East End Eats IV: Beaches Brewing Company

Finally, a pizza one! (sinister laugh)


The Beaches Brewing company began operating in 2014 (coincidentally the year I moved to the area) but it was only in 2019 they started up their current brewery restaurant, near Waverley on Queen East. During the Covid-19 pandemic I'd known they were doing delivery for their beers, but only passing by this past week did I realize that certain days of the week, for certain hours, they were offering takeout pizza as well.

Well! Hot damn. If you've followed any of my work the past couple years, you won't be surprised how intrigued I was by this. The next day their pizza oven was open for business, I walked on over and re-began my endless quest anew.

First of all, I checked online and they have an incredible deal: their Vallarta pizza and a tall boy six pack of their A-Bay pale ale (their flagship brew) for 27 bucks (or thirty with tax). Seeing as during my previous pizza quests I more-than-once spent twenty-seven bucks (tax and tip in) on just a pizza, without any beer to show for that... well shut up and take my money.

The pie itself is quite nice. It's straightforward, no fancy frills but the quality overall is strong. The soft, slightly sour crust/dough has agreeable texture, and a thick enough foundation to hold the contents resting above. You get your standard tomato sauce fare, with a hint of sweetness to nudge it away from generic territory into something more interesting and worthy of note. Likewise the toppings won't blow your mind, but the pepperoni is juicy and a thicker cut, the bacon crunchy (and real) with a hint of garlic scattered about (maybe not as much as I'd like but I'm an insane garlic lover).

This is a good, satisfying pizza. Maybe on the small side, but it's filling (inbetween binging snack and light dinner) and the price is reasonable (or ridiculously awesome with the six-pack deal). Like the beer, it's a smooth, agreeable experience that won't blow your mind but hits the right spot. If you're in the area, I recommend either one but strongly recommend both at once.


Pizza Quest Score: B  (probably top 45-55 in the city)  

East End Eats III: Cinamon Indian Bistro

Some quick background before we chomp into this one: this was the first time I'd ever actually ordered food from an Indian restaurant. Key word, ordered. It's not like I haven't tried it before... just that it's always been at someone's house or a British pub imitation (with varying success).

My mum would sometimes make something she called curry when I was a kid, though her version was a weird concoction with noodles(?), nothing saucey, chunks of chicken and little other flavour beyond aggressive spice. I dreaded these 'curry nights' so much that I never even considered eating anything called curry until I was an adult, discovering there were different kinds and none of them even slightly resemble whatever the hell the thing she made was.

Anyhow I am a definite newb when it comes to Indian cuisine. Fortunately for me, there are four spots in my immediate area that feature such fare. Unable to decide which to try first, I went for the one with the highest average review score on Google, so to eventually measure the others on that standard. Unfair? Perhaps. But this is food I'm very unfamiliar with (I still have to look up exactly what makes each sauce different) so it felt logical to first try something regarded as very good just to establish a basis for my taste.

Enough of that. The place I visited was Cinamon Indian Bistro, tucked in a stretch between Kew Park and Woodbine on the north side of Queen East. They're been around for quite a few years now, though it was only a couple months ago I really noticed their existence (maybe because it's just past walking distance to my local LC... *cough*). I rode down, called in an order for pickup, wandered some side streets where nobody was around and picked it up from the window.

I was craving lamb, so I went for the Lamb Korma Curry you see here, plus a garlic naan because well duh. (I added those cucumbers on the side myself because, also duh). The smell alone was exciting: on my ride back I was getting faint whiffs of it and once in my apartment opening the container the scent just took over the place.

I elected for 'medium' spice, not that I can't handle heat just that this being my first go at this stuff, I wanted more of the root flavours in the spotlight. And it does. This taste here was delightful: rich and creamy, a nice tickling spice on the tongue just waving a friendly goodbye, and a hint of nutty aftertaste (I do know a lot of Indian dishes involve roasted nuts, so maybe there were some here...? Damned if I know). Anyhow, first bite I was hooked.

The benefit of braising (and then resting in sauce) is that if it's done right the meat is supremely tender on the inside and this certainly qualifies. Lamb has an inherent earthy spice to it I've always enjoyed (done right I take it over beef 100 /100 times) and while these other curry flavours drown out that natural lamb taste, there's enough of a hint here that my choice for lamb instead of whatever meat was a good call.

