The trade deadline has passed and we are all still here, which is more than I can say for some people. It is a strange time of year. The snow outside is that grey color that makes you wonder if it was ever actually white, and the Raptors are looking at the future because the present is currently occupied by other things.
CBS Sports thinks we might draft Labaron Philon, which is a name that sounds like it belongs to a specialized architect. I do not know much about him yet, but if he can help us not give up 120 points a night, I will welcome him with open arms. We have also been looking at Trayce Jackson-Davis, or TJD as the internet likes to call him. My uncle used to say that acronyms are just a way for people to feel like they are in a secret club, but in basketball, it just saves us from typing long names during commercials.
Watching From the Distance
People have noticed that Matt Devlin and Alvin Williams are sitting a few rows back now. They are no longer right at the edge of the floor where they could potentially get sweat on by a passing center. It is a bit like moving your desk at work to a corner where nobody can see your computer screen.
I am not sure if they moved back by choice or if the team just needed more space for people to sub in and out. Maybe they just wanted a better view of the entire court, or maybe they just wanted to be closer to the snacks. Basketball looks different when you are not right on top of it, much like how a painting looks like a mess if you stand two inches away from the canvas.
The Cost of Celebration
A fan is taking their mother to the game against the Spurs for her birthday. They spent 370 dollars using Mastercard points, which is a lot of points. I once tried to use points to buy a toaster and I ended up getting a very small book about lighthouses instead.
The Spurs are coming to town and I hope everyone stays healthy. There is a story about a security guard getting ten pairs of shoes from Jimmy Butler once. I wonder what you do with ten pairs of game worn shoes. You cannot wear them all at once, unless you have many feet, which would make you very good at basketball but very bad at buying socks.
Technical Difficulties and Other Grievances
The ESPN website is currently showing Bucks and Cavs news on the Raptors page. This feels like going to your own house and finding your neighbors eating dinner in your kitchen. It is a bit disrespectful, but then again, the internet has never been known for its manners.
We are just trying to find our way in a league that moves very fast. Sometimes I think about Jorge Garbajosa and how he just understood where to stand. Standing in the right place is half the battle in life, whether you are a power forward or a broadcaster sitting two rows back. We will just keep watching and waiting for the draft, or for the website to fix itself, whichever comes first.