Will Raptors Learn From The Lessons Of Losing Bosh?

So the Miami Heat make there second and last visit to Toronto of the season. This time Chris Bosh is along for the ride as he missed the first meeting as he was becoming a daddy once again. No doubt he will be welcomed back to Toronto with boos as per usual but they always seem to be half hearted boos at best.

Part of that is Chris Bosh just seems to not have the lasting hatred that a Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady had. It also might speak to the fact that it is really hard to disagree with what Bosh ultimately decided. The way he handled it was another thing and that is where any hate for Bosh comes from.

It is hard to impossible to suggest that Bosh made the wrong decision appearing in three Finals and winning two NBA Championships as part of the Big 3 with James and Wade. The one thing Bosh stated that was correct is it takes being willing to spend money beyond the Tax Threshold to winning an NBA Championship or contend for one. That is something the Raptors have still not done since his departure and you question if they ever will.

The fact they traded for a big contract like that of Rudy Gay is one thing but it still didn’t make the Raptors a tax payer. You only need to look at their lack of a bench of any significance as proof of this.  This is a star driven league at the end of day and that costs money. Still you need to spend money wisely as well and add depth beyond the stars.

The Raptors have been in a tailspin ever since Bosh leaving and when you look at the current roster there is a lesson to be learned from Bosh’s leaving and the others before him. Even if the Raptors can somehow manage to be a playoff team this season is that only a short sited and achievement? Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay can both do the same thing as Bosh and many others have done after this season.

The tanking debate is one thing but that is secondary as to what could happen if the Raptors let talent like Lowry and Gay walk for nothing. The Raptors paid a heavy price to acquire both and to see them leave with nothing in return would be the worst case of all beyond any lottery results.

When you do factor in the potential number one pick of this draft Andrew Wiggins wants to play for the Raptors is another. It has always been my conclusion that the Raptors best path to success is to have some Canadian talent that is good enough to be considered top NBA talent to be part of the solution.

TSN losing Hockey for the next 12 years obviously makes basketball and the Raptors a big priority for Bell the parent company of TSN and part owners in MLSE.

The Raptors need to look at the big picture and not the short term if they ever hope to successful crawl out of the hole they have dug since Bosh turned his back on them. Colangelo gambled on Bosh and lost and the effects of that are still being felt to this day. If the Raptors were to make the same mistakes with Gay and Lowry it would be hard to feel much sympathy for them at all.