So Erick Dampier was in town and checked out practice at the ACC. It would appear that it is down to Houston and Toronto. Which is basically a choice between a team that has a better outlook to make the playoffs in the Rockets, or the Raptors who offer more playing time and a spot in the starting line-up. Brad Miller and Yao Ming already are in Houston which would make playing time limited at best. On a side note you have to wonder how confident Houston is in Yao being healthy when they signed Brad Miller this summer and now are actively in the hunt for Dampier. While the Raptors have Andrea Bargnani playing out of position at the 5 backed up by Anderson and Alabi with a few others that could play out of position at the 5 in Johnson and Evans.
The main advantage for the Raptors would be should they land Dampier is Andrea Bargnani could play in his natural position at the 4. Bargnani because of Chris Bosh being here has never played at his natural spot other than when Bosh was injured. Dampier would also become one of the better defenders the Raptors have in the post. All of this being said the amount of buzz and attention to this has reached the insanity level. Make no mistake that Erick Dampier is not changing the outlook of this team. If you believe that Raptors have no shot at the playoffs this is not going to change your mind.
The other thing would be who is the guy that would be out should the Raptors sign Dampier. Could be Joey Dorsey that might be the odd man out. There is also my man Reggie Evans and his expiring contract. The Raptors may look to shop him even harder. There is also rumours that the Raptors are still trying to pursue Boris Diaw. The 16 men that are on this roster will be heading to Vancouver to continue training camp.
So obviously if news breaks in the big Erick Dampier watch we will have it for you on the weekend. Or any news of significance for that matter. But if none of that happens will see you Monday. I am not against signing Dampier but the reaction to it is disturbing. People are way over the top on this one. The Raptors will still have had one of their worst off-seasons in history even if they sign Dampier and trade for Diaw too. That is just the cold hard reality of things. Anyone that thinks differently is not looking at this situation logically or objectively.
10/1/10
9/30/10
"Basketball Beyond the Floor"
I picked up this book a few years ago for two reasons. One, I was in university and wanted to get back into basketball shape for a fun league. I hadn't played organized basketball since my high school team so I was in need of some 'fine tuning' let's just say. The second reason I bought Condition The NBA Way was because, I'll admit it, Shaquille O'Neil (then of the Orlando Magic) and Alonzo Mourning (then of the Charlotte Hornets) were on the front cover and I was a huge fan of both (still a part of the SHAQ-pack, actually). What really drew me to the book was the explanations of each exercise and how both female and male figures were used to demonstrate. Yes, both women and men can train the 'NBA way' according to the 14 NBA strength and conditioning coaches who put together this book. Even though this book is titled Condition the NBA Way, it provides the staples for any workout regime: warming up, stretching, cooling down, conditioning, weight-training and nutrition. It also touches on plyometrics (an exercise designed to produce fast powerful movements), speed and agility which where sport specific training comes in. These are the areas I am going to focus on since these are the most basketball specific.
Plyometrics - A Burst of Energy
When I worked at WTSN, I was waiting for a source at the training facility in our broadcast center and had a chance to see how some NHLers do their off-ice training. In one exercise, the trainer set up the treadmill at a sprint speed and had the player do one lap of the track at an easy pace first. Once he reached the treadmill, he would straddle the sides, then jump on with a burst of power for about 30 secs to a minute (the average length of an NHL shift). This exercise was designed to mimic the motions and power it would take to fully utilize his time on the ice. Now, this will obviously be similar but remarkably different for NBA athletes since they still need that burst of energy for steals and fast breaks but different since their shifts are much longer and different skills are needed. Some coaches and trainers consider plyometrics training as high on their list of priorities since having the power to go from zero to a hundred in the shortest time possible will give you that edge over an opponent, especially on that fast break or vertical jump for a rebound. I liked how the book used Doc Rivers (as a playing member of the New York Knicks at the time) to show how plyometrics can affect all aspects of your game. In the three months of off-season training, Doc Rivers drastically improved his on-the-court performance by giving extra attention to plyometrics training. This season watch how the players perform in transition or on a fast break. When the camera zeros in on their expression, see if you can tell if they are showing signs of fatigue or a "ready to get back out there" mentality. When you see steals on the fast break or especially in transition, this may be as a result of fatigue which causes the silly mistakes like turnovers. This book tries to show how plyometrics training can help correct this.
Speed - Getting From Point A to Point B
It is as simple as that. How fast you can drive to the basket can mean the difference between points up on the board, change in possession and momentum. In Condition The NBA Way, it explains that for basketball, speed doesn't only mean sprinting straight ahead. It includes: "the defensive shuffle; the back pedal and change of direction". And while sprinting straight forward can affect all of these movements, speed is measured by how often you repeat your stride times your stride length. I was a little concerned in this section since they named Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway and Muggsy Bogues and how if you have a goal to be as fast as they are, "you can do it". As much as I appreciate what this book did for me personally, in no way shape or form can you be NBA ready after reading this book. I think that would discredit all the work professional trainers and coaches are doing to prepare their athletes for games. This book is really meant to give you some tools you can use in your own training to improve your game or give you some fresh exercises to provide you a more motivating work out. I agree that by breaking down each sprint action into parts, practicing each part and bringing it back together will definitely improve your speed - it's just like reading and breaking down each chapter and each sentence. But to suggest you can be "just as efficient and explosive" as an NBA player after doing these exercises, is doing a disservice to the strength and conditioning coaches who put this book together. Oh wait, that's who told us we could be just like them. Hmmm.
Agility - Stop on a dime and Give Me Nine Cents Change
"For every level you go up in competition, your weaknesses will be magnified another degree" (Condition The NBA Way). This is true. I think if the average high school or college player picks up this book and takes some of the exercises in it seriously, they will definitely improve on those magnified weaknesses - but not erase them. Training with a team coach or team trainer and the book as an added bonus, is a better way to look at it. The book breaks down the actual definition of agility in basketball terms: "...being able to change your body direction quickly, explosively, efficiently and in balance (under control)". And again, just like any other skill, your agility improves with practice. Picture this: I'm in grade eight, a point guard with a lot of promise. Insert important tournament, nerves and oh yeah, and eye glasses. So as I am about to pivot and turn to guard my player and doesn't someone flip me a pass square in the face? Clearly, agility and the ability to read the direction of the play was an issue for me and my teammate. Incidentally, we laughed about it afterwards and how I had to wear black electrical tape to keep the arm on my glasses for the rest of the tournament. I now know better and wear contacts. (Another reason to advocate for all basketball players to wear mouth guards). Aside from this, the book actually breaks down the agility work out with individual and team exercises. I think this is important given my personal example. You can train as an individual until you are blue in the face but until those skills are put into practice in a team situation, you can't really judge what level you are at - especially when you will be competing against basketball players with varying levels of agility.
