Game 35: Raps vs. Bucks - Pre-game

The Raptors have started 2009 with some impressive play, with wins over Houston and Orlando, two of the better teams in the league.  They have also done it with a short bench, which makes those wins even more inspiring for a team who could use a little inspiration.  One would almost think that Chris Bosh got a late Christmas present when he said that he wished the slate could just be wiped clean.  Well, it was wiped clean as far as the Raptors record in 2009 goes, so let’s just stick with that and say thanks to Santa.

But now here comes the real test.  After picking up big wins at home over teams that are essentially superior to the Raptors, the key is to avoid the classic situation of a road loss to a team not even close to as good as the two teams they just beat.  We have all seen it before, the letdown after an impressive win, which is quite possible with the Bucks, who have been improving of late, despite a loss to the Bobcats Saturday night (after beating them on Friday in a strange back-to-back).

While there are plenty of players we could focus on who are playing well lately for the Bucks, one player who has been fun to watch this year is the rookie, Luc Mbah a Moute.  Averaging just over 8 points and 6 rebounds per game, Mbah a Moute is active on offense and on D, using his energy to get up and down the court and create scoring opportunities.  Just another young player to watch.

Andrea Bargnani has had a good run handling the big men lately (well, Yao moreso than D12, but you can’t really complain with the overall job he did on Howard…he just ran into foul trouble) and it is up in the air whether or not he will have to face Andrew Bogut this time out.  Bogut has been having continuous back problems and was originally slated to get back into the lineup last week, but when more spasms flared up Saturday, he was once again listed as inactive.  This is good news for Bargnani, because while he has done a good job with the big men, Bogut can get a little rough and it might be a tough go for Bargs to have to deal with those three players in a row (Yao, Howard, Bogut).  That being said, Dan Gadzuric will be in the C position if Bogut can`t go and it`s not like he`s any sort of lightweight either.  He doesn`t have Bogut`s talent, but he certainly has the elbows.

3 in the Key

1. Use the momentum to get out to a good start.  With big wins against the Rockets and Magic, the Raptors need to come out in this game and make sure they don`t fall behind early on the road.  Winning big games is great for your confidence, but if you then go out on the road and get taken to the woodshed in the first quarter, those wins at home don`t mean as much.

2. Effective PG play.  The Raptors had good outings from Solomon and Ukic in the win over the Magic and that same sort of controlled PG play will be important for another Raptors win to happen.  Solomon will have to remember not to get over-confident and start forcing shots and he will also have to let some calls go, realizing that he is on the road…and that he`s Wil Solomon.  Ukic will also need to play within himself and use his recent performance as a confidence boost.

3. Stick to the game plan.   More than once in the Raptors win over the Magic, we could hear JT shouting, “JUST RUN THE PLAY“ and with good reason.  Once the Raptors PGs started listening to him, that backdoor screen became a key to the game.  Who knew…listening to your coach has benefits.

Game 34: Raps vs. Magic - Post-game

There were a lot of things that you could have been impressed by in today’s game against the Magic, but the thing that I was most impressed by was the composure of the Raptors in the 4th quarter.  It wasn’t so long ago that when the Raptors gave up a double-digit lead, things would have completely fallen apart down the stretch and I would be on here writing about the Raptors not being able to step on a team’s neck.  Well, I wouldn’t say that they stepped on the Magic’s neck to secure the win, but they certainly didn’t let them off the ground.

In the pre-game, I touched on fouling Howard, but making sure that he wasn’t able to follow through and complete any 3-point plays.  The Raptors were great at this today, putting Dwight on the line in the 4th quarter and making sure that when they did, he was essentially just going there to get one point, because he lived up to his reputation from the line.  I will take him going 60% from the line instead of throwing down dunk after dunk, especially when at the other end, the Raptors were able to get to the line and convert on both shots.  It doesn’t sound like much, but eventually, it adds up.

While the Raptors really weren’t able to handle Howard on D today, they were smart in going at him and getting him into early foul trouble.  Let’s not forget, he dropped 39 today while sitting for quite a long stretch in the first half due to foul trouble.  One can only imagine what he would have done if he had been on the court for that additional time.

