The Raptors reached 40 wins recently. I know this because people are posting about it on the internet (mostly to complain about character limits for titles). It is a nice round number (unlike 39 or 41) but mostly it just means we are closer to the end of the year.
The game against the Jazz was notable for the passing. The team recorded the 12th most assists in the history of the NBA (which is a very old league that used to feature people wearing very short shorts). It is hard to know if this counts because it was against Utah, but the ball moved quite a lot.
Moving the ball is a good thing. It is much better than holding it and thinking about your taxes or what happened to the 2007 backup centers like Primoz Brezec.
Art and Industry
Someone has been drawing a sketch after every single game this season. They are currently at 71 out of 82. That is a high level of commitment to a team that sometimes forgets how to play basketball in the third quarter.
I wonder if the sketches get sadder as the season goes on. Usually, by game 71, everything feels a little bit like a smudge. My uncle says that art is just a way to pass the time between trades.
The Foot and the Point Guard
Immanuel Quickley is dealing with plantar fasciitis. Darko Rajakovic talked about it in a way that didn't sound very encouraging (which is how most news sounds these days). Plantar fasciitis is an annoying phrase to say and probably even more annoying to have in your foot.
If your foot hurts, it is hard to run. If you cannot run, it is hard to be a point guard in the NBA. This is a very simple concept that becomes very complicated when millions of dollars and playoff seeds are involved.
New Friendships
We are also apparently entering a relationship with Markelle Fultz. This feels like deciding to date someone who has a very complicated history with their ex, but you think they just need a change of scenery.
Fultz has a nice handle. He plays the game at a speed that suggests he is walking through a grocery store looking for a specific type of jam. Sometimes that is exactly what a team needs (the calmness, not the jam).
Hopefully, the 41st win comes soon. Or maybe it won't. The Earth keeps spinning anyway, much like a Pascal Siakam post move from two years ago. We are all just waiting for the next whistle.