After taking a smidgen of a break from the bloggage, we’re back…
Really, there wasn’t much to write about since the Raptors hit the road for a 4-game swing away from the ACC, and upon their return last night, I was in the update chair.
So this update will be brief, as well… mostly just as a reference point, as to what happened.
Last night, my father and brother attended the game against the Hawks. My dad called me at the half and asked if I wanted any live updates from the game – I declined. I, in turn, asked him if the team had officially recognized Morris Peterson for becoming the longest serving Raptor in franchise history (he surpassed Alvin Williams, playing his 418th game). Apparently they didn’t. Pretty sad, really, since this is a guy who has gone on the record and says he wants to be a Raptor for life. Considering he’s been around for some ugly times, he should certainly be honoured. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
In either case, the Raptors snapped their 6-game home-slide, and got their second win over Atlanta this season.
Raptors 108, Hawks 102
Mike James scored a team high 28 points (off 11-for-17 shooting), picking up 6 boards and 9 assists, as well. Mo Pete had a season high 26 points (missing only 6 of his 16 shots). Chris Bosh scored a December-low 15 points, but it was refreshing to see the team didn’t need a stellar performance from him to compete.
Despite allowing the Hawks to shoot 56%, the Raptors forced nine 4th quarter turnovers, improving their home record to 2-12, and 7-22 overall.
==
Back-tracking to Motown, The Raptors looked much better on the final score sheet, than they did at the Palace.
After being outscored 31-16 in the 2nd quarter, the best team in the NBA was playing like it. Toronto managed to punish the Pistons in the paint (58-34, yes, you’re reading it right), but Detroit controlled the perimeter, converting 11 of their 21 3-point attempts. Other than the 2nd quarter, it’s hard to pin-point where the game went wrong, seeing as how the Raptors were comparable in every stat category, and tied their own NBA record, committing only 3 turnovers. They only made it close in garbage time.
Pistons 113, Raptors 106
Chris Bosh scored a career-high 37 points, and grabbed 11 boards for his 14th double-double. Chauncey Billups was a beast, scoring 21 points, grabbing 7 boards, and dishing out 13 assists.
==
Against the Spurs, the Raptors played their hearts out. The 53% they allowed San Antonio to shoot was by no means indicative of the defense the Raps’ played. The rotations were on point, and shots were contested – the Spurs just made them. However, the black and silver also allowed the Raptors to shoot 48% - which is by all means not good against the NBA’s worst-team.
Spurs 95, Raptors 90
The Spurs were so embarrassed that they wouldn’t even talk to the Toronto media after the game. Tim Duncan shot 12-for-16, scoring 27 points, grabbing 10 boards, and coming just two assists shy of a triple-double (he had 8 helpers). Jalen Rose scored a Raptor-high 19 points, missing only one of his 9 shots, in just 25 minutes. The Raps’ loss was their first in 4 games away from the ACC.
==
The Rockets have been struggling this year to say the least. To say they’ve been bitten by the injury bug would be an understatement, seeing as it’s almost eating them whole. With Yao Ming the most recent of 6 prominent Rockets sidelined with injury, the lone remaining target was clear.
The Raps held Tracy McGrady to only 7 points off 2-of-11 shooting.
Raptors 94, Rockets 81
Mo Pete, largely responsible for holding T-Mac in check, had 18 points. Mike James had a team-high 19 against his former running mates, while Chris Bosh chipped in 17 points (shooting 7-of-12), in the Raptors’ 5th win in their last 6 games away from home.
==
The first stop of the Raptors’ 4-game trip took them to Orlando. I remember watching the goodness with my dad at home (don’t you love the holidays?). My brother (visiting from Victoria) was passing out on the coach, while Father and I were screaming ours heads off (from the diaphragm, dad).
Morris Peterson beat the shot-clock buzzer with a deep 2, with 8 seconds left in the 4th, and the Raptors hung on for their 3rd straight road win.
Raptors 92, Magic 90
Mo Pete and Chris Bosh shared the team-high with 19 points. Steve Francis led 6 Magic-men in double-figures with 20.
**
The Raptors cap off 2005 with tomorrow’s game in Indiana. If they can pull out a win, they’ll be an even 7-7 in December.
Hopefully after the “holidays,” I’ll return to my more comfortable seat at the ACC, and these updates can get some more quotage.
Yeah, I said it: quotage.
When I’m away from the ACC for this long, my brain goes crazy. Or maybe that’s because of the egg-nog.
In either case Happy New Years… and watch those corks when they go flying.
We’ll speak in 2006.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Radio...
If there’s one thing I do know, it’s that I don’t envy newspaper writers. After every Raptors home game, I’m responsible for producing one post-game report. If I’ve got another angle, or some good tape to back it up, I’ll maybe make up two. But newspaper writers need to jot down about 600 words every game about something seemingly fresh and exciting. The problem is, there’s absolutely nothing new about what’s going on with these Raptors. If they’re actually in the game at the half, by the time the 3rd period is over – chances are they’re not.
Such was the case Sunday. Another opportunity for me to sit courtside (one of my colleagues was on vacation) was another ugly defeat at the hands of the Sixers.
76ers 107, Raptors 80
The good news was that I got to watch Andre Igoudala make countless stellar dunks just feet from my bated breath. The bad news, you ask? Every single time he made a steal (he had 3), and streaked through, uncontested, for an incredible jam I thought of the fact that he could have been a Raptor. Iggy missed only one of his 10 shots in the game, and matched his career-high of 26 points (which he set against the Raptors in their last meeting).
Going into the Raptors’ post-game scrumfest was not something I enjoyed at that moment. I’ve been there for some ugly losses, but for the first time I was worried (as a fan… shhh, don’t tell) that Chris Bosh had had enough.
When a reporter asked Bosh if he felt the Raptors are improving, Chris said: “It doesn’t matter. I mean, I keep getting asked the same question: ‘are we getting better, are we getting better?’ You know, I guess… I have my certain opinions; I keep answering the same question. I guess people just have to assess that for themselves.”