The guard play today was fantastic, with Roko and Wil playing within themselves and taking the opportunities that were given to them.  When Wil was able to create some space and defenders didn’t respect his ability to shoot, he took the open jumper.  Roko also went to the basket when defenders were too close on him, using his speed to get to the glass for a couple of lay-ins.  Of course, we can’t forget the runner he hit with the game on the line, which honestly, I don’t think many people thought was going to go in (I know I didn’t).

What I loved about Roko’s game today was highlighted a couple of times by Matt and Leo today: his ability to take instruction from AP and then effectively follow instructions.  People talk a lot about rookie mistakes that are made in games, but the one mistake that is made most often is when hot-shot rookies don’t listen to the advice they are given.  By listening to AP, Roko was able to effectively manage the offense, getting people where he wanted them and then running plays.  For example, the backdoor screen was used over and over and the Magic either weren’t able to defend it or didn’t recognize it, but I will go with them not being able to defend it, because I guarantee SVG was all over them about it.  This is what I was talking about in the RF message board last week regarding Jose and managing the offense.  When you are the PG, you are the one in control and if you don’t like where somebody is or where they are setting up, it is up to you to get them the hell out of there and over to where you want them.

Nice game from the Raptors, now let’s hope they can keep this going and avoid a letdown on the road to a Milwaukee team that has been playing better of late (well, other than a loss to the Bobcats).

Game 34: Raps vs. Magic - Pre-game

We are going to get an interesting look at the Raptors on Sunday, with no JO in the lineup to help guard Dwight Howard, but also without Jose Calderon, who is out with a hamstring.  The Raptors are starting to get a little beaten up throughout the lineup and their depth might start to become a problem (if it hasn’t already) as you can only handle so many injuries before you start running out of healthy bodies to put on the floor.

The thing about guarding Howard is that it is hardly ever a one-on-one situation and by this, I don’t mean that teams are constantly double teaming him.  What I mean is that while one guy is defending him when he has the ball, that player will need help from his teammates on any misses, as getting D12 to take a bad shot is one thing, but then stopping him from getting the rebound is another.  When other players are putting up shots, it will be a tough task to box Howard out, but if that actually happens, then the other Raptors are going to have to get on the boards and not let another Magic player get the rebound otherwise all of that work is essentially wasted.

The thing that makes the Magic tough is that they have Howard as a virtual double-double lock inside, but they also have some good shooters (such as Hedo) sitting outside just waiting for the opportunity to let it fly.  While this is usually where the problem is limited, for some reason, the Raptors have also allowed Hedo to walk down the lane repeatedly, laying in easy points.  I can live with Dwight Howard scoring points inside, but there’s no excuse for Hedo Turkoglu doing the Charleston down the lane.  He’s not quick enough to beat anybody off the dribble and it’s not like he’s an aggressive beast, so shut that down.

With Andrea and Jake assuming most of the responsibility of handling Howard, you can only think that it will be about 9-10 minutes before Jake slaps him with an intentional unintentional foul.  We can expect Andrea to play some straight up defence, getting the arms up (and occasionally reaching), but we should hope that Jake will try to get in Dwight’s head, playing him as rough as he can.  It’s not like Dwight is going to hurt the Raptors from the line, but they also have to make sure that if they are going to foul him, they make sure that he isn’t able to follow through and go for an old fashioned 3-point play.

Chris Bosh tends to have good outings against the Magic (unless it’s the playoffs…then, er…not as good).  There have been a lot of unwarranted questions and discussion about his clutch decisions, but the fact is, without the way Bosh plays most nights, the Raptors wouldn’t even be in those few clutch situations that become available.  Raptor fans need to appreciate what he brings to the table on a consistent basis and hope that he was one of those outstanding afternoons against the Magic.

3 in the Key

1. Don’t solely concentrate on D12. The Magic have a legit sharpshooter (Turkoglu) and a guy who can slash and dunk on anybody (Lewis), so they can’t sleep on those two guys or it will be lights out.

2. Get Solomon to play within himself. With Jose out, the Raptors are going to need some steady play from PG.  While I do like the fact that Solomon will attack the basket and look to create scoring opportunities, it’s only worthwhile if he isn’t trying to do too much and forcing shots.

3. Bargs need to stay out of foul trouble.  Andrea had a big night shutting down Yao on Friday and he will be in another tough spot Sunday afternoon.  If he starts reaching on D12, he is going to run into early foul trouble, which will leave the Raptors very shorthanded.

