The Toronto Raptors are playing the Portland Trail Blazers. It is a Friday night. Some people find this schedule to be a blessing because they can stay up late to watch the game without worrying about work the next morning.
I am not sure if I feel blessed. Usually, staying up late just means I have more time to think about the 2007 season and Rasho Nesterovic. Rasho was a very solid center who understood the value of a fundamental mid range jumper.
The Deadline is Looming
Doug Smith and Josh Lewenberg are both talking about the trade deadline. It feels different this time. We are entering a deadline without Masai Ujiri at the helm (which is a sentence that feels strange to type). It is like waking up and realizing your favorite coffee shop has been replaced by a place that only sells expensive socks.
The game plan reportedly has a twist. I hope the twist is that we trade for a player who can make everyone feel three percent more optimistic. Or perhaps we are just looking for a very specific center. People on the internet are shouting about a specific guy we need (though they often shout about things they do not fully understand).
Friday Night Realities
There is something specific about Raptors basketball on a Friday. The Scotiabank Arena smells like popcorn and expensive expectations. We play Portland (a team from a city where people own a lot of raincoats) and we wonder if this is the start of something new or just another long night.
I once spent forty minutes trying to explain the defensive rotations of the 2019 championship team to my uncle. He told me he preferred the way the ball looked when it was orange and not covered in corporate logos. He might be onto something. We all just want the ball to go in.
Whether or not we make a big move at the deadline, the Friday night games will keep coming. We will watch the score fluctuate. We will look at our phones. We will wonder if we should have traded for that one guy back in 2024. Then we will go to sleep and do it again.