Thanks for that and enjoy while I’m trying to figure out what time it really is, after going three hours west but gaining one on the time change.
Hi, Doug.
asserted
it → enjoy → change
In the last mailbag, a contributor pointed out the fact that France had surpassed Canada as far as the country with the most NBA players outside the U.S.
asserted
France → point → U.S.
By the way, a couple of Canadians on the Wizards are not listed as Canadian on the NBA players page, so I think Canada is still very slightly ahead.
asserted
Canada → list → page
But when you look at the list of players from France and Canada side by side there is one thing that really stands out, and that’s height and weight.
asserted
that → look → side
It would appear that France has more top-quality big men than they know what to do with, and that Canada has more top-quality guards and wings than we know what to do with.
asserted
we → appear → what
I could extend this observation as well to European versus Canadian (NBA and EuroLeague) players as well.
uncertain
I → extend → players
Aside from two or three “still developing” Swede, Spaniard or Lithuanian guards in the NBA, it seems like Europe can’t produce quality backcourt players unlike the rest of the world, and that Canada (aside from Zach Edey) can’t produce top-notch centres like the rest of world.
asserted
Canada → develop → world
A quick glance at the rosters of the 20 EuroLeague clubs will show mostly guards from North and South America as well as naturalized Americans or player of European background who grew up in the U.S., but very few from even the Balkan and Baltic basketball-crazy countries.
asserted
who → show → countries
How can you explain the very large discrepancy?
asserted
you → explain → discrepancy
Why can’t Europe produce guards?
asserted
Europe → produce → guards
—Tony Q.
I honestly think the only explanation is that things are cyclical and this is the cycle we’re in.
asserted
we → think → ?
Plus, I’m not sure
asserted
I → ’m → ?
saying Europe can’t produce guards and Canada fails at producing bigs is historically correct.
asserted
Canada → say → bigs
Europe’s had great guards like Tony Parker, Šarunas Marciulionis, our own José Calderón, Dennis Schröder, Ricky Rubio and that’s not even mentioning Luka Doncic.
asserted
that → have → Doncic
And for years, Canada’s main export was bigs — Bill Wennington, Todd MacCulloch, Joel Anthony, Mike Smrek — and we couldn’t develop a guard.
asserted
we → develop → guard
I presume it will shift back the other way in time.
asserted
it → presume → time
An NBA coach working with the Chinese program from years leading up to and including the Yao Ming era once said to me, with frustration and truthfully: “A billion people, can’t find a point guard.”
asserted
people → work → guard
Raptors fans will be forced to go to a streaming site instead of turning to Sportsnet or TSN to watch the games.
asserted
fans → force → games
Raptors fans will be forced to go to a streaming site instead of turning to Sportsnet or TSN to watch the games.
asserted
fans → force → games
Thanks for your note about two Raptors fixtures migrating to Prime.
asserted
fixtures → migrate → Prime
I could easily have missed that.
uncertain
I → miss → that
An excuse to try streaming, I suppose.
asserted
I → try → streaming
I was watching the surprising Blazers versus the surprising Grizzlies last night (Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey are two giant humans who don’t like each other very much) and at one point Ja Morant, on a compelling quest for redemption, pulled up a bit lame.
asserted
Morant → watch → redemption
Have you an opinion concerning the surfeit of injuries striking players so early this year, or is this just the same as it has always been?
asserted
it → have → players
Will the league ever take this seriously, say, by considering a shorter schedule?
—James A., Victoria
This is certainly not based on any science, because I don’t know science, but my opinion is the game is almost too fast.
asserted
game → take → science
These are amazing athletes in the prime of their lives but the game’s faster than it’s ever been (possessions per team per game are up marginally this early), it’s more physical than it’s usually been this early in the season and the toll is significant.
asserted
toll → ’ → season
And as Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic pointed out to us this past week, going from 22 or 24 pre-season minutes to 28 or 30 regular-season minutes is a big jump, and the risk of injury increases with that.
asserted
risk → point → that
I can’t see them ever cutting back on the schedule, but maybe stretching camp by a week and going to six exhibition games would let teams gradually ramp up minutes.
asserted
teams → see → minutes
I hope you are well.
asserted
you → hope → ?
Not a uniquely basketball question/comment, but what do you think of eliminating slow-motion replay for reviews?
asserted
you → think → reviews
The people reviewing a call would see the same thing a referee/umpire sees.
asserted
umpire → review → thing
This should identify the obvious mistakes, and it would speed up the review process and probably reduce the number of challenges.
asserted
it → identify → challenges
I get that they will sometimes get it wrong, but so be it.
asserted
it → get → ?
I’d be totally fine with dumping all video and living with human failings like we used to.
asserted
we → dump → failings
We accept failure from the athletes we cheer for, why not accept the odd failure of the game’s arbiters?
asserted
we → accept → arbiters
But that genie’s out of the bottle and it’s not going back.
asserted
it → ’ → bottle
I also, sadly, need to accept a bit of slow-motion replay just to let a second set of eyes look over a play.
asserted
set → need → play
If you just went with live looks, the refs would have a far better view at full speed than anyone else.
asserted
refs → go → anyone
What I hate, though, is the super-duper slow motion that examines every call like it’s the Zapruder tape and takes far too long to reach a decision.
asserted
it → hate → decision
Finding some way to put a time limit on each review is a must.
asserted
Finding → find → review
…and 65 more, not listed.
The Aporia
