1 W, 12 losses so far, plus…
I’m hard-pressed to remember a worse month for the Toronto Raptors than March, 2024. The team has managed exactly one victory against twelve losses (and I’ll boldly predict a thirteenth is pending, as they are facing the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday the 31st). They have suffered an array of injuries, including Scottie Barnes’ broken hand on the month’s first day. Jakob Poeltl went down next, then Chris Boucher. We lost RJ Barrett, followed by Immanuel Quickley, for personal reasons. They still aren’t back. Jontay Porter appears to have committed career hari-kari with his betting foibles. Ochai Agbaji took a nasty tumble in that woeful loss against the New York Knicks, and is already ‘out’ against Philly.
The Knicks result established a new and most undesired record: the worst home defeat (44 points!) ever suffered by the Raptors. But wait – there’s more: the previous record for a home defeat was established on March 5, a 41-point humiliation by the New Orleans Pelicans. Philly has something to shoot for!
This wretched season mercifully ends in mid-April; the bulk of the remaining games are against nasty opponents. Five of the final seven are roadies. We might not win again.
I was grimly amused to receive a request from the Raptors for a playoff-tickets payment, which I managed to ignore. It is a certainty that our guys will be in the draft lottery. All we fans can hope for now is luck with ping pong balls. Meantime don’t be expecting a reduction in ticket prices, despite the fact the bulk of the guys we’ll be seeing have spent significant time with the Raptors 905. Major-league prices for minor-league players…what’s wrong with this picture?
I take my hat off to Darko Rajakovic, who appears to have kept his sanity and self-control in the face of Job-like misfortune. Let’s hope Masai Ujiri grants him another season at the helm.
- Tags: Toronto Raptors
