Craig wrote:
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And no one here needs to apologize or worry about my feelings. I've always marched to the beat of my own drum and that means coming out with thoughts and ideas that aren't the norm at a given time. It is very interesting, however, that people are noticing the same trends after a bit more supporting evidence.
What was it that tipped me off originally? Since the Gay trade (and even a bit before), the Raps stopped playing soft. Win or lose, teams who played the Raps had to go to war. Those are the sorts of things that players take notice of. Also that all the major pieces are young, hungry guys. And the coaching/office situation is getting more stable. Instead of trying to run teams out of the gym, they play a much more sustainable brand of ball involving ball movement and smart defence. The new defensive toughness will keep losing streaks to a minimum, in the regular season at least.
Let's put our Toronto insecurities aside and accept that Toronto is getting to be more than someplace that's nice to visit for NBA players. There really does seem to be something different about this team, even different than the VC era. FAs are going to notice. It's just a matter of approaching the right ones, with the right money, and hoping some do more than consider the possibility, and take the leap and say yes.
I believe that LeBron James has matured over time and is not the same person he was. The Decision and the Heat's subsequent Finals loss to the Mavs seems to have had a profound effect on him (this is a recurring theme in media coverage), and being surrounded by pros like Allen and Battier seems to have been good for him. I think that on some level he also knows that the Heat championship window is closing. I can't guarantee that he'll sign with the Raps of course, and still believe that it is a long shot, but it's definitely something that could become a much more serious conversation by the end of this year depending on how things finish up.
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