It is a script that the Raptors have made an all too familiar story that played out again last night against Miami. Since the big three have come to Miami the Raptors have never beat them. That was not going to change on this night and it looked like with a resounding explanation mark. True to being the Raptors though they would get down by 20 and go on a furious run to end the third and the effort would continue into the fourth. Toronto would get as close as two points down to the defending champs before they shut the door.
How many times can we praise this plucky “never say die attitude” of the Raptors before we realize it only matters if they win. The Raptors dig a hole and that is how they lose the game. They did the same against a Brooklyn team that is struggling to find wins. It shouldn’t take the Raptors getting embarrassed to get an effort out of them.
DeMar DeRozan seems to be the catalyst of many of these comebacks as you can see his clear frustration with his team being on the losing end. The problem is at many times especially last night he seemed like an army of one. He eventual got some help as the Raptors tried to fight back in this one.
Perhaps the craziest thing of all is the Raptors still find themselves leading the Atlantic with a 6-9 record after this one. The Division and the overall Eastern Conference has become a laughing stock of the early NBA Season. We should just forego the Eastern Playoffs and have the Heat and Pacers play an epic best of 21 series or something.
Want two stats that defined this game that made it unlikely the Raptors would beat anyone on this night let alone the Heat? Let’s start with 8-30 from three point range which is not winning you anything. Why this team is so hard headed in their belief they can make threes is beyond me. Lowry was the best of the miserable bunch going 3-8 from the three. The worst was Terrence Ross who shot all 5 of his attempts from three point range and made none of them.
Second you had the free throw line where the Raptors were 19-32 from the line. DeRozan was 3-7 and Rudy Gay 2-7 from your top two scorers on most nights that is unacceptable. The rest of the team was 14-18 which is much more acceptable. But do not fret; the Raptors will not be aware of this because Rudy Gay banned stat sheets from the locker room.
This team is very frustrating to watch if you care about the ultimate results. If you just like entertaining basketball they provide that most nights. Last time I checked the NBA was not the Sports Entertainment business that is still Vince McMahon’s thing. Maybe we should take this Rudy Gay idea to the next level and just stop keeping score altogether. It would save us all a lot of frustration.
But if you are still caught up in this silly keeping score stuff the Raptors lost 90-83. Don't tell Rudy Gay but that link will take you to stats from this game.
11/29/13
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.
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.
11/27/13
6 Years Of The DNB
Today marks 6 years of doing the Dino Nation Blog. It has been an interesting and great experience in my life. It has also been a period in which the Raptors have been hard to love and not really had any kind of real success. Last night was a night like many others over the last 6 years. The Raptors had an opportunity facing a team that was plagued with injuries and failed to take advantage. So many times the Raptors have disappointed over these 6 years it can make it hard to stay motivated to be completely honest. .
I wonder if I have become more jaded and less optimistic over the years. My goal from day one of this blog has been to present a realistic and honest assessment of the Raptors. I think by and large that is what I have done here. I also try to do it way that speaks to what fans are talking about and your concerns and address them. In my writing, interviews and in all that we do in the DNB. I am the first to admit my writing is done in a way that is more of a conversational way than your traditional writing. While I don’t think I will ever be considered the world’s greatest writer in any sense that is fine with me.
I am much more interested in creating audio and video content. That has been an on going struggle to make that happen. It became pretty clear a few years ago that for DNB to be what I ultimately wanted it be I needed to find some people to help with the writing end of things. When you look at other sites they have many contributors and I have attempted to find people to do that here. In large part that has not been the greatest of successes through no fault of the folks we have contributed.
It has been a lot of frustration in not just the way the team has performed but in being able to produce the best content for all of you. I really question how well that has been done in the last year or so. It has been a challenge trying to make this all work and try and generate some income from my work as well. I also have wanted to spend more time with my mother who is getting on in years and don’t want to miss out on moments with her.
