The Raptors lost to the Timberwolves by two points. A 126 to 128 final score is a lot of running around just to end up slightly behind where you started. It reminds me of the time my uncle tried to beat a yellow light in his Buick, only to realize he was already in the middle of the intersection when it turned red. He just sat there, much like our perimeter defense.
Ochai Agbaji is gone now, mostly because of tax reasons. It is always interesting when a human being becomes a line item for a billionaire to save a few dollars. Michael Grange says there probably is not another deal coming, which feels right. We are just an empty house with the heat turned down to fifty five degrees to save on the utility bill.
The Ghosts in the Building
The departure of Agbaji makes me think about the people who were never really here. We have a rich history of players who were Raptors in name only, like a summer camp friend you never actually saw again. Chris Paul is the latest addition to this list. He was briefly a Raptor, in the same way I was briefly a jogger back in 2014 (I walked to the end of the driveway and saw a squirrel I didnt like).
Some people are debating whether Chris Paul or Goran Dragic was the more effective Raptors point guard. It is a tough call. Dragic had higher ambitions, while Chris Paul simply did not report. One was a guy who wanted to go to a better party, and the other was a guy who did not even bother to RSVP. I think I prefer the guy who never showed up (at least he did not leave his shoes in the hallway).
The Never Suited Up Starters
If we were to build a starting five of players who were Raptors but never actually played, it would be a championship team in a parallel universe. You have Chris Paul at the point, probably looking at his watch. Kenny Anderson is the shooting guard, because he famously refused to report after the Damon Stoudamire trade. He just stayed home, which is a lifestyle choice I respect more every year.
B.J. Armstrong is at small forward. He was picked in the expansion draft and basically said no thank you. It takes a certain level of confidence to tell a brand new franchise you would rather be anywhere else. We are still looking for a power forward for this imaginary team, but honestly, having an empty spot on the floor feels more on brand for us lately.
The trade deadline feels like a garage sale where nobody is buying your old VHS tapes. We attached Agbaji to a deal just to get under the luxury tax. We are now lean and efficient, like a bicycle with no seat. It is hard to ride, but it technically meets the definition of transportation. I suppose we will just keep spinning, as Pascal used to do, until the season ends or the lights go out.