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Fan Editorial by Mark Vanderschot

The Toronto Raptors, now five games under .500, are once again playing that lackluster, uninspired type of basketball that fans in the T-dot are all too familiar with. I saw more enthused defense in the Rookie Challenge game a few weekends ago than in what I’ve seen from the Raps lately.

Before the big trade with the Chicago Bulls, Kevin O’Neill had these guys playing consistent, solid defense where communication was the key Although this old version of the Dinos struggled to score, they were holding their opponents in the mid-80’s while playing tough, hard-nosed, East coast ball.

Fast forward to post-trade Raptorland and you’ll notice the offense is much less strained and much more fluid; however their overall play is extremely inconsistent. I haven’t seen this new-look Raptor team play anywhere near 48 minutes of basketball in any recent games.

Leadership and toughness is what is lacking up here in the T-dot. Leadership starts from the top down; and although in no way am I calling for coach O’Neill’s job, I am questioning his effectiveness right now. Many times this year the Raps look as if they do not even practice. I participated on co-ed intramural basketball teams that looked more organized and cohesive than the Raptors do. At times I think they probably shouldn’t practice looking back how well they played the first 4 games post trade when they never had a chance to practice. I believe this lack of organization on the floor is a direct result of either poor leadership or ineffective coaching techniques. With O’Neill’s beet red face and wild hair you’d think players would respond simply out of fear for the man. Unfortunately this is not the case, and the players on this team do not seem to be taking heed to coach O’Neill’s philosophy.

Having a healthy Vince Carter would help. Still, the effort without him should be there.

Toughness has always been a problem for this organization. With the exception of Charles Oakley and Antonio Davis, the Raptors have never had a hard-nosed, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners type of player to mix it up under the basket. The problem continues this year, especially now that JYD and AD have left town.

Obviously coach O’Neill can’t be blamed for this lack of size and tenacity. He can only play with the hand he’s dealt and he’s doing a satisfactory job with the big (and I use the term ‘big’ very loosely) men he has.

Chris Bosh, whom everyone agrees has the ability to someday be a star in this league, still needs to grow into his body. Donyell Marshall, who in reality isn’t a “big man” but is still providing a yeoman’s effort in terms of rebounding. Where the lack of size, talent and tenacity really hurts the Raps begins on the bench.

Outside of Yogi Stewart, Jerome Moiso could very well be the worst player in the NBA with the most potential. Every 12-15 games he’s shows signs of brilliance for about a five-minute stretch, but then reverts back to his familiar brain cramp I-don’t-have-a-clue-where-I’m-supposed-to-be style of play. You could give me 12 Bacardi’s, spin me on me head, blindfold me and place me on the court, and I guarantee I’d have better orientation than Moiso displays when he’s on the court.

On a positive note, Lonny Baxter and Robert Archibald are two blue-collar type players who generally give 110% every time they’re on the floor. Archibald especially impresses me. He knows his job and his role; he hustles, and above all knows his limitations and does not try to do anything he’s not capable of.

Given the fact that the Raptors are challenged in terms of size and intensity, it's clear Grunwald needs bring in a hard-nosed rebounder, preferably with leadership skills. Before he can do this he needs to reflect on his past attempts at bringing in ‘big men’ and avoid the same mistakes he’s made in the past. I mean his resume isn’t pretty with the likes of Moiso, Hakeem Olajuwon, (although I don’t fault him so much for this one) Yogi Stewart, Mamadou N’diaye, Nate Huffman, Jelani McCoy, and Greg Foster. Eric Montross and Antonio Davis are the only bright spots on Grunwald’ s ‘big men’ CV. (At this rate I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ed O’Bannon in a Raptor uniform soon.)

Anthony Mason would be a great addition to the Raps right now. Milwaukee reached a settlement with Mason at the beginning of the season and waived him. As a result, the Raptors can pick him fairly cheaply, probably at the minimum for a player of his age. Much talk has been made about bringing Oakley, Tyrone Hill or Chris Gatling, but I figure if the Raps are looking into bring in an old man they might as well bring in one who can still move out on the court. Mason is exactly what they need. He’s tough, experienced, can rebound, has great hands, is extremely hard-nosed and plays with an edge - something the Raptors have lacked since the departure of Oakley. It seems like everybody has forgotten about Mason.

Whatever Grunwald does, he needs to do it quickly to stop the bleeding. If he doesn’t act fast, the Raps won’t be playing in May and Grunwald may find himself in the unemployment line soon after.

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