We just finished a road trip. Usually, road trips for this franchise feel like a long, slow walk into a very dark forest, but we went 4 and 1. We have a winning streak now. It is technically tied with the Chicago Bulls for the longest in the league, which is a confusing sentence to type out loud.
I was at my local Canadian Tire yesterday looking at socket sets I do not know how to use. A man in a puffer vest told me the Raptors are back. I did not ask him what they were back from, but they are certainly doing things on the court that involve the ball going into the basket.
Building Blocks and Trade Windows
The trade deadline is approaching, and the front office is likely looking at spreadsheets. People talk about ducking the luxury tax like it is a physical object you have to jump over in the street. I think we have some interesting building blocks, provided that Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick keep playing like this.
If this is just a hot streak, it is a very pleasant one. It feels like finding twenty dollars in a winter coat you forgot you owned. You are happy, but you know you are still the kind of person who leaves money in coats. We have roster issues to address, but tenacity is a hard thing to trade for.
The Scottie Barnes Experience
Scottie Barnes can play basketball. That is the observation. Someone on the internet said it, and I agree with them. He is doing things that make people call him the King of the North, which is a heavy title for a guy who just seems like he enjoys being tall and moving fast.
I remember watching Pops Mensah-Bonsu back in 2009. He had a lot of energy too. Scottie has that same energy, but he also has a jumper and a vision for the game that makes me feel like everything might actually be okay. My uncle thinks we should play him forty eight minutes a night, but my uncle also thinks the moon is a projection.
Unexpected Outcomes
The rest of the NBA was not expecting us to win tonight. Most people outside of Ontario forget we exist until the weather gets really bad or we start winning games we should probably lose. It is a nice feeling to be the problem for once.
We are making phone calls now. I do not know who is on the other end of those calls, but I hope they have some forwards who can shoot. Or maybe we just keep winning like this. It is hard to say. I am just going to go back to looking at these socket sets.