Had I not attended first round of March Madness in Buffalo last week, I think that I would not feel the way I do about the state of the NBA game, but after experiencing a live U.S. College game it is very apparent to me that there are significant differences in the quality of basketball that is being played in the NCAA and the NBA respectively. Before people jump down my throat at this ludicrous and outlandish statement, let me first say that without a doubt, the talent level in the NBA supercedes the talent level in the NCAA by leaps and bounds, and perhaps this factor is directly responsible for the observations that I am about to make.
It did not take long for me to recognize the pattern of both teams last night. It was very rare that either team brought the ball down the floor and set up any sort of offense other than a high pick and roll (or pick and pop) followed by an entry pass into the post and a lot of standing around. Every once in a while, the defense would double team the post player and the ball would work its way around the perimeter for a jumpshot. That, in itself is smart basketball, but seemed like it was only a means to an end. In other words, the game last night looked like nothing more than a glorified pickup game, or a more involved 1 on 1 game between the point guards or the post players. It was a stark contrast to the NCAA games that I saw in Buffalo, where the emphasis is on motion, screens, fundamentals, a high basketball IQ, and a commitment to team success.
Another glaring difference is the emotion and the effort with which the players play. I don't have firsthand access to the Raptors players nor do I have courtside seats, so this is simply an observation based on opinion, but it seems like the players go long periods without caring about the game whatsoever. Sporadically, the players will show you how good they are, as was the sequence last night where TJ Ford hit a three pointer, stole the inbounds pass on pure hustle, and then found Bosh for a huge alley-oop dunk, but those instances are few and far between. It's for reasons like those that I enjoy watching players such as Jose Calderon, who play each game like it might be the last time they get to play the sport they love. It is this attitude that allows the NCAA to emphasize how beautiful the game is when it is played purely.
It's also this attitude that brings out the emotional highs and lows that come with watching March Madness in the NCAA. The enthusiasm, unbridled joy, and the heart displayed by collegiate athletes is in my opinion, unparalleled anywhere else in the sporting world other than the World Cup of Soccer. The reaction of the crew of token white guys on the end of every NCAA team's bench when they are on the verge of an upset is priceless. I feel like if you were to look down the end of the Raptors' bench at the end of a close game, you would find Uros Slokar, Pape Sow, and Joey Graham in what I like to call, "The La-Z-Boy position". Undoubtedly, I would pay a lot of money to see top players such as Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Allen Iverson play at the ACC, I can definitively say that the thrill I would get from watching them play would be substantially less than the thrill I got from watching Maryland play Davidson in the NCAA Tournament.
The support that Sam Mitchell is receiving in a bid to win NBA Coach of the Year is, to me, very telling of the state of the NBA game. Don't get me wrong, I think that Sam Mitchell has managed his roster very well, and has been sensitive to the peaks and valleys that the Raptor players have experienced through the course of the season, but I am very strongly of the opinion that Sam Mitchell is a terrible technical coach. Three times I have watched the outcome of a game come down to the last Raptors' possession. The Raptors won all three of those games, yet all three times I found myself wondering, "What exactly did Sam Mitchell draw up during that timeout?" Is it really necessary to call a timeout to tell your team to give the ball to the point guard and stand in the corner? The fact that the Raptors won those games is a testament to the fact that TJ Ford has the ability to make a tough layup as well as the ability of Andrea Bargnani to a) make a high arcing jumpshot from the corner with a hand in his face and b)make a very difficult 4 point play from deep beyond the three point arc (which, not ironically, came off two failed Raptors' shot attempts on a TJ Ford drive). For those of you keeping score at home, that's 3 close games that have ended with 3 wins on exactly ZERO well planned or executed final shot attempts.
Last night, I saw more of the same. The Raptors' offence was extremely stagnant at times in the 2nd half. Sam Mitchell would call a timeout, and out of the timeout the Raptors would either run a feeble pick and pop, or someone would force up a shot with the clock running down. In my opinion, the measure of the ability of the coach comes in plays immediately following timeouts and also the level play at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the second half, which are all times in which the Toronto Raptors have not fared well. Mitchell's performance last night was overshadowed only by the terrible job that Magic Coach Brian Hill put forth as he failed to call a timeout at any point in the last 5 minutes of the game when his team was still within striking distance and struggling on the offensive end. Only when the game was out of reach did Hill resort to calling a timeout, which was completely inexplicable. Add to that the inability to figure out how to get the ball to Dwight Howard in a position where he was able to score the ball (don't read into the praise heaped on Rasho and Humphries last night because brian Hill made it easy for them), and you;ve got a recipe for disaster.
If exceedingly nice threads and the ability to yell and be animated with referees is the criteria for receiving Coach of the Year accolades, then Mitchell has my vote locked up. However, when it comes to the Raptors' Coaching situation, I'll take substance over style any day of the week.