I asked if he was getting tired of singing the same song every game (being close at the half before getting blown out): “Same thing. Same thing every day.”
Listening back to the tape while I write this, I don’t feel the same emotion that I saw draped over his face: Not making eye-contact with anyone, just staring right through the bright lights of the TV cameras.
We spoke to Bosh first, because as word would have it Sam Mitchell was having a post-game meeting with minority-owner Larry Tanenbaum. Mitchell, and everyone else for that matter – other than Babcock – was asked if changes need to be made. Everyone answered with the same “I’m not the right person to ask.” And yet people keep asking; funny how that works.
Jalen Rose was surrounded, but didn’t really offer much worth quoting. But when you’re playing lousy in the 12 minutes of opportunity who can blame him? Morris Peterson was a different story. He takes the losing personally.
“As a competitor, if this doesn’t hurt, then I don’t know what does. When you got guys on the other team laughing and joking while we down 30 points… you know, if that doesn’t piss you off… then I don’t know what does. I mean, after a while, if you don’t have a sense of pride, then what are you playing for as a professional? I’m pissed right now. I’m pissed at the way we’re playing. I’m pissed at the way I’m playing. Hopefully we can get the last laugh.”
When most of the reporters took off, I asked if he minded answering a few more of my questions. I wanted to know, first of all, what exactly happens at the half. I wanted to know in specifics, in terms of: do they all sit down in a circle and talk about the game? Do they just stretch and relax? Unfortunately he took my question figuratively and said:
“It’s more mental. We can’t go into a game at halftime, and feel like we’ve accomplished anything. We have to realize there’s 24 minutes out there, and just be ready mentally. That’s the biggest thing, you know, we talk about it, we come in at halftime and say ‘let’s go, let’s keep playing…’ but when we get out there, it’s a whole different ballgame. So I don’t know. I can’t really explain it.”
Neither can I. It’s tough to put a finger on one thing that plagues this squad. I can say that it’s definitely youth; it’s definitely ability; and it’s definitely defense. I guess it’s just one blurry mess… err… mix.
Without Jose Calderon, there was no one that could handle the ball with any consistency. Nobody that could penetrate and kick, and nobody – not even Bosh – could save the Raptors.
==
I didn’t catch a minute of Friday’s game, as I was at a friend’s Christmas party… so you have the same insight that I do:
Warriors 108, Raptors 98
==
I was doing double-duty against the Bulls on Wednesday. My colleague was on vacation, but there was nobody booked to help out. So I covered both locker rooms after the 1st of their 3 straight home-losses.
Bulls 105, Raptors 94
In all honesty, I really don’t want to write about this game, either, because it’s the same old story. A blown 3rd quarter spelt the demise of the Raptors.
That’s why I’m glad this is just a blog, and I’m only obligated to write as much as I feel.
==
Tonight, the Raptors kick off the first of a 4-game road trip in Orlando. We’ll talk later.
Such was the case Sunday. Another opportunity for me to sit courtside (one of my colleagues was on vacation) was another ugly defeat at the hands of the Sixers.
76ers 107, Raptors 80
The good news was that I got to watch Andre Igoudala make countless stellar dunks just feet from my bated breath. The bad news, you ask? Every single time he made a steal (he had 3), and streaked through, uncontested, for an incredible jam I thought of the fact that he could have been a Raptor. Iggy missed only one of his 10 shots in the game, and matched his career-high of 26 points (which he set against the Raptors in their last meeting).
Going into the Raptors’ post-game scrumfest was not something I enjoyed at that moment. I’ve been there for some ugly losses, but for the first time I was worried (as a fan… shhh, don’t tell) that Chris Bosh had had enough.
When a reporter asked Bosh if he felt the Raptors are improving, Chris said: “It doesn’t matter. I mean, I keep getting asked the same question: ‘are we getting better, are we getting better?’ You know, I guess… I have my certain opinions; I keep answering the same question. I guess people just have to assess that for themselves.”
I asked if he was getting tired of singing the same song every game (being close at the half before getting blown out): “Same thing. Same thing every day.”
Listening back to the tape while I write this, I don’t feel the same emotion that I saw draped over his face: Not making eye-contact with anyone, just staring right through the bright lights of the TV cameras.
We spoke to Bosh first, because as word would have it Sam Mitchell was having a post-game meeting with minority-owner Larry Tanenbaum. Mitchell, and everyone else for that matter – other than Babcock – was asked if changes need to be made. Everyone answered with the same “I’m not the right person to ask.” And yet people keep asking; funny how that works.
Jalen Rose was surrounded, but didn’t really offer much worth quoting. But when you’re playing lousy in the 12 minutes of opportunity who can blame him? Morris Peterson was a different story. He takes the losing personally.
“As a competitor, if this doesn’t hurt, then I don’t know what does. When you got guys on the other team laughing and joking while we down 30 points… you know, if that doesn’t piss you off… then I don’t know what does. I mean, after a while, if you don’t have a sense of pride, then what are you playing for as a professional? I’m pissed right now. I’m pissed at the way we’re playing. I’m pissed at the way I’m playing. Hopefully we can get the last laugh.”
When most of the reporters took off, I asked if he minded answering a few more of my questions. I wanted to know, first of all, what exactly happens at the half. I wanted to know in specifics, in terms of: do they all sit down in a circle and talk about the game? Do they just stretch and relax? Unfortunately he took my question figuratively and said:
“It’s more mental. We can’t go into a game at halftime, and feel like we’ve accomplished anything. We have to realize there’s 24 minutes out there, and just be ready mentally. That’s the biggest thing, you know, we talk about it, we come in at halftime and say ‘let’s go, let’s keep playing…’ but when we get out there, it’s a whole different ballgame. So I don’t know. I can’t really explain it.”
Neither can I. It’s tough to put a finger on one thing that plagues this squad. I can say that it’s definitely youth; it’s definitely ability; and it’s definitely defense. I guess it’s just one blurry mess… err… mix.
