Happy New Year: Highlights and Lowlights from the Toronto Raptors in 2014 (Part 2)
Longtime fans of the Toronto Raptors will note just how positive 2014 has been. The team has gone 58-27 this year (between Jan. 1st 2014 and today), good for the league’s second best record in 2014. That’s huge for a team that went 37-43 the year prior. A lot has changed for Canada’s lone NBA franchise, as they have vaulted up from vying for the 8th spot in the dystopian Eastern Conference to dominating both the Atlantic Division and the East as a whole. New talent and celebrity representation has been brought to the 416 in the last year, supporting the team’s rise from the league’s basement to its penthouse. However, as with all things in life, it hasn’t been all smiles and lollipops for the Raptors. Let’s look at some of the highlights and lowlights from 2014.
Recap From Part One
- Learning to Win as a Team Without Rudy Gay (Highlight)
- Losing against the Nets (Lowlight)
- Re-signing Kyle Lowry (Highlight)
Highlight- Bringing Back James Johnson
After playing 87 games for the Raptors between 2010-12, averaging 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 26 minutes per game, Johnson was traded away due to maturity issues. Johnson was clashing with his teammates and coaches, and was thus written off as a head-case. In the years since, it seems Johnson has grown up. When Raptors GM Masai Ujiri presented him with the chance to come back to the team he had been the most successful with, Johnson willingly accepted a different (and more limited) role than he had during his first stint in Toronto. Johnson has become an absolute defensive rock for the Raptors, who badly needed a tall, physical player to cover Joe Johnson during their playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets last season. While primarily being a defensive player off the bench this season, Johnson has also picked up some starts with the absence of DeMar DeRozan (groin injury). Johnson has also shown an amazing ability to finish around the rim after absorbing contact. He has been a huge asset for the Raptors, helping to strengthen their bench unit and make them a more legitimate playoff contender.
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Lowlight- Inability to Beat the League’s Best
This season, the Raptors are 24-8, leading the Eastern Conference over teams who were considered to be stronger going into the campaign. Many people thought the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers would be duking it out for supremacy in the East. Instead Drake’s boys have been winning game after game, with or without DeRozan. The frustrating problem is that they Raps still seem to falter against the league’s best. As they say, to be the best, you have to beat the best. Thus far, the Raptors have struggled to do just that, with some rare exceptions (shout-out to the Clippers). They are 0-2 against the Bulls, 1-2 against the Cavaliers and 0-1 against the Dallas Mavericks. The Raptors’ most recent 128-120 loss against the Bulls (Dec. 22) came after Derrick Rose and company scored 49 (Yep, you read that right) points in the fourth quarter. That can’t happen against strong Eastern Conference competition. The Raptors have to be more mentally tough, and find ways to triumph over strong teams, if they want to be considered elite.
Highlight– Drake
In 2014, Canadian rapper and all around sensitive guy Drake played a huge role in supporting the rise in popularity of the Raptors. Drake has helped recruit players, bring new fans in, and get the team extra media coverage. From hosting Drake themed nights, to attending just about every home game, Drake has truly supported the Raptors through everything this season. Part of what makes Drake’s involvement with the Raps so wonderful is his true passion for the game of basketball, the city of Toronto, and the team itself. He truly loves the squad, he knows all of the players personally, and he is willing to scream at refs when they blow calls that hurt the Raps. Basically, Drake is a super fan that just happens to be a rap icon.