Being Realistic

I often get accused of having no love for Toronto teams because my favorite team isn't the Toronto Blue Jays and I hate the Maple Leafs. Well there is one Toronto team that I love, the Toronto Raptors.

I have been a Raps fan since the organization was created in 1995 and will continue to be a fan even if they continue to remain mediocre. Yes I love them but they are a mediocre team that will never win a championship until certain things change.

Before I continue with the Raptors there is something I want to go over quickly. Basketball is the one sport in which 1 single person can have the most impact. While 1 person can make a difference in baseball, hockey, or football they cannot win a championship by themselves and they cannot carry a team by themselves.

This is because basketball is a 5 on 5 sport where 1 player can play the entire game if needed. This means that the best player on your team can always be involved in the game and having an impact. This is obviously not the case for the other sports mentioned.

The point I am trying to make is that when looking at a basketball team the success the team will achieve can closely be linked to who their best player or players are. In the NBA analysts usually look at the best 3. This philosophy has always been popular but has gained increased usage since the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship in 2008 with the "Big 3."

So any basketball team will be judged based on who their best 3 players are. In the case of the 2009 NBA Champion LA Lakers their best 3 players would be Kobe Bryamt, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom with Kobe being the best player.

Now that I have gone over that let us return to my Raptors.

The best 3 players on the Toronto Raptors are Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, and Hedo Turkoglu with Bosh being the best. Now these 3 players are not good enough to win an NBA championship. They are good enough to be a competitive team that will make the playoffs but they lack the talent to win a title.

This is a fact that cannot be disputed. In order to prove my point I need only compare them to the other teams in the Eastern Conference. So here is a list of their main competition and their best 3 players.

Boston - Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen

Cleveland - LeBron James, Shaq, Mo Williams

Orlando - Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson

Miami - Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal

Washington - Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison

All of these teams have a better "Big 3" than the Raptors. Are all of these teams championship contenders? No. The Heat and Wizards do not have the talent to contend for championship titles but I feel they have a better chance than the Raptors.

The main problem that the Raptors face is that they treat Chris Bosh as if he can lead them to a championship. I personally feel like Bosh will only ever win a title as the 2nd best player on a team as I don't think he possesses the skills to lead a team to a championship. Now I may be wrong on this but so far in his career there is no evidence to prove me wrong.

Don't get me wrong he has the stats. He is a fantasy league All-Star but that is because he is the primary scoring option. To further prove my point look at the list of 'best players' that have led their teams to titles since the Raptors became an organization:

Michael Jordan

Tim Duncan

Kobe Bryant

Kevin Garnett

Dwyane Wade

Shaq

Note: the 2004 Pistons are the exception to the rule here as while they did not have 1 amazing player they had a starting 5 of really good players a feat I feel may become impossible as the NBA evolves.

These are all GREAT players. Hall of Fame players. They are the kind of players that can take over a game and put a team on their back and win. They can demoralize a team with their play and can strike fear into their opponents with their mere presence. Chris Bosh is not that type of player.

The Raptors are trying to stay competitive in a tough Eastern Conference but it is getting tougher. They need to make a move that will change the balance of power and make them NBA Championship contenders. They need to stop trying to appease Bosh by signing guys like Turkoglu and instead make a play for a 2010 free agent. Get that 'best player' that will lead the team to the Finals and a title.

Until they do this they will remain a mediocre team with no hope of winning a championship.

I am not saying this because I am a pessimist. I am just being realistic.

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