The price is... I dunno on point? Slightly expensive? Tax-in, the curry and naan was about 20 bucks, but it was sneakily filling and I'm not the smallest dude in the world. Even the naan (about 4.00) seemed pricey and it's hard to screw up two delicious things like fresh bread and garlic... but seriously no regrets. It was a necessary component to the experience, and as someone who buys pre-packaged naans quite often (they're perfect for homemade pizzas) the difference is very noticeable.

My only two regrets are: I didn't try this place like five years ago when I moved here, and that the best way to try a place like this is with a bunch of friends where everyone orders something different so you can sample as much as you can. In this current world that's basically impossible, but another something (hopefully) to look forward to.


Nostalgia Value: N/A
Price Value: I'd say 6/10 but really... N/A (I don't have enough experience here)
Overall: 9/10 (simply... it rules)




  

Best Toronto Raptors By Jersey Number - Part 2 (11-20)

11 -- T.J Ford (PG, 2006-2008)


I remember my favourite high school English teacher being very excited when the Raptors signed Rafer Alston to a five year deal. He was coming off a breakout year in Miami as a sixth man, and combined with Vince, sophomore Bosh, Jalen Rose and bench stud Donyell Marshall, there was optimism for a good squad. Alas, Carter was traded two months into the season and Alston quickly was not having a good time. "Skip To My Lou" was a lot of fun to watch though, there's a reason why he's a street ball legend.

Alston as a Raptor was significantly more successful than any of Negele Knight (seven turnovers and five personal fouls in 56 minutes is... well noticeable), Lindsey Hunter (a solid veteran guard who was much worse as a Rap than 15 year old me remembers) and Shamorie Ponds (9 points in 11 minutes is quite a bit better than Knight ever did). 

Later in Bryan Colangelo's tenure, he lured Linas Kleiza back to the NBA to try solidifying the small forward spot. Kleiza was a guy you'd want to use in a video game: a streaky gunner who could and would shoot from anywhere on the court. As a Raptor he did just that... aside from the 'scoring' part. Or actually being on the court very much.

When Alston was traded for Mike James (and the subsequent Mike James chucker season), Toronto a year later made yet another move for a point guard in T.J Ford, a relatively recent lottery pick whose career had been thrown off by a spinal injury. Ford couldn't shoot a lick from outside (career .289 percent) but was still lightning quick and a crafty passer. With Bosh, a pair of European free agents in Anthony Parker, Jorge Garbajosa and the #1 pick Bargnani, Ford helped the surprise 06-07 Raptors make the playoffs for the first time in half a decade, and the first ever Raptor team to do so not featuring Vince Carter. Naturally, that team ended up playing the Nets in the first round, losing to... Vince Carter. The Nets had no equal to Bosh in that series (their best players were all smaller dudes: Carter, Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd) so instead they deployed a bunch of journeymen bigs like Josh Boone or Mikki Moore to hack Bosh anytime he got inside. New Jersey stole Game One in Toronto (the genesis of the 'Raptors always lose Game 1' narrative) and Toronto was never able to win one back in Jersey, despite a saddeningly close Game 6 (and why Jefferson is seriously an all-time underrated Raptors villain).

Despite that sting of losing to the then villainous Carter in the playoffs, 06-07 was an incredibly fun team and planted the concept that this franchise could be exciting again after the soul searching bleakness of Vince's departure. As the primary playmaker/quarterback of that team, Ford has himself a respectable place in Raptor lore.

12 -- Rasho Nesterovic (C, 2006-2008, 2009-10)



Man, this is where even obscurity wonders who most these guys are. Donald Whiteside played 250 minutes for the second year Raptors! (and that's all I know). How about Trey Johnson? Andre Barrett? John Thomas? Ronald Dupree? I got nothing here.

Young Canadian Oshae Brissett has been thrust into NBA action way more times than expected during this (suspended) season because of injuries. Brissett shows the athleticism and makings of a potential NBA player if he can refine his offensive game... a lot. Another defense-only guy, Michael Curry, wore '12' his one season as a Raptor, while mostly just serving as then-head coach Kevin O'Neill's private eyes in the locker room. Curry was about as offensively capable as Brissett is now, except Brissett is young enough to get ID'd at bars while Curry was considerably older in 2004 than I am now. O'Neill (who probably would've loved a 42-38 score in an NBA game) was enamored with Curry and played him a ton, despite his complete lack of anything resembling scoring ability.

