I Wrote this While Watching House on DVD

The Trailer Park Boys Movie featured a major new character: Sonny, owner of the nearby Gentlemen’s Club. The Simpsons Movie introduced Russ Cargill of the Environmental Protection Agency, who appeared far too frequently. These prominent characters could have been replaced easily (Cyrus and Ten-Gallon Hat Man are two possibilities) and should have been excised from the films because they fell flat in their roles (whether furthering the plot or attempting to make a joke.)

When asked to explain his team’s recent success on the road (five points in three games), Alexei Kovalev said that, “On the road, [the Montreal Canadiens] seem to play more relaxed and kind of play the game with nothing to lose. When we come back home, we try to overdue things. We try to do a little bit extra because family is in the building, and friends and all of our fans.”

The Habs return to the Bell Centre on Thursday to play the Lighting, a team they recently defeated 5-2 in Tampa. What can the Canadiens do to ensure a win and avoid disappointment?

Sport is fundamentally simple: the body repeats a number of actions. It becomes more complicated when the mind interferes, building mountains out of molehills. Certainly, we wouldn’t enjoy the game at the highest levels if it was played like a 6:00am house league game but the trick lies in resisting the temptation to harm ourselves; the opponent proves more than eager to complete that task. Whether at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital or on the ice, one must focus on what one does best.

The Detroit Pistons would be foolish to abandon the Circle Play for the playoffs. Jamario Moon would be equally rash to think that he should match Ray Allen shot for shot. The University of Western Ontario seemed to run only one continuity set (baseline screens, deftly performed) to win Ryerson’s DeArmon Memorial Tournament.

Why do players and team want to make it more difficult for themselves? Everyone has the freedom to choose how they want to perform. It’s up to coaches to motivate players, creating needs and wants, so they perform optimally.

Guy Carbonneau, Montreal’s coach, should put his foot down (and make Kerry Price the number one goalie, Ken Dryden style) and make things simpler for his team, using video, practical examples in practice, or a frank talk. Kovalev’s comments are a cop-out, a mere excuse. If players truly feel that way, the coach isn’t doing his job.

"Il Mago"

Lately criticism has abounded concerning Raptors forward AndreaBargnani, initially justified, now provided by columnists seeking topics, attempting to feed a need. Evaluating Bargnani is challenging, on account of several injuries affecting his performance since late last season. Foot and knee injuries have deprived “Il Mago” of his quickness and first step. The first months of his career had been promising and raised everyone’s expectations.

Now, the knives are out. But anyone who writes off a draft pick in their second year is asking to become a victim of other general managers, ignoring the precedent set by Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett, the last three M.V.P. winners who struggled mightily during their second seasons.

Obviously, Bargnani is not at this level - the entire draft class was considered weak at the time - but pundits have been disappointed by a range of talents, from Tracy McGrady to Kwame Brown, so any number of paths are possible.

Andrea Bargnani stated the Raptors’ first few games of 07-08, playing a quasi-Euro centre next to Chris Bosh’s power forward. After a number of underwhelming performances, he was bench in favour of Rasho Nesterovic and coach Sam Mitchell has inconsistently dispersed minutes since. Now, as of Saturday’s game in Phoenix, the Italian is back in the starting lineup, apparently to stay.

Nesterovic is a vastly underrated defender who possesses an array of post moves. Despite occasionally poor shot selection, he deserves to start in the Association. Toronto will suffer if he continues to be DNP-CDed. Bargnani could become stronger but if he followed Nesterovic’s example of persistence he would immediately become a better defender. Adding more inside post moves to his game would allow him to become more like Arvydas Sabonis, and other players who combined inside and outside games.

Starting again as Toronto’s centre, Bargnani performed much better in his increased role. In addition to improving his ability to defend, he could develop his decisiveness and confidence in order to play with more aggressiveness, draw fouls, and shoot higher percentage shots. Few possess Bargnani’s skill set but it is meaningless if he doesn’t use it to the fullest extent.

Jamario Moon should be benched in favour of Bargnani. Certainly, Moon’s “joie de jouer” and vertical leap have endeared him to Toronto fans but he performs inconsistently and if anyone should give up minutes, it is him.

Currently, Moon’s main flaw is a tendency to force outside shots and avoid driving to the basket to force contact. This is similar to what Bargnani should improve so if he doesn’t want to play with more intensity, Moon should continue to receive the benefit of the doubt. But Jamario Moon does not need to play forty minutes per game so there is certainly room to scale back his burn.