Flick Pick of the Week
I know I have mentioned it before in "Jiggly Bits" here on the DNB, but I am officially making it this week's Flick Pick of the Week. You need to watch "Into The Wind" produced by Steve Nash and his cousin Ezra Holland. It's a documentary on ESPN's 30-30 right now and is about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. There are a few documentaries out there about Terry Fox and I have seen just about every one of them so you will understand why I kind of thought "oh no, here we go again" when I heard about this one. Kudos to Steve Nash and his cousin for this outstanding documentary and interviews with Terry's parents, friend Doug and how all the footage was put together. You will learn Terry Fox was a great basketball player and it was his basketball coach who brought him an article about an amputee and how he ran a marathon. Really well done and worth watching.
For next week, we are going to look at two "how-to" basketball books for the younger player. I am even going to enlist the help of some age-appropriate helpers to gauge their opinion on the material. I picked up The Young Basketball Player by Chris Mullen and Basketball: How to be a Star Player by Matt Parselle from my local library - where I find many of the books we've discussed here on "Basketball on the Floor". See you on Tuesday here on the DNB for "Jiggly Bits" and until then, happy reading.
Plyometrics - A Burst of Energy
When I worked at WTSN, I was waiting for a source at the training facility in our broadcast center and had a chance to see how some NHLers do their off-ice training. In one exercise, the trainer set up the treadmill at a sprint speed and had the player do one lap of the track at an easy pace first. Once he reached the treadmill, he would straddle the sides, then jump on with a burst of power for about 30 secs to a minute (the average length of an NHL shift). This exercise was designed to mimic the motions and power it would take to fully utilize his time on the ice. Now, this will obviously be similar but remarkably different for NBA athletes since they still need that burst of energy for steals and fast breaks but different since their shifts are much longer and different skills are needed. Some coaches and trainers consider plyometrics training as high on their list of priorities since having the power to go from zero to a hundred in the shortest time possible will give you that edge over an opponent, especially on that fast break or vertical jump for a rebound. I liked how the book used Doc Rivers (as a playing member of the New York Knicks at the time) to show how plyometrics can affect all aspects of your game. In the three months of off-season training, Doc Rivers drastically improved his on-the-court performance by giving extra attention to plyometrics training. This season watch how the players perform in transition or on a fast break. When the camera zeros in on their expression, see if you can tell if they are showing signs of fatigue or a "ready to get back out there" mentality. When you see steals on the fast break or especially in transition, this may be as a result of fatigue which causes the silly mistakes like turnovers. This book tries to show how plyometrics training can help correct this.
Speed - Getting From Point A to Point B
It is as simple as that. How fast you can drive to the basket can mean the difference between points up on the board, change in possession and momentum. In Condition The NBA Way, it explains that for basketball, speed doesn't only mean sprinting straight ahead. It includes: "the defensive shuffle; the back pedal and change of direction". And while sprinting straight forward can affect all of these movements, speed is measured by how often you repeat your stride times your stride length. I was a little concerned in this section since they named Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway and Muggsy Bogues and how if you have a goal to be as fast as they are, "you can do it". As much as I appreciate what this book did for me personally, in no way shape or form can you be NBA ready after reading this book. I think that would discredit all the work professional trainers and coaches are doing to prepare their athletes for games. This book is really meant to give you some tools you can use in your own training to improve your game or give you some fresh exercises to provide you a more motivating work out. I agree that by breaking down each sprint action into parts, practicing each part and bringing it back together will definitely improve your speed - it's just like reading and breaking down each chapter and each sentence. But to suggest you can be "just as efficient and explosive" as an NBA player after doing these exercises, is doing a disservice to the strength and conditioning coaches who put this book together. Oh wait, that's who told us we could be just like them. Hmmm.
Agility - Stop on a dime and Give Me Nine Cents Change
"For every level you go up in competition, your weaknesses will be magnified another degree" (Condition The NBA Way). This is true. I think if the average high school or college player picks up this book and takes some of the exercises in it seriously, they will definitely improve on those magnified weaknesses - but not erase them. Training with a team coach or team trainer and the book as an added bonus, is a better way to look at it. The book breaks down the actual definition of agility in basketball terms: "...being able to change your body direction quickly, explosively, efficiently and in balance (under control)". And again, just like any other skill, your agility improves with practice. Picture this: I'm in grade eight, a point guard with a lot of promise. Insert important tournament, nerves and oh yeah, and eye glasses. So as I am about to pivot and turn to guard my player and doesn't someone flip me a pass square in the face? Clearly, agility and the ability to read the direction of the play was an issue for me and my teammate. Incidentally, we laughed about it afterwards and how I had to wear black electrical tape to keep the arm on my glasses for the rest of the tournament. I now know better and wear contacts. (Another reason to advocate for all basketball players to wear mouth guards). Aside from this, the book actually breaks down the agility work out with individual and team exercises. I think this is important given my personal example. You can train as an individual until you are blue in the face but until those skills are put into practice in a team situation, you can't really judge what level you are at - especially when you will be competing against basketball players with varying levels of agility.
Flick Pick of the Week
I know I have mentioned it before in "Jiggly Bits" here on the DNB, but I am officially making it this week's Flick Pick of the Week. You need to watch "Into The Wind" produced by Steve Nash and his cousin Ezra Holland. It's a documentary on ESPN's 30-30 right now and is about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. There are a few documentaries out there about Terry Fox and I have seen just about every one of them so you will understand why I kind of thought "oh no, here we go again" when I heard about this one. Kudos to Steve Nash and his cousin for this outstanding documentary and interviews with Terry's parents, friend Doug and how all the footage was put together. You will learn Terry Fox was a great basketball player and it was his basketball coach who brought him an article about an amputee and how he ran a marathon. Really well done and worth watching.
For next week, we are going to look at two "how-to" basketball books for the younger player. I am even going to enlist the help of some age-appropriate helpers to gauge their opinion on the material. I picked up The Young Basketball Player by Chris Mullen and Basketball: How to be a Star Player by Matt Parselle from my local library - where I find many of the books we've discussed here on "Basketball on the Floor". See you on Tuesday here on the DNB for "Jiggly Bits" and until then, happy reading.