The '12' has to be Rasho Nesterovic, an old school center picked off from the Spurs for Eric Williams and Matt Bonner. He was slow, as flashy as a burnt light bulb without anything resembling an outside game... but he was crafty enough, boxed out and most importantly gave the team something they hadn't had since maybe Kevin Willis: a consistent, physical, healthy center. In retrospect, it probably speaks more about those darkest days of the franchise, when anything resembling reliability was like a gift from the heavens. Being a Raptor fan has certainly been a ride.

13 --


Mark Jackson was a Raptor! I always forget this and just think of him as the Warriors coach just before they became an unstoppable monster (also for this clip). Malcolm Miller is still currently an end-of-the-bench Raptor after a few seasons but hasn't done much of anything more notable than that. If this were 2010 I bet he'd have started 100 NBA games by now (those teams, man).

Patrick O'Bryant was a notable draft lottery bust who got a short look in T.O over two seasons (and never sniffed the NBA again afterward, telling you how well that went). David Andersen was an Aussie forward who looks like a missing member of The Hives (watch out for the broken bones), Sebastian Telfair was an enticing lottery point guard who merely just bounced around the NBA for about a decade, Toronto one of his last stops. Linton Johnson only played ten minutes for the franchise and Dwight Buycks was about as memorable as somebody who played ten more (it was 146... yikes).  

Ah... Mike James played just one lost season in Toronto, but it has become the stuff of legend. Acquired from Houston, James quickly realized how hopeless the 05-06 Raptors were, so as a pending free agent he unabashedly decided to dominate the offense. The results were nuts. He shot .442 from three on five attempts per game (wild by mid-2000s NBA standards), averaged 20+ points for the entire season and controlled the ball every possession, or any chance he got. He set outlier career highs in basically everything and at the time seemed a fun story, but looking closer he wasn't doing a whole lot to help them actually win. Since the team was awful anyway none of it mattered, so James' 2005-06 season is an amusingly weird quirk in Raptor history.

Now it's hard. Doug Christie was my first favourite player as a kiddo, and I vividly remember a Pizza Pizza (blech) billboard with him right at Spadina and Bloor. Becoming a more knowledgeable fan as I got older, I learned Christie was seriously underrated: a stud guard defender, smart, terrific ball handler for multiple good teams. However I was too young to fully appreciate all that for myself, so I gotta go with someone from the times I was a touch older.

With Charles Oakley, Antonio Davis, Kevin Willis and later Keon Clark in the fold, the playoff Carter teams weren't lacking for toughness. But aside from Clark, those guys were all veterans and their toughness was measured more through bruising and physicality than pure raw energy. During the 00-01 season, general manager Glen Grenwald traded away the under-performing Corliss Williamson with Dee Brown for a needed center in Eric Montross, accompanied by an ultra-hyperactive forward named Jerome Williams, better known as 'Junkyard Dog' or 'JYD'.

JYD did the dirty(ier) work. His energy was unequaled, battling anybody for any rebound, never backing down from an opponent and barking aloud in the moment of the game. On the court he was a tornado, off it he was (and is) a chatty, charismatic and passionate spokesman for basketball and the Raptors franchise even almost two decades later. I loved Christie as a kid, but as a young teen I loved those good Raptor teams and JYD was my second favourite player when I started paying closer attention. Pound The Rock (the Score's bball podcast) did a great interview with him not too long ago that I highly recommend if you're into that stuff.

14 --


Muggsy Bogues was a good player for a long time and important to those early Raptor teams that flirted with lady goodness. Bogues' photo next to Manute Bol is one of the best sports photos ever, plus he was in Space Jam!

Joey Graham was an athletic forward that we all had high hopes for (especially as a draft pick gained in Babcock's awful Carter trade) and he teased but really never put it together. D.J. Augustin played a third of a season on a bad 2013 Raptors team before getting released... and somehow has still stuck around long enough that he hit the game winning shot in a Game 1 against the Raptors this past playoffs. This franchise has some ghosts, man.

It's slim pickings here (unless you want Micheal Williams' 15 minutes or Julian Wright's extremely unremarkable 2010-11 season) so thank goodness for Danny Green. Yeah, he struggled badly in the playoffs and almost threw away the championship during that weird Game Six finish (and people wonder why Raptor fans are always nervous about inbounds plays) but none of that should take away how crucially good he was in the regular season, or the sheer enjoyableness of his podcast with Harrison Sanford "Inside The Green Room". Green came to Toronto as a potentially washed 3-and-D guard thrown into the Kawhi trade to match salary. Instead he was a key starter, canned tons of threes, brought veteran presents(TM) and composure to an eventual champion. A smart, likeable dude, easy to root for even if he's a Laker now. Here's hoping for a long end to his career and a longer stint as a broadcaster afterwards.