I entered this season kind of feeling like that famous wrestling promo where Shawn Michaels tells the world he has lost his smile. I have been feeling that way to some degree at times this year. I for the first time considered the idea of what If I wasn’t doing this anymore. At the end of the day I would really have liked to build to something else by this point.
I entered this season just saying let’s see how things go for this year. That remains my feelings to get to the end of this season and see where everything is at. In some respects I feel like I have accomplished a lot and do not just want to give that up. But at the same time I am not sure I can continue to invest the amount of time I have and keep things going the way they have in the past.
Bottom line is that so many people over the years have reached out to be a told me how much they enjoy the work I am doing. It is what has likely kept this thing alive for as long as it has been. It has been heart warming to me that some people that have read this blog for years consider me a friend and I consider them a friend. I never starting doing this to build relationships but I have in fact done that. Being completely honest this blog is the longest relationship I have had in some ways.
I don’t have any idea for once of what the future holds. What I can say is that this blog has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life. It has made me find a whole bunch of people that share my passion for basketball and to a lesser extent the Raptors. I have had many experiences with broadcasters like Jack Armstrong and players like T.J Ford and others that I will cherish forever.
This all sounds like a good bye but it might not be. I rarely share my struggles or frustrations with my life and how things are going. You come here to hear about basketball not about my personal issues. Hopefully brighter days are ahead for me and for the Raptors. It has been a struggle for them as well.
In any case it has been a pleasure to serve you all with my thoughts, opinions and hard work for these 6 years.
I wonder if I have become more jaded and less optimistic over the years. My goal from day one of this blog has been to present a realistic and honest assessment of the Raptors. I think by and large that is what I have done here. I also try to do it way that speaks to what fans are talking about and your concerns and address them. In my writing, interviews and in all that we do in the DNB. I am the first to admit my writing is done in a way that is more of a conversational way than your traditional writing. While I don’t think I will ever be considered the world’s greatest writer in any sense that is fine with me.
I am much more interested in creating audio and video content. That has been an on going struggle to make that happen. It became pretty clear a few years ago that for DNB to be what I ultimately wanted it be I needed to find some people to help with the writing end of things. When you look at other sites they have many contributors and I have attempted to find people to do that here. In large part that has not been the greatest of successes through no fault of the folks we have contributed.
It has been a lot of frustration in not just the way the team has performed but in being able to produce the best content for all of you. I really question how well that has been done in the last year or so. It has been a challenge trying to make this all work and try and generate some income from my work as well. I also have wanted to spend more time with my mother who is getting on in years and don’t want to miss out on moments with her.
I entered this season kind of feeling like that famous wrestling promo where Shawn Michaels tells the world he has lost his smile. I have been feeling that way to some degree at times this year. I for the first time considered the idea of what If I wasn’t doing this anymore. At the end of the day I would really have liked to build to something else by this point.
I entered this season just saying let’s see how things go for this year. That remains my feelings to get to the end of this season and see where everything is at. In some respects I feel like I have accomplished a lot and do not just want to give that up. But at the same time I am not sure I can continue to invest the amount of time I have and keep things going the way they have in the past.
Bottom line is that so many people over the years have reached out to be a told me how much they enjoy the work I am doing. It is what has likely kept this thing alive for as long as it has been. It has been heart warming to me that some people that have read this blog for years consider me a friend and I consider them a friend. I never starting doing this to build relationships but I have in fact done that. Being completely honest this blog is the longest relationship I have had in some ways.
I don’t have any idea for once of what the future holds. What I can say is that this blog has been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life. It has made me find a whole bunch of people that share my passion for basketball and to a lesser extent the Raptors. I have had many experiences with broadcasters like Jack Armstrong and players like T.J Ford and others that I will cherish forever.
This all sounds like a good bye but it might not be. I rarely share my struggles or frustrations with my life and how things are going. You come here to hear about basketball not about my personal issues. Hopefully brighter days are ahead for me and for the Raptors. It has been a struggle for them as well.
