The Toronto Raptors played the Chicago Bulls tonight. It happened, and now it is over, which is usually how time works. While the game thread hummed with the usual mix of hope and immediate regret, the real action seems to be happening in the front office and the trainer's room.
Coach Darko Rajakovic mentioned that Jakob Poeltl is currently ramping up. People in sports use the word ramp a lot, as if the players are motorcycles trying to jump over a row of school buses. We are told he might return before the All Star break, which would be a nice change of pace for a team that often looks like it is playing without a center.
New Faces and Old Dreams
We have acquired Trayce Jackson-Davis, or TJD. It is a three-letter acronym that sounds like a type of tax credit my uncle would try to claim in April. Golden State fans seem sad to see him go, claiming he was mismanaged by Steve Kerr. It is a strange feeling to have something another team actually wanted, like finding a functional toaster at a garage sale.
He is athletic and not slow, which are two qualities that generally help in basketball. The bar for success is currently whether a player can stand in the right place and catch a pass. If he can do those two things simultaneously, he might be a starter by Tuesday.
The Shooting Dilemma
There is a persistent dream among the fanbase about having above average shooters on the roster. It is a lovely thought, similar to imagining what it would be like to own a boat or have a finished basement. Currently, the team's shooting provides a certain suspense, mostly regarding whether the ball will hit the rim or the backboard first.
A trade for Domantas Sabonis was discussed, but it apparently fell through over the inclusion of a first round pick. We are very protective of our picks lately, treating them like family heirlooms that we are afraid to take out of the velvet box. Whether saving a single pick was worth missing out on a guy who rebounds everything is a question for people with more energy than I have.
Looking Ahead
The trade deadline always brings out these hypothetical scenarios where we sell high on players like RJ Barrett. It is funny how we spend all our time either wanting players to arrive or wanting them to leave. There is very little middle ground where we just sit and watch the game with a bag of chips.
For now, we wait for Jakob to finish his ramp. We wait for the new guy to show us what he can do. Most of all, we wait for the next game, because that is what being a fan is, a cycle of waiting for things that might not actually happen.