15 --


A number filled with infamy in these parts.


I mean, when we signed Anthony Bennett I wasn't expecting much but geez some people are unreasonable.

Big man Greg Monroe didn't have much left when he joined the Raptors in 2019, and with a long term injury to Jonas Valanciunas he was thrust into an ill-fitting role. Later that season he joined the 76ers and lost to those same Raptors in the playoffs, bringing a question of whether he deserved a championship ring (the dude probably wouldn't want one anyway from those circumstances, I imagine). Oppositely, Eric Moreland was indeed on that championship team and is the only '15' to achieve such a thing with the Raptors. Well winning conquers all so Moreland gets the nod. Right? Right? Okay fine... I'll continue.

Jorge Garbajosa was the key glue guy on my 4th favourite Raps team ever, that plucky 06-07 team (first ever to win the Atlantic Division). He could shoot from outside, was a tough defender at the forward spot and just filled in the cracks to make the whole squad tighter than it's sum. His devastating injury before the playoffs in 06-07 (eventually wrecking his NBA career) is an all-time Raptor Heartbreak moment. The image of Calderon trying to support his wounded friend on the court still stings.

Likewise, Amir Johnson was a key glue guy on those early good Lowry/DeRozan teams. A late second round pick of the Pistons, Amir barely played minutes as a teenager until finding his way to Toronto when swapped for Carlos Delfino. He was quickly loved by fans (makes sense) and advanced stats, buoying up units with his hustle, rebounding, terrific screen setting and personal embrace of the city (he did the Zombie Walk!). Unfortunately his body/ankles didn't agree to the task of being a full time NBA player, as his effectiveness gradually slipped until he was just too slow to stick in the league anymore. He still enjoyed a nice career, an important cog even in his last Raptor days when he moved around like balding Jimmy Hustle playing YMCA ball (despite only being 28).

As much as I love Amir, the best '15' is the man who first made Raptor basketball cool. Chris Bosh may have been the first star who gave the franchise a theoretical longer window, DeRozan the first who truly believed in its championship potential and Lowry the one who helped bring that ultimate validation, but Vince Carter was the one who put the franchise on the NBA map. Before Vince, Toronto was an experiment, an outpost in some weird unknown land with cartoonish jerseys (though strangely now enjoyed?) and nothing else to offer the casual fan. Carter totally transformed that perception, both with his marketable ascension to superstardom and his incredible ability. He was a one man "must see TV" type of player: in his prime he's probably the best dunker of all time (prove me wrong, kids). Carter did things nobody at that time had ever seen before, and there's a reason beyond respecting the current NBA Methuselah that young players in the *cough* lame *cough* recent Slam Dunk contests put on Carter jerseys nearly two decades after his legendary performance. Seriously, compare all the extra antics, gimmicks or obvious playing for hype featured in most dunk contests this past decade-plus, then look at how stone faced, confident and simple Vince keeps it there. He knew he was gonna win this thing before he even put his sneakers on and just let his explosiveness do the talking.

Carter is a complicated figure in team history. It's savior, it's disgruntled problem, it's biggest villain... then eventually an iconic and venerated part of the past. So much of that dislike is based on how he left the Raptors, which was bad (although the crappy return of that trade is squarely on that much much more bad GM). I definitely loathed Vince for a time, especially when he was on the Nets and tormented the Raptors time after time (trading him to a division rival? RIP Rob Babcock but geez dude, you dumbass).

I think a lot of why Vince is loved again is the franchise has now a huge sustained period of success without him. When he left, it felt like this was our one-in-a-lifetime talent skipping town and the good times were over indefinitely. Factor in his immediate embrace and flourishing with the Nets... and he was in his prime and clearly especially determined to destroy our hopes and dreams.

