This past weekend had a bit of everything. Perhaps we share a similar short list of what stood out:
1. Moments of reflection on Remembrance Day. And even though it’s way too easy to get caught up in our collective day-to-day chaos, they also served as a reminder that they should happen more often, even when the day doesn’t officially call for it. Not to mention how bewildering it is that Remembrance Day isn’t formally recognized as a country-wide holiday.
2. The Blue Jays made a few pickups in Free Agency. One in particular may have sealed the fate of a fan favorite, but at least it showed that the higher-ups have contingency plans in place.
3. How good was Dave Chappelle on Saturday Night Live? Well, if you missed it, I highly recommend giving his monologue a spin.
4. Not that anyone particularly cares about my personal tastes in music, and actual commentary on Basketball is coming (I swear), but when so many memories meet brand new chills, I need to let it out: A Tribe Called Quest’s first album in 18 years dropped on Friday, and if you’re like me, you were bumping it all weekend. Note: An added reason to catch SNL. RIP Phife, as always.
5. The excitement (and at times, nail-biting) level of back-to-back wins. One against a Charlotte team that’s up to their usual bag of being-relevant-early tricks, and the other facing off with a Knicks squad that numerous pundits pegged to end up a cut above of the Raps. Something tells me the Hornets might just stick around for the long haul this time around, though.
Honorable “Huskies” mention: I realize the age range of this site’s audience is likely all over the map, but how many of you were skeptical of the “Raptors” name when it all began way back in ’95? Initially, I was more of “Toronto Towers” or “Hogs” supporter. But as time passed, “Raptors” grew on me to a point where I now wouldn’t want it any other way — or so I thought. Saturday night’s vibe was electric, and let’s just say I wouldn’t be mad if the team permanently went back to their 1946 roots. It felt like the Final Four came to town.
Monday, Nov. 14th, 2016:
As we’ve all become accustomed to, especially as Raptors fans, what we know now might not be the case in the months, weeks, or even days ahead. Professional sports has a habit of blowing situations up in our faces. Fantasy Football owners also know what I’m talking about so I recommend bookmarking the date as a reference point.
As for the moment, today’s day off in the schedule offers a chance to exhale, and we all should take the opportunity considering the upcoming action promises to pick up right where it left off (or send it into overdrive) with Cleveland and Golden State waiting in the wings. And even though there’s plenty of moving parts, assessments can still be made within a nine-game framework.
With all of that said, today also offers a chance to bask in a little bit of underrated glory. However, an extension of what I already touched on: It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been invested in this franchise since 1995, jumped in halfway through or just recently got your feet wet, preparing for potential downsides is in our DNA.
So, let’s break down a few underrated scenarios and the flip-sides attached:
The Grand Scheme:
Overall, those aforementioned moving parts represent the hidden beauty of following this organization’s every move. How many other fan bases of top-tier teams get to watch a squad that employs only a handful of players that resemble a sure thing, numerous players that are a work in progress yet play meaningful minutes at the same time, and last but not least: consistently acquiring and integrating new faces to keep us on our toes? Bottom line: Unlike real dollars and cents, the Canadian basketball dollar arguably exceeds its U.S. counterparts in terms of entertainment value. And that’s only a borderline biased statement.
- Potential Downside: There really isn’t one unless regression as a team takes place. Which doesn’t mean the Raps have to advance to the NBA Finals. Hell, they can even get bounced in the first round. Holding players and coaches accountable is a given, but all we can really ask for is that players and coaches put themselves in the best position possible to advance. Besides, whichever direction the cards fall, the journey getting there is almost always must-see TV.
DeMar DeRozan:
By now, Sports Illustrated‘s 46th overall snub, and just how much DeRozan has accomplished in such a short amount of time to prove otherwise, has made the rounds across the basketball landscape. Better yet: Just how much he already accomplished beforehand for that ranking to exist as an enormous slight to begin with. However, no amount of criticism has been greater than the negativity he used receive in-house (myself included).
I’ve beaten this drum many times before, but Toronto really does get the short end of the stick in the mainstream basketball conversation more often than not. I do get it, though: when a city is essentially flying solo, that’s bound to happen.
