Toronto Raptors: Amir Johnson Deserves Recognition
Let’s put the moment into perspective. The Cleveland Cavaliers crossing the border to suit up against the Toronto Raptors held immense intrigue coming in — a cross examanation of that ho-hum effort is on deck. Mentioning the big-picture on display is above all else, as Friday marked the one-year anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s passing.
The organization held pre-game and halftime tributes to the legendary leader, as part of GM Masai Ujiri’s “Giants Of Africa” basketball movement.
It included a few NBA all-time greats; Magic Johnson, and Toronto’s biggest fan, Charles Barkley. Even though the pronouncing of “Jonas Valanciunas” remains “turrible.”
It also speaks as to why the Raps performance ended up so uninspiring — fans were ready, more than 20,000-deep settled in for what could be a postseason preview. Eastern Conference Finals anyone? Not going to happen if this no-show has any residual effects.
I get it, a roller-coaster road trip can be the key ingredient for a return-home letdown.
Or do I? The defensive drum has to be beaten, as Toronto continues to manifest its lackadaisical presence; allergic to pressuring the ball-handler. Even more puzzling when getting manhandled in the post.
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This squad can take on all comers in the offensive zone but until this act is cleaned up, the ascendance up the NBA ladder will come up lame when it matters most.
On the other hand, to keep the positive vibes the introduction to this game presented moving forward — Amir Johnson deserves our attention.
A sesaon-high of 27 points mixed with seven boards (five offensive), four assists, and 11-for-15 from the field had Johnson’s attributes residing as the main attraction (on the court at least) — rigorously working at both ends. Giving Kyle Lowry a day off for a change.
Johnson was the exception to the rule. There wasn’t a tip-back opportunity he wouldn’t fight for, a potential rebound he didn’t properly put himself in position to grab, or a charge he was not willing to take.
A punch-clock. The kind of player every team requires to make a deep postseason run. His contributions will continue to play the background in the mainstream, but he has undoubtedly become a backbone of this franchise.
The trail now can only lead us to the name Barkley can’t pronounce. Valanciunas’ inconsistencies this season (cemented in this tilt) has become cause for concern. Johnson’s prolific showcase couldn’t have arrived with better timing.
This is where it gets tricky. The Raps are thin on the blocks — not only does Valanciunas need to act as a co-star — eventually he will receive top billing. That’s the plan anyway.
Dwane Casey has been quick to pull the trigger on the young Lithuanian, displaying mistrust in the majority of fourth-quarter minutes. A tough spot for any head coach, as you run the risk of regressing your future. You can get away with shortcuts in the short term, but the lasting effects could be highly detrimental.
Let the kid ride it out! … His precedent already exists.
The Raptors can match Cleveland in almost every department, but until they start acquiring phantom whistles just on namesake alone, there is still hoops to jump through.
After receiving a standing ovation, Tracy McGrady not only gave an interview court side, but delivered the quote of the weekend as well:
"“Management wasn’t as stable, and as fun and comforting to play for, like it is now. Had you (Ujiri) been the GM when I was here, I probably wouldn’t have left for Orlando.”"
As for the 2014 version of the Raps, I’ll let Nelson Mandela take over:
"“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”"
For a parting gift, let’s reminisce, mixed with an ode to what might have been.
McGrady’s 25-point, 10-rebound playoffs debut.