Jesus, Jocks, and the Jukebox

Listen, I know the Raptors haven't put together a dangerous team in over a decade. Yes, I realize league-wide they're probably one of the least relevant basketball teams of all time. I'm aware that the average basketball fan in the United States will struggle to come up with the names of two players on the current roster.

I know all of these things. I'm not completely blinded to the negatives of the Raptors, although when I look back at last year's Raptor report and realize that I said DeMar DeRozan now has a three-point shot, I may have a harder time persuading you. But at the end of the day, this is Canada's team. And I'm writing down the names of everyone who has laughed in my face, so that in 20 years when the Raptors win a championship and the entire country will try to say they are Raptors fans, I will immediately kick you right off the bandwagon. Jerks.

Moving on...

I'm going to make a bold statement: Despite their 1-4 start to the season, this may be my favorite Raptors team of all time.

Yeah, the Carter, McGrady, Oakley days were cool. And realistically, they were definitely a better basketball team. But I was too young to really appreciate it. So I'm hopping on the backs of the 2012-2013 Toronto Raptors and hoping they carry me on over to the first round of the playoffs. Jerks.

I know, the Raptors just came off a couple of bad loses to the Mavs and the Thunder where they just looked lost and outclassed. But unfortunately for my credibility, I planned on writing this post before those games happened. The Raptors had just finished beating a shorthanded Timberwolves team by playing a gritty, yet polished brand of basketball, and I was feeling pretty confident about snagging the 8th playoff spot in the East. But you know what, if you wait for a perfect time to write good things about the Toronto Raptors, history says you're not going to have a very active blog. So I'll keep going.

I'll cut right to the chase: The reason why I have been so excited about this year's team is almost entirely because of Kyle Lowry. This guy is incredible. Believe it or not, there aren't a whole lot of national broadcasts of the Houston Rockets, so I hadn't really been able to see much of Lowry before he came to Toronto other than what I read online and saw in short highlight packages.

After playing just three full games, Lowry has already become a massive fan favorite in Toronto, and really, what's there not to like about him? He's a very hard worker, a great defender, a good scorer, a three point threat, and a textbook court general. To top it all off, the guy's got swagger. He knows he's good, and contrary to the best players on last year's Raptors team (Bargnani, and DeRozan), he genuinely wants to carry this team on his back, and it has shown as he leads the team in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and three-point percentage.

It is because of Lowry that people are finally starting to talk about the Raptors again. He's breathed new life into the franchise, and have sports writers in the United States saying, "Hey, I actually enjoy watching this team play," or, "Wow, Toronto is kind of a dangerous team."

The Raptors will go as far as Lowry takes them. Period. But as good as he is, he's going to need some help. And as likeable and hardworking as this team is, it's very questionable as to whether or not Lowry's supporting cast will be enough to get the team into the playoffs.

There are three players on this team who will need to step up to help push this team over the hump.

First, there's DeMar DeRozan. Before the season opener, DeRozan signed a 4 year, 38-million dollar contract extension. Even as a Raptors fan, I can't defend this contract. It's awful. In his first three seasons in the NBA, DeRozan has proven that he is a good dunker. That's pretty much it. That being said, I love DeRozan. He works very hard, and isn't afraid to go to the hoop even against a defender like LeBron James. Sure, he may not always be successful, but it's encouraging that he has the confidence to try.

If the Raptors are going to succeed, they need DeRozan to become a shooting guard who can actually shoot. He's a below average defender, and if he can't develop a 3-point shot, then his upside is non-existant. Highlights may sell a few tickets, but winning sells more. DeRozan needs to become a complete player, and I truly hope that he achieves that, and proves all of the critics of his contract extension wrong - including myself.

Second, there's Andrea Bargnani. The best thing that has happened to him is that he's no longer the number one scoring option on this team. No team can succeed with Bargnani as their best player, and to be honest, I've never liked him as a player. His shooting has struggled out of the gate, and if he can't shoot, there is literally no use for him. The Raptors needs Bargnani to get better, or they need to get rid of him.

And finally, there's Jonas Valanciunas. I was very much against this draft pick a couple of years ago. But I was wrong. I love Valanciunas. This guy is a real work-horse who crashes the boards hard, but yet has great touch and can actually handle the ball a little bit. Realistically, he's not going to win Rookie of the Year or anything, but in a couple of years I think he's going to be a consistant double-double type of player. His biggest flaw is that he's going to foul out of a lot of games this season. But that's just kids these days for you. I drank the Kool-Aid - I am a big fan of Jonas Valanciunas.

A few rapid fire notes about this year's Toronto Raptors:

• Jose Calderon is much more likeable as a backup point guard. I think he's going to have a good year.
• Dwane Casey is the perfect head coach for the Raptors. Hard-nosed, credible, experienced, and defensive minded.
• Alan Anderson getting a lot of minutes and playing well is kind of good, but it also means DeRozan isn't living up to his contract. 
• As a Knicks fan, I liked Landry Fields. I was excited that he was coming to the Raptors even though he has a horrendous contract. It makes me very sad that he's been so awful. I hope he turns it around. I still have hope. 

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.