Start surprises, from anywhere you’re seated
I was wondering what your biggest surprise with the Raptors is so far. I have a tie between the Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas sharing the 5 spot, allowing Pascal Siakam to thrive in the starting five, and the impact Danny Green has on the team. I knew he was good, but I didn’t know how good. He is a great fit as a player and teammate. — Robert
Biggest surprise? That the Raptors are 23-9 and the bench hasn’t been consistently good and the offence is a work in progress. They just have a toughness and an adaptability to what happens each night that allows them to win. That’s what’s going to serve them best later on this season.
Individually? Probably Ibaka’s play. I was watching the Clippers make somewhat of a run in the second quarter last week to pull the game close-ish (but not really that close) and it got me thinking about how far things have come for fans of the Raptors. It's not really that long ago that beating a fellow mediocre team on the last possession was a big deal —almost a reason to celebrate during a 30something-win season. Now we find things to critique when they don't win going away ... May this Raptors era never end, as I don't know if I can go back to the days of Milt Palacio trying to close out the fourth quarter by actively not passing the ball to Bosh in the post. — Richard, London
It is an entirely different dynamic, isn’t it? I had one guy at the top of the Raptors food chain tell me after the Knicks game, I believe it was, that he felt the fans were “bored” by all the winning and that the energy in the building for a run-ofthe-mill regular-season game had dropped significantly. The style of play with/without Kawhi Leonard seems quite different. How do you think Kawhi’s games off affect the team morale? Also, where does he catch the games when he’s not playing? Unrelated, any apologies to Jonas Valanciunas from Draymond Green (for the hack that dislocated Valanciunas’s thumb), even if it was unintentional? — Steve C.
It has no effect whatsoever on morale, everyone understands what really matters and it isn’t some second game of a November or December back-toback. Where is Leonard when he’s not playing? In the back, getting treatment, watching on TV. People’s fascination with it astounds me.
Apologies? Nah, no one would expect one. I sure wouldn’t. Maybe if they were close friends or one-time teammates there’d be one but not otherwise. So now that Jonas is injured, do you think Kawhi will leave because he has to endure a month (fingers crossed it won’t be more) without our power post player? Or will he re-sign once he's seen the potential of Boucher? — Mike D, Toronto
A conundrum, indeed. If Masai Ujiri was able to be candid, I think he would say C.J. Miles has been a disappointment. I also know you have expressed the opinion that Miles’ would improve as the year went on. Unfortunately that simply hasn’t happened and since the Raptors are in win-it-now mode they have very little time left to wait, hope and pray. Having said that, if the Timberwolves were willing to move Derrick Rose, it would seem to me to be a move worth making. He is a very good three-point shooter and would really enhance the second unit or even push Danny Green out of the first unit. Either way, not a bad scenario. — Stan
I wouldn’t trade for Derrick Rose for this roster if he came for free or was being paid out of your bank account. Who is he better than on this roster? No one who plays, that’s for sure.
And that Miles has gone 6-for-9 from three-point range in his last three games would suggest I’m more correct than you are. At least in a small sample size. I noticed that press row at Staples Center is behind a basket while most arenas have reporters sitting around midcourt. For your purposes, where is the best place to do your job: behind the basket, mid-court or Mississauga? — Phil, Thornhill
The Staples seats are actually pretty good — even though they are in a corner across from the benches — because we’re low down and that affords a pretty good view, not to mention easy access to the work room and locker rooms.
Most arenas now have us up at the top of the lower bowl which isn’t too good because you’d like to be at least close to the bench to hear stuff that might help.
Sitting court level by the bench is perfect. I can only think of a few arenas where that happens: Phoenix, Memphis, Orlando come quickly to mind.