This decision is slightly complicated by Toronto’s system, which works best when sparked by the defence. The offence struggles the most when the players (Jason Kapono, Carlos Delfino, T.J. Ford) jack bad outside shots. The last thing the Raptors need is more weak defence and outside shooting. Attacking the basket, posting up, cutting, sharing the ball, making reasonable outside shots: all attributes of Bargnani’s that can jumpstart the Raptor’s motion offence -- if he wants to.

Posts Do More Than Merely Hold Up Stop Signs

Down the stretch last night in Portland, the Toronto Raptors’ offence sputtered and stalled, ultimately failing. Aside from Anothy Parker’s awesome dunk (plus the harm) off a dribble-pick, execution was disastrous.

José Calderon bounced the ball off his foot. I see the benefit of surprising the opposition by eschewing the timeout and subsequently exploding in transition to split two defenders but it’s a risky move that - given the situation - should only be attempted with supreme confidence and a high chance of success.

Jason Kapono traveled while spotting up. I hate the quick score and foul play; eventually shooting skill improves to a level where at least 1.2 points is the expected outcome of two bonus free throw attempts. A team down three with 2-3 defensive possessions remaining needs to score at least seven points to win, if they are fouling for the ball. Whether the three was appropriate or not is irrelevant since Kapono appeared totally bewildered and unprepared. Instead of getting his hands ready to catch the ball and shoot after inbounding, he shuffled his feet and walked.

Lastly, Chris Bosh did not receive any touches inside during the last few possessions before the game was decided. On YouTube, Hakeem Olajuwon demonstrates how a great post can transform a team (Dejan Bodiroga does likewise for great footwork). I don’t sense that Bosh is an elite post but he has the potential to be quite effective when he attacks the rack. Bosh needs to believe in himself and forget the easy jumpshot in favour of the drive. The team needs to believe in him and give him the ball at critical junctures.

Inside-outside jumpshots have a much higher percentage than when Carlos Delfino or Andrea Bargnani force something up. Close but no cigar; fourth in the East is far from an Association title. Play hard, play smart, play together.

Occam's Razor

In two of their last three games, the Toronto Raptors have come from behind in the second half. The final result belying severe offensive difficulties, the stark contrast in first and second half performances providing a virtual manual regarding how to win basketball games. Truly it’s no mystery.

For example, the Raptors took too many jumpers early in last night’s game with the Los Angeles Clippers. If Tim Thomas were guarding me, I would post him up. When Chris Bosh realized this and began attacking the basket, he began scoring, going to the line, and drawing the double-time. A rocker-step - a tremendous post move - wastes possessions eighteen feet away from the hoop.

Clippers Centre Chris Kaman was destroying Toronto’s interior defense until Rasho Nesterovic commenced fighting him for every inch of the pain. Kaman was forced to start post moves further away from the basket, two dribble moves yielding worse shots than a seal followed by a drop-step. Kaman was also exhausted after the third quarter and noticeably less effective. When pressured, Los Angeles threw atrocious post entry passes.

Friday against the Indiana Pacers, the Raptors’ defence permitted excessive high percentage shots, only to clamp down in the second half. Teams that get ahead early stay ahead more often than not and comeback wins are misleading exceptions. An opponent scoring ceaselessly is combated by remaining discipline and taking good shots. The best pressure defence is to score often. When someone like Mike Dunleavy is going off, attacking him at the other end, like Toronto did with Jason Kapono and Carlos Delfino, often proves to be a successful course of action.

“Plurality ought never be posited without necessity.”
- William of Ockham

Reaching the Next Level

The Raptors failed another key test Sunday (the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors have established that the Dallas Mavericks are not yet a true test). Boston won a putrid game, the 90-77 score unsuccessful in describing the ineffectiveness of Toronto’s play.

Boston is good, but not great. Three superstars anchor a solid rotation and the team has demonstrated the ability to play well without any one of the featured players. The Celtics played under control and relied on solid fundamentals.

Paul Pierce backed defenders down, using his elbow and shot-fakes to clear space for his jumper. Kevin Garnett scored inside and with a 10-12” jumpshot. Complementary players Eddie House and Tony Allen only took outside shots after the ball was kicked out of a double-team. Rajon Rondo used speed to exploit the snowed-in help defence. Nobody forced anything; the best players took the most shots.