Still, the fact that DeRozan’s game, 3-point shooting “warts” and all, is on the cusp of overall acceptance (not to mention already joining Michael Jordan in the record books), lends satisfaction to the mission. But how was that mission supposed to come full circle when even his own backyard was always split on him in the first place?
Well, the more I think about it, what’s more important: A conformation from the masses or proper recognition from his own fan base? I’d lean towards the latter.
Nothing is set in stone, but DeMar’s historic run is currently breaking down barriers in both arenas. And that’s both highly underrated and extremely noteworthy.
- Official Downside: It’s nothing new, but it just re-establishes the fact that a Toronto-based team is among the leaders when it comes to the amount of impatient and irrational fans — if not the annual defending champs. I will admit that that’s sometimes half the fun, though.
- Potential Downside: A team becoming too reliant on a somewhat temporary identity. That’s not to suggest that DeRozan’s uptick, or something resembling his current level of dominance isn’t here to stay, even though regression is inevitable. The fear here has more to do with a team losing track of what it needed to do coming into the year, and still does. Simply put: Jonas Valanciunas still must become more than this team’s third wheel. Injuries haven’t helped the situation but the sooner the balance shifts back towards the team’s original gameplan, the better off they’ll be come playoff time.
Kyle Lowry:
Other than DeMar’s pure evolution, there’s plenty of contributing factors allowing for it to happen. Chief among them: Lowry taking a bit of a backseat scoring wise. And it’s an aspect that needs to continue for the situation to flourish as it has moving forward. It’s also a reminder that Lowry is not only willing to sacrifice during a contract year, but that his on/off court relationship/chemistry with DeMar is as genuine as they come — and the team has been better off when the triple-double-on-any-given-night version of Lowry’s years past suits up. His overall defensive prowess may have lost a step (though he’s still getting dirty while drawing charges in the lane), but the tradeoff in terms of how he’s become the type of facilitator we haven’t permanently seen before has been worth it.
- Potential Downside: Overcompensating along with that very same contract situation. The season won’t always be moving along with this much success, and whenever things go haywire, Lowry is no stranger to overextending himself while the team allows him to do it. For argument’s sake, let’s say the season starts to go a little more than haywire: Would Lowry’s new-found facilitating ways go south if/when he feels his perceived value in the marketplace has decreased? I have every confidence that the road the postseason will be a smooth one and this is more of a fear than a potential reality, but it’s still something to keep in the back of our minds.
The Supporting Cast: Starring Bebe:
Bebe headlines the group as he’s displayed the most recent support. And his performance over the last week, has been eye-opening to say the least. When was the last time the Raps had a big-man athletic enough to do a DeAndre Jordan impression at both ends? Bebe, and to a lesser extent, Siakam and Poeltl, have not only helped dim the spotlight Biyombo’s departure created (just ask Carmelo), but Bebe also fills the missing ingredient in the “personality” department to boot. He’s currently yet another example of just how much fun it is to watch a player prove their previous press clippings wrong.
When you combine the rest of the supporting cast’s positives outweighing their game-to-game inconsistencies, specifically speaking of: Powell picking up where he left off last season when the opportunity presents itself, T-Ross and Patterson currently on the right side of the faith we’ve invested in them, Cojo’s steady situational awareness, and the fact that we haven’t even seen what a fully healthy DeMarre Carroll can provide, you get a squad that all of a sudden owns a high level of depth where not too long ago that was the team’s most pressing concern.
And perhaps what’s even more underrated, along with the draft picks to play with, is the fact that the team’s options in the trade market have now opened up much more significantly than previously thought.
- Potential Downside: There’s simply not enough minutes to go around for every member of the supporting cast to continue developing at their current pace. I get that having roster depth supersedes any added outside noise, but unless you’re a seasoned vet with an on/off switch, inexperience breeds the notion of human elements playing a more prevalent role. Younger players are generally creatures of habit, and fluctuating minutes along with prolonged inactivity could have detrimental effects down the road. Casey’s time management skills will once again be put to the test. So far, so good, though.
In Closing:
What better way to get a hint of which direction each of these storylines will ultimately take than to go up against the best of the best in a back-to-back?! And considering it’s Monday, and nobody feels like doing any extra work on a Monday, here’s a little bit of that weekend short list to help start your week off right:
Hope you enjoy…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0_3cgEYbio