In any case it has been a pleasure to serve you all with my thoughts, opinions and hard work for these 6 years.
11/26/13
Forecast For Raptors Season Could Take A Turn Tonight.
DNB has been on a little mini-break as I got a year older and Ti-Cats being in Grey Cup. Prior to both of those events I was back at the ACC to watch the Raptors take on the Wizards. Much like a couple games prior the Raptors blew a lead but rallied to take home the win the game. Keeping them on top of the Atlantic Division and they still are entering tonight. A full game ahead of Philadelphia and three games in front of both the 3-10 Knicks and Nets tonight’s opponent.
That is the biggest thing that has thrown the Raptors outlook upside down. It’s based on the fact that both teams in New York who were suppose to be battling for division title. The Knicks are banged up and injured with Chandler out and Felton too. The Nets have there key player in Deron Williams battling with a bad ankle. Garnett and Pierce who came over from the Celtics look suddenly much older in black and white after trading in the green and white.
The Raptors entered this season without a clear defined goal in terms of what they were looking to do. Philadelphia and Boston had clearly taken an approach to build through the draft and get as many lottery balls as possible. The Raptors now find themselves in a position that I would venture to say no one expected them to be.
If they were to even their record at 7-7 and beat the Nets it will make things interesting to say the least. The important date now becomes December 15th when trades can be made with all players under contract will be key. Where the Raptors stand at that point and how far New York and Brooklyn are behind them. It seems fairly clear the Nets and Knicks will look to try and turn their fate around. However both will have a tough time making deals to improve at this point.
The Raptors will embark on Western Conference trip that if they were successful would be a bit of a game changer. It makes you think the Raptors short term outlook could be better than expected but the long term outlook maybe taking a major hit.
The Raptors have no guarantees that Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay would be Raptors a year from now. They both contract wise will have the chance to be free agents this summer. The Raptors miss out on the lottery in the best draft in many years which could spell disaster for the long term future of the franchise.
Even if both re-sign how really good is this group at the end of the day. Are they any better than Raptor team that won a division title and lost in the first round to the Nets?
Masai Ujiri has himself in a situation similar to the one that Colangelo had that year. Colangelo was forced into sticking with Sam Mitchell and things never would be better than that season for the Raptors. Ujiri has Dwane Casey in a contract year and could see him take this team to the playoffs and perhaps a division title. None of these things seemed like possibilities entering the season. Like the Raptors bully Kevin Garnett said to the world “Anything is Possible.”
It makes for a lot of tough choices as the season rolls along. The decisions get much easier if the Raptors were to fall from their lofty and unexpected perch a top the division. A win against the Nets will make a lot of this talk become justified as the Raptors would along with being in first have a perfect 3-0 record in the division.
That is the biggest thing that has thrown the Raptors outlook upside down. It’s based on the fact that both teams in New York who were suppose to be battling for division title. The Knicks are banged up and injured with Chandler out and Felton too. The Nets have there key player in Deron Williams battling with a bad ankle. Garnett and Pierce who came over from the Celtics look suddenly much older in black and white after trading in the green and white.
The Raptors entered this season without a clear defined goal in terms of what they were looking to do. Philadelphia and Boston had clearly taken an approach to build through the draft and get as many lottery balls as possible. The Raptors now find themselves in a position that I would venture to say no one expected them to be.
If they were to even their record at 7-7 and beat the Nets it will make things interesting to say the least. The important date now becomes December 15th when trades can be made with all players under contract will be key. Where the Raptors stand at that point and how far New York and Brooklyn are behind them. It seems fairly clear the Nets and Knicks will look to try and turn their fate around. However both will have a tough time making deals to improve at this point.
The Raptors will embark on Western Conference trip that if they were successful would be a bit of a game changer. It makes you think the Raptors short term outlook could be better than expected but the long term outlook maybe taking a major hit.
