotation?

Blogger's note: Really have paid that close attention; I heard he's deeper in a rotation anchored by two all-stars in Gasol and Randolph. Tough to get minutes

[RLYL]

It semms likely that they played "In The Air Tonight" when they did because I heard Rudy say in an interview that he'd like that song to be playing in just such a situation.

[jerry]

Yes Rudy Gay is a step forward for the Raptors but please can all of the Radio and TV personalities tone down the hype just a little. Rod Black was more than a little overboard with his enthusiasm last night. Then this morning on fan 590 they were talking as if this one change is equivalent to all of the changes that the Blue Jays have made.

[GM]

Gay's stats aren't all that different from Bargnani's. Gay is a way better closer, though. I don't mean to knock Gay, but if you look at his stats (I know, I know, stats don't tell the whole story, but they do tell some of it), as a Raptor he takes 20 shots a game and is hitting on 41% of them. He takes as many 3s as Bargnani but shoots a lower percentage (23% to Barg's 30% -- rounding to the nearest percentage). He's playing six more minutes and getting 2 more rebounds. He has more assists, steals and points; turnovers are exactly the same.

[Gary Mugford]

Tom Boswell, the always great Washington Post baseball writer, titled one of his books "Why Time Begins on Opening Day." (I've reread my copy at least a dozen times and anxiously await being able to buy a digital version)

He meant that, of course, about THE Opening Day. But that was also written in an era when fans in Toronto and elsewhere could only connect with the opening of Spring Training via remote radio interviews and the daily dispatches of ink-stained wretches. Opening Day has now been split in two, to better celebrate twice. Actually, these days, I'm actually surprised teams don't have 24/7 camera links set up on the web.

Spring Training was birthed in the hot springs in Arkansas and represented then, as now, a shout that winter is ending and the warmth of spring and then summer is officially on the way. Still far enough away for non-travelers to dream of sitting in the shade watching a bunch of grown men practice to play a game, while looking out the window at two feet of freshly-fallen snow. But SPRING is now on its way.

Opening Day confirms it.

[Lawrence]

I thought DeRozan was against using props during dunks? Mozgov = modern day Shawn Bradley.

[snowman]

Doug:

In the Air Tonight is about a man killing himself

[Mike kovacs]

Hedon't tests positive for steroids!! He should get a refund because they worked so well!

[Mike kovacs]

Actually 'In The Air Tonight' was Phil's way of dealing with his divorce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Air_Tonight