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That’s A Rap #123: Discussing the not-so-great start to 2021

2021 is off to a rocky start, both on the court and off. Things may look glum south of the border but Pascal Siakam and the Raptors showed some glimmers of hope in Phoenix.

Toronto Raptors v Phoenix Suns Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

“On a lighter note, the Raptors are 1-6.”

With COVID-19 numbers reaching record highs and all kinds of mayhem south of the border, the Toronto Raptors’ early season woes seem so meaningless. Players and coaches throughout the league have expressed their disappointment in the action (or inaction) surrounding the domestic terrorist attack at the Capitol and freeing of Jacob Blake’s shooter. Through the anger, they marched on, played games, and now sit near the bottom of the NBA standings.

It’s not all gloom and doom though. Jason, Dre, and I held a productive therapy session to begin the pod before transitioning to Pascal Siakam’s resurgence, then having some fun with the Trade Machine. Enjoy the latest episode of That’s A Rap!

In This Episode:

4:25 — Georgia on my mind

It’s a shame that January 6, 2021 will be remembered for what happened on Capitol Hill, because the day started with so much promise! Raphael Warnock, on the heels of some help from the WNBA, managed to overtake incumbent, Kelly Loeffler, and become the first Black senator in Georgia’s history!

7:00 — Capitol problems

Dre and Jason took over to voice their displeasure with the coup attempt that occurred in D.C. Feel free to voice your concerns in the comments. I’ll just leave this tweet to illustrate my feelings.

18:35 — Raptors spiciness has returned

Yes, the Raptors lost again, this time to the Phoenix Suns. While they were not able to continue their season-long streak of building a double-digit lead, they were encouraging signs from, arguably, their best showing of the season. Siakam finally looked like his All-NBA Second Team self again. He blitzed every Sun thrown at him, attacked the basket with purpose, and reminded everyone why he’s deserving of his max extension.

30:00 — Dumb trade ideas

It bears repeating that we love Siakam and wouldn’t trade him for (almost) anyone. With that being said, we ran through a few hypothetical trades to improve the team’s obvious need at centre.

41:45 — Wrapping up out west

The Raptors wrap up their road trip with visits to Sacramento, Golden State, and Portland. If they can build off the Suns loss, there’s a real possibility the team can return to Tampa for its seven-game “home” stand with a ton of momentum (and more wins)!