9/29/10
CB4 No More And Other Stuff
So training camp is underway and the debates have already started on what the Raptors starting 5 will be. I am not here to tell you that I know what it will be, but here is what it should be:
Many may not agree with this. I also doubt this is what we see on opening night. However, this is what the starting line-up should be. In part, because with the exception of Sonny, the Raptors have long team commitments to all of these players. I would expect after this season the same will be true for Mr. Weems. This is an athletic line-up as well. In addition, to me, playing the Young Guns as a unit makes a lot of sense. Jose Calderon in a second unit with Barbosa also makes sense. We all know by now that Jose can not defend his position right? So Barbosa can guard the quick guards that Jose can not stay in front of. Kleiza can be a bigger scoring option in a second unit as well. Ultimately Andrea Bargnani should be playing at the 4. But unless Erick Dampier or some journey man center comes along that is not happening. You could also shift Kleiza to the 4 and give Wright some minutes at the 3 spot if he deems worthy of them. Also he can play at the 3 once Ed Davis is healthy and worthy of minutes. Which being a first round pick he will get unless he is a complete bust. All this talk of what Kleiza did at the World Championships is nice, but this is not that and he is not an NBA starter to me. Besides if you watched Summer League at all, it was really amazing to see what Demar and Sonny were doing on the floor together as a duo. It would be foolish to break that up.
CB4 Is Dead Let Him Rest In Peace
I am very tired of the Raptors constant attempts to spin the whole Bosh leaving thing in their favour. This talk of what kind of a leader Chris Bosh was or wasn't from Jay Triano serves no purpose. I say this with all due respect, Jay has enough to worry about without fighting a losing PR battle. This is also a double edged sword if you think about. So if everyone knew this about Chris, then why was a true leader not brought into this team? J.O is not one if they are going to try to sell that. The fact they traded him in less than a season says all you need to know about that. Jarrett Jack can be a leader but with his best friend? No not so much. In addition the fact as much of a leader as he can be, Jack has less playoff experience then Bosh. He has never made the playoffs. Where was Chris Bosh's Charles Oakley? A guy that had the respect to lead without being the man.
Also this talk about the offence is now some how better without Bosh in it makes me laugh. At least that is what is being implied. The point was made (by Triano) about when Bosh took jumpers that was one of the weakest plays for the Raptors. Which is factual, but what is also fact is the reason for that is because your # 1 pick out of position center can't rebound. The Raptors can choose to downplay their former star all they like. However the proof is in the Raptor record book. Bosh owns a lot of the records in that book.
Are the Raptors happy about how he left them and bolted for Miami? Obviously not. I am not happy about it and the way he left did not reflect the guy that was here for 7 years. All of that being said if fans want to hate on the guy that is their deal and they are entitled to do so. In doing these things to devalue Bosh's Legacy in Toronto the Raptors are making a mistake. How on earth will you ever get a star player to stay when the last 2 star players you have had, you threw garbage on as soon as they were out the door. Is there a lot of stuff on both sides of this we don't know. Sure there is. Chris Bosh could be a class A jerk in how he treated the organization when he left. It doesn't matter you don't say anything. Bryan Colangelo knows how to do that. He did it with Hedo Turkoglu who didn't deserve it. Colangelo has had less toxic things to say about him than Bosh.
I will make one last point about this. Both Vince Carter and Chris Bosh ultimately left for the same reason. No it isn't that they hate Toronto or Canada. It is the failure of this organization to produce on the management side of things. As the franchise players do Carter and Bosh own some of the blame for why their teams failed. Yes they do, but ultimately when you look at it from their prospective it is hard to blame them. Vince Carter had seen a number of coaches and G.M's come and go in his time here. He grew frustrated and said enough is enough. He literally quit on the Raptors. However his ultimate point that pushed him over the edge was the hiring of Rob Babcock. Guess what V.C wasn't wrong about him. Babcock was awful and the fact Vince Carter was able to force him into a trade ironically proved his point.
Bosh has also seen his share of coaches and management changes. He endured Colangelo makeovers year after year. Was he suppose to stay and wait for re-build number 4? Bosh also made a very valid point that you as Raptor fans should all embrace. The fact that in his time here the Raptors never were a tax team. Bosh feels that you must be that to be a championship team. I agree with him. It is not like MLSE can not afford the tax right? If the NHL was run under the NBA system does anyone doubt that the Maple Leafs would be a tax team? Factor all of this with a once in a lifetime chance to play with 2 top 5 players in the league on you team. Hell in some senses he would have been insane not to go. I think I would seriously question his desire to win championships if he stayed.
Speaking of championships what ever happened to that? Now this is a franchise that would be thrilled to be 7th or 8th in the East? That sounds like the hockey team not the basketball team. I understand that the Raptors got to go out there and say they can make the playoffs. However the chances of that happening are pretty bleak. Colangelo was brought here to make Toronto a contender not the warm-up match for the Magic, Celtics or Heat. Not to mention what exactly is his future? If he is not staying for the long term, is this who we want running the show heading into an uncertain future for the Raptors, and the NBA for that matter with a new CBA on the way. I think Colangelo is a professional and will do right by the franchise. That being said he felt he was doing right by the franchise drafting Bargnani, Signing Jermaine O'Neal and Hedo Turkoglu. Not to mention re-signing Jose Calderon to his awful contract.
Bottom line is that CB4 is dead and everyone in the Raptors Organization should leave it that way. It serves no purpose to slag this guy for the franchise and does nothing good for it's reputation. Sure people in the media are going to ask the questions. That being said there is no law that I am aware of that they have to answer them. If they are asked something about Chris say something like, I really enjoyed his performance on Entourage.
- PG: Jarrett Jack
- SG: Demar DeRozan
- SF: Sonny Weems
- PF: Amir Johnson
- C: Andrea Bargnani
Many may not agree with this. I also doubt this is what we see on opening night. However, this is what the starting line-up should be. In part, because with the exception of Sonny, the Raptors have long team commitments to all of these players. I would expect after this season the same will be true for Mr. Weems. This is an athletic line-up as well. In addition, to me, playing the Young Guns as a unit makes a lot of sense. Jose Calderon in a second unit with Barbosa also makes sense. We all know by now that Jose can not defend his position right? So Barbosa can guard the quick guards that Jose can not stay in front of. Kleiza can be a bigger scoring option in a second unit as well. Ultimately Andrea Bargnani should be playing at the 4. But unless Erick Dampier or some journey man center comes along that is not happening. You could also shift Kleiza to the 4 and give Wright some minutes at the 3 spot if he deems worthy of them. Also he can play at the 3 once Ed Davis is healthy and worthy of minutes. Which being a first round pick he will get unless he is a complete bust. All this talk of what Kleiza did at the World Championships is nice, but this is not that and he is not an NBA starter to me. Besides if you watched Summer League at all, it was really amazing to see what Demar and Sonny were doing on the floor together as a duo. It would be foolish to break that up.
CB4 Is Dead Let Him Rest In Peace
I am very tired of the Raptors constant attempts to spin the whole Bosh leaving thing in their favour. This talk of what kind of a leader Chris Bosh was or wasn't from Jay Triano serves no purpose. I say this with all due respect, Jay has enough to worry about without fighting a losing PR battle. This is also a double edged sword if you think about. So if everyone knew this about Chris, then why was a true leader not brought into this team? J.O is not one if they are going to try to sell that. The fact they traded him in less than a season says all you need to know about that. Jarrett Jack can be a leader but with his best friend? No not so much. In addition the fact as much of a leader as he can be, Jack has less playoff experience then Bosh. He has never made the playoffs. Where was Chris Bosh's Charles Oakley? A guy that had the respect to lead without being the man.