Welcome to Hell BABY!

Tracy McGrady’s comments after the game where he was bitching about not getting enough touches and crying about how his needing to be more of a facilitator is hurting his point production was just brutal.  He made being “more of a Point Forward” sound like a disease.  I can just see him visiting kids in the hospital and telling them, “I really feel for you not being able to get out of this wheelchair baby, but man, you know, I have to try to be more of a Point Forward, and I don’t see anybody coming around to cheer ME up”.  Sadly I think it’s far too common for far too many “superstars” in this league.  Honestly it makes me lose interest in the game overall.  

On the flipside though, it makes me feel some love for the Raps win or lose.  Since McGrady and Carter left town, there has been an emphasis on the team over the individual that makes it easy to keep pulling for them.  I really thought the addition of Jermaine O’Neal would add to the mix quite well.  He said all the right things about being physical and making sacrifices in order to win.  He had the experience on a winning team.  Numbers meant nothing.  And in the first handful of games, all of that looked to be true.  But then JO brought up his frustration at not being able to get any blocked shots, and he told tales of staying up until 4am watching himself on DVD with the aim of curing his troubles on offense.  His new point of emphasis (namely himself) brought on his being repeatedly fed in the post against Boston.  He had some nice “breakout” success in the first half, and crowed about simply being unstoppable.  Then he didn’t even get started much in the half that followed, and the overall collapse of the team in that game was the start of the descent that would lead to a coach’s firing and a record that is going to be hard to recover from the rest of the way.

Now without a doubt, JO got things going for himself, and it’s hard to criticize his effort when it often looked like he was the only one supplying any effort.  That’s not where I want to go here.  I think too much blame was directed towards effort, and not enough to a lack of chemistry.  My concern is with the veteran’s inability to bring everyone else along so that we could see their efforts make some much needed impact.  I did not see him trying to build an identity for this team that everyone could contribute to, and that is what an experienced veteran ought to do.  Instead I saw him try to shape the identity of the team to suit him better, and that’s just not what I expected from a guy who knows what is needed for a team to win.  Look at what a good veteran  like Mike Bibby has been able to do for Atlanta, without needing everyone to think of him as the Bibby of old.  And if JO can come back and actually lead on defense without too much concern for anything else but team success, owning the kind of space that Bargnani and Voshkul did last night, then all the better.  But I wonder if there’s much room for him anymore now that the team has managed to start building an identity without him.  I fear that his headspace is a bit like T-Mac’s, maybe just fractionally, and maybe it’s all just in my head, but even catching just a hint of how T-Mac betrays the spirit of the game makes me die a little.

This also applies to any trade for that wing player.  A lot of those guys are a bit too much like McGrady in their approach.  The league changed the rules to help keep us from seeing guys playing on their own little islands, but unfortunately it’s still what too many players want for themselves.  Whoever we get, if we ever get anybody, has to be a team-first guy far above and beyond the level of talent they might bring.  Maybe that leaves us never being able to take that next step.  If it does then I’m alright with that.  But I remember teams in Utah that did not display oodles of talent in a number of positions, including the wings.  It’s all about making the pieces fit, and I can actually see a scenario now, just hours after hitting rock bottom as a fan of this team, where pieces might just come together.  The goal for the rest of the season has to be making the most out of what works in terms of personnel, and trying to figure out what to do with what doesn’t.  Give the most burn to all the guys making it look easier to roll the big rock up that hill, and anybody envisioning, even for a moment, waiting alone at the top so he can hold it up like Atlas once the rest of the team struggles all that much more to get it there, needs to have their role limited.

Remember when Chris Bosh sat on the bench healing up for 12 games two seasons ago?  Remember how he saw what worked for the team when he wasn’t on the floor, and how he worked to come back in a way that would add to that and not get in the way?  I hope we can get some more help for him, and yet not take away from that approach.  If not, this team will not just fall back to the early part of that 47-win season, but to much drearier times that had Bosh himself holding back the tears.  And if they can find a couple of workmanlike players willing to make sacrifices as much as they talk about them, and help build an identity for this team that works for each of the parts, then they have a chance to make that jump to the next level.  That’s the one bit of justice that keeps me loving the game.  It’s not the inability to bring together all the talent in the world that holds teams back so much.  Actually the pattern I see forming over and over, is with the McGrady’s of this league getting anywhere outside of shoe commercials no matter what pieces they have around them.  Forget about the talent, and I suppose the experience as well, if it comes with eyes a little blind to the needs of teammates as well as the need for teammates.

