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I hate these Toronto Raptors. I offer no apologies. I hate my favorite sports team, yeah.
You want reasons? I'll give you reasons. They're soft. They don't play defense. They can't or won't rebound They suck on the fast break, show little to no skill or inclination to slash to the basket, and they settle for jumpshots far too often. Worst of all, they're losers. Since winning the first three games of the season, they've gone on a craptacular and spirit-crushing 13-28 run.
I'm reminded of the 2003-04 season — easily the most challenging Raptors squad to root for in the franchise's 13-and-a-half season history. That team played at a painfully slow pace, scored about as often as I did in high school (I'm not talking about basketball, in my case) and sent out an astonishing 23 different players — only five of whom (Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, Morris Peterson, Roger Mason and Donyell Marshall) are still in the NBA. One of the Raptors' crew of rejects, Lonny Baxter, ended up losing his damn mind and firing a Glock in the air a few blocks from The White House.
That team was literally painful to follow — watching their games was an obligation, not a treat. That's what it feels like when I turn on a Raptors game this season. I feel obligated to watch them even though I'm pretty sure I won't enjoy myself and they're probably going to lose in an ugly fashion.
There is one significant difference between this season and "The Kevin O'Neill Era". K.O.'s team was disgustingly lacking in actual basketball talent. Remember Robert Archibald? Mengke Bateer? Jerome Moiso? Dion Glover? Milt Palacio? OK, we all remember Milt — albeit not fondly. Honestly, I feel like I underappreciated O'Neill's coaching skill that he was able to squeeze 33 wins out of that motley crew. This team is much more talented and they'll be lucky to win 33 games.
Of course, that team did have the often-exhilirating Vince Carter to root for — he was the one sustaining force that kept Raptors fans off suicide watch. Our current star, Chris Bosh, is more workmanlike in his excellence and currently seems to take as little joy in playing with this team as many of us get in watching it.
How did it happen that we once again sank to the depths of being arguably the most unlikable team in the NBA? Raptors' President/GM Bryan Colangelo brought in players like Jason Kapono, Jamario Moon and Andrea Bargnani (while keeping Joey Graham) — each of them inspiring extreme frustration and animosty from Raptors fans in spite of the players' obvious talent. It's a rare Raptors game that won't end with somebody starting a message board thread cursing at least one of these guys out and begging for them to be traded.
This is what Raptors fans want Colangelo to address as much as anything between now and the 2009-10 season. Sign, draft, and trade for players that rebound with ferocity, take it to the hole with extreme prejudice, defend with tenacity and throw down dunks with no regard for human life. Give us players that run, jump, fly through the air — instead of this mayo-on-white-toast group of set-shooting mopes. It's bad enough that I don't expect them to win most nights — worse than that is that I really don't give a shit if they do.
I hate this team. Now that I said it, I feel liberated. I hate these Toronto Raptors, yeah.
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