Also this talk about the offence is now some how better without Bosh in it makes me laugh. At least that is what is being implied. The point was made (by Triano) about when Bosh took jumpers that was one of the weakest plays for the Raptors. Which is factual, but what is also fact is the reason for that is because your # 1 pick out of position center can't rebound. The Raptors can choose to downplay their former star all they like. However the proof is in the Raptor record book. Bosh owns a lot of the records in that book.
Are the Raptors happy about how he left them and bolted for Miami? Obviously not. I am not happy about it and the way he left did not reflect the guy that was here for 7 years. All of that being said if fans want to hate on the guy that is their deal and they are entitled to do so. In doing these things to devalue Bosh's Legacy in Toronto the Raptors are making a mistake. How on earth will you ever get a star player to stay when the last 2 star players you have had, you threw garbage on as soon as they were out the door. Is there a lot of stuff on both sides of this we don't know. Sure there is. Chris Bosh could be a class A jerk in how he treated the organization when he left. It doesn't matter you don't say anything. Bryan Colangelo knows how to do that. He did it with Hedo Turkoglu who didn't deserve it. Colangelo has had less toxic things to say about him than Bosh.
I will make one last point about this. Both Vince Carter and Chris Bosh ultimately left for the same reason. No it isn't that they hate Toronto or Canada. It is the failure of this organization to produce on the management side of things. As the franchise players do Carter and Bosh own some of the blame for why their teams failed. Yes they do, but ultimately when you look at it from their prospective it is hard to blame them. Vince Carter had seen a number of coaches and G.M's come and go in his time here. He grew frustrated and said enough is enough. He literally quit on the Raptors. However his ultimate point that pushed him over the edge was the hiring of Rob Babcock. Guess what V.C wasn't wrong about him. Babcock was awful and the fact Vince Carter was able to force him into a trade ironically proved his point.
Bosh has also seen his share of coaches and management changes. He endured Colangelo makeovers year after year. Was he suppose to stay and wait for re-build number 4? Bosh also made a very valid point that you as Raptor fans should all embrace. The fact that in his time here the Raptors never were a tax team. Bosh feels that you must be that to be a championship team. I agree with him. It is not like MLSE can not afford the tax right? If the NHL was run under the NBA system does anyone doubt that the Maple Leafs would be a tax team? Factor all of this with a once in a lifetime chance to play with 2 top 5 players in the league on you team. Hell in some senses he would have been insane not to go. I think I would seriously question his desire to win championships if he stayed.
Speaking of championships what ever happened to that? Now this is a franchise that would be thrilled to be 7th or 8th in the East? That sounds like the hockey team not the basketball team. I understand that the Raptors got to go out there and say they can make the playoffs. However the chances of that happening are pretty bleak. Colangelo was brought here to make Toronto a contender not the warm-up match for the Magic, Celtics or Heat. Not to mention what exactly is his future? If he is not staying for the long term, is this who we want running the show heading into an uncertain future for the Raptors, and the NBA for that matter with a new CBA on the way. I think Colangelo is a professional and will do right by the franchise. That being said he felt he was doing right by the franchise drafting Bargnani, Signing Jermaine O'Neal and Hedo Turkoglu. Not to mention re-signing Jose Calderon to his awful contract.
Bottom line is that CB4 is dead and everyone in the Raptors Organization should leave it that way. It serves no purpose to slag this guy for the franchise and does nothing good for it's reputation. Sure people in the media are going to ask the questions. That being said there is no law that I am aware of that they have to answer them. If they are asked something about Chris say something like, I really enjoyed his performance on Entourage.
So It WAS LEO!!!
A little note that Canada Basketball likely didn't want you to know. Seems Leandro Barbosa confirmed something that many speculated to be true in fact is true. He said, that if not for the firing of Jay Triano from Canada Basketball, that Nash would still be playing for Canada. Would he lie about this? What possible reason would Barbosa have to do so. Jay Triano can say to Canada Basketball how you like my gold medal from the World Championships. Well he could if coaches got medals which I am pretty sure they don't. After an 0-5 performance at the Worlds for Canada this latest revelation is likely not what they needed. But as much as I support the program and the players that make up the program, this is something the people in upper management of the program that fired Jay brought on itself. Note to Canada Basketball, if the Raptors season goes as bad as some are predicting it to be....Jay Triano might be available.
Trying this Chat thing again tomorrow at 4pm (Eastern). I will be there for sure this week. We can talk all the Raptors and NBA you like and we will try to build a tradition with this Thursday Chat.
9/28/10
"Jiggly Bits"
Midnight Madness. The non-NBA fan doesn't hear these words until the week before Christmas when retail establishments thrust some individuals into a panic-frenzied state in an effort to both start and finish their holiday shopping. Sure, the big box stores are staying open late to HELP you get that last-minute gift. But don't kid yourself. They are hiding something. They want you to be thinking beyond the holidays and remember how they helped you out of a tight spot. Insert Washington Wizards. Talk about hiding something: Gilbert Arenas. While most of you were tucked in your beds at 12:01am this morning fast asleep, the Washington Wizards opened training camp, leaving some in the media wishing they were at home with their warm and fuzzies on. C'mon. The Wizards are trying to be more fan-friendly and this morning's event drew about 4,000 according to some reports. We know Gilbert Arenas is trying to get over that pesky gun conviction and so to, are the Wizards after an embarrassing 2009-2010 season to say the least. Arenas was avoiding the camera and tried to hide in plain sight. Please. That's what a two year-old does with chocolate all over their face inching away from the cookie jar. What he should have done was just stand there, answer the questions no matter how annoying they were to him and move on. No hide and seek. Just stand and face the music until the volume subsides. There's madness everywhere in the NBA, though. Let's touch on a few: Carmelo Anthony, NBA coaches coming and going and oh yeah, the "we are so awesome yet not really" speech were heard from some in the Raptors camp on Media Day.
Guy Smiley is Reincarnated
So you are at a Christmas party and get stuck in a convo-circle with a bunch of people you don't like. What do you do? Make conversation and put on a happy face. This is what Carmelo Anthony did on media day trying to address the "should I stay or should I go" story. You could tell he didn't want to be there and was wearing his Denver Nuggets uniform like a kid wearing his Sunday best - uncomfortable. Think back to early this summer when he was offered a 3 year, 65 million-dollar contract extension. He still hasn't signed that little piece of security and instead offers up the "keeping my options open" excuse. He claims he never wanted to be traded but wants to leave some options open until the end of this season when he'll sit down with the Denver Nuggets Management and go from there. "I'm here, man. I'm here today. Whatever the future holds, it holds". Does this sound like a guy who just wants to get out there and play some ball? Look at all the issues the Nuggets have to face this season. George Karl is coaching on a one year contract - though his health issues are behind that one. Chancey Billups has a team option for 2011-2012 and Kenyon Martin along with Chris Anderson are nursing injuries. Not a good way to start the season, boys. Not a good way.