The Raptors have no guarantees that Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay would be Raptors a year from now. They both contract wise will have the chance to be free agents this summer. The Raptors miss out on the lottery in the best draft in many years which could spell disaster for the long term future of the franchise.
Even if both re-sign how really good is this group at the end of the day. Are they any better than Raptor team that won a division title and lost in the first round to the Nets?
Masai Ujiri has himself in a situation similar to the one that Colangelo had that year. Colangelo was forced into sticking with Sam Mitchell and things never would be better than that season for the Raptors. Ujiri has Dwane Casey in a contract year and could see him take this team to the playoffs and perhaps a division title. None of these things seemed like possibilities entering the season. Like the Raptors bully Kevin Garnett said to the world “Anything is Possible.”
It makes for a lot of tough choices as the season rolls along. The decisions get much easier if the Raptors were to fall from their lofty and unexpected perch a top the division. A win against the Nets will make a lot of this talk become justified as the Raptors would along with being in first have a perfect 3-0 record in the division.
11/21/13
This Week In Raptorland: That's So Raptors Edition
We missed last week but we are back at it with podcast. John Chick is back to join me to talk about the Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors. We talk about the issues facing the various parts of this organization going forward making the decisions for the future of the franchise.
Here is the boxscore from last night's win in Philly:
Raptors 108 Sixers 98
I will be heading down to the ACC on Friday to cover the Raptors next contest against the Wizards. Should be interesting to see how the team is feeling about things right now. Not exactly playing great basketball overall but winning their division.
Here is the boxscore from last night's win in Philly:
Raptors 108 Sixers 98
I will be heading down to the ACC on Friday to cover the Raptors next contest against the Wizards. Should be interesting to see how the team is feeling about things right now. Not exactly playing great basketball overall but winning their division.
11/20/13
Raptors Face A Crossroads Moment In Philadelphia
If you had said the Toronto Raptors would play Philadelphia 76ers for first place in the Atlantic Division on November 20th you would have been laughed at. The Sixers who were pegged as an early favourite to win the Wiggins lottery ball race. The Sixers 3-0 start was the most shocking story of the NBA season this year.
Michael Carter-Williams the Sixers rookie taking the place of Jrue Holiday who was traded to New Orleans in the off-season was the star of this unexpected start. He averaged 20.6 points, 9 assists and shooting 46.8% (22-47) in the first 3 games. Carter-Williams scored double digit points in his first seven games as a pro.
Since the hot 3-0 start the Sixers are 2-7 and fallen back to their expected reality. The fact they still lead the Atlantic Division speaks to how horrible the division as a whole has been.
The other Philadelphia player that has risen to take advantage of the Sixers depleted talent pool has been Evan Turner. Turner is averaging over 20 points a game and his stats have improved across the board. He gives credit to former Sixers’ coach Doug Collins for his improvement in an article on Philly.com.
As inconsistent and terrible as the Raptors have been it seems almost crazy to think after tonight they could lead the Atlantic Division. It really puts the Raptors in a strange position in what they should do with this season moving forward. On the other end of the spectrum the Raptors are just one game out of last place in the Eastern Conference.
Perhaps a good result from this game tonight will be at least a starting point to the Raptors establishing some kind of direction for this season in a positive way. In the next few games the Raptors will challenge teams that are in similar situations as they find themselves with games against Washington and Brooklyn coming up. If the Raptors can sweep all three of these games it could hold off the talk of tanking and deconstructing this roster for at least the short term.
In terms of tonight’s game Thaddeus Young has had a solid history against the Raptors. He has only averaged 14.3 points so far this season. Heading into the year some might have expected Young to be the guy to step up to the plate and lead this team in scoring. He has 29 point performances against lesser teams like the Wizards and Cavaliers.
At the end of it all this will be measuring stick game for the Raptors in some ways for the Raptors. The Raptors schedule becomes very difficult after this stretch of three winnable games. If they fail to win at least 2 of the next 3 games the Raptors will really have no legit reason to play for this season any longer from management's perspective.
