The holidays can suck. They can also be awesome because once every ten years someone somewhere gets you something you actually wanted. Here at RaptorsRepublic we were lucky enough to get our hands on the Raptors’ wishlists and with the exception of some downright far-fetched wishes, we think the Raptors had some pretty reasonable requests.
Kyle Lowry
Wishing for: A Break
Remember those 67 day breaks you used to get as a student right around Christmas time? (if you’re said student I despise you) Well, the Raptors get two. They play in Utah December 23rd and Portland December 26th, meaning Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are spent on the road. It’s bad enough not being picked as a showcase team for the X-Mas Party, but to spend your eggnog drinking days jet-lagged and surrounded by well-meaning micro brewery staff is a sweet hell I wish on no man. Kyle Lowry needs his rest, and a six game road trip that includes the Jazz, Blazers, Warriors, and Spurs is no way to get some time off. He’s playing 37.4 minutes a game, and trails only Anthony Davis in that department. He also loves the holidays, help him out Santa.
DeMar DeRozan
Wishing For: The Death of the 3-Point Line
It’s a little morbid to wish for anything’s demise around the holidays, but honestly, it’s just a painted line. It’s an abstract idea from 1979 that masquerades as an improvement to the game. Even the guys that are good at it don’t like it these day (Steph Curry went 0-8 from the hippie invention just last night!) Imagine how we’d celebrate DeRozan’s long twos instead of chiding him for “inefficiency”. He’d be a king! Here’s hoping the staff at the ACC reads this and just paints over it before the Raptors come back home..or you know, DeRozan starts hitting his threes.
Jonas Valanciunas
Wishing For: Inspiration
This was supposed to be the season JV finally realized all that untapped potential. It’s turning into the season all that potential may be tapped out. In his last four games Valanciunas has totaled 18 points. For the math whizzes out there that’s less than five points a game. We’ve seen what he’s capable of, and we know what it takes to win in this league: Three bonafide stars. DeRozan and Lowry need Valanciunas to be the player he was against Miami in the postseason, not the brooding adolescent he’s become during his slump. Just look how happy you used to be Jonas!
DeMarre Carroll
Wishing For: Health (and Swag, lots of Swag)
It’s already a good sign that Carroll is starting to turn into the player the Raptors hoped for, and dare I say looks healthy, but he also looks damn good too.Blake Murphy dove deep into Senior Swag Daddy’s movement the other day and now I’m obsessed and you should be too. Carroll is renowned for his six-hour shopping sprees, and can’t find anyone on the squad to keep up. Jakob Poeltl could clearly use some inspiration, here’s hoping Carroll can spread the swag this holiday season.
Pascal Siakam
Wishing For: More Time
Without getting too philosophical, Pascal Siakam’s only enemy this season is the clock, because as the seconds tick, Jared Sullinger’s return looms. Siakam has been the definition of a pleasant surprise this season. His infectious energy, defensive integrity, and strange but somewhat effective jumper have all contributed to meaningful minutes on a very good basketball team. Sadly for Siakam, that very good basketball team is going to use a player they paid for once he’s healthy. In the grand scheme of things, Siakam has all the time in the world to develop and become an integral part of this organization, but until then he can just keep wishing for a few more minutes.
Patrick Patterson
Wishing For: Robaxacet
Robaxacet is a relatively cheap and effective pain-reliever for back-pain. Patrick Patterson needs it because everyone (myself included) has been on his back. PatPat started off ice-cold this season from beyond the arc, and that’s all anyone focused on, but Patterson does so many other things that the criticism may have been a bit heavy. Over his last nine games he’s averaged 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.7 3-pointers a game on 53% shooting from deep. Here’s hoping that back is still good enough to keep carrying the second unit.
Terrence Ross
Wishing For: An apology
I’m still not over this, and not knowing Terrence Ross whatsoever I doubt he is either. That overturned three-point buzzer beater was peak Terry, and captured everything he’s been about this season. He’s averaging 10.6 points on 45% shooting from deep and has his defensive efforts being applauded by none other than Dwane Casey. All that means NOTHING when the NBA snatches the moment of the season from you. Okay, it means something..but still Terry could use one of these for Christmas:
Cory Joseph
Wishing For: Musical Appreciation
Cory Joseph has been his usual impossible-to-hate-always-leaving-it-out-there-rare-Canadian-succeeding-at-basketball so other than asking for a slightly better ability to finish at the rim, Cory really wants people to appreciate his ability to play the steel drums. For real though, he plays them a lot and this just isn’t getting enough attention.
Norman Powell
Wishing For: Consistency
26 minutes. DNP. DNP. 11 minutes. 3 minutes. 32 minutes. 6 minutes. 4 minutes.
Those are Norman Powell’s last eight games. That is all.
Jakob Poeltl and Lucas Noguiera
Wishing For: Each other’s downfall
Okay, not actually, the two are teammates after all, but its tough to develop both at the same time. Noguiera has shown brilliance early on in the season, but has been underwhelming as of late, where Poellt has consistently played at the his floor we expected all season long. Neither is instrumental to the Raptors’ success right now, but easily could be in years to come. It’s a good problem to have for the Raptors, but a bad one to have for Poeltl or Noguiera, here’s my wish that the two can at least get along.
What’s on your holiday wishlist (besides DeMarcus Cousins) for this Raptors team?
