Raptors mailbag: Thoughts on RJ Barrett’s impressive play, the Paris Olympics and the Blue Jays

Hi, Doug. I hope this swells your mailbag and doesn’t get you too upset. I am upset by tanking, particularly as seat prices aren’t reduced during those times. So I’m wondering …

Next time you sit down with a beverage to share with your dear friend Adam Silver, would you bring that topic up and suggest a possible remedy. Namely that the NBA adopt the relegation system, meaning that the bottom four teams go down a league. That league might include cities such as Montreal, Seattle, Vancouver, Syracuse, Mexico City, etc. Think of the added TV money. Think of the incentive for teams like Detroit and Utah to play hard.

More money, more excitement, more participation. Enjoy your beverage.

Bev

I’ll bring it up, but it’s a non-starter. The financial realities (how do you spread TV money, for instance, among teams that “might” be in the league); the arena issues in small cities that “might” be in the NBA; contracts and salary caps/tax thresholds in different leagues.

There are too many impediments.

One thing they might consider: Using the in-season tournament to exclude bottom-dwelling teams — and cost them a share of that prize money — might be worth exploring.

I’ll bring that  up the next time we have dinner and drinks.

Hi, Doug. The narrative of our penalized women’s Olympic soccer players carrying on despite severe FIFA punishment is one way to regain some pride and engagement with the team. But surely it is important to come to terms with the team’s leadership caught cheating with drone recording of opposition practice (about the dumbest action imaginable).

But more than dumbness, how do you reckon with the thinking and ethics of those responsible?

When the federal government tied funding to Canadian sports organizations to winning Olympic medals, did you think it would incentivize cheating?

National “character” has been compromised, but then again such “traits” are a creation of stories and myths — this one hurts.

And speaking of character, when personal ambition and winning at any cost (?) replace fair play, where does that leave Canadian sports leaders and players when it comes to professionalism and ethics?

Charles N.

I didn’t have a big issue when the funding model changed from rewarding mere participation on a world level to concentrate on winning. The byproduct is, of course, the inherent risk to chase excellence at all costs and maybe, because of this soccer mess and others, there needs to be more close oversight on the people who run these multimillion-dollar sports businesses.

I’m not sure how it can be done or by who, but I think it’s necessary.

Ethics, though, are such a personal characteristic and instilling them in everyone is a job that goes far beyond sports.

What a great run our basketball team is having.

Curious: Do all the players stay in the Olympic Village on the cardboard bed they’ve been given, or are they able to check into the five-star hotel life that they’re accustomed to?

Can’t wait to see what RJ Barrett does for the Raptors this season, he is on fire!

Mary R.

With the preliminary games in Lille, basketball teams have been staying there, but I’m told many will move into the Paris main village for the knockout rounds. But the United States,citing security risks, stays on its own at an undisclosed hotel and that’s been the norm since 1992.

Hi, Doug.

When Canada played their opening 3x3 match, it was the first time I’ve ever watched a game, and I really enjoyed it. I was wondering if you know what the court is made of. It doesn’t appear to be painted hardwood, and it sort of looks like it has a texture to it.

Thanks.

Jo

It’s not hardwood like a usual basketball court because of the weather conditions at open-air venues. The best way it’s ever been explained to me is that it’s a high-impact plastic-covered tile.

Wishing you and your department a great rest of the summer 2024!

What’s the history (brief) of the 3x3?

First-time experience and quite intrigued with first day of competition at Paris 2024 for both men’s and ladies teams …

Thank you.

Ugo from Toronto

It’s been around for decades in playgrounds, but most point to the early 1990s when rules were codified. FIBA’s been sanctioning world events since about the mid-2000s and the sport made its debut at Tokyo 2020.

There’s lots to like about the game. It’s great for mass participation and, most important,  places a huge emphasis on overall skill development.

Doug, hope you are enjoying the Olympics, although as I write this things are not looking good for the women’s basketball team. That is certainly a surprise since it seemed to be a team reaching its peak with a lot of excellent veteran players.

Two queries for you about the Olympics.

Why is so much attention paid to the medal count since it is hardly a level playing field sport-to-sport. In sports like gymnastics, swimming, table tennis and others there are many medals available and a country can have more than one entry. In other sports, basketball being an excellent example, there is one event and a country can only have one entry. Seems silly to do a total count.

Like most things in life it is easier to add stuff than to cut stuff. The Olympics is no exception with many new sports being added to attract the attention of young’uns. (For the not young’uns, I am willing to bet real money on pickleball being in L.A. in ‘28.) At the same time it is getting more and more costly to run the event and fewer cities want to host (how about having it permanently in Paris?) for good reason. One help would be to reduce the number of sports offered. What would you cut? I am all-in on dumping anything involving a horse (this includes modern pentathlon), along with the second flavour of wrestling, and race walking.

Bruce in Oshawa

I agree with the folly of “overall team medals” for the reasons you mentioned and because I’ve always wondered how to rank it: Most golds? Most total medals? A percentage of medals won compared to entrants from a country?

I guess there’s a demand for an overall “winner” but I can’t see why.

The sports program is way too bloated — primary to satisfy broadcasters looking for new, younger viewers — and I can’t keep up.

