The Toronto Raptors haven't been relevant in the NBA since the days of Carter, McGrady, and Oakley. That was a while ago, and since then Raptors fans have had to deal with rejection from star players (Carter and Bosh), low win totals, early playoff exits, several head coaches, and questionable executive decisions.
The result of all this is a franchise who is now an overwhelming afterthought in a predominantly American sport, and after seeing the large patches of empty seats in the Air Canada Centre tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they apparently have a dwindling fan base.
But here's the good news for Raptors fans like myself: The 2011-2012 Toronto Raptors is a team that fans can rally around and fall in love with.
Let me clarify by saying by no means is this a great basketball team, or even really a playoff team. They are clearly in a rebuilding stage, and most expect them to receive a lottery draft pick in the 2012 NBA draft. But I actually find this team a joy to watch.
First of all, they work really hard. This is important to a fan-base still recovering from questionable efforts from Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, and Hedo Turkoglu at the end of their time in Toronto. You may be thinking, "How can a team with Andrea Bargnani be considered a hardworking team? He doesn't play defence!" My answer would be: have you seen him play this season? Bargnani looks great. He's one of the league leaders in points per game, and it really seems like he's worked on his defence in the offseason, which makes him a pretty dangerous player.
Sticking with the theme of hard work, DeMar DeRozen seems to have been working hard on his game this offseason. The incredibly athletic shooting guard can now shoot the three-ball, which is also pretty scary. DeRozan has not yet proved himself enough to be considered a superstar in this league, but if he lives up to his potential, he will be. And with DeRozan being known as more of a shy and humble type of guy, it will give Raptors fans a refreshing change from the more self-absorbed, vocal players they are used to (ie; Carter and Bosh).
I'll admit, I may be reacting to just watching them dominate the lowly Cavaliers only an hour ago, but I really think this team can put a smile on the face of a fan-base forced to witness yet another rebuild. With the combination of seasoned veterans like Jamal Magloire, Jose Calderon, and Anthony Carter, and talented young guns like DeRozan, Bargnani, and Ed Davis, there's going to be a real team focus this season. The older guys will keep the young guys humble, and the young guys will force the older guys to stay quick and in shape.
It really looked like the team was having a lot of fun tonight, and when teams have fun, they are always fun to watch. Hopefully for Raptors fans, this positive attitude will translate into a basketball team that fans can be proud of regardless of their wins and loses.