Game 33: Raps vs. Rockets - Post-game

A few things we talked about in the pre-game actually happened (T-Mac pulling a disappearing act as he occasionally does, Artest shooting bricks, Rafer not being able to move properly), which all contributed to the Raptors win tonight, but the real factor was Andrea being able to shut down Yao.  With JO out, I was a little worried about Andrea being able to handle Yao, because while Andrea has made defensive strides this season compared to last, guarding Yao is a completely different story.

Andrea played Yao tough, getting up on him and just generally making life uncomfortable for him.  There was always a hand in his face and when you combine that with Jake “All 6″ Voskuhl coming in to rough Yao up a bit more, it just wasn’t something that Yao looked like he wanted any part of.

The general mood and mindset of the Rockets coming into this game wasn’t good.  When you have all of your stars making comments in the paper about how poorly your team is playing, that doesn’t bode well for upcoming games.  You could almost hear the defeat in their voices and read it in their words.  Like Chris Bosh said, The only thing that has to change is our mentality coming into the games.  The Rockets didnèt have the right mindset coming into this game and were pretty much done before the tipoff.  A lot of the time, it does not matter who you have on the court or how you have been playing of late, what matters is how you prepare for and attack the game at hand.

The Raptors are going to have to do something about their backup guard situation.  While Wil Solomon had a nice game tonight, I just cannot see him as a long term solution for Jose Calderon, whose hamstring problems are most likely going to continue throughout the season.  Once you have a strain, it is likely to come up again and again during the season, because you just do not have the time to a) get the proper therapy; b) get the right muscle strength ratio between the hamstring and quadricep; c) get the right workout in place, which would need to include a lot of Yoga.  Yeah, I said it.  Yoga.  For hamstring injuries, it is an essential part of rehab.

There have been constant reports that BC is open and available for trades and at this point, if he is looking to do something to make the team better for this season, I might avoid looking at dealing a ton of talent in something big, instead looking for a deal that could get the Raptors a seasoned vet who can keep things running smoothly while Jose is out.  If the Raptors were more comfortable with their PG situation, they would be able to take more time with Jose and get him back into action completely healthy.

Anyway, a nice win for the Raptors.  As we mentioned in the pre-game, the Rockets were ripe for the picking and the Raptors capitalized.  Hopefully this will be the injection of confidence they needed.

Game 33: Raps vs. Rockets - Pre-game

The Raptors might be facing the the Rockets just at the right time.  While still finding ways to lose, the Raptors have actually been putting a better product on the court lately, showing at times the team that many people thought they would be this year.  For the Rockets, in the past few games, they have looked anemic, losing to Washington and scraping by Milwaukee the other night.  A win for the Raptors over the Rockets could provide all kinds of confidence for a team that needs some badly right now.

The problem for the Raptors is that they are not going to have JO for this game, which is going to make some of the matchups tough for the Raptors to handle.  The defensive end is going to be tough for the Raps, who are going to have to figure out a way to stop Yao inside, T-Mac from cutting to the basket and Artest from just pushing guys around.  I’m not that worried about the Raptors handling T-Mac (some games he miraculously disappears) and Artest (who is shooting a career low this season and has looked out of sync for most of the season).   I think the Raptors are going to have a huge problem (no pun intended) with Yao.  Since Yao has continued to develop his shooting game, he has become that much of a tougher player for the Raptors to cover, especially when they are missing a defensive specialist in JO. 

The good thing for the Raptors is that the Rockets are starting to question themselves.  With some shoddy performances against teams that aren’t even close to their ability, they are starting to put some extra pressure on themselves.  We all know from watching some of the Raptors shoot this season that when you start pressing, things start to not drop, so there could be some hope for the Raptors after all. 

The Rockets have also had problems with injuries this season, including a groin injury to Rafer Alston that provided a nice tag-team with his 2-game suspension.  Probably the worst injury for a PG is a groin injury, as it limits the amount of cutting you can do.  He returned to the lineup last week, but it looks like he is still not where he should be.  This can only be of benefit to Jose Calderon, who has shown that he is having problems defending quicker players.