Just Rip the Band-Aid Off
Seriously. How painful is it going to be this season for a third of the teams in the NBA? We have 30 teams, 8 of which have a new coach which means a whole lot of dip testing going on trying to figure out team chemistry. Here are the list of Head Coach newbies: Monty Williams of the New Orleans Hornets; Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls; Keith Smart of the Golden State Warriors; Avery Johnson of the New Jersey Nets; Larry Drew of the Atlanta Hawks; Doug Collins of the Philadelphia 76ers; Byron Scott of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Vinny Del Negro of the L.A. Clippers. The two I am most concerned about are the last two on this list. Not so much for Del Negro, though he's coming off a tough coaching stint with the Bulls and I hope it works out for him with the Clippers. Remember that other club Byron Scott wanted to offer his coaching services, to? As a former Laker, Scott wanted to coach his former team and continue his legacy in the purple and gold. But Phil Jackson wasn't ready to give up his seat yet so Byron Scott was forced to make a decision and he decided to move to Cleveland. I know you know this story but doesn't it sound a little suspicious to you? I called it here on the DNB in a "Jiggly Bits" piece after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA Championship. I had a feeling Phil was going to retire as Head Coach of the Lakers since he missed the Championship parade and gave the "doctors appointment" excuse. Unless you are hooked up to tubes and lying in a hospital bed, you don't miss something like that, especially as a Head Coach and especially when a routine doctors appointment can be rescheduled in light of winning an NBA Championship. I am sure stepping down after 20 years of coaching is a hard decision to make and is a reason why he took the summer to do it. Or maybe he didn't want to hand off his 'baby' to Byron Scott and wanted him to move on to another team. Phil Jackson has admitted to saying he would like to promote one of his coaching assistants, Brian Shaw to the position. I know Phil is almighty powerful but remember, he doesn't have the power to do that. If he did, why would he waste it on Brian Shaw? Why not use it to bring back Red Auerbach from the dead in his Head Coaching prime or reincarnate himself because really, who IS going to replace the great Phil Jackson. Man, this season is going to be pure bananas. I am looking forward to every minute of it.
You Can't Blame Him
Imagine you have a bunch of microphones in your face and you own the Toronto Raptors. What would you say to the media given what you have? Of course, you are going to use phrases like it "feels better" when describing your current team or ride the positivity train. That is what Brian Colangelo did on Media Day and that is his job. I think it was interesting he was all cool and collected when talking about Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu leaving and how the Raptors are not "held hostage" by certain contracts now and how they finally have some "financial flexibility". Ok, I get it. But when you start answers with, "No knock on Chris, but he tended to hold onto to the ball a lot" or "No knock on Hedo, but I think (Linas) Klieza will give us more than Hedo" how could you not think there was even a little resentment there. Granted, it will be hard to replace the average 24 points and 11 rebounds Chris Bosh gave the Raptors each night but at least Colangelo is realistic in thinking it is not going to come from one person. Maybe he is right. Maybe some of the other Raptors 'hiding in Bosh's shadow' will be given a chance to perform. Maybe we will see some great things from this team now that they are able to make a fresh start. Or maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up and try our best to get behind a team who is clearly rebuilding again. I'll go with door number three.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
Remember to join me on here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing Condition The NBA Way. It's a strength and conditioning book published in 1994 and written by 14 strength and conditioning coaches in the NBA at the time. It's funny and you do actually learn something from it. See you Thursday and until then, happy reading.
Guy Smiley is Reincarnated
So you are at a Christmas party and get stuck in a convo-circle with a bunch of people you don't like. What do you do? Make conversation and put on a happy face. This is what Carmelo Anthony did on media day trying to address the "should I stay or should I go" story. You could tell he didn't want to be there and was wearing his Denver Nuggets uniform like a kid wearing his Sunday best - uncomfortable. Think back to early this summer when he was offered a 3 year, 65 million-dollar contract extension. He still hasn't signed that little piece of security and instead offers up the "keeping my options open" excuse. He claims he never wanted to be traded but wants to leave some options open until the end of this season when he'll sit down with the Denver Nuggets Management and go from there. "I'm here, man. I'm here today. Whatever the future holds, it holds". Does this sound like a guy who just wants to get out there and play some ball? Look at all the issues the Nuggets have to face this season. George Karl is coaching on a one year contract - though his health issues are behind that one. Chancey Billups has a team option for 2011-2012 and Kenyon Martin along with Chris Anderson are nursing injuries. Not a good way to start the season, boys. Not a good way.
Just Rip the Band-Aid Off
Seriously. How painful is it going to be this season for a third of the teams in the NBA? We have 30 teams, 8 of which have a new coach which means a whole lot of dip testing going on trying to figure out team chemistry. Here are the list of Head Coach newbies: Monty Williams of the New Orleans Hornets; Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls; Keith Smart of the Golden State Warriors; Avery Johnson of the New Jersey Nets; Larry Drew of the Atlanta Hawks; Doug Collins of the Philadelphia 76ers; Byron Scott of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Vinny Del Negro of the L.A. Clippers. The two I am most concerned about are the last two on this list. Not so much for Del Negro, though he's coming off a tough coaching stint with the Bulls and I hope it works out for him with the Clippers. Remember that other club Byron Scott wanted to offer his coaching services, to? As a former Laker, Scott wanted to coach his former team and continue his legacy in the purple and gold. But Phil Jackson wasn't ready to give up his seat yet so Byron Scott was forced to make a decision and he decided to move to Cleveland. I know you know this story but doesn't it sound a little suspicious to you? I called it here on the DNB in a "Jiggly Bits" piece after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA Championship. I had a feeling Phil was going to retire as Head Coach of the Lakers since he missed the Championship parade and gave the "doctors appointment" excuse. Unless you are hooked up to tubes and lying in a hospital bed, you don't miss something like that, especially as a Head Coach and especially when a routine doctors appointment can be rescheduled in light of winning an NBA Championship. I am sure stepping down after 20 years of coaching is a hard decision to make and is a reason why he took the summer to do it. Or maybe he didn't want to hand off his 'baby' to Byron Scott and wanted him to move on to another team. Phil Jackson has admitted to saying he would like to promote one of his coaching assistants, Brian Shaw to the position. I know Phil is almighty powerful but remember, he doesn't have the power to do that. If he did, why would he waste it on Brian Shaw? Why not use it to bring back Red Auerbach from the dead in his Head Coaching prime or reincarnate himself because really, who IS going to replace the great Phil Jackson. Man, this season is going to be pure bananas. I am looking forward to every minute of it.