But now? Just this season Vince came in for the Hawks, immediately hit a couple of shots against the Raps (which he still always does) and I remember thinking: give me 43 year old Vince suddenly going off against us; it'd be so fun... and none of those old feelings matter anymore. Back when he just ruined us (especially the 06-07 playoffs) played into that endless sense of doom you get when you're passionate about... well the Toronto Raptors. That stung 14 years ago, but it doesn't sting anymore because even before we won a title this franchise finally proved it could reach and sustain higher success. Time doesn't heal but time can forgive, and Carter now himself has become a player so easy to root for. He's made his money, there's almost certainly something in broadcasting waiting for him when he does retire, but he keeps playing, working hard to keep himself in top physical shape even now far beyond his athletic peak... maybe he just loves playing the game. And that is always worth our admiration and our cheers.

Vince Carter deserved our greatest adoration, our greatest resentment, but now biggest of all our greatest respect. When he (wants to) retire I'd sign him to a 1 day deal, have a press conference and retire that '15' (while also honouring Amir somehow because c'mon). Carter's iconicism as a Raptor should not and will not fade anytime soon.

16 -- Matt Bonner (F, 2004-2006)



Okay! Something quick. Peja Stojakovic had a very effective two game cameo as a Raptor (I was in Thailand at the time and never saw said impact on a definitely terrible team). Steve Novak was a weirdly tall three point specialist scored in the Bargnani trade, so automatic win regardless of what he did.

It's a number for tall gunners, so the best '16' is the Red Rocket: Matt Bonner. An awkward looking big fella drafted in the second round, Bonner quickly became a fan favourite with his exceptional three point shooting and just likeable persona (like a Chief O'Brien type). I remember once when I was nineteen working at the Drake Hotel, Bonner was a bit drunk and lounging in a chair near the front door, and just super polite and sweet to anybody coming his way. Just a real kind, pleasant fella. The Raptors traded him to the Spurs for Rasho Nesterovic which at the time was a useful trade, but it's no fluke that Bonner went on to win two NBA titles and play a key role as a reserve for some excellent squads. Hmmmm, since he retired the Spurs seem to be having hard times... coincidence?

Yeah probably. Still, good player... great dude.

17 -- Jonas Valanciunas (C, 2012-2019)



Eric Williams was the key piece brought back in the Vince Carter trade. If you've never heard of Eric Williams and had to look him up, that basically tells you how good that trade was. (f@@king Babcock, man). Then of course there's Jeremy Lin, who's best Toronto moments aren't as a Raptor (actually against them) but still was on The Team.

Big Val is my guy, and like DeRozan, an easily beloved player with considerable flaws. Jonas Valanciunas was taken 5th overall by the Raptors in 2011, with the knowledge he would be playing overseas for another season and thus wouldn't make his debut until 2012. In that meanwhile, overseas he proved himself a dynamic player with a quirky fun sense of humour (he's definitely more convincing as a ref than a wizard), which gave the desperate fans hope that this big Lithuanian would be the next big thing for the sad franchise.

Unlike Bargnani, once hitting the NBA Big Val demonstrated an ability to adapt and improve. He got bigger so to bang with the heavyweights in the league. Then when the league suddenly shifted to more versatile, switchable shooting big men, Val tried adapting his game to include a three point shot (he was always a terrific free throw shooter so it seemed possible). He never figured out how to defend outside the post, but he was a consistent team-first player and worked at whatever he could to help good teams succeed. Trading him for Marc Gasol was heartbreaking and at the time I thought stupid, as at the time as I thought Gasol was just an older, worse rebounding version of Val (geez was I wrong there).

Valanciunas (now in Memphis) still does what he always does: kills it on the boards, is a menace in the post and moves around in that slow mechanical way so bizarre for a dude so obviously athletic. I don't watch too many Grizzlies games (despite the awesomeness of Ja Morant) so I can only hope Big Val's hilariously obvious pump fake is still fooling the best basketball players in the world. Rock on big fella.

18 -- Anthony Parker (G, 2006-2009)



Unless you're obsessed with the Ben Uzoh Game, Anthony Parker is your '18' man. Parker was a bit player on some late 90s NBA teams, went off to play in Israel for half a decade and established himself as one of the best non-NBA players in the world. In one of Bryan Colangelo's better moves, he brought Parker back to North America in 2006 with a three year deal.

He quickly established himself as their reliable starting two-guard, capable of strong defense on an opposing star and exceptional three point shooting. Basically what Danny Green did for the championship squad. Parker likewise was an integral part of that 06-07 Raps team, hit some big shots to the delight of Chuck Swirsky, and really proved how perseverance can often times get you somewhere. As a 24 year old he averaged eleven minutes a game in 16 contests for a forgettable Orlando team. Six years later as a 31 year old he was a starter for a playoff Raptors team, and later a starter on LeBron's last (first tour) Cavs team.

