Going the way of the dinosaurs - NBA Insider - Toronto Raptors - Brief Article

What they are witnessing in Toronto these days is a quarter-billion dollar chemistry experiment gone terribly awry. The question is: Can the whole mess be salvaged for the future, this season or beyond?

Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald was lauded last summer when he re-signed free agents Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams and Jerome Williams, got Vince Carter to commit to a six-year contract extension and added Hakeem Olajuwon to a roster (financial commitments worth more than $250 million) under the direction of Lenny Wilkens, the coach with the most wins in NBA history.

And today? Well, today, virtually the same Raptors team that got to within a missed Carter buzzer-beater of advancing to last year's Eastern Conference finals barely is in contention for a playoff position. There is more than enough blame to go around. Sure, injuries have played a role. Carter missed seven recent games with a leg injury, and not surprisingly, Toronto lost all seven. But the troubles run much deeper.

Throughout an extended losing streak that knocked the Raptors from third in the conference to 10th and ended at 13 games last Friday in Miami, the lack of work ethic and the inability of Wilkens to get inspired play from most of his roster added up to the worst stretch of play by a Toronto team since the 1997-98 Raptors, who finished 16-66.

"Either they're not listening to Lenny or he's not telling them the right things," says one NBA scout, noting that either circumstance is sure to spell doom for a team thought to be a legitimate Eastern Conference contender. "Those guys look like they're just going through the motions."

That is the most galling aspect of the slide. It was apparent early in the season that the team would have trouble separating itself from the pack in the East, but the hanging of heads, loafing after missed shots and constant plaintive looks at officials are proof the group lacks the mental toughness to get over a difficult stretch.

Grunwald is adamant that Wilkens will be the coach until the end of the regular season, but it's inconceivable Wilkens will be back next year if the Raptors don't make the playoffs.

The problems don't stop with Wilkens. With Carter, Davis, and the Williamses signed to long-term deals, Grunwald only can hope that someone decides to become a leader, the locker room go-to guy who can get teammates to focus on the job at hand.

If the recent skid revealed anything, it is that the Raptors must find that leader before they can take the next step everyone expected them to--or even salvage this season.

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Though there are a number of reasons for the Raptors' nose dive, explaining the surprising midseason turnarounds of some of the league's hottest teams is a bit easier.

Detroit, The Pistons' 14-6 start was impressive, but when they were 17-19 on January 15, no one was predicting playoffs. Ben Wallace's defense is a constant, so don't blame him for the slide. Follow leading scorer Jerry Stackhouse to the truth. When he gets help from teammates, the Pistons win. They are 13-6 in games when someone other than Stackhouse leads the team in scoring, and eight of those games have been during Detroit's 186 run since January 15. He led the team in scoring in all but three games in its 3-13 slump.

Miami, Don't believe point guard Rod Strickland is the catalyst for the team's 19-7 turnaround after an 8-26 start? Turn back two pages and you will.

Portland. The Blazers were 13-18 on January 2 but won 25 of their next 32. Much of what goes on with this team can't be analyzed in terms of personnel or X's and O's--if it could, the Blazers would have a title or two under their belt by now--but one thing is clear: First-year coach Maurice Cheeks is keeping this bunch happy enough to make it the team no one in the Western Conference wants to run into in the playoffs.

Seattle. The loss of their only low-post presence, power forward Vin Baker, to three dislocated toes February 14 was supposed to crumble the Sonics' playoff chances. Instead, Seattle won 11 of 13 and moved into a solid position to make the playoffs. Gary Payton, as always, is playing well, but Brent Barry is the difference-maker in the team's perimeter-based attack. He averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds in February. Barry had a career-high 15 rebounds last week and matched a career high with 11 assists two games earlier.

Utah. Remember that league-record, nine-game February road trip that could have swept the Jazz into the trash can? Well, Utah won six of the nine games on that trip and now seems almost a lock to make the postseason. The Jazz is 12-5 since dropping to 22-22 on January 26. Nothing new to report here. Sure, rookie Andrei Kirilenko filled in nicely during Donyell Marshall's hip injury, but Karl Malone is playing his best basketball in maybe the last two seasons. --Dan Graf

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