Good morning, the sun is shining and the entire mood has changed when it comes to the Toronto Raptors. It was only a few days ago where the rug was pulled out, not only in saying goodbye to OG, but that loss to the lowly Detroit Pistons. What a difference the changing of the calendar has brought.
The entire vibe has changed. There is juice in the building. The Raptors are back? All because of a trade that has balanced the roster and given the team what looks like a new identity.
I’m talking about the additions of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. We can all be sad about losing OG. He was the best defensive player on the team and his memes are legendary. But if he wasn’t going to sign this summer, they had to move him for assets. The front office cannot lose another player for nothing like they did with FVV.
So, the trade with the New York Knicks happened. On Saturday I was out running errands and the alert hit my phone. I had to stop and just process. My initial reactions have not changed. I’m pretty excited about the deal. The potential is high. RJ Barrett is a very good player. Maybe not a No. 3 pick, but he can do a lot on the court. Plus, well the Canadian angle is cool.
Quickley for me is the key to this deal being a win. He was buried on the bench in New York and was not going to get playing time behind Jalen Brunson. He’s fast. He has personality. He is the perfect starting PG for this team.
In only 2 games he has also captured the hearts of Raptors fans already. The skip after big baskets is great.
The nucleus of Barnes, Quickley and Barrett looks promising. All under 25. It is starting to look like something. The roster makes more sense now.
I am not sure if Pascal stays or not, but either way, this team can compete again. This team is more of what Darko wants.
I’m somewhat excited again.
Now, this long road trip ahead could put us all back on our heels with disappointment. But that is the Raptors fan experience.
For now, I am glad they did something. I am not sure what the lane is yet – bottom out and build young assets, or think they can be a play in team? The Siakim bit will really tell us that. I feel like he could be on the move very soon. I want Pascal to be free again. Compete for a title. He has done more for this franchise than anyone could have predicted.
Then there is the Gary Trent Jr. part. He is also a free agent this summer and I am pretty sure he wants to be a starter somewhere. I think they will move him as well. I admit I was a fan of the Norm trade when it happened, but if we could do a redo, I would be much happier to have Norm back on this team.
What do you think of the additions of Barrett and Quickley? Have they changed your mind on this season’s Toronto Raptors?
Like I said, there is juice in the building again. Quickley is going to become a fan favourite and a star on this team. He seems to really like being on the team and has pleasant things to say about Toronto.
I have been a fan of RJ since he was at Duke. I think he will also settle in and be a key part of this team. I also hope he is a huge tamperer this summer in Paris, getting in the ears of SGA and Jamal Murray. Let’s do the big three Canadian superteam. Why not? They all saw the parade. It could be them.