No Raptor has ever worn 19



20 --


As an aside, it's strange that Bruno(!) Caboclo immediately changed from '20', which he'd worn since drafted by the Raps, to '5', once DeMarre Carroll left town. Does this mean anything? Not really. Does anything mean anything? Impossible to tell.

Dewan Hernandez, a current Raptor but injured all season, wears '20' currently. Jodie Meeks actually played playoff minutes early in the championship run last year (unfortunately forgetting his three point shot in the cab), Mickael Pietrus was a good forward who for some reason was completely awful as a Raptor, Carlos Delfino was a sort of jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type player who never quite put it all together (though turning him into Amir Johnson is a definite win), Leandro Barbosa was an exciting speedy guard (the Brazilian Blur!) best known as a Steve Nash running mate in Phoenix, and Fred Jones was a former slam dunk champ that for half a season... had zero memorable dunks in T.O.

I remember in early 1998 (I was ten) walking with my dad in the old Dominion supermarket down near Huron and Dupont (it's an LCBO now) and seeing a newspaper for sale. On the front page was a story about the Damon Stoudamire trade, which had either been the day before or the day before that. At the time, the future of the Raptors was bleak. Isiah Thomas (yeah, I know) had left the team as president and Stoudamire, the only star the franchise had then ever known, wanting out immediately after Thomas's departure seemed a death bell for basketball in Toronto, especially with the negative buzz surrounding the Vancouver Grizzlies. The NBA in Canada experiment was rolling down the road of failure.

Stoudamire was a really good, and fun player. A tiny point guard (5'10) and a lefty, Damon (and later Marcus Camby) was the only thing those early Raptor teams had that could point to a potentially positive future. He was a horse, averaging over 40 minutes a night, nearly ten assists and capturing the love of fans with his endearing nickname "Mighty Mouse", a cartoon character of which he had a tattoo of.


When the Raptors traded him to Portland, the key piece they got back was Kenny Anderson, who refused to even report to the team (earning him a nicely deserved place with Alonzo Mourning among the worst Raptors ever). This added even more heartbreak to the situation. Fortunately, one of the lesser pieces thrown into the deal was a young point guard named Alvin Williams. He didn't have Damon's flash or overall skill, but he was gritty, knew how to guard, and eventually became a key starter on the most successful Raptor team of their first nineteen years. He even hit a big shot along the way, which combined with his longevity (though injuries eventually ground him down) gives him the '20' nod here.

Next time we tackle the 20s. Oh myyyy.

East End Eats II: Delina Restaurant

Back with the sequel...


Delina Restaurant
1891 Queen Street East
 

Delina is a little walk-in wrap restaurant right near the Woodbine-Queen East intersection. Very easy to miss if you're walking on the north side of the street, or mesmerized by the Pizza Pizza on the corner for whatever horrifying reason.


This one is very straightforward. Imagine a delicious wrap, with crisp juicy falafel, sauces and smooth cabbage slaw. Lots of shawarma places tend to have those big blocky bits of turnip as a topping, so this smoother, creamier slaw is a very welcome substitution. Nothing seems dry, or tastes like it's been sitting around for an afternoon. Tons of flavour, each bite just tasty in the right spot. The falafels themselves are earthy but soft and with a nice balance of seasoning.


My only complaint... that silvery wrap you get around every falafel or shawarma sandwich. I mean you definitely need something like it to contain the unstable elements within from spilling... but sometimes ripping it off just gets annoying. More of a general grievance than anything specific with Delina. I know, big issues.


Also a side story: I was walking late at night with one of my closest friends around there and we ran into a person we both mutually know, we'll call him 'Steve' in this universe. Anyway Steve had just finished work and was lamenting how hungry he was, so my friend pointed out that Delina looked like they were still open (though closing down it seemed) and he quickly (with a grin) said goodbye, darted across the street, jumped inside and tried his very best to charm them into making him a sandwich if it wasn't too late (it wasn't!). I don't know why I remember this but recalling it is strangely amusing to me.


Delina! Strongly recommended.