You Can't Blame Him
Imagine you have a bunch of microphones in your face and you own the Toronto Raptors. What would you say to the media given what you have? Of course, you are going to use phrases like it "feels better" when describing your current team or ride the positivity train. That is what Brian Colangelo did on Media Day and that is his job. I think it was interesting he was all cool and collected when talking about Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu leaving and how the Raptors are not "held hostage" by certain contracts now and how they finally have some "financial flexibility". Ok, I get it. But when you start answers with, "No knock on Chris, but he tended to hold onto to the ball a lot" or "No knock on Hedo, but I think (Linas) Klieza will give us more than Hedo" how could you not think there was even a little resentment there. Granted, it will be hard to replace the average 24 points and 11 rebounds Chris Bosh gave the Raptors each night but at least Colangelo is realistic in thinking it is not going to come from one person. Maybe he is right. Maybe some of the other Raptors 'hiding in Bosh's shadow' will be given a chance to perform. Maybe we will see some great things from this team now that they are able to make a fresh start. Or maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up and try our best to get behind a team who is clearly rebuilding again. I'll go with door number three.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
Remember to join me on here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing Condition The NBA Way. It's a strength and conditioning book published in 1994 and written by 14 strength and conditioning coaches in the NBA at the time. It's funny and you do actually learn something from it. See you Thursday and until then, happy reading.
9/27/10
Happy Media Day
It is media day in Raptorland. Rather then write 4 different blogs throughout the day will just update this one throughout the day. I am not in the house for media day but will look to get down to T.O during the pre-season. So I will be monitoring whatever coverage there is. Raptors are going to be having a live chat going. Also, Paul Jones and Eric Smith are expected to be doing there thing on the Fan 590 website as they have done in past years.
I am trying to get excited as the season is almost here. That being said the expectations for this group are so negative it is hard to get excited. I am not good at faking it. So check in throughout the day for updates to this blog. I will post times for all the updates as we go along. Media day in many places around the league today including Denver where they wonder if Carmelo Anthony will even be there? If the Mello Trade to Nets happens that makes the outlook for the Raptors slightly more bleak.
Update 1:30
You know you wait and wait for Media Day but honestly there isn't a lot to it. I mean it is what it is to a point. There has been lots of positive talk from everyone. But do we expect anything less? I think the most interesting to this point has been Jarret Jack. I have made the statement in the blog before...Jarrett Jack has shown more leadership in his time here than Jose Calderon has in his entire career. The point guard position is going to be interesting. Jose Calderon and if he can deal with being 2nd on the depth chart and deal with a fan base that isn't 100% behind him. Probably just do one more update with some final thoughts.
Update 3:00
So Media day is in the books. Lots of talk of team chemistry and other stuff to try to give people hope. But when you get down to the reality of things, this Raptor team is going to be in serious trouble unless they make some moves. Not just minor ones, like the rumours out there. I am not ready to declare them last in the East. I think Pacers, Pistons and Philly all will contend for that. After that thought it is tough to say. Also with a Mello to the Nets possibility that would make the Raps division that much more of a challenge.
What I did like was hearing Demar DeRozan. He seems much more at ease talking to the media and I think ultimately he is the major key to this season. Team work and all of that is one thing. But in the NBA you need a few guys to lead the charge. The Pistons model of play the right way and actually having success with it seldom works. One of the best teams in the NBA in terms of a team concept is the Utah Jazz. How many titles have they won? You needs some stars to make it happen. Demar needs to be that star if the Raptors are to do anything this season. At the end of the day it goes against logic and good sense to imagine this team wins more games without CB4 then they did with him. I grow tired of the constant references of what Chris didn't do for this team. Here is a newsflash for everyone. Chris Bosh left the Raptors because they failed him in his eyes. Not that he failed in their eyes. There is no way I would believe anyone that says this team would not love to have him on the roster. Whatever he lacked or didn't have. They had 7 years to figure out how to add it to this team around him. They had 7 years to choose to be a Tax team and go all out to win. Those things didn't happen. While the Raptors want you to blame Chris for leaving the fact is they should be the ones taking the blame for not building a team good enough around him. You can run and hide from that fact all you like but if the grim reality that many feel is coming happens, there will be few places to hide.
Oh and one last thing. If I hear one more time that this team is going to play exciting basketball but likely lose 50 games, I may have to puke. I coached little kids at the start of the year I had a talk with them that went like this.
I am trying to get excited as the season is almost here. That being said the expectations for this group are so negative it is hard to get excited. I am not good at faking it. So check in throughout the day for updates to this blog. I will post times for all the updates as we go along. Media day in many places around the league today including Denver where they wonder if Carmelo Anthony will even be there? If the Mello Trade to Nets happens that makes the outlook for the Raptors slightly more bleak.
Update 1:30
You know you wait and wait for Media Day but honestly there isn't a lot to it. I mean it is what it is to a point. There has been lots of positive talk from everyone. But do we expect anything less? I think the most interesting to this point has been Jarret Jack. I have made the statement in the blog before...Jarrett Jack has shown more leadership in his time here than Jose Calderon has in his entire career. The point guard position is going to be interesting. Jose Calderon and if he can deal with being 2nd on the depth chart and deal with a fan base that isn't 100% behind him. Probably just do one more update with some final thoughts.
Update 3:00
So Media day is in the books. Lots of talk of team chemistry and other stuff to try to give people hope. But when you get down to the reality of things, this Raptor team is going to be in serious trouble unless they make some moves. Not just minor ones, like the rumours out there. I am not ready to declare them last in the East. I think Pacers, Pistons and Philly all will contend for that. After that thought it is tough to say. Also with a Mello to the Nets possibility that would make the Raps division that much more of a challenge.
What I did like was hearing Demar DeRozan. He seems much more at ease talking to the media and I think ultimately he is the major key to this season. Team work and all of that is one thing. But in the NBA you need a few guys to lead the charge. The Pistons model of play the right way and actually having success with it seldom works. One of the best teams in the NBA in terms of a team concept is the Utah Jazz. How many titles have they won? You needs some stars to make it happen. Demar needs to be that star if the Raptors are to do anything this season. At the end of the day it goes against logic and good sense to imagine this team wins more games without CB4 then they did with him. I grow tired of the constant references of what Chris didn't do for this team. Here is a newsflash for everyone. Chris Bosh left the Raptors because they failed him in his eyes. Not that he failed in their eyes. There is no way I would believe anyone that says this team would not love to have him on the roster. Whatever he lacked or didn't have. They had 7 years to figure out how to add it to this team around him. They had 7 years to choose to be a Tax team and go all out to win. Those things didn't happen. While the Raptors want you to blame Chris for leaving the fact is they should be the ones taking the blame for not building a team good enough around him. You can run and hide from that fact all you like but if the grim reality that many feel is coming happens, there will be few places to hide.
