The Perfect Game…

To most Raptors fans, the game last night at the ACC between the not-so Hot-lanta (see weather reports for the Atlanta area) and the local not-so purple Dino’s ended with a heart fluttering miss and a sense that the Raptors missed out on another opportunity.

What fans should have felt was a sigh of relief. Entering the game between one of the Eastern Conferences best teams, the Raptors held the dual role of being one of the conferences worst while still have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
This dual role is dangerous on numerous fronts but let us just explore a few. The first is obvious; a mini four or five game-winning streak could easily put them in the seventh or eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. A picture that would look pretty grim after being swept by the Bosh-inhabited Miami Heat, even more grim when considering that a rebuilding team sacrificed as many as 10-15 draft slots for a few more wins and “playoff experience”.

Let Craziness Ensue

The other reason is the fragile and sensitive states of psyche basketball fans in Toronto have. So far this season has been met with tempered expectations and bold proclamations from fans have been severely muted. However, if this incarnation of the Raptors has the label of “playoff team” beside it, things could get messy fast going into next season. The last thing this franchise needs is public pressure on a trigger-happy GM to make a quick-fix move that sacrifices future.

The 70-30 Rule

The Toronto Raptors have long been a middle of the pack team. Very seldom, especially in the last decade has the team been in the bottom five, as far as record, in the league. They tend to finish in or around the playoffs, slightly in or slightly out. This is a major problem. The last position you want your team rank to be is in the middle 70% of the league. To have long-term sustainable success the team needs to be in the bottom 15% in the league, get lucky in the draft and then, and only then, can the team make the climb into the top 15%.

The Perfect Game

Back to the game. It was perfect. One of the more entertaining games of the season with plenty of offence, spectacular individual performances from Leandro Barbosa, Jamal Crawford and Andrea Bargnani and plenty of nail biting drama. For a minute I actually thought the Raptors might have won...

The Raptors lost, now fans rejoice!