Xmas wish list for Santa (AKA Masai Ujiri)
By Brian Boake
Rapture Nation, please welcome “Canadinos” (Konstantin
Dear MaSai-nta,
I have been a very good fan of your Toronto Raptors all through these years, so loyal that my biological clock goes nuts many times, because I have to stay up late to watch the games. I live in Greece and we have a 7-hr time difference. So go figure till what time I have to stay awake to watch a game aginst a Western Conference team, for example.
Dec 23, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs forward Boris Diaw (33) looks on during the second half at AT
Because I was a nice and not naughty fan, I’m making my list for you:
1. Keep all the talent of this team right now and try resigning Lowry. The purpose of the team is to improve, and to be a contender. If we get rid of the talent we have right now, we’re going to this medieval era or Rebuilding mode…a word that was a favorite of your predecessor. Get rid of surplus, especially if they have huge salaries (You Field…sorry feel who is in my radar)
2. Please don’t tank the team. It’s been so long since the last time we watched Raptors playoff games, I barely remember what they look like.
3. Try to find pieces to IMPROVE the team. Make it stronger and deeper. Make trades for the best, not for the worst. OK, Wiggins is an intriguing prospect, but who knows if you will have the pick that would land Andrew?
4. Push the team to the playoffs. Recent games, especially since the trade with Sacramento, have shown this team has the potential. And the benefit of playoff participation will be good for many; fans will be happy again, and hungry for the next season. Raptors prestige will rise once more, and talented free agents would see this team from another point of view. They will realize there is talent here, and they could contribute to achieve even greater things.
5. Look the actual strength of the NBA teams, and how these teams are built. If you research which teams get the high picks, the last years and which teams are really stronger, you will realize that the Western Conference has the best teams in the league, yet the Eastern Conference get the majority of high picks in recent years. Only Cleveland has 3 high picks taken since 2010. Where is Cleveland now? How strong is the Cavaliers team? You may pick a “Lebron”, but you make take a “Greg Oden” too. Even great players like John Wall didn’t made the huge difference for their team. You need more pieces to create a strong team. You could create a “Denver” (you know this team already, don’t you), a “Memphis”, “Portland”, “Golden State”, “Indiana” through magical acquisitions (You are the Santa, you can do it!)
6. At the end of the day, if you insist on bringing Wiggins (this could be a miracle present for all of us), you could trade one of your “big weapons” to get him, on or before Draft Day. If these weapons have Playoff experience too, then they will be even bigger. Teams prefer proven playoff contenders.
7. Bring a winning and playoff experienced coach/tutor/mentor for the guys. He could attract also free agents to come, and you know that there are going to be very talented free agents available this summer. There are few of them without jobs right now, such as Lionel Hollins, or your friend George Karl.
I will paraphrase the John Lennon song and say: All we are saying, is give Raps a chance!
Merry Christmas.