Michael Carter-Williams the Sixers rookie taking the place of Jrue Holiday who was traded to New Orleans in the off-season was the star of this unexpected start. He averaged 20.6 points, 9 assists and shooting 46.8% (22-47) in the first 3 games. Carter-Williams scored double digit points in his first seven games as a pro.
Since the hot 3-0 start the Sixers are 2-7 and fallen back to their expected reality. The fact they still lead the Atlantic Division speaks to how horrible the division as a whole has been.
The other Philadelphia player that has risen to take advantage of the Sixers depleted talent pool has been Evan Turner. Turner is averaging over 20 points a game and his stats have improved across the board. He gives credit to former Sixers’ coach Doug Collins for his improvement in an article on Philly.com.
As inconsistent and terrible as the Raptors have been it seems almost crazy to think after tonight they could lead the Atlantic Division. It really puts the Raptors in a strange position in what they should do with this season moving forward. On the other end of the spectrum the Raptors are just one game out of last place in the Eastern Conference.
Perhaps a good result from this game tonight will be at least a starting point to the Raptors establishing some kind of direction for this season in a positive way. In the next few games the Raptors will challenge teams that are in similar situations as they find themselves with games against Washington and Brooklyn coming up. If the Raptors can sweep all three of these games it could hold off the talk of tanking and deconstructing this roster for at least the short term.
In terms of tonight’s game Thaddeus Young has had a solid history against the Raptors. He has only averaged 14.3 points so far this season. Heading into the year some might have expected Young to be the guy to step up to the plate and lead this team in scoring. He has 29 point performances against lesser teams like the Wizards and Cavaliers.
At the end of it all this will be measuring stick game for the Raptors in some ways for the Raptors. The Raptors schedule becomes very difficult after this stretch of three winnable games. If they fail to win at least 2 of the next 3 games the Raptors will really have no legit reason to play for this season any longer from management's perspective.
11/18/13
Another Predicatable And Frustratiing Season For The Raptors.
I feel like I have seen every bad movie the Raptors have produced a thousand times at this point. In the past I would have deeply regretted and likely never missed a Raptor game for almost anything. When I started doing this over five years ago watching games never felt like work or I was missing out on something I would rather be doing. These days I don’t feel all that emotionally invested in games anymore.
Yesterday I would peek in on the Raptors from time to time. It seemed like one of those typical Raptor games where they would dig into a huge hole, climb out of it and get thrown back in it as soon as they got out. What I was watching instead of the Raptors worked out much better in the end with Hamilton Tiger Cats winning an exciting CFL playoff game. Hamilton has not been to a CFL Grey Cup in 14 years so it was pretty exciting to see them make it.
Which is getting back to the Raptors makes me wonder what is that exciting moment for this team that makes it all worth it in the end? I just can’t be excited about this group or its future to any degree. I think the way they are going about playing basketball is flawed on more nights than it isn’t. They are 4-7 to start the season and it should surprise no one based on how they have played with such little consistency from moment to moment forget about game to game.
The lack of ball movement and team play is noticeable almost every night they hit the floor. Just 17 assists yesterday in a game that went past regulation. While Rudy Gay does have an ability to make that big shot to tie or win a game realistically his play for the other 47 minutes of a game makes those opportunities not all that frequent. Gay and DeRozan combined for 59 points yesterday but took 54 shots to achieve that total making only 23 which work out to a percentage of 42.5. This by their standards is actually not bad.
I read Phil Jackson’s book over the summer “Eleven Rings” which in it he talks about team building. The Raptors are a bunch of individuals hoping to winning and trying to do it as individuals. Jackson in his book talks about the idea of getting a team to understand that it is about the sum of the parts that makes a team great. Now Jackson had some of the best individual pieces you could hope to have. Still even with less level talent the principals in his book still apply.
