We have so many great sports to watch, including the Toronto Rock Lacrosse team, The TFC Soccer team (who btw have just spent a bundle on some star power)...we have The Blue Jays of course (the boys of summer) and the Toronto Argos Football Club. There is a lot of sports in town, but when it comes down to it, there are really only two teams that seem to matter.
The Toronto Raptors Basketball team and of course the beloved Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey team.
These are the two teams that really seem to matter, you can try to tell me differently, but that is the truth. (and of course for most people in town, it is Maple Leafs Forever, forget about the rest)
Right now these two teams are heading in completely different directions.
The Leafs are plummeting down the standings like a downhill skier at the Olympics. They have lost 4 straight and have been beaten very badly in the process. They are in 12th place in the standings.Stunning, when you think of where they were a month ago.
The Raptors traded superstar Rudy Gay and with a record of 5 wins and 11 losses people started to accuse the team of "tanking" on purpose to get a good draft pick. Since then they have climbed the standings at an alarming rate and as of tonight are 18 wins and 17 losses and sit in 4th place in the conference standings and have a real shot at playing some post season basketball.
How did this happen? If you break it down a bit...it is really quite simple.
Leadership
There are many different types of leaders on any given team. There is the "in your face" leader who can yell and scream and motivate through words. There is the quiet unassuming leader who can pick and choose when to speak and what to say with the quality and meaning of his words. There is the leader that "leads by example", who goes out on the field of play and plays every play hard, every shift, every moment, and by his actions can rally a team around him.
Leafs - The Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling to find a leader right now. Their Captain Dion Phaneuf is the obvious choice, a big tough defencemen that has just signed a multi year multi million dollar contract. He is the obvious choice, but he does not seem to be leading, in my opinion at this time. Although Phil Kessel is having a decent season, he is still not the "on the ice" leader that we need. I don't really like to relive yesteryear in these examples, but lets face it, Dougie Gilmour and Wendel Clark played hard every shift and when they were on the ice teammates felt compelled to play harder. This version of the Leafs simply do not have that player.
Raptors - Exit Rudy Gay, enter Kyle Lowry. This diminutive guard has simply put - Stepped it up! He has been a floor leader and with the absence of Rudy, he has been able to run the show, his way. Along with Kyle, Demar Derozan has had a chance to show what a talent he is, and he is putting up some monster numbers.
Kyle Lowry
Demar Derozan
Team Chemistry
Leafs - There is no team chemistry. It has been a long time that I have seen it this bad, and I think the reason for this is that they had such high expectations, and things were going so well that when it came apart, the whole team stands around like a deer caught in the headlights.
The Toronto Maple Leafs
Raptors - Total team chemistry. It is all about sharing the ball, playing team defence, unselfish play, nobody cares who scores. It is rare in pro sports, but when it happens it is fun too watch.
Defence
Leafs - this has been a problem since day one for the Leafs...even when they were winning they were giving up shots at a rate of 2 to 1...and it has caught up to them. They seemed confused. and out of sync...always. Their goalies have been amazing but, the "numbers game" has caught up to them. Years of statistics has proven if you are a goalie and you see more rubber than a dead cat on the 401, every night, you will eventually be scored on. The last 4 games alone the Leafs have allowed 22 goals. That does not cut it in this league.
Raptors - again...a team commitment. Defence is all that matters, and defence leads to offence. The whole team is involved, constant pressure on their opponents and even when the Raps are having an off night scoring, they make it up on "d". It lifts the whole team up, and next thing you know there is a fast break bucket.
Coach
Leafs - Randy Carlyle is the Leafs head coach. He has a reputation of being tough, and he wants and expects the best on any given night out of his guys. (that is fair). He can be hard on certain guys that are not performing, and is usually vocal about it. The thing is that a team relies on the coach, they trust the coach and when this trust is gone...there is a problem. I believe this has happened in Toronto. I thing Randy has "lost the room" as they say. I think he has messed up the goalie rotation and the confidence the netminders had is now gone. Players like Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly have no direction or "licence" to play the game, to just flat out, use their skills. I am not even a big Kadri fan, but his relationship with the coach is tiresome..I am tired of it, something has to change.
Raptors - Dwane Casey is the bench boss for the Raptors. The players seem to love and respect him. They have totally bought into his system and the way he gets the most out of his players. I love the way he works guys in from the bench and can change the tempo of the game with a timely move. He puts his trust in some young guys and in return they have responded with some great numbers.
Toronto Raptors Head Coach - Dwane Casey
I am a huge Toronto fan. I want the leafs and the Raptors in the playoffs and for me, it is a simple as it could possibly be. Play as a team, play as one - and you will win games.
