Trash-talk Toronto Raptors: All aboard the Pascal Siakam for MVP train

Stanley Johnson: Doing the cool guy face for Halloween

If there’s one thing that NBA basketball players are good at — outside of the actual game of basketball, of course — it’s their ability to put up some absolutely fantastic Halloween costumes.

Maybe it’s because they spent all of their formative Halloweens staying in the gym and not eating candy. On the other hand, maybe it’s because they get paid well and have the ability to shop outside of Wal-Mart for expensive and formidable costumes.

Let’s be real, it’s probably the second reason.

That said, the Toronto Raptors players used the holiday to strike fear into the hearts of others except for our faithful soldiers Fred VanVleet and Stanley Johnson.

https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1190273833862864896

VanVleet appropriately summoning his inner Fred Flintstone is too endearing to really find anything but pure joy. Yet, Stanley Johnson summoning his inner cool guy just might be what Nick Nurse was referencing before the start of the season when he lambasting him about playing defense.

Look, there’s nothing wrong with dressing as someone cool for Halloween; it’s a totally justifiable maneuver. But, Johnson should have thought twice about the timing of this costume. He’s hardly been playing and his minutes are slowly being stolen by Terence Davis, who, I might add, is the freaky skeleton joker above. If Davis didn’t go up to Johnson and whisper, “The joke’s on you,” then he surely missed out on some sheer gold-level teasing.

To be honest, I’m not even sure if Stanley Johnson was dressing up as anything or just trying on a new look. If his wardrobe suddenly alters for the remainder of the season, then we’ll have evidence that he just needed to get a little fan approval before ultimately turning the tables on us.

Am I being too harsh with my criticism? Maybe. But, the reality of the situation for Johnson is this: if he stays on this trajectory then he definitely won’t be a Raptor for much longer. If I were him, I would have used my costume to make myself a locker room guy; someone who connects to others beyond personal basketball skills.

Right now, that’s the only way he’ll be sticking around the team and he missed a viable opportunity to do so.