In a matter of speaking, how a person spends New Year’s Eve can reflect the various sections of this fan base. Hear me out cause I’m now gonna attempt to break down Raptors fans into three different age groups.
Going from youngest to oldest:
1. If you’re hitting the club scene tonight, chances are most of you didn’t have to suffer through the Raps’ dark days. In other words, you’ve been spoiled (but in a good way). Although, scratching and clawing to get a drink with lineups at both the door and coat check? I guess the Basketball gods really do work in mysterious ways.
2. This one goes out to the dive bar/house party crowd. The ones who have grown tired of overpriced cover charges and now prefer a more low-key atmosphere. Which also means quite a few of you have been around since the Raps’ inception. Not to mention being well trained in the art of keeping an even keel when it comes to putting success and/or failure into perspective.
It’s the same even keel that knows not to freak out anytime JV gets exposed or when not to stretch the truth whenever his moments of dominance make an appearance. And if you’re part of this group, you also remembered last season’s incident with Lance Stephenson before immediately jumping on Friday night’s bandwagon. I mean, OG Anunoby’s late-game dunk was the result of aggressive defense, plus there was more time on the clock this time around. But the overall vibe should have rehashed just how infuriating that episode last April was. The Raps can benefit by becoming more cutthroat, and it was encouraging to see Dwane Casey bark back at Mike Budenholzer, but we can’t just be straight up homers who biasedly pick and choose, can we?
3. If you think the glory days of the 70s and 80’s still trump the NBA’s modern style of play, odds are you’ll be spending a quiet evening at home with your family and your favourite take-out order. Perhaps you’ll even be waiting up for one of the aforementioned club goers. But hey, since you likely still have cable TV, FX is having a It’s Always Sunny In Philly marathon tonight…just putting that out there. As for the past, today’s game could definitely use an influx of how much more physical the league was back then.
All in all, though, even as we collectively differ, our passion unites us all. Hoisting the hardware is the mission, and every member of this fan base wants a piece of the action.
It’s much like New Year’s in general. Whether you’ve had everything planned out weeks in advance or you’re the type to make plans at 11:45, how many other occasions have an exact moment in time shared so universally? Even if you’re just over the hype of New Year’s altogether, I’m willing to bet you still take in the moment when the clock strikes midnight.
And at some point tonight, be sure to cheers the Raps. The season so far deserves it.
Which leads to reflecting on the season’s first 34 games. Reflections I got a head start on while watching the Raps dismantle the Hawks at my neighbourhood dive bar. It led to multiple shots of Jack Daniels and a debate over which roster you’d rather have in five years between the Raps and Sixers, so it’s a good starting point for a conversation that can take on a life of its own. You know, the usual.
So, what has stood out so far? What would best describe the reasons to celebrate the last three months? Feel free to chime in. In the meantime, let’s jumpstart tonight’s festivities by giving the Raps a countdown of their very own.
10. After a minusclue difference over the previous two seasons in terms of 3-point attempts per game (23.8 and 24.3 respectively), the Raps have ballooned all the way to 31.9 this year. One could argue that their reliance (or over-reliance) on long-range shooting could come back to bite them in the ass in any do-or-die playoff situation. But helping to put out that fire is next on the list.
9. At long last, ball movement became and continues to be a top priority. Ranking 11th and 13th overall in Assists per game and Assist Ratio (the percentage of team’s possessions that end in an assist) represent a giant leap from years past and can’t be praised enough. 34 games is a big enough sample size to think this team will no longer hang with the bottom feeders. Well, fingers crossed at least, as the Raps did no better than 28th in either category over the last two years.
8. We’ve seen DeRozan’s occasional spurts from behind the arc before, so our guard should remain up. But dare I say that the final piece of his ever-evolving game might finally be on the road to something resembling sustainability? Shooting 65 percent (13 for 20) over a recent three-game stretch and 52 percent overall in his last five has once again opened the door. His free-throw attempts would undoubtedly continue to drop, but the tradeoff of a career high in assists is one we’ve already accepted with open arms.
7. Since one of the main concerns coming into the year was just how fast the Raps’ youth could mesh with the need for them to step up, the season as is can be summed up by saying the Raps have exceeded expectations with help from the unexpected. The young guns have made things happen in more ways than one. Check the next two:
6. Lowry’s minutes have finally been allowed to dip substantially. And when it comes time for K-Low to receive all the run he can handle, well, multiply a 5-minute drop off (on average) by 82 games. Needless to say, the future benefits from that saved wear and tear have a chance to loom large.
5. Even the early season growing pains of Ibaka, Norm and JV have been able to fly under the radar. Lowry and DeRozan are always going to steer the ship, but all of the aforementioned three were given the chance to rebound without any prolonged scrutiny from the media that could have manifested itself into something much bigger. Alright, Norm’s bounce back is still a work in progress.
4. With a bunch of names once again creating a stir down on the 905 farm (Lorenzo Brown, Alfonzo McKinnie and Edy Tavares to name a few), any notion that the D/G-League will only be a short lived pipeline is all but forgotten. However, another batch of names that doesn’t have Bruno at the forefront is another reminder that we’re still playing the waiting game for some.
3. As much as we’re immune to the skepticism by now, it’s still rather satisfying to witness a team defy its preseason critics. Across the border especially, but even when it comes from the Raps’ own backyard.
2. Furthermore, it’s been a trip to see how thatevolved. Is it just me or is this the first season in history where a unified front (for the most part) has taken place? From fans to writers to high profile media personalities, the amount of dissension among all parties involved is seemingly at an all-time low. Hell, even the annual noise over Casey’s job security has transformed to mere whispers.
1. North Over Everything? That didn’t exactly catch on. How bout this one istead: Best Of Both Worlds.
Will the Cavs be within reach come playoff time? (The Celtics still have to earn that question.) Well, there may be no definitive proof to show that the Raps are ready, but so far, the major difference between the past and present is that the supporting cast has sped up its learning curve. A fighting chance is not just a biased hometown take anymore. And with a backup plan for the future already in place, it’s ok to wake the neighbours tonight.
Last but certainly not least, here’s the most important piece of commentary I can pass along: PLEASE DON’T DRINK OR TEXT AND DRIVE.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Cheers.
