Julien Lin
This year has been a sad year for Toronto sports.
Wait no, scratch that.
This decade has been a sad decade for Toronto sports.
Forget the Leafs, who lost in another 7-game heartbreaker against the Bruins. Forget TFC, who lost in penalty kicks, which is effectively the soccer-equivalent of a glorified lottery. Even forget the Blue Jays, who currently sit 7 games below .500.
The Raptors were swept by a 33-year-old carrying a bag of 13 bricks.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that there’s always false hope. Just this year, The Raptors supposedly solved their offensive woes, and finished top of the injury-stricken Eastern Conference. Lebron had no help, Boston started two rookies, and Philadelphia straight up had 0 playoff experience. If the Raptors were to make a breakthrough, this was supposed to be the year.
It’s the lure of the playoffs. The lure of just a couple more weeks of action. Reach the playoffs, and who knows, maybe it’ll work out. Maybe, Toronto will end up on top of the world. Except they didn’t.
It’s disappointing—I expected so much from the self-labeled “best team in the NBA” that it was heartbreaking to watch their meltdown. I could blame the first game on bad luck. I could blame the second game blowout on laziness. By the fourth game though, I was out of excuses, and instead found excuses to ignore the game. I had enough, I would rather spend the night studying chemistry than watch another Raptors collapse.
It’s a matter of time too. If DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors reached this point in their developmental curve four years ago, everyone would be praising the team. But it’s 2018. DeRozan is 28. Kyle Lowry is 32. Ibaka is “28.” The team has essentially reached its peak, and the future still holds so many uncertainties. Days after the Raptors lost to the Cavs, there were already countless fans calling for DeRozan, along with the entire Raptors core, to be traded. This seems like the clear path to take. Against all odds, why not just give it up and burn it down, and try winning in an era without Golden State or Boston or LeBron?
Quick fixes never work.
Remember when Brian Burke dealt two first rounders for Phil Kessel? The Leafs were amid a decade long playoff drought, and in an attempt to revitalize the franchise, brought in an exciting young player at the expense of the team’s future. Those picks ended being Dougie Hamilton and Tyler Seguin, two all-stars. Remember when GM Alex Anthopoulos sold the entire Blue Jays’ farm system for one solid run at the MLB crown? Where exactly are the Jays now? They’re cellar dwellers, trying desperately to refill the cabinet that they emptied out just a mere 2 years ago.
The only reason the Jays got any positive recognition for those trades was because they made some historic comeback. All their achievements came in a short period of time. Really, we just thought they accomplished a lot, when they really hadn’t done anything special. And the elation of making it to one playoff series? It was fleeting.
The Raptors have produced a ton of great moments too, just spread out evenly amongst the years. From Terrence Ross winning the slam dunk competition, to making the playoffs even after trading star Rudy Gay, to having their first 50-win season, to taking 2 games off an unstoppable Cavaliers squad in 2016. From Drake’s frisson-inducing “We the North” to Lowry’s half-court bomb to DeRozan’s 52 point, record-breaking game against the Bucks. Heck, Maple Leafs Square was even renamed to Jurassic Park to support the team.
We should be cheering for their accomplishments.This team hasn’t realized his potential yet, not even close. The Raptors have made it to the big dance for 4 years straight. Have faith, Toronto. They will be number 1, sooner or later.
In any case, no matter where I end up, they’ll have my faith.