In contrast, the Raptors did whatever they pleased, irrespective what would help the team win. Their offence was a Gong Show, players shooting everywhere. The team seemed to believe that the paint was guarded with an electrified fence. On-court leadership was sorely lacking; it’s appropriate for Chris Bosh to address the team in the locker room but he must first model the way.

Boston doubled the high ballscreen but Raptor dribblers couldn’t decisively move the ball to the screener. The Celtics’ second post would rotate to help so if the roll was covered, a second inside player was open (followed by a strong-side shooter when the perimeter defender helped). Toronto took too long to move the ball through that priority list, often moving the ball to the shooter too early.

In the second half, Jason Kapono/Carlos Delfino and Chris Bosh worked a nice downscreen/post seal set. However, it was abandoned too quickly. Also Bosh seemed to rely excessively on his 18” jumper. Kendrick Perkins can only do so much and should be attacked. If not by Bosh, then by Rasho Nesterovic, who received too few touches. What was most shocking was how slow Toronto’s coaching staff adjusted, if at all. Boston kept it simple and the Raptors did nothing to force them to chance.

Toronto could have dialed up the defence, perhaps even pressuring judiciously. Trapping Rondo might have kept him off-balance and affected his ability to distribute the ball. They could have run more, maybe throwing the ball at the rim for Jamario Moon. Since the Celtics were not allowing José Calderon to penetrate, the Raptors could have freed the point guard for a side screen with the Circle Play or something similar. Sam Mitchell has previously praised the team’s ability to make the “Hockey Assist”, the extra pass that leads to an open shot but the Raptors settled for bad outside shots on Sunday.

It was an unprofessional game all-around. The Raptors didn’t score a hundred points and the fans were denied pizza; the Big Ticket could have picked up the tab and bought pie out of respect for those who had to sit through that game.

Perspective

Pressure basketball has succeeded at almost every level (we all remember Rick Pitino’s failed transition to the Association in 1997) for a number of good reasons. Dialing up the intensity increases the sport’s difficulty and certain teams play much better at faster tempos, for starters.

Naturally, teams troubled by pressure can always practice. Talent is the single biggest factor for winning games (the reason Pitino’s Celtics floundered was because they did not win the 1997 lotttery) and passing, dribbling, cutting, and other skills can always be improved. Scoring also reverses the pressure by curtailing the opponent’s fast break; scoring is highly dependant on talent and mental training.

But the biggest improvements must concern mental training. First of all, teams must possess the capabilities to “slow it down”: see openings before they occur, understand what is happening, deconstruct the play into a collection of manageable actions, and take initiative to attack the opponent rather than watching the full-court pressure from afar. Intelligence is the great equalizer in all fields.

Fear of failure raises individual tension levels. The worst outcome from a single bad pass is a turnover and two (rarely three in transition) points. The worst outcome from a single loss is disappointment until the next opportunity to prove yourself. Basketball is not the be all and end but merely the beginning of it all.

People still take the sport too seriously. I actually agree with Bobby Petrino’s decision. His position with the Atlanta Falcons was horrible: the team’s best player was jailed for two years, players would argue with him on the sidelines, and the other thing worse than their current season was what the future held. For his own sake and making the most of himself, he made the right choice to move to Arkansas. Certainly, loyalty and commitment were compromised but nobody should put excessive stress on themselves until they become Randy Walker or Skip Prosser. Perhaps I am wearing rose-tinted glasses.

If a team plays for self-actualization, the final score is irrelevant. Players can still set new personal bests despite losing -- although this becomes frustrating if repeated over time. A basketball game is just two hours in length; control what you can and execute as well as possible. Players are in total control of their own excellence. The past is the past; don’t let mistakes compound into disaster.

Players’ health is also paramount, whether on the Association hardwood or the world’s pick-up courts, and it is never justified to give anyone the Mardy Collins at any level. Coaches are under excessive pressure and this adversely affects players, from seizing up at critical situation or creating a situation where flagrant fouls (among other inappropriate actions) are acceptable.

As Tim Duncan said about Isiah Thomas:

“It’s a bad situation when a coach puts himself in that position and goes after a player. It’s very uncalled for. I don’t know what his intentions were with that and we have bigger plans than trying to hurt somebody. I would hope that people would understand and respect that and obviously they don't.”
- Tim Duncan

The San Antonio Spurs play at a different level than the New York Knicks. The goal is to get to that level. As Irv Blitzer taught the world in Cool Runnings: “A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you’re not enough without one, you’ll never be enough with one.”