Without Jose Calderon, there was no one that could handle the ball with any consistency. Nobody that could penetrate and kick, and nobody – not even Bosh – could save the Raptors.
==
I didn’t catch a minute of Friday’s game, as I was at a friend’s Christmas party… so you have the same insight that I do:
Warriors 108, Raptors 98
==
I was doing double-duty against the Bulls on Wednesday. My colleague was on vacation, but there was nobody booked to help out. So I covered both locker rooms after the 1st of their 3 straight home-losses.
Bulls 105, Raptors 94
In all honesty, I really don’t want to write about this game, either, because it’s the same old story. A blown 3rd quarter spelt the demise of the Raptors.
That’s why I’m glad this is just a blog, and I’m only obligated to write as much as I feel.
==
Tonight, the Raptors kick off the first of a 4-game road trip in Orlando. We’ll talk later.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Practice is good... Practice
Raptors shoot-around is a pretty low-key atmosphere. Guys tend to be smiling, and joking around – at least by the time they let reporters in. I’ve been witness Mike James going off from the 3-point line. On Sunday, he hit like 14 of 20… but on Friday, he hit 18 of 20. Looking at the consistency of his jumper is like watching a blissful breeze blowing through blades of bright green grass – or as the current season would have it: a light dusting of snow swooping across the top of a quiet roadway. If it were spring or fall, I’d just call it poetry in motion.
But with only a select few reporters in attendance at practice, everything’s pretty easy-going. It also helps when the team’s coming off a tough-fought win the night before (in Charlotte).
Chris Bosh was the first to talk to reporters. He reflected on how he’s getting better by the day. The coaching staff’s continuously preaching to him to drive to the free-throw line, and take advantages of mismatches (he said Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace is probably his toughest match up). Bosh also said that his added strength and weight (“a whopping 5 pounds”) has made it easier to deal with the daily-grind of going against bigger players.
I then spoke to Charlie Villanueva - who’s easily becoming my favorite interview. I asked him about what it was like to play Emeka Okafor (his UConn teammate) the night before, and have the opportunity to go against his closer buddy from the Huskies, Ben Gordon, in just a couple days.
“I got Ben… and I also got my high school roommate, too – Luol Deng. He was my roommate in my sophomore year at high school (Blair Academy HS in Blairstown, NJ). I got two of my closest friends that I’m going to playing against.”
I asked him how that feels, to which he responded: “It’s going to be exciting, you know… talk trash to Ben and Lou. We’re going to go back and forth, so it’s exciting. Right now, I’m 1-0 on Luol, because we beat him to go to the championship game in the Final Four.”
And then, thinking of a question posed to me in a comment here (what up Ferg!?), I wanted to get into some “Fantasy Hoops” talk. I asked Charlie how important it was, seeing as how he had 9 rebounds against the Bobcats, to get that 10th.
“It’s really important for me, because I’m trying to be a double-double guy.” I asked if that was a personal goal, or if it were a Fantasy thing… “maybe you drafted yourself, or something,” I said.
He laughed it off and said: “I want to be recognized as a double-double guy. If you get recognized like that, you could make a whole lot of money, and stick around long in this league.”
I was curious if money was a motivator for him. He said he was more looking at it from a durability standpoint, wanting to stay in the league for 14 or 15 years. Just in case Fergus wanted specifics, I asked if Charlie actually played Fantasy Hoops.
“Nah. I don’t even know how to mess with that.” I thanked him, and told him his value was going up in Smallworld.
I talked to Mike James for a couple quick minutes, while waiting for Sam Mitchell to emerge from a conversation with Wayne Embry and newly acquired assistant coach, Gene Keady (pronounced KAY-dee).
When Mitchell came up, everything was really smooth. He wasn’t at all on edge, until a camera lit up (the reporter had alluded to the fact that he thought Mitchell had it out for him – sound familiar?) “Hey guys, I’d like to be able to see here when I leave, guys.”
The camera turned away about two minutes later, and it was then pretty much just a light conversation. One of the reporters playfully asked how Mitchell felt about Bosh’s recent play. The response? Drenched in sarcasm.
“I hate everything he’s doing…He sucks right now, and I’m just truly and highly disappointed in Chris right now… If you’re going to ask me a question like that, after the guy’s been going to the free-throw line 14 times a game, in the last 3 or 4 games, and scoring 20-plus points a night, and getting more than 10 rebounds… if you ask me if I’m pleased with that… then I’m going to give you that answer.”
I worded a follow-up question to that wisely… I said: “Sam, how about his passing game… you’ve got to be pretty pleased with that… well, I don’t want to say have to, but I’d imagine you would be.”
“That’s one of the things we’ve been talking to Chris about. If you’re going to command a double-team, you need to make smart decisions with the basketball. He’s getting better at it… He’s been doing a good job passing the ball.”
The discussion continued for another 10 minutes, but it got pretty candid, so we turned off the recorders. Mitchell talked about how he felt Chris would stay after his contract expired, noting obvious reasons about growth here, but also the obvious fact that Toronto can pay him more. The conversation spilled into politics a few minutes later, and continued for about 30 minutes. No need to get into that mess, though.
The reason everyone was so cheery… the night before, the Raptors pulled off their 3rd win in their last 5 games.
Raptors 111, Bobcats 103
Bosh scored 19 of his 30 points in the 2nd half, while adding 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Charlie V had 19 and 9. Emeka Okafor left the game with a sprained toe in the 3rd.
==
On Friday, there was another practice I covered, but in all honesty nothing exciting happened. A reporter kept pressing Mitchell about Charlotte’s building “plan.” Sam was with the Bobcats for about two weeks before accepting the head coaching job in Toronto. He didn’t know the plan, but the reporter kept pressing, making for a pretty sour scrum.
The extent of the excitement was, as mentioned earlier, Mike James nailing 18 of 20 three-pointers.
