View from the Cheap Seats is kind of an extension of the newsroom. Whenever our three regular reporters, Calvin Daniels, Thom Barker and Randy Brenzen are in the building together, it is frequently a site of heated debate. This week: How disappointed are you by the Toronto Raptor’s early exit from the NBA Basketball playoffs?
Top-5
As far as sports disappointments go, the Toronto Raptor’s early dismissal from the playoffs is easily in my all-time Top 5. Number one, of course, is the Roughriders’ 13th man fiasco that cost the 2009 Roughriders the Grey Cup.
It’s one thing to be beaten by a better team, but to beat yourself with a penalty at the most crucial moment of the game—and not just any penalty, perhaps the stupidest penalty you can possibly take—is tragic.
So too were the Raps this season.
Last year, pretty much out of nowhere, Toronto registered its best season in its 19 years in the NBA. They did it without a legitimate top tier superstar, but outstanding coaching, work ethic and heart. They finished atop the Atlantic Division with a 48-34 record.
In the Eastern Conference, first in the Atlantic, however, usually garners you about fourth place overall, which meant the Raps were in tough against arch-rival Brooklyn Nets. There were not a lot of expectations going into the 2013-2014 playoffs and, although somewhat disappointing, they lost the series 3-4, but fought tough.
So, at the beginning of this season not a lot had changed. Expectations were not high, but not low either. And then the unexpected happened. They were good. No, they were great. By Christmas, they had the best record in the East. For a time they were the best team in the league on the road.
Kevin Lowry was the first Raptor ever to become a starter in the NBA All-Star game. It really looked like they could be contenders.
Then they lost DeMar DeRozen, their best player. They actually weathered the loss not too badly, but when he came back, they never really clicked again as they had been and their defence simply collapsed.
They still managed to clinch the division with franchise records for wins (49) and road wins (22) and finished with the best offence in the conference, but that was only good enough for fourth in the conference and a meeting with the fifth place Washington Wizards, who had the second best defence in the conference.
To say their second half performance and dismal showing against the Wizards going down in four straight is disappointing does not do the emotion justice. From a 24-8 start to unceremoniously dispatched 4-0 in the first round is a meltdown of epic proportions.
- Thom Barker
Expected
Should the monumental collapse of the Toronto Raptors be considered a failure?
Well let’s look at it. They started off strong, dismantled the Atlanta Hawks midway through the season and had the best season in franchise history.
Then they get to the playoffs and go from elite to below the feet all the while getting swept out of the first round by… the Washington Wizards.
The Washington Wizards.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley eliminated the Raptors… Did they use a Nimbus 2000 to sweep them? Clean Sweep Seven? Who cares, they’re gone.
But let’s be honest here. Should it really be considered a failure? A collapse?
The Raptors are a Toronto sports team after all, so something like this should have actually been expected. Personally I like to think they were punching above their weight all season long and then finally caught that Toronto-itis that the Leafs and Blue Jays have.
Sure, I’d have loved to see them go deep into the playoffs. I didn’t expect them to win it, but I did expect them to make it past the first round and, perhaps, the second, before having their season ended.
So is it disappointing? Most definitely. They had all the fan support in the world and couldn’t even muster one, measly win.
A failure? Not really. It’s almost expected.
Toronto.
-Randy Brenzen
Something missing
Basketball in Canada has always fallen somewhere far below hockey in terms of sport interest in the winter.
In truth it probably sits behind curling too.
But, as the snows began to swirl last December the Toronto Raptors finally started to gain ground.
Sure the Raptors had local fans, and a 20-year history, but to say they had ever truly capture the imagination of sports fans coast-to-coast would have been stretching things.
But the team surprised last season, then got off to a blazing start this season, and that was the start of it.
Then a marketing genius hit upon the slogan ‘We the North’ and it resonated across the country and with ex-pat Canucks in most NBA cities south of the 49th.
The Raptors became Canada’s team, and the sport of basketball gained relevance.
The team however stood pat at the NBA trade deadline, and the wheels wobbled down the stretch.
In the playoffs they faced the Washington Wizards, a team with a similar record, and were swept without much fight from the Raps.
The goodwill gained for the team and sport, if not outright lost, has been shaken.
The team must now make a splash with a trade to make the team one where a playoff round win, or two, are an eventuality in 2016.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are definite pieces on a winning team.
Jonas Valancunas, as a centre, might still take a step.
Lou Williams, and Greivis Vasquez are solid in bench roles.
But something is missing and Raptor GM Masai Ujiri must make a move or two to regain the interest in the team and sport lost by the abysmal playoff showing against the Wizards, with the 31-point loss in Game 4 a memory which will sting for a long time.
- Calvin Daniels
