Dear Cleveland, Thank you Love Toronto
So I typed this on my IPad yesterday and I managed to post it, at least for a while. People even commented on it and told me they liked the idea but thought I was a little nutty. Then in the morning, it was gone. (It didn't even leave its number.) So I will try again.
It's no secret I have never believed the Cavs should trade Wiggins for Love. The problem I have with the move is the mathematics. Wiggins is touted to be one of the best players of his generation while Kevin Love has never been more than the best player on an unsuccessful team. The move also causes Cleveland to take on too much contract too soon. Since June, the Cavs have taken on close to 63 million with their new big three. (Kyrie 18, Lebron 21 and Love 24) and will sign other ring seekers as well. If you watched what happened in Miami, eventually players become unwilling to take less money to sign with these super teams. I can only imagine patience will wear thinner a little faster when the weather gets colder around November. That said, I give the Cavs at least seven years of title contention out of this group if all goes well. How does that help the Raptors? Please allow me to explain:
1. The Long Course Culture
Because of Cleveland, there is not a lot of pressure to win it all soon, Duane Casey can continue to push his teams to be hard working and tough defensively. Players will come if they believe it gives them a chance to win. (See the Blue Jays of the early 90's and the Leafs of the early ??'s) We do not want the plugins, we want the character guys. No Josh Smith, we want Amir Johnson. We will build the same attitude as Indiana but we can make sure not to make the same mistakes; all for one and one for all, all the time.
2. The Present Infrastructure (Damn straight I used autocorrect!)
The Raptors have a solid core right now. The lineup reminds me of those elite teams with solid players deeper in their bench. As they continue to stockpile pieces, they will be tougher to beat in the longer playoff series. It is difficult to prepare for teams with more options. Masai Ujiri can put this team in a great position to succeed in the years to come. He just has to time it with the decline of Cleveland. (Alright this one had little to do with Cleveland.)
3. The Pilgrimage Home
In 2015, Tristan Thompson becomes a free agent. Because of this year's signings, the Cavs will not have a lot of room to offer him what he is worth. They might also be a little leery signing him after Love causes Tristan's numbers to decline this year. Toronto can sneak in and make a good offer to Mr. Tim Hortons: Mr. Double Double, or Mr. Brass Rail: Mr. Double D. We might even get a hometown discount. Of course we still manage to resign JV.
4. The Pilgrimage Home Part Deux
After a couple of mediocre years, Anthony Bennett decides he needs some home cooking. Whether it's by trade or by signing, he ends up with the Raptors before the start of the 2016 season. Inspired by being North of the 49th Parallel, he develops into a true threat. Nothing spectacular but he climbs out of the "Worst Number 1 of All Time" and puts up solid numbers.
5. The Pilgrimage Home Part Trois
Usually, part threes are not very good. Wiggins becomes an all-star in Minnesota but they continue to lose. They do make the playoffs but he always wanted to go home to Toronto. So when the time comes for him to re-up with the Timberwolves, he asks for a trade to Toronto. Uriji gets a better deal than Cleveland did for Love and suddenly he is on a solid Raptor team.
6. In the Interim
Masai continues to be a great GM. As players get older he finds ways to fix the team without abandoning them. People compare it to San Antonio because of the sense of family and his ability to find key parts in weird places. Bruno is the first of many diamonds in the rough much like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. As Lowry gets older, he becomes a leader and respected backup. By 2018, he is the best backup point guard in the game. Durant is tempted but I won't predict the eventuality of that one.
All of this was put in motion by the Cleveland moves of 2014. No Wiggins trade, Bennett and Wiggins would have become valuable members of a championship Cavs team and would have stayed like good loyal Canadians. Thompson would have seen a steady increase and might have made an all-star team. Instead the Cavs have two rings but the Raptors have two by 2027. That's right two... Do I smell gas? Did I mention I had a concussion last week? Sure I will have some Kool-Aid! Yes I will help you Nigerian Prince with a hotmail address! Swampland for sale, put it on my Mastercard!