I’d absolutely whack the likes of boxing and some equestrian, and I would cut back on the intra-sport proliferation of events. Do we need so many different distances in every swimming stroke discipline?

And I’d say pickleball is next, and how beach soccer isn’t in there already surprises me.

Hi, Doug. Hope you’ve been enjoying the Olympics so far, whether or not it involves basketball. Lots of great stories about athletes on the journey to be the world’s best.

Some questions:

1) Andre De Grasse was a high school baller who was persuaded to take up track as a specialty. Who has been your favourite basketball recruiting story from another sport? How about the other way around? (Sport “x” to hoops.)

2) I know he’s too old, but man can Sergio Llull play! Reminds me a lot of Jorge Garbajosa. Who are your favourite players pushing 40 (current or all-time)?

3) As fun as it is watching the Team Canada starters playing together, do these games actually get GMs thinking about roster changes in the NBA? I know, no team can afford all the starters for the U.S. or Canada, but maybe they think of low-budget replacements based on dynamics, fit, etc.?

4) Now with a few more games played, has anyone caught your eye for an NBA signing, maybe even here? Who’s on the Doug Smith wish list, or does it not exist?

Thanks for keeping things going during the off-season! Hope the long weekend is put to good use (or misuse as the case may be)!

Bernie M.

Donovan Bailey was a pretty good basketball player, too, as I recall. So that’s one. How about track stars like Bob Reeves or Skeets Nehemiah who were pretty solid football players?

Forty-somethings? Kareem and Manu come quickly to mind.

No, the roles are different, the game is different, the stakes are greater. NBA execs react to only their own realities.

I still don’t think there is a big enough sample example right now to say anyone is certain to succeed if they moved from one game to the other.

Hi, Doug. Hope you are having an awesome Simcoe Day weekend (I still call it that).

I was thinking about the Jontay Porter mess. Undeniably a black eye for both him and the NBA. It seems to me that there is only one possibility of a smidgen of good coming out of that. That would be if Porter were to own up to the fact that he had a problem, and offer to tour other NBA teams to tell the players how his gambling addiction took over his life, and how they should be wary of it and signs they should watch for to let them know they have a problem. This would be similar to what many recovering drug/alcohol addicts do.

However much time you spent around Porter, it’s more than your loyal readers. Recognizing you are not a psychologist, but do you think he has it in him to have the kind of insight needed to do something like that? It really is a tragic story of how ones demons can get the better of you.

MSG

The guy pleaded guilty, I believe. That’s “owning up” enough. And believe me, nothing Porter could say to any NBAer wouldn’t match what they already hear from the team, the league, the union and their agents.

His “insight” wouldn’t do a thing.

If you ran FIBA, would you move the men’s three to the NBA distance? If not, why not?

Also, RJ has played three solid games for Canada, which is not a surprise for Raptors fans who saw how much better he was after being traded from the Knicks. Is this upturn finally being noticed elsewhere? Your pal Brian Windhorst even mentioned him today on “NBA Live.”

Palul M.

I wouldn’t change a thing with the rules. I can see the benefit of the shorter line making it easier to close out on shooters and create more drive and kick action; I can see the longer line creating more mid-range spots for players to operate it.

Both seem to work, no real need to change anything.

RJ’s been doing this in FIBA tournaments for seven or eight years. It’s not an upturn from those of us who’ve watched. He’s just had an opportunity he never got in New York. I think it’s always been there.

Hello, Doug. Few random questions, let me know your thoughts.

a) Will Scottie Barnes be on the roster for the next U.S. Olympic team? What’s his national team situation?

b) You’ve covered lots of live sports events. Which is your favourite sport to see live? To me, professional tennis is simply incredible to watch in person.

c) Every season I’d watch parts of at least 100 Blue Jays games, going back 35-plus years. This season I’ve watched maybe 10. They are a bad, boring team and hard to get behind. It’s never really seemed to work with Mark Shapiro-Ross Atkins and I hope Rogers realizes this.

Enjoy the rest of summer.

Jordan

I’m sure Barnes will be in a pool of players under consideration for the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, but we’re years and years away from that point.

I always loved the chance to see a day or two of athletics at the seven summer Olympics I’ve covered.

One thing I can guarantee: When Rogers sees the season-ticket renewal numbers plummet, when they see those fancy, very expensive seats empty for most of August and September and when those hot dog sales go in the toilet, the bean counters will notice.

Hi, Doug. It seems like it is soccer all the time everywhere (good and bad) these days. Here’s hoping that Manchester City doesn’t win the EPL again this year. Anyway, two questions.

First, I presume that LeBron James is the richest flag-bearer in Olympic history, or at least the richest from their sport?

Second, do you know what happened to Home Plate Lady at the Blue Jays games? She was there for a few games at the start of the season.

Thanks.

Mike K. in London

I’m going to guess LeBron was, but I haven’t researched history to see if some royal family member from some crazy wealthy country might have set a higher bar.

I do recall reading or hearing somewhere that everyone’s favourite Home Plate Lady had her seats shift out of the TV shot through the redesign of the seats at the dome.

But since I can’t imagine me watching another game this year, I won’t be thinking about it.