No team is more talked about in the NBA than the Toronto Raptors, with two days to go before the trade deadline.
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The players of the Queen City team, however, assure that they manage to ignore the storm forming around them.
Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam: the list of players aggressively coveted by other teams on the Silver circuit is long, according to the ESPN network. The president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster hiding their cards well, however, it is not yet known whether the “Raps” will be sellers or buyers.
With a 25-30 record, good for 11th in the East, the only Canadian NBA team can still aspire to participate in the “play-in” tournament involving the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th teams in the Eastern Association.
So head coach Nick Nurse and the Raptors point guards have a reason to ignore the media circus surrounding them.
“I don’t think my players talk about it 24 hours a day like you do,” Nurse told reporters with a chuckle. No one walks on eggshells. It’s a business and we have a busy schedule. We make sure they focus on basketball.”
A defining week
The same goes for the athletes, who just enjoyed a 106-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, their second win in a row.
“I literally have no idea what’s going on,” Siakam said. Several years ago, I decided to stop worrying about what I couldn’t control. I’ve seen people come and go in my career. Nothing surprises me anymore. I don’t look for rumors unless my phone rings.”
The Raptors take on the San Antonio Spurs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday in what could be the duel that spells the end of an era in Toronto. No question of jumping to conclusions too hastily for Nurse, but the pilot admits all the same that this week will be decisive for the future of the organization.
“I think it’s always a crucial week for the organization, just like the moments around draft night or the last cuts at the end of training camp, he concluded. Every window that improves the team, no matter how, is always important.
