The Toronto Raptors have had one of the toughest seasons in recent memory for the franchise. The Raptors are 23-34 which has them sitting in 10th in the Eastern Conference while sitting key players nightly. They have had, perhaps, the most difficult season of any team in the league this season. COVID has ravaged the team on multiple occasions, causing mass absences for multiple stretches of games. They have also had to play 1337 miles from home in Tampa Bay this season due to Canada's tougher COVID restrictions. There has been a feeling of malaise and tedium surrounding the team all season and point guard Fred VanVleet stated openly today.
Fred VanVleet: "To be honest, this is probably the most un-pure year of basketball I've ever been a part of, just from the whole league and rushing the season back. It's pretty much all about business this year on every level. It's hard to hide it now."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 17, 2021
The NBA has had a tough year in general, as have all major sports teams, and it is hard to not see some truth in VanVleet's words. However, the NBA deserves at least some credit for allowing the sport to occur at all and for many of the games to be fun. Adam Silver and the NBA handled COVID far better than almost any organization in the United States and they are on the right path to having an extremely successful playoff. Despite the tough schedule and the inevitable COVID struggles, the NBA deserves some credit for its competent handling of the situation.
Raptors Keep Pushing Forward
No matter how competent the NBA has been, however, there is still some worthwhile frustration. Some have stated since the beginning that the NBA shouldn't play at all, or that they needed another bubble, or many other solutions separate from the league's. There is merit to these arguments and some teams, especially the Raptors, have felt the brunt of this business-minded attitude. The frustration in Tampa is palpable. With 15 games remaining, the Raptors will have to power through the rest of the season with the frustration for the remainder of the season.
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