I’ve held off writing for the last couple of days because I was waiting for LeBron James...err, I’m sorry, King James (wouldn’t want to piss off the King), Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh all to make their decisions. But in the time that I’ve been left waiting as numerous rumours reported as fact have come and gone, I’ve found myself thinking about what is going to be the overall damage caused to both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors when the decisions are read and the two franchises are left to pick up the pieces.
For the Cavaliers, they had no choice but to hope that they could convince the King to stay due to a good roster, a new head coach, and most importantly, the comforts of home and the loyalty that the home fans would lavish upon him if he were to return. It was a necessary gamble and one that looks destined to lose, but in the end, it was the right move.
So, with Cleveland having all their chips in the middle and waiting to see if they will scoop the big pot around 9 p.m. tonight, at least Cavs fans can be comforted in knowing that the organization did everything possible to keep James around. I also believe that if James does indeed sign somewhere else, Cavs fans will turn all their anger towards James and none will be directed towards the organization when the inevitable dip in results follows the loss of James.
In Toronto though, I’m not so sure the fanbase will be quite as adamant about voicing displeasure singularly towards Chris Bosh. I say that because I’ve never gotten a sense from the Raptors that they did everything they possibly could to keep him. While the Cavaliers met James, fired a head coach and rallied fans to come together in the hopes of showcasing the hometown aspect to LeBron, what did the Raptors do to try and keep Chris Bosh in Toronto?
I can’t think of one significant thing that the Raptors did to make it even a thought for Bosh to stick around. Yes, I understand the argument that Bosh already had his mind made up and that all efforts would have probably been fruitless...I get that. But the way that the front office of the Raptors handled the Bosh situation as opposed to how the Cavaliers handled the LeBron saga is comparing apples to oranges.
The Cavaliers as an organization did not show any hint of ego whatsoever throughout the process and understood that James had all the power in this scenario. In other words, they didn’t fight a battle they couldn’t win. But with the Raptors, it’s clear to me that Bryan Colangelo didn’t like the idea that his former star player had all the power, meanwhile leaving the Raptors out to dry. Colangelo wasn’t going to stand for it and he was going to go down swinging. Good for the ego of the individual and the club, absolutely. Good for the overall health of the club on and off the court, absolutely not...
If Cleveland fans are going to boo LeBron and no one else, I think Toronto fans are going to boo Chris Bosh loudly, but also save some wind in their pipes for Bryan Colangelo. The guy that was supposed to be the saviour for the Toronto Raptors has done nothing in his tenure with the team to suggest that he’s going to turn around this sad-sack of a franchise anytime soon.
At least Cleveland fans can be comforted in knowing that with LeBron James playing in another city, they still have other pieces to the puzzle that allowed them to be a 60-win team a year ago. They won’t be the dynamic team that allowed them to be the best regular season team in the league, but they won’t be pushovers either.
But what is going to happen in Raptorland when Chris Bosh finally suits up for the Miami Heat next season? Who is going to lead this rag-tag bunch of misfits? Say what you will about Chris Bosh not being a winner and not worthy about being put in the same class as LeBron James or Dwayne Wade, but what did you expect him to do with the kind of “talent” that surrounded him in Toronto?
It’s hard to imagine Bosh out of a Toronto lineup, but just look at the drop-off by just having his name taken off the list. Does anyone think Andrea Bargnani has what it takes to become the leader of the Toronto Raptors? Would anyone take this team seriously if their captain became Jarrett Jack? Suddenly Hedo Turkoglu looks like an important piece of the puzzle with Chris Bosh not there.
It all comes back to the terrible decision-making of Bryan Colangelo. Anytime you hear him speak about basketball decisions or player personnel or what it takes to be successful in the NBA, the more you realize that the guy offers lots of style points without too many results. If I’m a Raptor fan, I’m looking to vent more about what this guy hasn’t done for the club as opposed to Chris Bosh looking to apply his trade somewhere else.
Colangelo could have dealt Chris Bosh ahead of time and at least got something back for him. Colangelo could have at least put his ego aside and looked at sign-and-trade scenarios with Bosh in order for the Raptors to get something back in return. Hell, Colangelo could have decided to save the money he wasted by giving Hedo Turkoglu a massive contract to sign with the Raptors.
Both the Cavaliers and the Raptors are going to suffer after what happens tonight on ESPN and the next couple of days as the Miami Heat get stronger, but I like the Cavaliers chances of bouncing back a lot more than the Raptors. And the seemingly time-honoured tradition of cheering for losing teams in Toronto will continue with each passing day...