The Toronto Raptors at this exact moment are shooting 35.3 percent on wide open three point attempts. This is the second worst mark in the entire league. It is a very specific type of failure (one that requires you to do the hard work of getting open) only to realize you forgot the part where the ball goes through the rim.
During the recent loss to New Orleans, there were many such moments. A collection of fourth quarter highlights shows a series of professional athletes standing by themselves with ample time to contemplate their life choices before missing the net. It is like watching someone try to parallel park in an empty lot and still hitting a curb.
The Play In Reality
We are officially a play in team now, which is a phrase that carries the same weight as being told your car passed the safety inspection but might explode if you go over sixty. It is a middle ground. It is not quite the glory of a deep run, and it is not the helpful sadness of a high lottery pick.
My uncle used to say that being in the middle is just a way to get hit by cars coming from both directions. The Raptors seem to be testing that theory. There is a sense of resignation in the air, mostly because we are doing everything right until the very last second of the shot clock.
Jamal Shead and the Dog Factor
People are talking about Jamal Shead again. There was an appreciation post because he seems to be one of the few players who looks like he actually wants to be there. In a world of standing around, Shead is at least moving.
Some fans are upset because Desmond Bane threw Immanuel Quickley to the ground and laughed, and then Dejounte Murray screamed at Shead. The lack of a response from the rest of the team is being noted. It is one thing to lose a basketball game, but it is another to let someone stand over you while you do it.
Final Observations
Basketball is a game of passion, or at least it is supposed to be. When you see players hanging their heads after a bricked shot, you start to wonder if they also find the 35.3 percentage confusing. Maybe they are just as surprised as we are when the ball bounces off the back iron.
It is March of 2026. The weather is probably doing something somewhere. I remember 2007 when the roster had different problems, but at least the problems were familiar. Now we just have wide open spaces and no one to fill them with anything but a dull thud against the rim.