| Confidence Man No More Authored by Gagan Gandhi - January 23, 2009 - 11:39 am
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
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Obama stood in front of millions in Washington and billions worldwide, but yet nervous he did not seem. Instead, he seemed right at home like this could be the beginning of a new era for our friends south of the border. He stood with such poise and spoke with such brilliance, and in that moment of time, he connected with billions all across the world. The confidence exuberated was such that many of us can only dream of possessing one day.
It reminded me of the confidence fans of the Raptors had not too long ago, particularly in Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo was the savior of a sports team in dire need of a new face, a new image, a new attitude. With him at the helm nothing was supposed to go wrong. Heck, even until this past off-season there were few fans hoping he’d become the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
How quickly things change ...or, maybe the more they change, they more they stay the same.
The months prior to Colangelo arriving were some of the darkest in Raptors history, but folks, the darkest days may be yet to come.
It’s fair to assess Colangelo’s tenure thus far in two parts: the first 18 months and the last 17 months.
The first 18 months were a time filled with great hope for the only team in the NBA north of the border. The Raptors were at such a bad place when he came there really was no place to go but up. His impact was felt immediately as the Raptors ended up with the 1st overall pick, which ended up being Andrea Bargnani. They changed the team atmosphere, brought in new faces from overseas and locked up a player thought of as a rising star across the league.
However, after losing to the Nets in the first round of the playoffs, it all went downhill. Even after the first round exit, there was much optimism about the Raptors, guys like Jason Kapono and Carlos Delfino were brought in and Andrea Bargnani was supposed to break out as a premier player in only his second season. They consistently struggled during the 07-08 season and eventually got ousted in the first round again, this time at the hands of the Orlando Magic.
Suddenly, when Colangelo made a move the decision wasn’t only questioned once or twice, but numerous times, something that would have never happened when he first arrived.
This was certainly true about the trade made with Indiana in the off-season last year. A deal that saw him acquire Jermaine O’Neal in the hopes that his rebounding and defense would make the team better as a whole, as well as take pressure off of Chris Bosh and Bargnani.
The oft-injured O’Neal is now rumoured to be going to Miami in a deal that would bring Shawn Marion to Toronto. Marion is not what the Raptors need, but it’s a change, and at this point Colangelo is willing to try almost anything to rejuvenate a team that once was filled with so much potential and promise. It’s certainly a different mentality than what he came here with.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m as optimistic as they come. The Raptors can go on to win 25 of their next 38 and comfortably secure a playoff spot weeks before the regular season ends. Win two series’ in the playoffs, sign all-star talent in the off-season and then go on to win the Championship next season, thus securing Bosh as a Toronto Raptor forever and ever. But umm, yeah, good luck with that.
Losers of their last seven games, sitting not-so-pretty in the lucky 13th spot in the Eastern conference, 4.5 games back of 8th and a starting centre and point guard that have been much more injury prone than was hoped, these guys are in for a long ride if they don’t turn it around soon, and that’s not to say that the ride up until this point has been fun.
He’s a “confidence man” no more. All moves are now questionable, no decision is unanimous.
Now, the Raptors find themselves in a spot no team wants to be in. They are out of the playoff picture, yet not bad enough to get a premier jaw-dropping talent on draft night. It’s something Leafs fans have now dealt with for years.
Part of being a sports fan is feeling the ups and downs during a season, to feel like you are a part of the team. Being a Raptors fan is that and more. It’s the passion you feel after a win and the great deal of anger after a loss. Hang in there, this rollercoaster for Raptors fans has tons of steep curves, it’s going to be a bumpy one.
It can all change on a dime.
One day Bryan Colangelo can remind you of the President of the United States, Barack Obama and the next day his team, the Toronto Raptors, remind you of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Talk about day and night.
- Join the group RAPTORS FANS on Facebook. Gagan Gandhi can be reached at gaganhoops@gmail.com with any comments, concerns or requests. |