Also of benefit to the Raptors is the status of Shane Battier.  He was out last game with some foot inflammation and looks like he will be out for at least another 5 games.  The Raptors couldn’t have asked for a better favour from the basketball Gods.

3 in the Key

1. Attack Yao.  It sounds crazy, but the Raptors have to try to show that they aren’t afraid of attacking the basket just because Yao is there.  They also have to try to get a few fouls on his so he can’t be as aggressive on D.  Final note:  Yao has never really liked contact.

2. Give T-Mac some space and try to lure him into shooting jumpers.  If he attacks the basket, challenge hard or it will be a long night.

3. Listen to your coach during timeouts.  If Hassan Adams has to come up to you during the next timeout to talk to you about your shot selection, then you probably weren’t listening during the timeout.

Taxi to the Darkside

Game 32: Raps vs. Nuggets - Post-game

Well, the effort was there, if not misplaced at times, but it was there.  It was good to see JT driving home the point that the Raptors need to attack the basket, especially when they are in the bonus, but you have to wonder when a coach makes a big statement like that and the team just doesn’t respond.  Is it then a question of the players not having the ability to carry out his wishes or the team just not listening to what he is saying? 

Somebody really needs to talk to Bosh about his 3-pointers.  I’ve said a few times in this blog that the worst thing that can happen when you steal something is not to get caught, because you will just keep doing it.  For Bosh to have stolen a few 3’s from the basketball Gods, the Raptors could not have had a more heinous crime committed, because now he thinks this is a legit part of his game.  The thing that gets me about Bosh’s late game shot attempts is that it shows a certain lack on confidence in what his strengths are.  We have seen him own guys inside, using his quickness and increasing strength to get to the rim and attack, but he doesn’t seem to have the same confidence in that part of his game that everyone else does. 

I’m probably going to take some heat for this, but I also have to wonder what exactly the coaching staff and Jose are thinking with relation to Bosh’s 3-pointers.  First, the coaching staff needs to have a sit-down with Bosh and talk about the 3’s and where his strengths are.  If anything, late game simulations and run-throughs need to be driven into him so that even if nobody is within 10 feet of him, he’s not going to think about taking the 3.  From Jose’s angle, he is a good enough leader and sees the court well enough that he should not be putting Bosh in a situation where the 3 is even going to be an option.  If Bosh is hanging around out there calling for the ball, point him off and run something else.  Change the angle of the ball and get it cross-court so you can reset.  If you’re the PG, you’re the leader.  It’s your team to set up down the stretch, but it’s up to your teammates to finish.  In the end, if the ball does go into Bosh out at the arc, he needs to get it right back to Jose and then get right to the paint.  They’re laying off you for a reason Chris.

I think the Raptors actually take this if JO is in the lineup.  One thing you have to appreciate about JO is that when he sets up, he’s already low enough in the post that when he does rely on the jumper, it’s a short one.  He knows the limits of his game and where his strengths are.  I think with Bosh and JO in the lineup tonight, with JO playing the way he has been, it would have been a lot of pressure for the Nuggets to handle.  When the Raptors were in the bonus at the end of the third, the ball would have been going to JO each time down the court, knowing that he was just going to post up and attack.  The Raptors missed him tonight.

Good to see Bargs have a good game tonight, because you have to think that if something is going to happen soon as far as a trade is concerned, it might include him.  I wouldn’t want to see him go, but you have to give up talent to get talent and if he can get things going, he might be that much more attractive.

Game 32: Raps vs. Nuggets - Pre-game

Well, the Raptors must be happy to be back from their 2-4 road trip, but then again, it’s not the ACC has been home sweet home this season…and they’re coming home to face the Nuggets, who clearly aren’t as hot as they were a few weeks ago, but are still miles ahead of where the Raptors are right now.

The last time the Raptors squared off against the Nuggets, I can’t remember what happened.  For some reason, I don’t even recall the Raptors playing a game against the Nugg…ack…ARGH…ACK!  Oh wait, it’s coming back. 132-93…changes made…pain and embarrassment…

So let’s call that last game a throwaway game.  A burn the tape game.  There’s absolutely no point in watching that video and trying to take anything from it, because the whole game from every standpoint was an absolute disaster. 