Nostalgia Grade: 7/10 (for the story)
Price Value: 7/10 (about 8-10 bucks for a wrap, taxes in. But it's a solid size)
Overall: 8/10


 

      

East End Eats: Hogtown Smoke

Among the many heartbreaking news stories we're seeing throughout this Covid-19 era, the ones about longtime shops and restaurants being forced to shutter because of reduced business definitely hits hard. With commercial rent rates in Toronto already rising to brutal levels even before the outbreak, it's near certain that dozens more of these smaller independent eateries simply won't be able to afford to continue operating (take-out revenue can only go so far).

No neighbourhood, including mine, is immune to this. Here in the south-east a bunch of places have closed in the past few years and just remained vacant, giving stretches of Queen East near Woodbine something of a ghost town feel (especially on a cold night). It's safe but sad to predict the pandemic will force even more of them to close permanently in the next few months, and seeing as I am often hungry and inclined to go on a food quest or two... I've decided to spend some of my emergency government cash on trying as much local food as I reasonably can before it's too late. 

Of course I'll do some kind of basic rating system I guess, but that'll be more a matter of personal connection/enjoyment/value than anything (a lot of these are different types of cuisine and I just don't feel like comparing quality in specific detail across those lines). 

All right long winded intro over... lets eat.


(also disclaimer yes I am only getting take-out and going directly home, on my bicycle so as to maintain social distancing etc)


Hogtown Smoke 
1961 Queen Street East 

 

I've only lived in the Beaches for about five and a half years (where does the time go) and Hogtown was already here when I moved to the area. In that span I'd previously only been once before (for a brisket sandwich). 

This time I was craving something with fries and loaded with other fixings... thus basically the monstrosity you see above. Their 'Stacked Fries' are duck fat taters, pulled pork, their coleslaw (more vinegary over creamy) topped with root beer baked beans, some cheese/gravy and a drizzle of a sweet-ish BBQ sauce. 

The sharpness of the slaw is a bit out of place, but the pork, sauce and beans all work damn deliciously with the fries. Even though it wasn't super warm once I was able to dig in at home (it was a cold day and I live a ten minute bike ride away) the combination of flavours more than made up for that not optimal temperature.

It's pricey (about twenty two bucks after tax) though this particular item is meant to be shared. It was so much food in fact that I ate only about half of it initially, saved a bunch of the pork and slaw for future sandwiches, and then fried the leftover fries in a pan the next day and it regained most of its fresh crispy glory.

Straight up, their food is damn delicious. If you're into BBQ this is regarded as a top location in the entire city and the rep is well deserved. Their second location on Colborne (near King station) shut down around the time the lockdown began, so fingers crossed the original outpost can survive this awful storm.


Nostalgia Grade: N/A

Price Value: 5/10 (not exactly a bargain but the portions are sizeable)
Overall: 9/10
  
   

Best Toronto Raptors By Jersey Number - Part 1 (00-10)

If you're like me then it's completely possible you miss basketball right now. Sports are so often something to distract or even bring hope and communal togetherness during difficult times. Now we're in the toughest of situations and sports (among many more important things) are on indefinite hiatus with hopes for any return soon dwindling daily. These are emotionally awful days, to state the obvious.

So lets forget the doom for a moment and think of the past involving one of my very favourite teams: your current defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Specifically, I'll be looking back on every number ever worn by a player and picking a champion for that number.

(Also I am retrospectively aware that the excellent Eric Koreen of The Athletic has written this same kind of article. I have not yet read that, so this will be truly my version of that concept, non-influenced by Mr. Koreen's choices or particular discussions.)

Basketball fans.... your, Torontooooooo.... Raaaaptors!
 


00 -- Eric Montross (C, 01-02)


When I see a zero number in sports, I always think basketball. You've got current all-stars like Dame Lillard and Russell Westbrook wearing it now, Gilbert Arenas yelling "Hibachi" during every shot a decade ago. But double zero? That's like... zero times two! Which would... also be zero.

Only two Raps have worn 0x0. Chris Garner was a squat backup point guard on the awful 1998 post-Damon Stoudamire-trade team, so we'll go with Montross here, an often injured centre on the early Vince playoff teams. While Montross had little impact (12 year old me just remembers him as a giant white dude with weird eyes), the fella he was traded from Detroit with would have a much more notable tenure with the club (more on him later).

0 --


Checking players who have ever worn a 'zero' number, '00' was more popular among big men (like Hall-of-Famer Robert Parish) while '0' was favoured more by guards. Maybe bigger numbers look better on bigger dudes? I dunno.

