Missing a basketball player for a single game is a specific kind of grief. It is not like losing a set of keys, because you know exactly where the player is, they are just sitting on a chair wearing a very expensive sweater.
Christian Mogbo (CMB) is not playing today. This realization hit me while I was looking at a pack of gum. It is difficult to describe why his defensive presence is so comforting, but it is. He moves like he is trying to solve a puzzle that only he can see.
The Long Ghost of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Watching the current roster often makes people hallucinate about the past. Someone recently brought up Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a man who played basketball like he was constantly falling down a gentle flight of stairs but in a productive way.
RHJ once played center against Karl-Anthony Towns and won. It was a strange night in NBA history. It made as much sense as my uncle trying to fix a toaster with a butter knife, yet it worked perfectly.
Why Deflection is an Art Form
CMB and RHJ do not look alike. One is built like a modern wing and the other had a shooting form that looked like he was casting a spell that went slightly wrong. However, they share a certain spiritual franticness.
They are both men who decided that the ball simply should not be where it currently is. It is a philosophy of disruption. It is about being a nuisance until the other team decides that scoring is too much work.
The Void in the Rotation
Without CMB today, the defense might feel a bit more polite. Politeness is generally good for standing in line at a grocery store on Lawrence Avenue, but it is bad for protecting the rim.
We will watch the game anyway. We will sit there and hope for the best, even if the best is just a game that ends before 10:00 PM so we can get some sleep. The Raptors continue to exist, and so do we, mostly.