I sometimes wish I had a shot like that… but then I realize I might not have the same joy of covering the Raptors that I wake up to now. I might have had to play for them. I’d imagine it’s much easier to just do the talking.
On a sidenote... Joey's "better" brother, Stephen Graham got signed by the Rockets the other day. The Raptors are in Houston on the 21st.
==
But first, the Raps host the Bulls on Wednesday – I’ll be there… but the following two home games, against Golden State and Philly, I’ll be doing updates. We’ll speak sometime in the middle, I’d imagine.
Keep those comments coming.
But with only a select few reporters in attendance at practice, everything’s pretty easy-going. It also helps when the team’s coming off a tough-fought win the night before (in Charlotte).
Chris Bosh was the first to talk to reporters. He reflected on how he’s getting better by the day. The coaching staff’s continuously preaching to him to drive to the free-throw line, and take advantages of mismatches (he said Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace is probably his toughest match up). Bosh also said that his added strength and weight (“a whopping 5 pounds”) has made it easier to deal with the daily-grind of going against bigger players.
I then spoke to Charlie Villanueva - who’s easily becoming my favorite interview. I asked him about what it was like to play Emeka Okafor (his UConn teammate) the night before, and have the opportunity to go against his closer buddy from the Huskies, Ben Gordon, in just a couple days.
“I got Ben… and I also got my high school roommate, too – Luol Deng. He was my roommate in my sophomore year at high school (Blair Academy HS in Blairstown, NJ). I got two of my closest friends that I’m going to playing against.”
I asked him how that feels, to which he responded: “It’s going to be exciting, you know… talk trash to Ben and Lou. We’re going to go back and forth, so it’s exciting. Right now, I’m 1-0 on Luol, because we beat him to go to the championship game in the Final Four.”
And then, thinking of a question posed to me in a comment here (what up Ferg!?), I wanted to get into some “Fantasy Hoops” talk. I asked Charlie how important it was, seeing as how he had 9 rebounds against the Bobcats, to get that 10th.
“It’s really important for me, because I’m trying to be a double-double guy.” I asked if that was a personal goal, or if it were a Fantasy thing… “maybe you drafted yourself, or something,” I said.
He laughed it off and said: “I want to be recognized as a double-double guy. If you get recognized like that, you could make a whole lot of money, and stick around long in this league.”
I was curious if money was a motivator for him. He said he was more looking at it from a durability standpoint, wanting to stay in the league for 14 or 15 years. Just in case Fergus wanted specifics, I asked if Charlie actually played Fantasy Hoops.
“Nah. I don’t even know how to mess with that.” I thanked him, and told him his value was going up in Smallworld.
I talked to Mike James for a couple quick minutes, while waiting for Sam Mitchell to emerge from a conversation with Wayne Embry and newly acquired assistant coach, Gene Keady (pronounced KAY-dee).
When Mitchell came up, everything was really smooth. He wasn’t at all on edge, until a camera lit up (the reporter had alluded to the fact that he thought Mitchell had it out for him – sound familiar?) “Hey guys, I’d like to be able to see here when I leave, guys.”
The camera turned away about two minutes later, and it was then pretty much just a light conversation. One of the reporters playfully asked how Mitchell felt about Bosh’s recent play. The response? Drenched in sarcasm.
“I hate everything he’s doing…He sucks right now, and I’m just truly and highly disappointed in Chris right now… If you’re going to ask me a question like that, after the guy’s been going to the free-throw line 14 times a game, in the last 3 or 4 games, and scoring 20-plus points a night, and getting more than 10 rebounds… if you ask me if I’m pleased with that… then I’m going to give you that answer.”
I worded a follow-up question to that wisely… I said: “Sam, how about his passing game… you’ve got to be pretty pleased with that… well, I don’t want to say have to, but I’d imagine you would be.”
“That’s one of the things we’ve been talking to Chris about. If you’re going to command a double-team, you need to make smart decisions with the basketball. He’s getting better at it… He’s been doing a good job passing the ball.”
The discussion continued for another 10 minutes, but it got pretty candid, so we turned off the recorders. Mitchell talked about how he felt Chris would stay after his contract expired, noting obvious reasons about growth here, but also the obvious fact that Toronto can pay him more. The conversation spilled into politics a few minutes later, and continued for about 30 minutes. No need to get into that mess, though.
The reason everyone was so cheery… the night before, the Raptors pulled off their 3rd win in their last 5 games.
Raptors 111, Bobcats 103
Bosh scored 19 of his 30 points in the 2nd half, while adding 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Charlie V had 19 and 9. Emeka Okafor left the game with a sprained toe in the 3rd.
==
On Friday, there was another practice I covered, but in all honesty nothing exciting happened. A reporter kept pressing Mitchell about Charlotte’s building “plan.” Sam was with the Bobcats for about two weeks before accepting the head coaching job in Toronto. He didn’t know the plan, but the reporter kept pressing, making for a pretty sour scrum.
The extent of the excitement was, as mentioned earlier, Mike James nailing 18 of 20 three-pointers.
I sometimes wish I had a shot like that… but then I realize I might not have the same joy of covering the Raptors that I wake up to now. I might have had to play for them. I’d imagine it’s much easier to just do the talking.
On a sidenote... Joey's "better" brother, Stephen Graham got signed by the Rockets the other day. The Raptors are in Houston on the 21st.
==
But first, the Raps host the Bulls on Wednesday – I’ll be there… but the following two home games, against Golden State and Philly, I’ll be doing updates. We’ll speak sometime in the middle, I’d imagine.
Keep those comments coming.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Anyone find a missing ID?
As I sit here, the morning after, I’m listening to O.C.’s new album – a song called “This is me” comes on. The Raptors obviously don’t know the words, because they certainly don’t seem to have any identity yet. The same team that came an overtime frame away from sweeping their 3-game road-trip was nowhere to be found in the 2nd half of a home-game against the Lakers.
