Turkoglu is about to join a pantheon of former Toronto players treated harshly when they come back. Surprised should have been the last thing Turkoglu felt in Vancouver, having seen first-hand how Toronto fans treat his one-time teammate, Vince Carter. Nothing the 31-year-old Turkoglu has done since last season ended will do anything to lessen the reaction he gets Sunday.
He’s refused to take much responsibility for a disastrous one-year tenure in Toronto after signing a five-year, $53 million U.S. deal. He was highly critical of the organization in an off-season interview from his native Turkey, suggesting there were deep-rooted issues that made the Raptors organization one players would avoid.