Oh and one last thing. If I hear one more time that this team is going to play exciting basketball but likely lose 50 games, I may have to puke. I coached little kids at the start of the year I had a talk with them that went like this.
Me: So who has ever seen a team say...YEAH WE LOST.
Team: no response.
Me: That doesn't happen right?
Team: nods of agreement.
Me: So we are going to do are best to win and that will mean some people will play more than others but the goal will be to win because winning is fun.
Team: Cheers of agreement.
So if I can make 9-10 year old kids understand that simple concept, how come some people covering the NBA and fans of the NBA don't get it? By the way those kids never did lose as our team went undefeated and won the Championship. Losing no matter how you go about it....IS NEVER FUN...IT IS NEVER ENTERTAINING TO LOSE. It is about WINNING. Like Herm Edwards said coaching the JETS...YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!!. Can the odd time you except a lose and say that was a hell of a game. Absolutely but to lose consistently is NEVER FUN.
Sadly I am not confident the Raptors can do enough of that this season. Anyone who thinks that will be enjoyable along the way.....call me in January and tell me how much fun your having. I won't expect many calls.
6:30
The Fan 590 has all of the interviews from their 2+ hours of coverage this afternoon. So check it all out if you missed any of it.
9/24/10
It All Begins Next Week
Not a ton to say today. The Chat yesterday never came off, I had to work and it totally threw off everything. My apologies. Will get it straight next week. Media Day is on Monday and then it all gets rolling from there for another season.
Jay Triano was on the Fan 590 this morning. Had a few things of note to say. He said he expects the defence to be more aggressive. Gone will be the guarding the house defence that was torched last season. The offense will not be based around any one player. He said it was extra sweet to win with U.S over Turkey in Turkey in terms of Hedo being part of that team. Triano thinks the lack of respect from media for the Raptors will help motivate this team.
I like Jay Triano but the challenge in front of him is a rather large one. I mean if Phil Jackson was going to coach this group of Raptors I am not convinced he could make them a playoff team. Does this give Jay Triano yet another free pass this season? I sure hope not. Eventually you have to be judged on your results. The W-L record of Jay Triano is not a great one. The jury is out on if he can be an effective NBA head coach. He has more then proven himself as an assistant. However sometimes assistant coaches do not make great head coaches. This is an opportunity for Jay to show us what he is made of in terms of being able to re-design the offence and defence and start with a clean slate pretty much.
Canada's women are at the World's by the way and have a 1-1 record with a win and loss to start. Good luck to the ladies they are already ahead of the men's team having won a game. Enjoy your weekend as I will be deep into football for The Score Boise State and Oregon State Saturday and Cowboys and Texans on Sunday.
See you Monday!!!
Jay Triano was on the Fan 590 this morning. Had a few things of note to say. He said he expects the defence to be more aggressive. Gone will be the guarding the house defence that was torched last season. The offense will not be based around any one player. He said it was extra sweet to win with U.S over Turkey in Turkey in terms of Hedo being part of that team. Triano thinks the lack of respect from media for the Raptors will help motivate this team.
I like Jay Triano but the challenge in front of him is a rather large one. I mean if Phil Jackson was going to coach this group of Raptors I am not convinced he could make them a playoff team. Does this give Jay Triano yet another free pass this season? I sure hope not. Eventually you have to be judged on your results. The W-L record of Jay Triano is not a great one. The jury is out on if he can be an effective NBA head coach. He has more then proven himself as an assistant. However sometimes assistant coaches do not make great head coaches. This is an opportunity for Jay to show us what he is made of in terms of being able to re-design the offence and defence and start with a clean slate pretty much.
Canada's women are at the World's by the way and have a 1-1 record with a win and loss to start. Good luck to the ladies they are already ahead of the men's team having won a game. Enjoy your weekend as I will be deep into football for The Score Boise State and Oregon State Saturday and Cowboys and Texans on Sunday.
See you Monday!!!
9/23/10
"Basketball Beyond The Floor"
Hockey. A word which is like a dagger to some basketball fans but a way to make a point for others. I am comparing today's book for discussion to the Toronto Maple Leafs. You get really excited and hopeful at the beginning of the season as a fan of the team and of the game. However, as the season wears on, you are pushing against your sensibilities to find a way to make it to the end of the season, much less the first round of the playoffs. Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0 by Rick Pitino with Pat Forde has its moments but was really a disappointment by the end. Rick Pitino describes what he went through professionally and personally to write this book and I appreciate how he told some very personal stories to illustrate how to move past the fear of failure. However, after getting about halfway through the book, it just seemed like the "you can do it" speech we've all heard before. He has already written four books along the lines of this topic which shows people are listening to what he has to say enough for he and the publisher to still make a living off his written word. I said last week I wanted to see if this book could hold a candle to The Gold Standard. Let's just say if this were an MMA match-up, The Gold Standard would be George St. Pierre and Rebound Rules would be Dion Phaneuf. Both very tough dudes, but George comes out on top by a long shot. Let's get into some key areas.
Giving Credit where Credit is Due
According to Rick Pitino, the purpose of Rebound Rules is to give the reader tools to mount a comeback when previous methods of overcoming mistakes or tragedy don't work. He says when we are afraid, fear takes over and we make bad decisions. Further, he says being "relentlessly positive" can be the only way to defeat the power of negativity. Blah. Blah. Blah. We have heard this story before. But to give him credit, he did what a lot of coaches today might never do: admit to his mistakes. As a coach, Rick Pitino says he made 3 key mistakes:
(1) He made too many spontaneous decisions about players.
(2) He took shortcuts. He said if he didn't have the talent he wanted on the team, he should have persevered with what he had.
(3) He beat himself up about mistakes.
These are three key points to remember this season when following the Toronto Raptors or any other team in the NBA for that matter. Some of the greatest NBA coaches of all time handle #3 very well and I think this is the key to their success. Look very carefully at the answers coaches and players give this season and how they evaluate their successes, failures and who gets the credit. One of the handful of things I liked about this book is Rick Pitino's take on honesty as a coach: "One thing you must do in the face of adversity is to be honest with yourself, and with the people you are trying to lead. Acknowledge the difficult spot you're in and commence digging out of it". Note to self: Buy Brian Colangelo a shovel for Christmas.
