Oh, the back-to-back thing is happening. I know there are some people out there that ask "So what's the big deal?" But as I have always said I'm a broadcaster and I'm tired. Never mind having chased the Lakers around the court less than 24 hours ago and then starting to size up the highest scoring team in the league in Golden State.
Toronto is 8-8 on the first night of back-to-backs and 8-7 on the second night pending Wednesday's outcome.
Granted, the team does travel well but even with all of that, the aircraft landed in Oakland at 1:30 a.m. Pacific Time and by the time the bus drove across the bridge to the hotel in San Francisco, it was 2 a.m. local before everyone got into their rooms. I am one who never changes the time on my watch when I am on the road so I know what time it is at home immediately when I look at my wrist. So when I took it off last night/this morning to put my head on the pillow, some people were heading to work on the east coast.
There will be no Chris Webber Wednesday night for the Warriors. He just recently returned from visiting the doctor who performed his micro-fracture surgery in Atlanta and will work with the Golden State medical staff in the near future as he rehabs his knee.
No doubt in my mind that Kobe is the MVP this year. Interesting though that T.J. Ford tried to serve him some "grill cheese" by dunking on him in the 4th quarter but Kobe came up with the blocked shot. The two were talking about it for the remainder of the game in a running dialogue.
You never know who you'll see in Los Angeles. There was a NBA D-league game going on before the main event last night at the Staples Center as the L.A. D-fenders were battling the Utah Flash. There were only a couple of hundred fans watching and as I'm headed to the radio spot to set up for the action and I hear this "Hey…Paul" and see a hand up over some guys head as his back is toward me and he is watching the game. It happens to be Celtics GM Danny Ainge.
He's there to watch Boston's second round pick Gabe Pruitt who is playing for Utah. We chat about a bunch of things before I finally get the mic out to get a pre-game interview with him. He didn't even stay for the game. Ainge says he's seen enough of Kobe and that's what scouts do.
When we're done the interview, Ainge leans over to John Lucas, who is with the Raptors for at least part of the trip, and is educated on how the Blue Jays, back in the day had very competitive pick up basketball games. "Luke" didn't know that outfielder Lloyd Moseby, nicknamed "the shaker" got the moniker from his ability to play hoops and well, shake you up.
Ainge talked about how when he was with the Jays minor league affiliate in Syracuse the pick up games were spirited. But Lucas got the best laugh from Ainge's story about how he was finally recognized as a player by former first baseman John Mayberry. "Big John" never believed Danny could play and use to tease him about the fact he could only play on the other side of town. Finally after watching him play, Mayberry finally said "Hey man, you can play on that side and this side. Man, you can play on the east side, west side or whatever side you want to." Ainge said it was finally an acknowledgement that he'd been accepted.
It was good to see Bosh on the floor last night moving, albeit slowly, but moving and starting to test his right knee. He was wearing a brace and he did not do anything too strenuous to even break a sweat, but there he was, on the floor with Jorge Garbajosa getting some shots up at the hoop. Neither one was anywhere close to game speed and Garbo was moving while Bosh was shooting standing set shots.
Bosh said before the game in the locker room he couldn't play right now if he wanted to. He said he'd be scored upon defensively and couldn't move on offense. As I said before, I don't see him playing on this trip.
