Trash-talk Toronto Raptors: Serge Ibaka gifts everyone scarves

Welcome to another edition of Trash-talk Toronto Raptors! Here we discuss everything about the Toronto Raptors except… basketball

Look… a week ago we were discussing the Toronto Raptors going for the franchise record for a winning streak and now we’re talking about just how far they can take it. Having beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, they have increased their streak up to 15, which is the all-time streak for Canada.

For all intents and purposes, the Raptors definitely have the media’s attention. People are ridiculing folks who guessed the Raptors would be in the basement (more on that later) and people are hopping aboard the bandwagon faster than America attempted to dump Donald Trump.

Of course, this isn’t a place where I want to talk about basketball. I’m looking for the hoopla, chicanery, and schadenfreude this season has to offer. That said, I couldn’t do so without you, the reader, helping me along the way. If you have anything that you find then please reach out to @HughesWithMe or @RaptorsRapture on Twitter, so we can be sure to give you a shout out in the next column.

This week, we’ve got to discuss the trade deadline and the carousel of trades that happened, Kendrick Perkins hoping on the Raptors bandwagon, Serge Ibaka gifting the whole team some new scarves, and lastly, some Terence Davis II trash-talk that I’ve got to get off my chest.

The NBA trade deadline came and went with a lot of noise, but the Toronto Raptors stayed put

The biggest freak out any Raptors fan could have possibly had was the New York Knicks trying to swipe away Masai Ujiri. After news spilled that the New York Knicks fired Steve Mills — except, in reality, they merely downgraded him (LOL) — rumors began spreading that the Knicks were smitten with Ujiri once again.

Some credible sources even proposed that NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, was pushing for Ujiri to join the Knicks. With our collective blood pressures rising to near boiling temperature, the Knicks decided to go a different direction and Ujiri stayed put.

As well, James Dolan announced that he was not selling the team (LOL), which just goes to show you how much of a dumpster fire is burning away in New York. The New York Knicks are surely the biggest, self-imposed disaster that the NBA has ever seen.

And, while it is painstakingly obvious that the NBA would be better off with a decent New York Knicks team, the future is looking bleaker than the political landscape in the United States.

What an unmitigated catastrophe.

The Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Atlanta Hawks did what now?

The trade deadline brings in a lot of movement some years, but this four-team trade was a doozy. And, after the Warriors and Timberwolves made a D’Angelo Russell and Andrew Wiggins swap, it almost turned into a five-team trade.

Here’s what made the whole thing interesting, though. The Rockets are seemingly throwing all their chips on black, which in this metaphor is small ball. The Rockets, having given away Clint Capela and gaining Robert Covington, are going to take their concept to the limit. After three games, it still seems to be a work in progress, but it is undoubtedly entertaining to see how it will work in the long run.

Ironically, the Rockets forced themselves into this situation with the Chris Paul/Russell Westbrook swap over the summer. Westbrook, a dwindling three-point shooter, needs to play closer to the rim, which meant that things were getting crowded. By moving Capela, Westbrook can move more freely down low against the big men.

Everyone believes that this won’t work against in the playoffs — and I’m not so sure — but it will be awesome for someone to try.

Kendrick Perkins is going all-in on the Toronto Raptors

Alright, so Kendrick Perkins is a weird, yet fascinating talking head. The best way I can describe him is like a gnat at a barbecue (thanks, Bad Boys II). He’s out there, floating around, just trying to bug the hell out of you while you’re attempting to enjoy some ribs.

But, as of late, he’s been coming aboard the Toronto Raptors bandwagon, especially amid this win streak.

It’s cool to see someone hop aboard, especially since we know how much clout the man generates. Then, he also had to make fun of someone who thought the Raptors would be basement dwellers.

Yet, the greatest tweet from Perkins stems from his updated MVP list:

“Somebody off the Raptors” is perhaps the greatest compliment he could give the team. Given the way they play night-to-night, it is truly difficult to figure out who is the MVP of the team. So, despite the confusion, he is onto something about this team.

With the Raptors becoming the best story in the NBA after winning the championship is truly a remarkable feat — one that is being enjoyed by even the US national media.

Serge Ibaka gifts art for everyone

The clip that started the scarves fight was truly inspiring, but it has now blown up exponentially because the Toronto Raptors are continuing their winning ways. Despite OG Anunoby putting Ibaka onto scarves, Ibaka took it upon himself to get everyone on the team some sporty new scarves, which they enjoyed immensely.

The team chemistry is bubbling at an all-time high right now. And this might be more enjoyable than last year’s climb to the title.

Yes, yes I know that the title was what every team dreams of, but there’s something to be said to be winning a whole bunch AND enjoying the ride. Last year there was so much talk of upcoming free agency for Kawhi that we may have missed a little bit of enjoyment along the way.

Now, with just a bunch of talented misfits at the helm, we’re going to ride this thing out until the very end with scarves in tow.

Terence Davis II skipped over for the Rising Stars game

We all saw the news that Davis wasn’t going to be in the Rising Stars game for All-Star weekend and TDII had an awesome response:

That said, he was overlooked once again as Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Collin Sexton of the Cleveland Cavaliers would take Tyler Herro‘s spot. Then, John Hollinger had this retort:

Look, I am a bit biased, but TDII has been playing extremely well. Yes, he’s been inconsistent, sure, but anybody just coming into the league usual is outside of the super-duper stars. So, to say that Davis isn’t a rising star is outrageous and a ghastly overlook by the NBA.

The All-Star weekend is meant to be a big name draw, of course, but by rewarding Davis the NBA would show other players that playing within their role is just as important as raw numbers. While players like Collin Sexton have better raw numbers, those don’t really mean anything if you’re circling the drain.

Davis has outperformed for his expectations throughout the season by being a spark off the bench and unafraid of the big moment. His ever-growing confidence will only fuel his play for this season and, undoubtedly, the playoffs.

Shouldn’t we be rewarding that type of play in the NBA? Aren’t we always talking about playing within your given role on a team? Shouldn’t we reward winning above all else?

Meh, I guess by rewarding Trae Young an All-Star bid given the fact that he is on the miserable Atlanta Hawks just goes to show you that it’s a big name event and that’s more necessary than gifts and skills.

Now, excuse me while I queue up Davis highlights from the year and wrap my head with a scarf the size of a tablecloth.

Get ’em next year, Davis.

That’s it for this week’s Trash-talk. Read next week for some more drama bouncing around the league.