The 1st half was competitive, but defenseless (The Raptors shot 40%, compared to LA’s 56%). If Kobe hadn’t hit a 23-foot buzzer beat, the deficit would have been only four points at the break - And this was after the Lakers started the 2nd on a 10-0 run. The start of the 3rd was almost a mirror-image - beginning with a 10-2 run for LA - en route to outscoring Toronto 31-18.
After that, the Raptors managed to barely outscore the Lakers’ benchers, 29-21 in the 4th quarter (only recent-starter Sasha Vujacic was on the floor for the final frame, while the other foursome was comprised of a rotation of rookies and role players).
Lakers 102, Raptors 91
Chris Bosh played a pretty well, despite missing a few easy buckets at crucial times, finishing with 22 points (6-14 shooting), 10 rebounds and a career-high 6 assists… On the flipside, Kobe Bryant “took what the defense gave him” and jacked up a season-low 12 shots (hitting 5 of them), but dished out a season-high 9 helpers. Lamar Odom spread it out, per usual, scoring 19 points, adding 5 boards and 4 assists.
I got to speak to one of the legends of the game afterwards in Coach Phil Jackson. The man has 9 championships – guided MJ and the Bulls to 6, and then Kobe + Shaq to the LA 3-peat. The “Zen-Master” is truly a man who commands respect… and a huge media scrum. It was tough to get in, but as usual, I slid in right by his shoulder. Everyone was jumping on each other to get their questions in, and I guess he saw I wasn’t trying to be overtly rude like the others, because he kept looking over to me, as to let me get my thoughts in…
“Coach, you guys came out with two crucial runs… to start the 2nd, 10-0… and then a 10-2 run to start the third. How important is it to dictate the tempo early in the frame?”
“That’s the key about basketball,” he said. “You shorten your opponents’ runs, and lengthen your own. Anytime you can run more than 6 points in this game, you have to feel fortunate.”
Just like the other coaches whom I respect so much (and have spoken to) – Jerry Sloan and Mike Fratello – Jackson looked me dead in the eye. You really learn to appreciate the importance of that when there are so many people trying to toss in a penny for his thoughts.
After he wrapped up his scrum, it was off to the Lakers’ locker-room. Lamar Odom was up first. This guy was the polar opposite: Answered questions in 5 second spurts, looked at you while asking the question, and then drifted off during his response.
Kobe, on the other hand, was entirely different from what I would have expected. Most “stars” just want to speak their peace and get back on the plane (or at least, in my assessment), but after arriving late to the scrum, I stuck my mic in his face and asked:
“Kobe, you know, you tossed up only 12 shots… but played distributor, dishing out a season-best 9 assists. Was that something you consciously decided to do, or did it just pan out that way?” (He’s recently been under fire for attempting over 30 shots a game)
…dead in the eye, Kobe responds: “Nah, I just go in and play the game…You know, we’re prepared, and defensively they tried to pack the lane in on me… Just tried to find the open guys and continue to hit open shots. Next time we play them, we’ll see if their defensive strategy’s the same. If it’s the same, I’ll continue to do the same thing – kick it out to the open guys.”
It’s truly an honor and privilege to speak to these guys – I love it.
(a photo taken by a friend who works at a Serbian Newspaper.)
==
Backtracking to that road trip now… in brief:
In Washington, the Raptors couldn’t stop giving up open looks to Gilbert Arenas and Jarvis Hayes (37 and 21 points respectively), and the Wizards came out victorious in overtime…
Wizards 119, Raptors 111 (OT)
The Raptors, as seen late versus the Lakers as well, didn’t box out at the free-throw line and gave up easy 2nd chance buckets. Antawn Jamison had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists. Chris Bosh had 27 and 9 boards. Morris Peterson, who had a great game (if he wasn’t in foul-trouble in the 3rd, I honestly believe the Raptors could have won), sent it to overtime on a gorgeous follow-up to an ugly 3-point attempt. He unleashed from the top of the arch, the ball grazed the rim and rebounded him and into his soaring arms… In one continuous motion, he ran back to his office in the corner and jacked up another three-pointer – SWISH – with 5.1 seconds left. Then it was off to overtime, where it’s very tough to win – especially on the road. Jose Calderon had his best game in the NBA – 8 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists.
==
Another game against Vince Carter; Another game against the Nets; Another road win.
In what was a quality wire-to-wire performance from the Raptors, they soundly beat New Jersey for their most-convincing win of the season.
Raptors 95, Nets 82
Rafael Araujo tripped up Vince in the lane, and as usual #15 crumpled as if he’d been shot JFK-style. Back, and to the left.
He lay in the fetal-position for a good 3 minutes, wincing in pain, before getting helped off the court. He returned a few minutes later, and was miraculously better when he saw an open lane (but when he missed… oh there’s the limp). Chris Bosh had 29 points and 13 rebounds. Mo Pete, a season-high 24 and 9.
==
The road-trip began in Atlanta. A home-coming for Sam Mitchell and Joey Graham, and Bosh’s “3rd home” – he went to Georgia Tech. Even with all the tickets they bought, there was still only about 5,000 fans in the stands. Pretty sad. But when it’s the two-worst teams in the NBA, I guess you can understand.
Raptors 102, Hawks 101
Jose Calderon fed a pretty double-teamed pass to Charlie Villanueva to break a 98-98 tie with 2 seconds left. Joe Johnson had a chance to tie it, but grazed the line, stepping out of bounds. Mo Pete hit 2 free-throws and Salim Stoudamire (Damon’s cousin) nailed a buzzer-beating 3 to help my fantasy team (and boy do I need the help this year).
Chris Bosh had 23 points and 9 rebounds. Charlie V finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
==
I’m covering a practice on Sunday after the Raps’ game vs. the Bobcats. We’ll talk then.
Thanks for listening, and please, feel free to leave me comments about what you like, dislike, and want more of.