The Nuggets are coming off a loss to the Hawks, where they showed a lack of energy in the second half that was, well, Rapthorrific.  The Nuggets only managed to score 38 points in the second half, looking confused on tired, which can only provide the Raptors and their fans with some hope going into tonight’s matchup.  The last thing you want to do after getting skunked and laying an egg in the second half is to get on a plane and head to another hotel.  Then again, they’re coming to face the Raps, so maybe they’re completely giddy.

The Raptors can hope that Nene stays out of the lineup with his sore neck (listed as a “Cervical Strain” which sounds frightening), because they certainly don’t do well with energetic big guys.   Then again, we just might see a career night from Chris Andersen.  That would fit well with how things have been going for the Raptors lately.

But with Nene out of the lineup, there is an opportunity for the Raptors to make some inroads with Bosh and JO (who will hopefully be back from flu symptoms…which I think might mean that he had a case of the trots…just a guess).  The Raptors will need some help from AP, Kapono, Moon and Bargs, but the tone has to be set with the big guys inside.  It might even benefit the Raptors to have some minutes for Hump, just to remind the Nuggets that it’s going to be a little rough inside.  If it gets ugly late, watch out for The Executioner…or as I have taken to calling him, Jake “All 6″ Voskuhl (who still isn’t listed in the NBA.com directory…not a good omen dude). 

Here’s hoping Karl doesn’t get his 900th win in Toronto.

3 in the Key

1. Get on the boards. K-Mart isn’t going to be able to do it himself, so hopefully the Raptors can make some advances here.

2. Make your open looks.  The missed 3’s on wide open looks are killing the Raptors.  I hate relying on the 3-ball, but I guess you have to work with what you have and for the Raptors, their wing players are shooters.

3. Go right at K-Mart.  If you get him to take a couple of early fouls, they will be short and he will be upset.  It’s a good combo.

Game 31: Raps vs. Warriors - Post-game

Well, that wasn’t pretty.  It would be easy to say that the Raptors showed some heart in almost pulling this one out, but in reality, it was more of a case of the Warriors being who they are and just not playing D as they typically don’t.  They are just going to try to outscore you and that’s what they did to the Raptors tonight.

There were two major things that bothered me tonight, one of which was covered extensively by Jack and Matt on the broadcast tonight: the uncontested threes.  A few weeks ago, I was talking about how JT was fine with teams taking 3s if it meant that the Raptors were locking down the inside and how I thought that the Raptors were still going to have to get out and contest shots.  We kind of saw why tonight.  I don’t care what kind of a 3-point shooting team you are, if you get enough good looks, you are going to knock them down.

The point that wasn’t touched on tonight was shot selection.  When the Raptors were able to get within 4 points, we saw them come down the court and launch 3 jumpers in a row, none of which went down.  Right after that, we saw Golden State come right back down the court and go inside to Biedrins for one and a foul.  It was like a student/teacher lesson.  The student (the Raptors) had an idea of what they wanted to do and kept trying (unsuccessfully) to do it.  The teacher then took over and showed the student how to properly work things.  When you cut into a lead like that (I believe at that point it was from 15 down to 4…and then back up to 13 with that and-1 play being the catalyst), you have to try to wear the other team down.  You have to keep beating on them and use your horse (Bosh) to let them know they there have a world of problems coming their way.  Settling for outside jumpers from cold shooters isn’t going to scare anybody and it certainly isn’t going to win you any games.

I think all of us can agree that having Jamario sink a few 3’s tonight was the worst thing that could have happened for him.  Watch out for him going on a 3-attempt rampage.  That’s what I hate most about him.  Even when he is dead cold, he keeps launching 3’s like he is a natural shooter.  I’m all for Kapono taking 3’s when he is ice cold because that’s all he has.  If he’s not taking jump shots, it’s not like he’s going to jump over anybody or break somebody’s ankles on the way to the rack.  If I had Jamario’s jumping ability, I would be trying to posterize everybody in the league.  Remember back when Shawn Kemp was in shape?  Think waaaaaaaay back.  Remember how when the slightest opportunity presented itself, he would try to humiliate guys with dunks?  That should be Jamario.  He’s so frustrating to watch, because we all know he isn’t making the most out of his ability.

Anyway, a tough 3 games coming up.  Here’s hoping JO gets over the flu…and fast.  The Raptors will need all the help they can get.  If the Raps lose these upcoming 3 games, I think BC gets a deal done, but who knows?