We are currently sixty-two games into this season. Someone is out there drawing a sketch after every single game, which is a level of commitment I usually reserve for things like finishing a bag of salt and vinegar chips. It is a lot of sketches.
I think about the Scottie Barnes era and how we might look back on it. It feels like we are at a fork in the road where one path leads to a decade of prosperity and the other leads to us just talking about draft picks forever. It is hard to say which way we are leaning. Some days the ball goes in, and other days it hits the rim in a way that makes me want to go lie down in a dark room.
Activity in Mississauga
While the big team is doing whatever it is they do, Trayce Jackson-Davis is apparently dominating with the Raptors 905. He put up thirty-two points recently. This is significant, although I sometimes wonder if the rims in Mississauga are just slightly friendlier than the ones downtown. Ulrich Chomche was there watching the game (probably looking at the court and thinking about the future).
It is a nice thing to see a young player find success. My uncle says that confidence is just a temporary lack of information, but seeing thirty-two points on a box score makes me feel okay for a few minutes. It is a nice break from the main roster's existential dread.
Logistical Uncertainties
There is also some confusion lately regarding the perks of courtside seats. A fan was asking about how the free parking works and whether you have to flash your tickets or get them validated at guest services. It is a legitimate concern. If you are spending that much money to sit close enough to see the players' sweat, you should probably be able to park your car without any extra stress.
Everything feels a bit like a mystery right now (the parking, the rotations, the long term plan). We are just moving through the schedule, one game and one sketch at a time. I suppose that is all any of us can do. We wait for the next game and hope it doesn't rain too hard on the way to the arena.
I think the weather is supposed to be mild tomorrow. That doesn't really affect the basketball, but it makes the walk from the parking lot a little more manageable. Perhaps that is the real victory.