Sportsnet.ca - Jonesy on the road
Posted: Mon Feb 4, 2008 2:55 am
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/paul_jon ... he_road_2/
February 03, 2008
Jonesy on the road
With apologies for those stuck with cold weather, it was a pleasure to put on shorts and a t-shirt and walk to the American Airlines Arena Sunday morning to check in at the Toronto Raptors practice. A little warm weather can really lift one's spirits at this time of the year.
John Lucas was working extensively with T.J. Ford was at Raptor practice Sunday and was quite vociferous in overseeing a three-way one on one game between T.J. Ford, Juan Dixon and Darrick Martin at the conclusion of practice. It was a simulated game as players received a pass from Lucas at the top of the key and had no more than two or three dribbles to get their shot off to try and score a bucket.
It was one on one with the rotation being play offence, play defence and then a rest. The "rest" wasn't very long as the game was very intense and extremely competitive. T.J. Ford looked good. He seemed to be in good basketball shape and there was no holding back. Lucas has proclaimed T.J. ready and now sees it as just a matter of practice and fine tuning before Ford returns to the line up.
When the one-on-one session ended, Lucas held court with Martin, assistant coach Mike Evans, Juan Dixon and a few other keen listeners. He joked with Martin about his salary and how what Martin was earning now as a veteran under the CBA's current structure with a "veteran's minimum salary based on years of service" was the amount he earned over the duration of his entire NBA contract. The conversation then turned to what Martin was going to do when he finished his career and Lucas was encouraging Martin to go into the coaching world. Lucas has known Martin for quite some time and it was interesting to see Martin, a true professional and sage veteran in his own right, attentively listening to Lucas. To be honest it is one of the reasons why I think "D-Mart" as his teammates refer to him will be a good coach. He seems willing to listen and appears to be an analytical type person.
February 03, 2008
Jonesy on the road
With apologies for those stuck with cold weather, it was a pleasure to put on shorts and a t-shirt and walk to the American Airlines Arena Sunday morning to check in at the Toronto Raptors practice. A little warm weather can really lift one's spirits at this time of the year.
John Lucas was working extensively with T.J. Ford was at Raptor practice Sunday and was quite vociferous in overseeing a three-way one on one game between T.J. Ford, Juan Dixon and Darrick Martin at the conclusion of practice. It was a simulated game as players received a pass from Lucas at the top of the key and had no more than two or three dribbles to get their shot off to try and score a bucket.
It was one on one with the rotation being play offence, play defence and then a rest. The "rest" wasn't very long as the game was very intense and extremely competitive. T.J. Ford looked good. He seemed to be in good basketball shape and there was no holding back. Lucas has proclaimed T.J. ready and now sees it as just a matter of practice and fine tuning before Ford returns to the line up.
When the one-on-one session ended, Lucas held court with Martin, assistant coach Mike Evans, Juan Dixon and a few other keen listeners. He joked with Martin about his salary and how what Martin was earning now as a veteran under the CBA's current structure with a "veteran's minimum salary based on years of service" was the amount he earned over the duration of his entire NBA contract. The conversation then turned to what Martin was going to do when he finished his career and Lucas was encouraging Martin to go into the coaching world. Lucas has known Martin for quite some time and it was interesting to see Martin, a true professional and sage veteran in his own right, attentively listening to Lucas. To be honest it is one of the reasons why I think "D-Mart" as his teammates refer to him will be a good coach. He seems willing to listen and appears to be an analytical type person.