To start, a little housekeeping:
Put it this way: At least MLSE and the ACC security staff are still on good terms with Charles Oakley. Not to mention the fact that Masai Ujiri (as far as we know) hasn’t been subtweeting about DeMar DeRozan’s recent shot selection in the fourth quarter. Simply put: Even though the Knicks are somehow fresh off a victory over the Spurs (that was real life, right?), things could be a lot worse.
To be fair, and before the DeRozan-can-do-no-wrong crowd calls for my head: Kyle Lowry does deserve a bit of the same call-out treatment.
However, there’s a few sides to the 4th quarter story:
It’s not as if DeMar and Kyle shouldn’t be able to freelance. They’ve earned that right — set isolations included. But when you throw in a coaching staff that hasn’t exactly experimented with crunch-time creativity, even the league’s second best Offensive Rating will often come up short when it matters most. Perhaps the real problem is this: When predictable shots fall, the masses still tend to heap praise. When predictable shots fail, an uproar ensues. Shouldn’t we be calling out this team whenever their gameplan leaves plenty to be desired either way?
Nevertheless, there are aspects to consider before taking part in this fan base’s intervention:
- A meltdown can only occur after a team originally imposed their will.
- With so many close calls, the mood surrounding this club could realistically be flipped on its head.
Should we be buying what those are selling, though?
Well, we were all waiting for this team to get back on track, and the progression shown from the Brooklyn game to the clash with the Clippers seemingly provided the evidence needed. But as bad habits crept right back into the picture vs. Minny and Detroit, there’s only so much back-and-forth a fan base can take before a backlash begins.
Still, considering that over 30 percent of the regular season has yet to unfold, and the needed All-Star/mental break has yet to work its potential magic, my own personal truth lies somewhere in between “pressing the panic button” and “patience is a virtue.”
With that said, an underlying issue should be rising to the forefront instead of what’s currently grabbing the headlines:
Contract Kyle:
A little over a month ago, in a column debating whether the Raps should pull the trigger on a trade or roll with the status quo, I touched on both sides of another argument: Kyle Lowry’s potential departure as soon as this offseason. Allow me to quote myself:
“Why would he leave a perfect situation? A situation where he owns the master key to an entire country’s worth of basketball fans. He essentially rebuilt this franchise — a team that just re-upped his partner in crime for 5 more years and already roams the ranks of the league’s top 5. His upcoming contract (he’ll be 31 at the time) will be, by all likely accounts, his last chance at signing a max-level deal, but that’s all well and good considering the Raps will, by all likely accounts, fork over the cash without hesitation.
On the other hand, not so fast: We may have gone through this same “hometown calling his name” scenario with DeRozan, but that doesn’t mean the outcome will be the same. It doesn’t take more than a quick glance at Philly’s roster to see that quality pieces are in place for the future, they just need a floor general to hit fast forward. Leading your hometown, a once proud basketball market, back to prominence isn’t a gig to scoff at the way we once did. And as much as we all like to pretend that we know where a player’s head is at, we don’t know these guys on a personal level.
There is a bright side to this speculation, however, cause either way, the Raps should take the opportunity to pounce on a window. Lowry’s skills aren’t diminishing (you could even say he hasn’t even peaked by the way he’s producing), but the wrong side of 30 comes sooner rather than later for every player. Even if any trade acquisition doesn’t re-sign, chances are you solidified Lowry’s return by actually showing you’re willing to go for it with Lowry at the helm. If disaster strikes and neither player re-signs, well, you’ll have the available funds to rectify the situation.”
It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest the landscape has since shifted with the aforementioned possibility opened up that much further. And even though Lowry has taken the tone of his now-infamous post-game comments on Sunday night down a notch, it would be naive to think that it’s still not a possibility that they were directed at Dwane Casey or someone higher on the food chain. If you still choose to scoff at the notion of Lowry leaving, just think of how real this could get if the team’s downward spiral continues. By the way, how real has that possibility become?
We also need to look at it from management’s perspective, cause Lowry and this year’s trade deadline have an interesting connection:
Cory Joseph is among the group of assets that can help make a deal work salary wise, but how can he realistically be dealt if Lowry’s future is uncertain? Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet have promising futures but potentially losing both Lowry and Joseph can’t be something Masai and company are willing to take a chance on. That doesn’t mean a deal can’t get done, but it does add another obstacle to an already difficult marketplace to navigate through.
At the same time, if nothing gets done and the Raps do decide to carry on with the status quo, that could very well send a message that Masai doesn’t think this team’s current window is worth going all-in on. But more to the point: It could ultimately mean that MLSE is not even planning to be Lowry’s top bidder in the offseason — especially when the Power Forward position would still be without a concrete solution. And last time I checked, either scenario would infuriate the majority of this fan base.
But hey, what’s a relationship without a little tension. Wait, you mean today’s Valentine’s Day? Uh oh…
