The NBA power rankings came out today and the Raptors are eighth. It is a strange number, eight. It is just a circle that got twisted in the middle, or perhaps two circles hugging. Being the eighth best team in a league of thirty feels like being the smartest person in a high school cafeteria. You are doing well, but you are still eating a lukewarm rectangular pizza.
I was thinking about this while looking at a picture of a Raptor. Not the player, but the dinosaur. They had feathers, apparently. My uncle says that makes them less scary, but I think a giant angry bird is more upsetting than a lizard. Either way, being eighth means people are starting to notice us, which is usually when something goes wrong.
The Greek Prospectus
Shams Charania reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants a new home. He is a two time MVP and he has very long arms. It feels like we have been talking about Giannis coming to Toronto since 2013, back when the PATH was slightly less confusing. Now it might actually happen, or he might go to Miami.
If he goes to Miami, he will probably enjoy the lack of state income tax. If he comes here, he can enjoy the aquarium and the way the wind hits you on Front Street. People are worried he might go to Boston or New York. That would be inconvenient for our defensive rotations (and my general sense of well-being).
The Bucks Fire Sale
Since the Bucks might be closing up shop, people are asking about Bobby Portis. Bobby Portis has very intense eyes. He looks like he can see through the ball and into the future. I am not sure if we need more frontcourt help, but the internet seems to think we have a hole in the middle.
I checked the roster and there is usually a tall person standing near the basket. Maybe they mean a metaphorical hole. Our front office is likely watching this closely, or they are just watching Samson Folk videos. Samson knows a lot about scouting. He talks about basketball with a level of detail that makes me realize I mostly just watch the colors move around on the screen.
Final Adjustments
The trade deadline is February 5. That is close. It is also in the middle of winter, which is a brave time to move to a new city. You have to pack all your coats into cardboard boxes.
A lot of rival teams are making aggressive offers. I hope our offers are polite but firm. We are eighth, after all. We have something to protect, even if I am not entirely sure what it is yet. Maybe it is just the rectangular pizza.