It is about making the right play and having faith in someone else to do the same. The Raptors clearly lack this and it becomes evident when you see DeRozan trying to will a team that was lifeless against Chicago. Same as when you see Gay forcing up a shot rather than making a pass out of a tough situation.
The Raptors are like that stubborn kid that wants to do things his own way because clearly he knows what is best. What some older person says just doesn’t apply to them. One day that kid will wake up and say why didn’t he listen to that advice. In the case of the Raptors that realization will likely come far too late for this group to remain together going forward.
I am tired of expecting the worst and seldom being disappointed. Some would say well your jaded and negative but in reality I am just realistic about the history I have seen. I often find that I always look at the bigger picture rather than the individual event. While the Raptors often make the individual event interesting and exciting in the larger scheme of things they are not getting it done. A lot of teams would never have got that game to overtime yesterday but in the bigger picture it still winds up a loss for them at the end of the day.
We all finally have some time to take a breath with the Raptors off until Wednesday. I think after this start to the season we all could use it. This is not to say I am personally surprised by this start at all. I have expected it from pretty much the time the schedule was made public. It is more about the way the Raptors have been playing that has been frustrating to me than the actual win-loss record.
Yesterday I would peek in on the Raptors from time to time. It seemed like one of those typical Raptor games where they would dig into a huge hole, climb out of it and get thrown back in it as soon as they got out. What I was watching instead of the Raptors worked out much better in the end with Hamilton Tiger Cats winning an exciting CFL playoff game. Hamilton has not been to a CFL Grey Cup in 14 years so it was pretty exciting to see them make it.
Which is getting back to the Raptors makes me wonder what is that exciting moment for this team that makes it all worth it in the end? I just can’t be excited about this group or its future to any degree. I think the way they are going about playing basketball is flawed on more nights than it isn’t. They are 4-7 to start the season and it should surprise no one based on how they have played with such little consistency from moment to moment forget about game to game.
The lack of ball movement and team play is noticeable almost every night they hit the floor. Just 17 assists yesterday in a game that went past regulation. While Rudy Gay does have an ability to make that big shot to tie or win a game realistically his play for the other 47 minutes of a game makes those opportunities not all that frequent. Gay and DeRozan combined for 59 points yesterday but took 54 shots to achieve that total making only 23 which work out to a percentage of 42.5. This by their standards is actually not bad.
I read Phil Jackson’s book over the summer “Eleven Rings” which in it he talks about team building. The Raptors are a bunch of individuals hoping to winning and trying to do it as individuals. Jackson in his book talks about the idea of getting a team to understand that it is about the sum of the parts that makes a team great. Now Jackson had some of the best individual pieces you could hope to have. Still even with less level talent the principals in his book still apply.
It is about making the right play and having faith in someone else to do the same. The Raptors clearly lack this and it becomes evident when you see DeRozan trying to will a team that was lifeless against Chicago. Same as when you see Gay forcing up a shot rather than making a pass out of a tough situation.
The Raptors are like that stubborn kid that wants to do things his own way because clearly he knows what is best. What some older person says just doesn’t apply to them. One day that kid will wake up and say why didn’t he listen to that advice. In the case of the Raptors that realization will likely come far too late for this group to remain together going forward.
I am tired of expecting the worst and seldom being disappointed. Some would say well your jaded and negative but in reality I am just realistic about the history I have seen. I often find that I always look at the bigger picture rather than the individual event. While the Raptors often make the individual event interesting and exciting in the larger scheme of things they are not getting it done. A lot of teams would never have got that game to overtime yesterday but in the bigger picture it still winds up a loss for them at the end of the day.
We all finally have some time to take a breath with the Raptors off until Wednesday. I think after this start to the season we all could use it. This is not to say I am personally surprised by this start at all. I have expected it from pretty much the time the schedule was made public. It is more about the way the Raptors have been playing that has been frustrating to me than the actual win-loss record.
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