The NBA released the Eastern Conference All Star reserves today. Scottie Barnes made it, which is nice because it means people in other cities are forced to watch him do that thing where he looks like he is playing in a swimming pool while everyone else is on solid ground. He is an All Star again, and it feels like a small victory in a world that mostly consists of us wondering if the grocery store is out of the good bread.
It is a bit of a reunion year for the list of names Shams Charania sent out into the world. Pascal Siakam is there, and so is Norman Powell. I remember when Norman Powell used to drive to the rim and I would think, yes, this is a man who understands that the rim is the goal, unlike my car which currently needs an oil change I cannot afford. Seeing them all on the list together is like looking at a high school yearbook while you are eating a lukewarm sandwich.
The Big Man Vacuum
Michael Grange says the Raptors are looking for big men because Jakob Poeltl is still away. Apparently, the team is looking at Yves Missi from the Pelicans, but New Orleans wants a first round pick. A first round pick is a lot of things. It is a mystery box, a hope for the future, or just a way to avoid making a decision today.
The front office is hesitant because they want to clean the house and stay below the luxury tax. House cleaning is a strange term for professional basketball. My version of house cleaning is moving a pile of mail from the kitchen table to the top of the microwave. The Raptors are looking at Goga Bitadze and Day'Ron Sharpe too, because when you need a center, you just need a person who is very tall and can stand in the way of other very tall people.
Delivery and Departures
The report also says the Giannis dream is over. The ship has sailed. I did not know there was a ship, but it makes sense that I missed the boarding call. I usually miss the bus because I get distracted by how squirrels seem to have a lot of confidence for animals that just eat trash.
While we process the loss of a superstar we never actually had, there is at least a promo code for Uber Eats. It is important to have discounted food when you are watching a game and wondering if the team will ever trade for a backup big who can play fifteen minutes without fouling four times. Food helps.
It is strange how "once a Raptor, always a Raptor" applies to so many people now. We have former players scattered across the league like loose change in a couch. Some of them are All Stars in different jerseys, while we sit here looking at the tax line and wondering if a first round pick is worth a guy who can grab seven rebounds on a Tuesday. I guess we will just keep spinning, like Pascal, until the music stops.