The 1st half was competitive, but defenseless (The Raptors shot 40%, compared to LA’s 56%). If Kobe hadn’t hit a 23-foot buzzer beat, the deficit would have been only four points at the break - And this was after the Lakers started the 2nd on a 10-0 run. The start of the 3rd was almost a mirror-image - beginning with a 10-2 run for LA - en route to outscoring Toronto 31-18.
After that, the Raptors managed to barely outscore the Lakers’ benchers, 29-21 in the 4th quarter (only recent-starter Sasha Vujacic was on the floor for the final frame, while the other foursome was comprised of a rotation of rookies and role players).
Lakers 102, Raptors 91
Chris Bosh played a pretty well, despite missing a few easy buckets at crucial times, finishing with 22 points (6-14 shooting), 10 rebounds and a career-high 6 assists… On the flipside, Kobe Bryant “took what the defense gave him” and jacked up a season-low 12 shots (hitting 5 of them), but dished out a season-high 9 helpers. Lamar Odom spread it out, per usual, scoring 19 points, adding 5 boards and 4 assists.
I got to speak to one of the legends of the game afterwards in Coach Phil Jackson. The man has 9 championships – guided MJ and the Bulls to 6, and then Kobe + Shaq to the LA 3-peat. The “Zen-Master” is truly a man who commands respect… and a huge media scrum. It was tough to get in, but as usual, I slid in right by his shoulder. Everyone was jumping on each other to get their questions in, and I guess he saw I wasn’t trying to be overtly rude like the others, because he kept looking over to me, as to let me get my thoughts in…
“Coach, you guys came out with two crucial runs… to start the 2nd, 10-0… and then a 10-2 run to start the third. How important is it to dictate the tempo early in the frame?”
“That’s the key about basketball,” he said. “You shorten your opponents’ runs, and lengthen your own. Anytime you can run more than 6 points in this game, you have to feel fortunate.”
Just like the other coaches whom I respect so much (and have spoken to) – Jerry Sloan and Mike Fratello – Jackson looked me dead in the eye. You really learn to appreciate the importance of that when there are so many people trying to toss in a penny for his thoughts.
After he wrapped up his scrum, it was off to the Lakers’ locker-room. Lamar Odom was up first. This guy was the polar opposite: Answered questions in 5 second spurts, looked at you while asking the question, and then drifted off during his response.
Kobe, on the other hand, was entirely different from what I would have expected. Most “stars” just want to speak their peace and get back on the plane (or at least, in my assessment), but after arriving late to the scrum, I stuck my mic in his face and asked:
“Kobe, you know, you tossed up only 12 shots… but played distributor, dishing out a season-best 9 assists. Was that something you consciously decided to do, or did it just pan out that way?” (He’s recently been under fire for attempting over 30 shots a game)
…dead in the eye, Kobe responds: “Nah, I just go in and play the game…You know, we’re prepared, and defensively they tried to pack the lane in on me… Just tried to find the open guys and continue to hit open shots. Next time we play them, we’ll see if their defensive strategy’s the same. If it’s the same, I’ll continue to do the same thing – kick it out to the open guys.”
It’s truly an honor and privilege to speak to these guys – I love it.
(a photo taken by a friend who works at a Serbian Newspaper.)
==
Backtracking to that road trip now… in brief:
In Washington, the Raptors couldn’t stop giving up open looks to Gilbert Arenas and Jarvis Hayes (37 and 21 points respectively), and the Wizards came out victorious in overtime…
Wizards 119, Raptors 111 (OT)
The Raptors, as seen late versus the Lakers as well, didn’t box out at the free-throw line and gave up easy 2nd chance buckets. Antawn Jamison had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists. Chris Bosh had 27 and 9 boards. Morris Peterson, who had a great game (if he wasn’t in foul-trouble in the 3rd, I honestly believe the Raptors could have won), sent it to overtime on a gorgeous follow-up to an ugly 3-point attempt. He unleashed from the top of the arch, the ball grazed the rim and rebounded him and into his soaring arms… In one continuous motion, he ran back to his office in the corner and jacked up another three-pointer – SWISH – with 5.1 seconds left. Then it was off to overtime, where it’s very tough to win – especially on the road. Jose Calderon had his best game in the NBA – 8 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists.
==
Another game against Vince Carter; Another game against the Nets; Another road win.
In what was a quality wire-to-wire performance from the Raptors, they soundly beat New Jersey for their most-convincing win of the season.
Raptors 95, Nets 82
Rafael Araujo tripped up Vince in the lane, and as usual #15 crumpled as if he’d been shot JFK-style. Back, and to the left.
He lay in the fetal-position for a good 3 minutes, wincing in pain, before getting helped off the court. He returned a few minutes later, and was miraculously better when he saw an open lane (but when he missed… oh there’s the limp). Chris Bosh had 29 points and 13 rebounds. Mo Pete, a season-high 24 and 9.
==
The road-trip began in Atlanta. A home-coming for Sam Mitchell and Joey Graham, and Bosh’s “3rd home” – he went to Georgia Tech. Even with all the tickets they bought, there was still only about 5,000 fans in the stands. Pretty sad. But when it’s the two-worst teams in the NBA, I guess you can understand.
Raptors 102, Hawks 101
Jose Calderon fed a pretty double-teamed pass to Charlie Villanueva to break a 98-98 tie with 2 seconds left. Joe Johnson had a chance to tie it, but grazed the line, stepping out of bounds. Mo Pete hit 2 free-throws and Salim Stoudamire (Damon’s cousin) nailed a buzzer-beating 3 to help my fantasy team (and boy do I need the help this year).
Chris Bosh had 23 points and 9 rebounds. Charlie V finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
==
I’m covering a practice on Sunday after the Raps’ game vs. the Bobcats. We’ll talk then.
Thanks for listening, and please, feel free to leave me comments about what you like, dislike, and want more of.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
The Grizzlies Had the Runs...
On Wednesday night I got the privilege of watching the worst Raptors’ performances of my young reporting career. As a fan, I’d seen many ugly games, but this one I had to hold back my emotions. Nobody came to play.
