So, where do people stand regarding the league’s recent wave of player confrontations? Or, as Greg Popovich put it: “The silliest, namby pambiest thing I’ve ever seen.” Considering these play fights haven’t exactly been reminiscent of the gritty 80s and early 90s, I can only assume that most would mock just the same. With that said, the question shifts to why they’re happening in the first place.
One angle that makes a lot of sense is that the players’ frustration with poor officiating is now boiling over. And let’s face it, while blaming the refs for a particular loss can almost always be classified as just an excuse, more than a few egregious errors in judgement take place on a nightly basis. No official is perfect, but more than a handful have had a significant impact on a game’s outcome.
Case in point: Steph Curry’s baseline drive with under a minute remaining last Saturday night.
Jakob Poeltl appears to block Stephen Curry at the rim…
Do you agree with this foul call? pic.twitter.com/oLFdT10xL4
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 14, 2018
Even with today’s ticky-tack nature, you didn’t have to rewind the footage to know that Jakob Poeltl’s rejection was pure. What about that bump to the body, you ask? Well, the fact that it took place on the way down should mean something. Curry’s initial usage of his elbow on Pascal Siakam to clear his path to the basket should have rendered that a moot point, anyway.
Fans are not fools, though, as it’s no secret that more so than any other major sport, the NBA puts a premium on seniority when it comes to which direction the whistle will lean. Especially when a certain player’s name is synonymous with the league’s popularity.
To be fair, what goes around has indeed come around (for the most part). DeRozan wouldn’t be in the midst of his fifth straight season ranking in the top six in free-throw attempts without any help.
As for my personal take on the “hold me back, hold me back” drama, I’ll just add an underlying issue:
Simply put, it’s a “pace and space” world and hard-nosed defense is just a squirrel trying to get a nut. Modern players don’t exactly know any better. They’ve grown up in an environment that’s given them too much room to operate. One that only lends itself to overreacting whenever a hard foul occurs.
But I get it. Offense equals eyes on the product and eyes on the product equals money in the league’s pockets. And the fatter the league’s pockets get, means the 3-point shootout brand of basketball that the masses are in love with will only continue for the foreseeable future. It’s a brand that is, however, currently working in the Raps favour, so I’ll pick that battle another day. Besides, there’s plenty more to choose from.
Enter the annual storyline of the Raptors not getting the proper respect in the mainstream media. However, the narrative has been around for so long that it has essentially flipped my point of view. (More on that in a bit).
Even with Charles Barkley continuously expressing his love for T.O., the praise from numerous esteemed writers, and DeRozan getting a prime time interview on TNT after being named an All-Star starter, the vast majority of pundits and ex-players continue to shove T.O. to the side in any “contender” discussion.
Take Chauncey Billups as the latest example. You know, that time he stated on national television that he hadn’t seen the Raps play enough to comment on their chances moving forward. Wait, what was that, Chauncey? You’re an NBA “analyst” with a massive platform and you don’t know what’s going on with the team that has the second best record in East? Being honest was his only saving grace, but it became clear that afternoon that Paul Pierce wasn’t the only mock-worthy personality in studio.
The more I think about it, though, the more that disrespect only fuels the passion of our fandom to a level no other fan base can ascend to. No other team or city in the league has the luxury of a built-in chip on their shoulder year after year. The unified front it forms from players to fans alike is quite unique, and I now embrace it. It even subliminally helps us get through this team’s ups and downs, cause the potential payoff from the mission at hand has become a powerful driving force. Provide an entire country with motivation, and you’ll get loyalty in return. Not to mention that on a local level, unlike this city’s other respective clubs, Raptors fans tend to stay optimistic throughout so many letdowns.
Ok, let’s stop giving the mainstream free publicity and stay on our side of border the rest of the way. The following is the most important talking point of this conversation, anyway. With the Raps’ dominant start, the youngsters being ahead of schedule, and the distraction of All-Star voting, it’s easy for the Trade Deadline to play the background. But it’s now around the corner and will be thrust into the spotlight in no time.
Which begs more than a few questions. Ones that have a snowball effect:
1. Is there an actual championship window for THIS year? Or at least a window for a championship appearance? Other than rebounding inconsistencies and lack of size when the moment calls for it, prior loose ends have seemingly been fixed. But is that enough?
If so,
2. Do you mess with the team’s new foundation of youth? I mean, the majority of youngsters on this squad aren’t T-Ross 2.0. The idea of plateauing doesn’t even exist yet.
Which can lead to,
3. Because there’s so much depth on board, would Masai then be foolish not to use it to the Raps’ advantage? We know too well that the Valanciunas trade market usually comes up lame.
Tough choices would surely follow:
4. If a player from that group was to get moved, which player’s exit would get the most in return but also be the least disruptive subtraction? It takes more than half a season for belief in a player to bottom out, but would Norman Powell get the squeeze by default?
And that opens up other scenarios as well:
5. One aspect that the Raps have always been able to hang their hat on is owning numerous assets at the point guard position. Does the recent play of Fred Van Vleet render Delon Wright expendable? Or vice versa?
Last but not least:
6. Is there concern over the length of Lowry’s contract mixed with him being on the wrong side of 30? In turn, does the thought of moving a point guard even enter the equation when Lowry will likely not be suiting up in a Raps’ uniform as soon as the 2020-21 season?
All in all, it’s a delicate balancing act. Yes, this squad is set up for the future and rocking that boat is a risky proposition. Still, it’s too early to go “all in” on every piece of youth the Raps possess, so capitalizing on what Lowry has left in the tank to make that aforementioned window even more realistic might be the route to take. At very least, an already deep roster with reinforcements on the farm suggests action can be taken.
In the meantime, Coach Pop and the Spurs are up next. Something tells me both teams will be on their best behaviour tonight.