Going Beneath the Surface
This is the single most line in the book which stood out for me: "Don't work as if you are overqualified for your job". In other words, don't think certain tasks are beneath you like changing your role on the team to beat a certain opponent, even if it means less glory or less playing time. The perfect example of this is when we have agents advocating on behalf of their clients for more playing time. Instead of thinking of what it takes for the team to win, the individual player is looking out for number one. This is the point we were discussing last week with The Gold Standard. Players should fight for more playing time by their actions on the court, not by their words. In Rebound Rules, Rick Pitino describes a former college player of his, Edgar Sosa. Rick Pitino said Edgar had a few powerful nights in scoring, but then just rode the wave after that thinking scoring was the only means to success: "I told him that after being involved in eight NBA drafts, pro coaches, scouts, and general managers did not discuss scoring averages when evaluating players...(instead) Does this player make other people better, and would he make our team better?" This is true but I am sure the fact a player consistently puts points up on the board has some bargaining power.
Corruption is the Rotten Apple
"The steps toward improvement generally require seeking and accepting feedback from colleagues and superiors - that's why we watch film of every game and every practice, for feedback on our performance and how to better it" (Rick Pitino). Now, if everyone on the team buys into this practice, it works. However, there's always the chance of one rotten apple spoiling the whole bunch. This is wear Rick Pitino discussed team chemistry and what corrupts it: (1) Jealousy; (2) Cynicism; (3) Inflated Ego; (4) Inflexible Personality; (5) Discipline Deficiency; (6) Lack of Passion; (7) Excuse Making; (8) Front Running. These are all key points, again, to keep in the back of your mind this season - especially when evaluating the Miami Heat. This team is expected to win because of The Big Three and I would hazard to guess if any of these issues come up if they hit a bad patch and what excuses they will give if the NBA Championship eludes them. Just something to think about.
Flick Pick of the Week
I'm giving you a "good laugh" flick pick this week. If you haven't already, watch "Semi-Pro" starring Will Ferrel and Woody Harrelson. It's about the owner/coach/player of the ABA's Flint Michigan Tropics (played by Ferrel) and how they join the NBA. It might be a stretch for those who aren't huge fans of Will Ferrel but I think he's hilarious and enjoyed it.
Next week we will be discussing Condition the NBA Way written by 14 strength and conditioning coaches of the NBA. It was published in 1994, so it will be interesting to see how relevant it is for today's athletes.
Also, there are only a few weeks left for "Basketball Beyond the Floor" then it will hibernate until next summer. A new feature, "Behind Enemy Lines" will take its place here on the DNB. This new feature will take a look at the Toronto Raptors' opponents for the coming week. We'll discuss everything from strategy to news makers to things to watch for. So mark down Thursday, October 21 on your calendar since this is when the new feature will begin. Until then, we will continue our "Basketball Beyond the Floor" discussions. See you on Tuesday for another serving of "Jiggly Bits".
Giving Credit where Credit is Due
According to Rick Pitino, the purpose of Rebound Rules is to give the reader tools to mount a comeback when previous methods of overcoming mistakes or tragedy don't work. He says when we are afraid, fear takes over and we make bad decisions. Further, he says being "relentlessly positive" can be the only way to defeat the power of negativity. Blah. Blah. Blah. We have heard this story before. But to give him credit, he did what a lot of coaches today might never do: admit to his mistakes. As a coach, Rick Pitino says he made 3 key mistakes:
(1) He made too many spontaneous decisions about players.
(2) He took shortcuts. He said if he didn't have the talent he wanted on the team, he should have persevered with what he had.
(3) He beat himself up about mistakes.
These are three key points to remember this season when following the Toronto Raptors or any other team in the NBA for that matter. Some of the greatest NBA coaches of all time handle #3 very well and I think this is the key to their success. Look very carefully at the answers coaches and players give this season and how they evaluate their successes, failures and who gets the credit. One of the handful of things I liked about this book is Rick Pitino's take on honesty as a coach: "One thing you must do in the face of adversity is to be honest with yourself, and with the people you are trying to lead. Acknowledge the difficult spot you're in and commence digging out of it". Note to self: Buy Brian Colangelo a shovel for Christmas.
Going Beneath the Surface
This is the single most line in the book which stood out for me: "Don't work as if you are overqualified for your job". In other words, don't think certain tasks are beneath you like changing your role on the team to beat a certain opponent, even if it means less glory or less playing time. The perfect example of this is when we have agents advocating on behalf of their clients for more playing time. Instead of thinking of what it takes for the team to win, the individual player is looking out for number one. This is the point we were discussing last week with The Gold Standard. Players should fight for more playing time by their actions on the court, not by their words. In Rebound Rules, Rick Pitino describes a former college player of his, Edgar Sosa. Rick Pitino said Edgar had a few powerful nights in scoring, but then just rode the wave after that thinking scoring was the only means to success: "I told him that after being involved in eight NBA drafts, pro coaches, scouts, and general managers did not discuss scoring averages when evaluating players...(instead) Does this player make other people better, and would he make our team better?" This is true but I am sure the fact a player consistently puts points up on the board has some bargaining power.
Corruption is the Rotten Apple
"The steps toward improvement generally require seeking and accepting feedback from colleagues and superiors - that's why we watch film of every game and every practice, for feedback on our performance and how to better it" (Rick Pitino). Now, if everyone on the team buys into this practice, it works. However, there's always the chance of one rotten apple spoiling the whole bunch. This is wear Rick Pitino discussed team chemistry and what corrupts it: (1) Jealousy; (2) Cynicism; (3) Inflated Ego; (4) Inflexible Personality; (5) Discipline Deficiency; (6) Lack of Passion; (7) Excuse Making; (8) Front Running. These are all key points, again, to keep in the back of your mind this season - especially when evaluating the Miami Heat. This team is expected to win because of The Big Three and I would hazard to guess if any of these issues come up if they hit a bad patch and what excuses they will give if the NBA Championship eludes them. Just something to think about.
Flick Pick of the Week
I'm giving you a "good laugh" flick pick this week. If you haven't already, watch "Semi-Pro" starring Will Ferrel and Woody Harrelson. It's about the owner/coach/player of the ABA's Flint Michigan Tropics (played by Ferrel) and how they join the NBA. It might be a stretch for those who aren't huge fans of Will Ferrel but I think he's hilarious and enjoyed it.
Next week we will be discussing Condition the NBA Way written by 14 strength and conditioning coaches of the NBA. It was published in 1994, so it will be interesting to see how relevant it is for today's athletes.
Also, there are only a few weeks left for "Basketball Beyond the Floor" then it will hibernate until next summer. A new feature, "Behind Enemy Lines" will take its place here on the DNB. This new feature will take a look at the Toronto Raptors' opponents for the coming week. We'll discuss everything from strategy to news makers to things to watch for. So mark down Thursday, October 21 on your calendar since this is when the new feature will begin. Until then, we will continue our "Basketball Beyond the Floor" discussions. See you on Tuesday for another serving of "Jiggly Bits".
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