Toronto Raptors: Four wishes ahead of All-Star Weekend 2020

Besides Pascal Siakam, who else on the Toronto Raptors is deserving of a little “stage time” at NBA All-Star Weekend?

Dear Basketball Gods >> First off, thank you for naming Pascal Siakam to this year’s All-Star Game; had he not been bestowed with this honour then you could’ve bet that a less pleasant letter would’ve been following closely behind this one, on the electronic mail highway. That said, the fact that Miami Heat guard/forward Jimmy Butler was left out kinda stunk.

Here’s to hoping Kyle Lowry is voted in as a reserve. Should #7 be left off the East’s squad, it would be a hard pill to swallow for Raptor fans. Lowry’s play has been nothing short of remarkable through the first half of the 2019-20 season.

But it’s only a game and time spent away from the hardcourt allows players a chance to recharge and reset for the second half of the season. FWIW, it does sound like the 82-game slate has run its course. Agree, or no? The league is well aware of the toll the current format is taking on its players. Obviously there are financial implications to a shorter season, and that’s likely what is behind holding up any reform when it comes to scheduling. Leaving any money on the table is not something big businesses enjoy doing nowadays.

Setting aside that debate for another day, I’d like to turn your attention to a wish list I’ve compiled; it contains four things that Raptors fans wouldn’t mind seeing go down during All-Star weekend. Should you entertain our “advances” and approve these enclosed wishes, we will be, for a time, in your debt. But…decline any of our proposals and we’ll be sure to cry foul and chant “THIS IS RIGGED! THIS IS RIGGED!” outside the league office, so it’s probably for the best that you just make these four things happen, k?