Even the Grizzlies had one of their weaker efforts, but still managed to pound the Raptors.
Grizzlies 92, Raptors 66
The Raptors capped off their worst November in franchise history with that stinker. It was the fewest points they’ve scored in a game since April 2nd, 2004; and it was also their biggest margin of defeat this season (26 points, 1 more than the brutal game against the Warriors on Saturday).
Spoke to “The Czar” after the game. Grizzlies’ Coach Mike Fratello, who’s actually much shorter than he looks on TV, was a great interview. Of course, I always find it easier when I get the first question in. I asked him if the 3rd quarter was one he’d like to forget (the teams combined for 29 points; Toronto shot 30%, which was actually better than Memphis’ 27.8% - that’s Rosanne Arnold-Ugly).
His response to the question was more of a general speech than an actual response… but here it is. More pity:
“[Toronto] has played hard in a lot of games, and lost a lot of heartbreakers. Sometimes this happens to you, it happens to all teams… when you lose a real tough one, like they did to a terrific team, Dallas, the other night… sometimes it takes a lot of air out of you… It happens to you every once in a while. They taste it, they’re so close to a win, and then the last second it gets snatched from you… sometimes it’s hard to bounce back. You have to understand that overall, they’ve played very hard, and very tough, and they’re catching some tough breaks here… I think they’re going to get it together, and put together a little roll. I really do.”
There it is. It’s getting to be the same swan song from opposing coaches, and I’d start to get offended if I was a Raptor. They simply deserved no praise on Wednesday. They went on scoring droughts, one lasting 5 minutes, from when they were still in the game in the 1st. Memphis broke it open with an Eddie Jones “and-1,” which was followed by a 3-ball from Jones… and another 2 from Shane Battier and Bobby Jackson. That closed the first quarter with a 12-0 Grizzlies run. By the time the Raptors scored their first bucket in the 2nd (10:24), that had turned into a 16-0 run. Three minutes later, Memphis went on another 10-0 run, which turned into a 17-6 streak to close the half. There was a third 10-0 run before the game was done.
Spoke to Damon Stoudamire afterwards, along with Eddie Jones (who is a real-life quiet-talker) and Pau Gasol who let it rip on the Raptors.
He was drafted by Atlanta, and then traded to the Grizzlies on draft-night. A team that went 1-11 to start ‘01-‘02 (they were 4-12 through the first 16 games, as opposed to the Raps’ 1-15). He knows all about a teams’ suffering… and finally, someone who held back the pity:
“I don’t see the veterans… The veterans have to step up, and have to take leadership. They have to lead and guide the young players. They have so many talented young players, but it’s got to come from the veterans first… The thing about them, you know, is that they settle too much… and they kind of gave up too early. When we made our run, and got a big lead, they kind of dropped their intensity and everything. They have to keep playing hard, and work for wins.”
That was refreshing. A player actually just speaking about what he felt, as opposed to the media-friendly jargon I’m getting all too used to.
==
Before the game, during Sam Mitchell’s pre-game talk, it was surprisingly loose. I asked him if he’d spoken to Jose about the importance of this game in his hometown. The game was being broadcast live all across Spain (1am their time), because for the first time ever in the NBA, there were two Spanish starters (Gasol and Jose Calderon).
“I didn’t realize there was all this Spanish media here... If it doesn’t have to do with Memphis, what they’re trying to do and trying to accomplish… no.”
All right, so that was pretty stiff… but it got loose. So much so, that he used me as an example in one of his demonstrations. He was fielding a question about why Calderon had been covering Dirk Nowitzki on Monday so much. He was going through some plays, and asked me my name. I reluctantly told him, with the sneaking suspicion that he’d use it for the powers of evil somehow. So far so good. He said… “OK, so say Zack’s covering me… and then you come over and set this pick…” The rest is unimportant. The point is… if something bad happens, and it’s in my name; chances are it was Coach.
==
At practice today, I wanted to ask how a team doing as poorly as the Raptors’ are, can manage to avoid the sideshows that plagued the team last year. I didn’t ask it. In fact, I don’t think I even asked one question. It was a pretty boring shoot-around for the most-part, other than the fact that before we were allowed in, I got to speak to Joey Graham’s father for a good 10 minutes.
I was standing outside the RBK Court, chatting it up with the security guard, who’s always been a stand-up guy. A man holding two plastic bags stuffed with what appeared to be clothing walked over to us. I can’t remember how it became clear to me that they were family, but they certainly look alike. He said someone had joked with him that his son had slipped on the ice and broke his leg in three places. Mr. Graham (Joe) was obviously relieved when he found out his son was safe and sound. He was worried about the called-for snow and ice, so the security guard and I proceeded to tell him various things he could do to prevent slippage (as Seinfeld would say). I told him he could try buying some hard-soled boots, and sticking some ice-salt in the grooves to give him a little traction.
He then said that Joey’s brother, Stephen, had just been 12 inches of snow dumped on him in South Dakota, where he’s playing for the CBA. Stephen, a shorter, but identical looking Graham, had played preseason ball with the Spurs. That’s obviously a pretty tough roster to crack. I didn’t record the conversation for obvious reasons, but Joe went on to tell me that Stephen’s actually the better basketball player.
He said at Oklahoma State, where they both attended University, the guard rotation was already set; whereas there was more opportunity at the forward slots. He said once OSU gave Joey the opportunity to get in the game, he grabbed boards like a monster. When they realized he could shoot, he was an instant plug. Got all the playing time, garnered NBA attention, and well… you know the rest.
Joe told me that Stephen’s quicker, stronger, and a better shooter… but was simply not given the same chance to shine. I asked him why he chose the CBA, as opposed to the NBDL… and that’s when he asked if I was a reporter.
Maybe I’m starting to play the part.
==
The Raptors are in Atlanta on Friday, New Jersey on Saturday, and Washington on Tuesday. The Lakeshow’s here on Wednesday. Chances are, we’ll talk after that.
