Saturday, September 16, 2017

Could 2017/18 Be The Year Of The Raptor?

Another NBA season is just around the corner, and once again, "Is it their year?" loftily hangs over the Toronto Raptors. The last 4 years of Raptor ball have been pretty good, to say the least. They've been top 3 in the East for almost 5 years, they've got a playoff streak of that same length, and they possess the best backcourt in their conference, and arguably the NBA. But in the NBA of the present, where super teams have become the norm, pretty good isn't good enough. The success they've had either flamed out in the playoffs, or when they've been good, they've been stopped short by some guy named LeBron James. Long story short, a team that could've gone to the Finals in another era has half a decade filled with close calls. But the landscape of the NBA has changed this year, mainly in the East. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward bolted for Boston and Isiah Thomas was dealt to Cleveland along with the majority of the 2016/17 Celtics starting 5. Sure, those moves only total up to two, but it has evened up the NBA landscape by a little bit. So, what does this mean for the Raptors? For the pessimist, it means just another year, but for the optimist, it means that the Raptors could actually break through. With the Raptor core still intact, and a more even playing field, there is no super team other than Golden State. The East is up for grabs, and if the Raptors can pull themselves together, create some magic, and silence doubters, they may have a chance to pull together a deep playoff run. So once the season starts, everyone will still be talking about the Cavs, Celtics, Warriors, and Thunder, but the league may forget that there is a dark horse in Toronto waiting to strike. If they do, and with success, then 2017-2018 may be the year of the Raptor, and there will be no superteam in the East to overtake them.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

A New Dawn: The Start Of A New Hockey Season

It's the start of September, the days are getting shorter, leaves are changing colour, and fall is about to begin. Sure, it's an important month for all of the above reasons, but September is the start of a brand new hockey season for minor and pro hockey teams all across the country. For me, it's one of the best times of the year, aside from summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The start of the season parallels to spring, in a way. Hockey arenas, no matter how old they are, always look squeaky clean. New ice has been installed, leaving a beautiful canvas of white ice and painted lines for players to skate on and refine their skills. Best of all, new sticks are often purchased, new jerseys are given out and new friendships are made between teammates. While that all sounds great, September is where the work starts. Coaches will use every opportunity they have in to push players to the limit. Practices may be painful and pre-season games will often look sluggish, especially if a team is made up of a majority of new players. But it is through this work, this never ending grind, that teams come together, and that can mean continued success moving forward into the regular season. Personally, I have gone through this whole process for more than a decade and I embrace it. I welcome not only the clean rinks, new equipment, and new relationships, but I also welcome gruelling two hour practices where your legs and quite frankly, your whole body, feels the strain of completing strenuous skating and battle drills. That may seem like a bit much to the average human being, but I'm a hockey player, and all hockey players love this time of year, no matter what level or age group. Bring it on, September. Let's play.