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Blog. Blog. Blog. TIMEOUT! Raps down 1 with possession. Our head coach [insert name; i.e., Lenny Wilkins, Sam Mitchel, Jay Tirano] draws out a play for the team to execute.
Everyone knows what's coming.
Everyone, especially this avid spectator, knows exactly what their home team WON'T DO. They know not to expect anything going to the rim. They know not to expect anything easy. And they know, as deeply painful as it is, that the Raptors are not going to hit the shot.
Adversely, when it's the Raptors clutching on to a single point lead - a victory is not guaranteed. Actually, quite the opposite, again - and as deeply painful as it is, we expect the opposing team to hit that buzzer-beating game-winning shot.
Follow me veteran Raptors fans as we take a stride down memory lane. NOTE: there is no particular order to these clips and this is not a list!
This one is particularly painful. Game 7. A game winning shot away from a birth in the Eastern Conference Championships. It's almost funny to say it, "Toronto Raptors playing for the Eastern Conference crown?"
I took a long walk after that miss.
Immediately let's set aside the whole flying to graduation thing. This blog is about the The Final Possession.
Lets talk about the shot. Lenny Wilkins has Dee Brown, a solid shooter, inbound the ball to Vince. Standard protocol (the NBC announcers call it) considering the in-bounder often gets the ball back for the shot.
The in-bounds pass leads Vince away from the basket - obviously we couldn't draw up a play towards the rim or at least get Vince the ball while facing the basket. Vince, the great athlete that he was, is able to stop on a dime, pump fake, get the defender off his feet and...
Didn't that feel like a long 2 seconds? Doesn't it seem that Carter could have collected himself for a moment and not fade away? The 76er defender, Hill, was beat. His arms and legs flailing. Couldn't Vince have been more aggressive with his stroke and ripped up through the arms of the defender while he rose for the shot - you know what I'm talking about - Kobe Bryant is a pro at the move.
Surely there would be contact. A call would have to be made, the offensive player is entitled to that space.
Instead Vince misses and we lose.
Wouldn't it have been amazing to let Vince, at-his-athletic-prime, make a play towards the basket for an easy 2 or foul. Naw, not the Raps style - that stuff only happens to us.
ooh that's nasty.
More memories...
Save the time and skip to 5:32.
Final Possession. Sam Mitchel goes to his trustee pick and roll with Calderon and Bosh at the top of the key. Calderon receives the ball, Bosh rolls AWAY from the basket...
Raptors Lose.
Final Possession. Again another Sam Mitchel inspired, Calderon and Bosh connection. At least this time the Raptors get something going to the rim. Unfortunately not close enough...
Raptors Lose.
Save the time and skip to 5:32. Let's not forget about defense. We leave one of the most accurate, clutch, 3 point shooters open in the corner. The Celtics make it look easy.
Raptors Lose.
Seems like the few times we do win on the Final Possession is when we don't draw it up!
Get High Monkey
Everyone knows what's coming.
Everyone, especially this avid spectator, knows exactly what their home team WON'T DO. They know not to expect anything going to the rim. They know not to expect anything easy. And they know, as deeply painful as it is, that the Raptors are not going to hit the shot.
Adversely, when it's the Raptors clutching on to a single point lead - a victory is not guaranteed. Actually, quite the opposite, again - and as deeply painful as it is, we expect the opposing team to hit that buzzer-beating game-winning shot.
Follow me veteran Raptors fans as we take a stride down memory lane. NOTE: there is no particular order to these clips and this is not a list!
This one is particularly painful. Game 7. A game winning shot away from a birth in the Eastern Conference Championships. It's almost funny to say it, "Toronto Raptors playing for the Eastern Conference crown?"
I took a long walk after that miss.
Immediately let's set aside the whole flying to graduation thing. This blog is about the The Final Possession.
Lets talk about the shot. Lenny Wilkins has Dee Brown, a solid shooter, inbound the ball to Vince. Standard protocol (the NBC announcers call it) considering the in-bounder often gets the ball back for the shot.
The in-bounds pass leads Vince away from the basket - obviously we couldn't draw up a play towards the rim or at least get Vince the ball while facing the basket. Vince, the great athlete that he was, is able to stop on a dime, pump fake, get the defender off his feet and...
Didn't that feel like a long 2 seconds? Doesn't it seem that Carter could have collected himself for a moment and not fade away? The 76er defender, Hill, was beat. His arms and legs flailing. Couldn't Vince have been more aggressive with his stroke and ripped up through the arms of the defender while he rose for the shot - you know what I'm talking about - Kobe Bryant is a pro at the move.
Surely there would be contact. A call would have to be made, the offensive player is entitled to that space.
Instead Vince misses and we lose.
Wouldn't it have been amazing to let Vince, at-his-athletic-prime, make a play towards the basket for an easy 2 or foul. Naw, not the Raps style - that stuff only happens to us.
ooh that's nasty.
More memories...
Save the time and skip to 5:32.
Final Possession. Sam Mitchel goes to his trustee pick and roll with Calderon and Bosh at the top of the key. Calderon receives the ball, Bosh rolls AWAY from the basket...
Raptors Lose.
Final Possession. Again another Sam Mitchel inspired, Calderon and Bosh connection. At least this time the Raptors get something going to the rim. Unfortunately not close enough...
Raptors Lose.
Save the time and skip to 5:32. Let's not forget about defense. We leave one of the most accurate, clutch, 3 point shooters open in the corner. The Celtics make it look easy.
Raptors Lose.
Seems like the few times we do win on the Final Possession is when we don't draw it up!
Get High Monkey
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