Even the Grizzlies had one of their weaker efforts, but still managed to pound the Raptors.
Grizzlies 92, Raptors 66
The Raptors capped off their worst November in franchise history with that stinker. It was the fewest points they’ve scored in a game since April 2nd, 2004; and it was also their biggest margin of defeat this season (26 points, 1 more than the brutal game against the Warriors on Saturday).
Spoke to “The Czar” after the game. Grizzlies’ Coach Mike Fratello, who’s actually much shorter than he looks on TV, was a great interview. Of course, I always find it easier when I get the first question in. I asked him if the 3rd quarter was one he’d like to forget (the teams combined for 29 points; Toronto shot 30%, which was actually better than Memphis’ 27.8% - that’s Rosanne Arnold-Ugly).
His response to the question was more of a general speech than an actual response… but here it is. More pity:
“[Toronto] has played hard in a lot of games, and lost a lot of heartbreakers. Sometimes this happens to you, it happens to all teams… when you lose a real tough one, like they did to a terrific team, Dallas, the other night… sometimes it takes a lot of air out of you… It happens to you every once in a while. They taste it, they’re so close to a win, and then the last second it gets snatched from you… sometimes it’s hard to bounce back. You have to understand that overall, they’ve played very hard, and very tough, and they’re catching some tough breaks here… I think they’re going to get it together, and put together a little roll. I really do.”
There it is. It’s getting to be the same swan song from opposing coaches, and I’d start to get offended if I was a Raptor. They simply deserved no praise on Wednesday. They went on scoring droughts, one lasting 5 minutes, from when they were still in the game in the 1st. Memphis broke it open with an Eddie Jones “and-1,” which was followed by a 3-ball from Jones… and another 2 from Shane Battier and Bobby Jackson. That closed the first quarter with a 12-0 Grizzlies run. By the time the Raptors scored their first bucket in the 2nd (10:24), that had turned into a 16-0 run. Three minutes later, Memphis went on another 10-0 run, which turned into a 17-6 streak to close the half. There was a third 10-0 run before the game was done.
Spoke to Damon Stoudamire afterwards, along with Eddie Jones (who is a real-life quiet-talker) and Pau Gasol who let it rip on the Raptors.
He was drafted by Atlanta, and then traded to the Grizzlies on draft-night. A team that went 1-11 to start ‘01-‘02 (they were 4-12 through the first 16 games, as opposed to the Raps’ 1-15). He knows all about a teams’ suffering… and finally, someone who held back the pity:
“I don’t see the veterans… The veterans have to step up, and have to take leadership. They have to lead and guide the young players. They have so many talented young players, but it’s got to come from the veterans first… The thing about them, you know, is that they settle too much… and they kind of gave up too early. When we made our run, and got a big lead, they kind of dropped their intensity and everything. They have to keep playing hard, and work for wins.”
That was refreshing. A player actually just speaking about what he felt, as opposed to the media-friendly jargon I’m getting all too used to.
==
Before the game, during Sam Mitchell’s pre-game talk, it was surprisingly loose. I asked him if he’d spoken to Jose about the importance of this game in his hometown. The game was being broadcast live all across Spain (1am their time), because for the first time ever in the NBA, there were two Spanish starters (Gasol and Jose Calderon).
“I didn’t realize there was all this Spanish media here... If it doesn’t have to do with Memphis, what they’re trying to do and trying to accomplish… no.”
All right, so that was pretty stiff… but it got loose. So much so, that he used me as an example in one of his demonstrations. He was fielding a question about why Calderon had been covering Dirk Nowitzki on Monday so much. He was going through some plays, and asked me my name. I reluctantly told him, with the sneaking suspicion that he’d use it for the powers of evil somehow. So far so good. He said… “OK, so say Zack’s covering me… and then you come over and set this pick…” The rest is unimportant. The point is… if something bad happens, and it’s in my name; chances are it was Coach.
==
At practice today, I wanted to ask how a team doing as poorly as the Raptors’ are, can manage to avoid the sideshows that plagued the team last year. I didn’t ask it. In fact, I don’t think I even asked one question. It was a pretty boring shoot-around for the most-part, other than the fact that before we were allowed in, I got to speak to Joey Graham’s father for a good 10 minutes.
I was standing outside the RBK Court, chatting it up with the security guard, who’s always been a stand-up guy. A man holding two plastic bags stuffed with what appeared to be clothing walked over to us. I can’t remember how it became clear to me that they were family, but they certainly look alike. He said someone had joked with him that his son had slipped on the ice and broke his leg in three places. Mr. Graham (Joe) was obviously relieved when he found out his son was safe and sound. He was worried about the called-for snow and ice, so the security guard and I proceeded to tell him various things he could do to prevent slippage (as Seinfeld would say). I told him he could try buying some hard-soled boots, and sticking some ice-salt in the grooves to give him a little traction.
He then said that Joey’s brother, Stephen, had just been 12 inches of snow dumped on him in South Dakota, where he’s playing for the CBA. Stephen, a shorter, but identical looking Graham, had played preseason ball with the Spurs. That’s obviously a pretty tough roster to crack. I didn’t record the conversation for obvious reasons, but Joe went on to tell me that Stephen’s actually the better basketball player.
He said at Oklahoma State, where they both attended University, the guard rotation was already set; whereas there was more opportunity at the forward slots. He said once OSU gave Joey the opportunity to get in the game, he grabbed boards like a monster. When they realized he could shoot, he was an instant plug. Got all the playing time, garnered NBA attention, and well… you know the rest.
Joe told me that Stephen’s quicker, stronger, and a better shooter… but was simply not given the same chance to shine. I asked him why he chose the CBA, as opposed to the NBDL… and that’s when he asked if I was a reporter.
Maybe I’m starting to play the part.
==
The Raptors are in Atlanta on Friday, New Jersey on Saturday, and Washington on Tuesday. The Lakeshow’s here on Wednesday. Chances are, we’ll talk after that.
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