So relax, keep it real, and handle all basketball situations with peace of minds that comes from the self-satisfaction of knowing you did your best to be the best you are capable of becoming. Personal and team success comprise the big picture.

Take Initiative

Sam Mitchell and the Toronto Raptors let the Phoenix Suns take a 139-123 victory last night. Earlier in the day, Mitchell boasted in the Fan 590’s morning show that the team had three ways to stop Steve Nash and the Suns.

None of them worked.

Help Defence

José Calderon - and later Anthony Parker - guarded Nash relatively well. But the double-team to stop dribble penetration was disastrous, leaving deadly shooters like Leandro Barbosa open to make three pointers all night. Phoenix is tough to defend because every player possesses unique weapons. Perhaps Grant Hill is the best starter to leave open since he shoots triples so rarely but surely someone could have defended Barbosa after he dropped twenty-two in the first half.

Screen and Roll Defence

The Raptors switched screens - creating openings upon which the Suns immediately capitalized, such as when Amare Stoudamire threw down an alley-oop dunk on T.J. Ford. Other times the team rotated well, three players switching and forcing a bad shot; exaples of the persistent defence that could have won the game if it were more consistent.

Substitution Pattern

Jamario Moon played the first three quarters, then sat for a few minutes, playing a few more minutes before the benches were finally cleared. To me, that’s an illogical rotation. If a player receives that many minutes to start the game, they should be good enough to play the fourth quarter. Moon changed several shots and totally owned Shawn Marion on a block but his thirty-nine minutes were perplexing.

I believe in planning substitutions ahead of time: taking advantage of the fact that daily practices provide a larger sample size than one quarter, keeping track of good combinations and team chemistry, and avoiding incidents were a player might be forgotten.

Lastly, Kris Humphries played fourteen minutes when he should have been riding the pine. Humphries is not skilled enough to compete with Phoenix for an entire game (he did go off for a couple of possessions after his technical foul) and was responsible for many ill-timed switches.

Three Strategies to Consider for the Next Time

The Raptors should have attacked their opponents. They did not generate enough offensive pressure to affect what Phoenix did at the other end. The one successful element that Toronto possessed that the Suns (sans Kurt Thomas) could not handle was Rasho Nesterovic inside. After a strong first half, they ignored the Slovenian and his ornate post offence, attempting to play a second rate version of the PHX game.

Carlos Delfino and Jason Kapono missed countless shots too. Had Toronto played a screen and roll game with Calderon and Nesterovic, they would have generated countless pull-up Js, post-moves, and open threes for Anthony Parker.

From the opening tip, basketball teams have to come out and take the victory. Accentuating strengths, playing physically, and showing confidence combine for victories, now and in April, May, and June. The Raptors played passively, allowing the Suns to control everything. How many times do you shoot 55%, score 123 points, and lose?

Never (if you play great transition D).

West Viriginia Will Regret that Game for the Rest of their Lives

West Virginia's football team lost a gift-wrapped part in the B.C.S. National Championship Game thanks to a loss to Pittsburgh. The No. 2 ranked team was so heavily favoured that the combined score of both teams didn’t equal the spread. The Fiesta Bowl is a big deal but is nothing compared to a championship. What could Mountaineers have done to win the game? Could an extra practiced have been held, an additional weight training session scheduled, or more coaches’ meetings extended?

Andre Agassi lost the 1989 French Open final to Andrés Gómez and was haunted by the loss until his 1992 Wimbledon title - or perhaps until he truly self-actualized himself in 1994. Nevertheless, the prodigy’s loss to the Ecuadorian veteran remains a blemish that shouldn’t have happened and can’t be undone.

Should an athlete sacrifice his youth to train? Should a coach stay in his office until part four in the morning the night before games? Should participants pour everything they have into sport? Often not. Fundamentally, the result comes down to talent (physical, mental, psychological) and if that can’t be realistically improved, don’t bother, watch a Jean-Luc Godard film, and live a well-rounded life.

When moving higher up the laurel-covered spire, athletes and coaches yearn to be champions. Winning is the ideal but the test remains something to be reveled in. But if a team like West Virginia or an athlete like Agassi didn’t devote themselves as much to practice and work as entirely as they could have than the flame within their soul can destroy them, irrespective of the glamours achieved. Never ignore self-actualization while trying to win because the former is transferable to success in life but the latter is nothing more than a means to an end.