There is a chart floating around from B-Ball Index regarding Scottie Barnes and his playmaking. It uses a lot of colors and dots to explain that Scottie is good at passing the ball to people who then put the ball in the hoop. I remember when we used to just call that an assist, but now it involves advanced math and scatter plots.
The analytics suggest Scottie is doing things most people his size cannot do. He sees the court like a guy who is much shorter, which is usually a compliment in basketball, even though being tall is the whole point of the job. It is nice to see the data back up what we see, even if what we see is often just Scottie looking very frustrated while someone misses a layup.
The Offensive Philosophical Void
Gilbert Arenas recently said that the real liability on a court is the defensive specialist who cannot score. This is a stressful thought for those of us who grew up believing a hard foul and a defensive slide could save your soul. If Gilbert is right, then half of the Raptors roster history consists of players who were actually just there to exercise.
I suppose it makes sense, because you cannot defend a basket that has already been scored on. Or maybe you can. I am still thinking about it. Collin Murray-Boyles seems to have taken this advice to heart, as he is currently the most efficient high volume scorer in his rookie class. He just puts the ball in the hole quite a bit, which simplifies the game in a way I find soothing.
Nostalgia and Cross-Border Promotions
Twenty six years ago today, Vince Carter did things in a dunk contest that made my cousin Darryl try to jump over a Honda Civic. He did not clear it. Vince beat Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady back when the dunk contest was the most important thing in the world, right after Tamagotchis and making sure your dial-up internet did not disconnect mid-download.
It is strange to think that was over a quarter of a century ago. Time just keeps happening, much like Raptors turnovers in the third quarter. We look back at those highlights to feel something, usually a mixture of awe and a slight pain in our knees that was not there in the year 2000.
Miscellaneous Items
- There is a Raptors and Buffalo Bills shirt giveaway happening on March 3rd. It is a crossover for people who enjoy a specific type of cold-weather sports suffering.
- The shirts will likely be red or blue, or perhaps a mixture of both, which would be purple.
- I once saw a man wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey at a Shoppers Drug Mart in July. He looked like he had seen a lot of things he wished he hadn't.