The Raptors Tank Becoming Obvious

 And we're back! I am going to continue my Blue Jays series with the Pitchers and I will probably combine it all into one article when I am done so I can easily refer back to it mid season when I'm proven horribly wrong. I wanted to take some time today to talk about how blatantly the Raptors are tanking. With by far the easiest remaining schedule in the league, like to a comical degree, the Raptors are having to get creative with how they lose these games. As you know if you read this blog, I actually don't mind if they go on a little run here, I think it'll be fun, but at this point the front office clearly has other ideas. Lets talk about the 2 games from this weekend

Friday Against the Bulls

Ok I will admit, I was at a concert so I only saw highlights of this one, but I've heard enough of the discourse to be able to talk about what happened. The Raptors played a great game for most of this one, headlined by Jakob Poeltl anchoring the defense and being solid as ever on offense. Jakob recently came back from a hip pointer, but in the previous game, a blow out loss to the Pacers, he was able to play 25 minutes including minutes in the 4th quarter. In this one, with the Raptors up big going into the fourth, the Raptors decide that Jakob Poeltl is on a minutes restriction and park him on the bench in favor of Orlando Robinson and Jonathan Mogbo. Jakob never saw the floor again because of this "minutes restriction" and the Raptors went on to see their lead dwindle to 4 points. With the clock ticking away, all the Raptors had to do was play the free throw game and they would've still escaped Chicago with a win. Coby White goes up for a 3 with 5 seconds left and Immanuel Quickley jumps into his landing space for the foul. White nailed the shot and was able to tie the game on a 4 point play, something you'll maybe see once every other season in the NBA it's that rare. Scottie Barnes hit the top of the backboard on his game winner attempt and the wheels fell off completely in overtime. 

I understand wanting to lose to get a better draft pick, despite not agreeing with it. I also understand minutes restrictions on guys coming back from injury, but it doesn't get more blatant than that. I feel for the guys forced to run out there with lineups designed to blow a big lead, I'd almost rather they invent ghost injuries and just keep guys out if they're going to break hearts. The next game however, despite the win, was even more egregious. 

Sunday Against the Magic

 Quick RIP to the Magic here, my favorite team from last season is in a really tough spot with their usual issues creeping up again, total lack of shooting. This game was the Raptors doing absolutely everything they could to lose, but just coming up short. Jakob Poeltl was awesome in this one as usual, playing 26 out of the first 36 minutes and bringing a steady presence on both ends of the court. Scottie Barnes was getting to the rim and making Paolo Banchero's life hell on defense. I will say, it was a horribly officiated game with Scottie picking up 5 fouls pretty quickly and having to sit for a lot of it. Even so, Darko for most of the game mixed and matched RJ and IQ and both of them were very effective in keeping the Raptors lead alive. In the 4th quarter, the Raptors opened up a 20 point lead, then the call from Masai came in. Darko put out a lineup with RJ Barrett, Ja'Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Orlando Robinson. That's right, RJ Barrett and 4 rookies against the Magic starters looking to make a comeback push. The Magic do make a huge comeback and get the lead all the way to 4 with 30 seconds left. Orlando Robinson fouls out, there's only 30 seconds left, you'd think ok now we have to put Jakob Poeltl back in, but no they claim he hit his minutes cap and go small with Mogbo at the 5. Even so, 4 point lead they should be good. The Raptors manage to run the clock down to 5 seconds before the Magic get a bucket to get the lead to 2. All the Raptors need to do here is in bound the ball and get fouled. RJ Barrett for some reason attempts a bounce pass under their own basket which immediately bounces off Quickley and goes out of bounds, Magic ball. On the ensuing possession, Franz Wagner got loose for the most wide open layup you will ever see, but he somehow smokes it, Raptors escape with the win. 

Darko did everything he possibly could in that 4th quarter to try and lose another one, but the tank Gods were not having it. Shout out to Immanuel Quickley who went on an absolute heater at the end of the third and start of the fourth to get the Raptors into a great position to win. Shout out to RJ Barrett who was awesome getting to the rim through insane physicality over and over again all game, despite the big blunder at the end. Games like this prove to me that this team is good enough to win when healthy and good enough to push for the play in if they wanted to. If you're a delusional win fan like I am, seeing these events the last couple of games has to be discouraging. At the end of the day, the front office is clearly going all in on a tank and so hopefully whoever we get at the top of this draft is an absolute monster. 

That's that, just a little frustrated with these ones, although I shouldn't be. I know that the greater good of the team requires more talent and that next season this story could be a lot different, but I feel for the guys on the team this year. I just hope they can stay together and not develop losing habits for the rest of the season. As always, go Raptors!