The Toronto Raptors were together as a team for the first time since the All-Star break Wednesday night as they get prepared for their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday with 36 games left to solidify their position in the Eastern Conference.
There has been a lot of stuff going on, suffice to say, including incessant rumours that Kyle Lowry is going to be or wants to be traded before the March 25th NBA trade deadline (I reported in an earlier column that he won’t be dealt); the team having six coaches and five players out due to COVID-19 related health and safety protocols; and the Raptors trying to figure out how to navigate short-handed for another few days before the likes of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pat McCaw and Malachi Flynn are available to play.
Some takeaways from an eventful media availability following an evening practice in Tampa Bay:
Lowry will retire a Raptor
One way another, Kyle Lowry will retire a Raptor, so says the man himself. “Let me say this: I will retire as a Toronto Raptor. That, if I’m here, I will retire as a Toronto Raptor. You know … one-day contract, hey, whatever happens,” he said.
But what else would he say? Lowry went on to point out it’s just too early to figure out exactly what form “retiring as a Raptor” will take.
Even if he’s not traded by the deadline, he’s still a 35-year-old free agent playing at or near the peak of his game who will need to balance his desire to win, his desire to be paid market rate and his desire to keep the legacy he’s built in Toronto fully intact.
“What I would like to see is finish the season out as strong as possible. Whatever happens, happens. At the end of day, myself, my agent, the organization, everyone has to do what’s right for them, right? Everyone has to do what’s best for them and the best situation. Who knows what that is, right? Who knows what that’s going to be? Who knows what that time is going to tell? … Honestly, like, I don’t know, if I (could) tell you. If can look at a crystal ball, I will tell you, (but) I don’t know what the crystal ball says …”
Toronto Lowry’s second home
However his tenure in Toronto ends, or when, the reasons Lowry wants to retire a Raptor are close to the six-time all-star’s heart:
“Toronto has been my team. It’s the team I’ve been a part of that’s been a franchise that’s helped me become the player I’ve become — the man I’ve become. I’ve helped grow the game of basketball, win a championship, this that and the other. I’ll look back on that when I retire. But, for right now, it’s just the connection that we have, it’s always been home to me (after Philadelphia) … I had great stops in Memphis, that helped me grow, Houston helped me grow, but in Toronto, I became the person, and the man and the player I am today.”
Nurse gets green light
Coach Nick Nurse was cleared for basketball activities Wednesday and will try to figure out how to compete in games against Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago between now and Sunday without knowing who will be available to play.
It’s a setback, but how big of one for his 17-19 club Nurse isn’t sure yet.
“We were playing about as good as anybody for those 21, 20 games. We had a win at Brooklyn, two wins at Milwaukee, a win against Philly, we were beating the people we needed to beat and looking really good doing it and not really whole in some of those games, either, still missing some pieces there as well,” reflected Nurse.
“So, what kind of setback is it? It’s gonna be a setback, yeah, I mean, I’m hoping we can raise our level of confidence up going into these games, these next three and figure out a way to pick off one or two until we get our guys back. I’m gonna look at it positively that maybe this is a big hurdle we’ve had to jump and then we won’t have to later, hopefully. Maybe we’ll get some rejuvenated legs and bodies and things like that, then maybe later on down the line when it comes time to really play, we’ll be ready to go and I think that’s the only way I can approach it. I wanna make it a point to try to make the playoffs, of course, and be playing really good by the time that happens and we’re just gonna have to fight our way out of wherever we have to fight our way out of from …”
Raptors Newsletter
Nurse sounds off on report about outbreak
As well, Nurse wasn’t pleased about a report that suggested the Raptors’ COVID-19 crisis could be attributed to the coaching staff not following proper guidelines for wearing masks.
“I don’t think anybody would have any idea what they’re talking about saying that. That is a really unfair, very speculative thing to say unless you have video evidence of it, because I don’t think it’s very cool to say that,” said Nurse.
“And I think that our coaching staff has worked their asses off and abided by the rules as best as possible. It’s not easy … I think that we’ve come into an unfortunate run. It was certainly not that we’re not really trying to adhere to the protocols as best as possible.”
‘Anything’s possible’ in playoffs
Do the Raptors need to do anything at the trade deadline to be able to make a run in the East?
“Well I think you always can make your team better, somehow, someway, right?” said Lowry.
“You always make your team better in some facet of adding player … you can always be a better team. (But) at the end of the day, once you get to playoffs anything’s possible. I think we can have the opportunity to challenge anybody. We’ll play hard, we’ll compete at a high level. What that means we don’t know. We’ve got to get there and … at the end of the day, we have to step onto the floor, tie our shoes, lace them up, put the ball in the hole, stop defensively. Anything can happen in any situation. Yeah, we may not be the most talented or most any other, but when you go out there and play hard many things can happen.”
