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Does the title of this article remind you of a soap opera? It's meant to.

There's been drama on and off all season in Toronto.

These are the recent issues the Raptors have had this season:

· Vince Carter decided he didn't want to play in the mess he created for himself and that somehow the franchise had wronged him. After many months of rumours and Carter contradictory interviews, GM Rob Babcock was able to move Carter to New Jersey for what seems to be just a few protected first round picks, but let's look at that another time.

· Rafael Araujo, drafted with the 8th pick, has not lived up to the potential management trumpeted to the fans. Araujo was still raw, yes, but he would be able to step in and play some significant minutes, not being counted on for offence, but for the toughness he displayed in college. Many fans feel they got burned with this selection, since Andre Iguodala was picked right after Araujo and is a consistent contributor for the 76ers.

· Rafer Alston was signed to a 6-year deal in the off-season and is being counted on for some scoring and distribution. Rafer has great speed and ball handling abilities, making him the perfect "drive 'n dish" point guard and he's shown the ability to finish inside too. The problem is that Alston has brought a bunch of emotion with him that seems to clash with the head coach Sam Mitchell. First a blow-up in Boston, where Mitchell demanded he get off his bench and go to the locker room, next a confrontation in practice that landed Alston a two-game suspension. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, Alston played only the first quarter and was not even on the bench for the second half of the game. He changed clothes and in the team bus before the end of the game. Last night, Alston stated, he requires an apology for what happened on Tuesday, because he claims he did nothing wrong and if he is man enough to apologize, then someone else show be man enough to apologize too. It's assumed that Alston is speaking about Mitchell.

· Eric Williams came to Toronto from New Jersey in the Vince Carter trade. He's known for defensive intensity, although he can also score his share of points. When Williams first came to Toronto, he was inserted into the starting line-up, and the team seemed to perform well, despite only small contributions from Williams offensively. But, as of late, Williams hasn't seen much floor time and has now requested he be traded, basically claiming, if he isn't getting playing time, he doesn't know why he's in Toronto. He even claimed he would welcome a trade to New Orleans…. Ouch.

What's next? Consider the Damon Stoudamire situation Toronto was faced with in their first years in the league. A young player with lots of potential, just getting tired of the losing atmosphere. That is what we need to worry about in Toronto. Chris Bosh's future looks bright, and when he comes to the end of his contract, other teams will try to steal him away. After four years in a losing environment, Bosh may find it very enticing to explore other opportunities, where he can experience what it's like to play on a consistent team that knows how to win.