Five Raptors have worn the lonely zero. Marco Belinelli played one season in Toronto early in his career before becoming one of the leagues better shooting role players, James Johnson wore '0' in his first stint with the team, and Jared Sullinger was a free agent signing we were pretty excited about (finally a rebounding PF!) before a pre-season knee injury made him slow and unplayable, eventually necessitating the Ibaka trade.

While I really want to put the dynamic rookie Terence Davis II here, for now lets roll with the self-proclaimed dad of the endlessly enjoyable Bench Mob of 2017-18: C.J. Miles. I'm sure it'll be Davis in a years time (or sooner if the 19-20 playoffs somehow happen) but for now it's Miles, who gave that Bench Mob season much needed 3 point shooting, pajamas (C.J's PJs!) and a wicked smile. His bad defense was noticeably exploited in bigger moments, though it's not really his fault that Dwane Casey liked to do weird things like have Miles guard LeBron James in a crucial playoff game.

1 --


Lots of guys! Good luck charm Pat McCaw wore this during the championship run, Jarrett Jack was a decent PG brought in to steal Jose Calderon's job (ha) and also tempt Chris Bosh to stay through their Wake Forest connection (double ha). More point guards: Roko Ukic, somebody I was actually really excited about at the time but just ended up being another in the carousel of backup Toronto guards who couldn't shoot; Justin Dentmon played 94 NBA minutes, 72 of them as a Raptor in 4 games (don't remember him a lick); Omar Cook likewise played 74 minutes (in 5 games), racked up some assists (22) and steals (6) and never saw an NBA court again. Jason Thompson was a useful big man for a little while who joined on in Toronto to sit on the bench during the 2015-2016 East Finals run, Rod Strickland was a Raptor for a minute near the end of his career (12th on the all time assists list) and Dominic McGuire I think has been described as the Raptor least-willing to shoot in team history, who actually saw meaningful minutes (that sounds like a Blake Murphy thing. Go read him for that stuff).  

Sigh. Chris Childs. I hadn't watched any of Game Five against the Pistons (this is back when the NBA first round was a best of five) since it aired almost eighteen years ago, when I was in Grade Nine. It was a painful game. That 01-02 Raptor team was written off once Vince Carter was injured for the season, only for them to go on a huge winning streak to squeak intothe playoffs. In my memory I'd always assumed Childs forgot the score and shot a bad long two while we were down three on the final possession. Watching it again I don't think that's it. Instead, looking at the game clock, I just have no goddamn clue what he's thinking here. (You can skip it to about the 1:45 mark, those highlight commentators are annoying). Combine it with a crucial turnover he makes thirty seconds earlier on an inbounds (not in the clip) and you can see why Childs is so infamous among long time Raptor fans.   

Number one at... well #1, has to be Tracy McGrady. Sadly I was just a bit too young to really remember T-Mac in purple. Drafted ninth overall in 1998 as an 18 year old, it wasn't until his third season that he started receiving the playing time he probably deserved much earlier. At that point it was too late. He wasn't interested in playing second fiddle in the shadow of his supernova cousin Vince Carter and wanted to play at home, so left for Orlando and went on to a Hall of Fame career, though playoff success eluded him. Considering Carter's comparative lack of success there as well, maybe still the greatest "what if" question in Raptor history is what heights the team reaches with both Carter and McGrady in their primes. With a championship in tow perhaps it doesn't now sting the way it once did, but either way it sure would've been fun to watch.

2 --


I remember Voshun Lenard really well (for whatever reason): a shoot-first SG who was a Raptor one full season during the end of Carter's era. Sundiata Gaines and his 90 minutes with the team is something I don't remember at all, but Gaines possibly torching the Raps in one of those random revenge games? Maybe a thing? (checked: not a thing. Had 8 points as a Net once but that's all). Jannero Pargo is an incredibly obscure Raptor but ended up playing another decade in the NBA as a backup once that cameo concluded. Nigel Hayes is about as obscure as it gets, playing 2 games for a total of six minutes. However I actually remember this really well because it was only two years ago, he hit a couple of threes against the Knicks and was way too overly jacked up about it in a 30 point blowout for the Raptors (I'm certain it rubbed Casey and or Ujiri the wrong way and he was quickly released).

Darrick Martin was that perfect veteran third strong point guard every mediocre team needs, best remembered for trash talking MJ as a Grizzlie (oops) and as a Raptor hitting the most awesomely pointless three ever to extend the franchise's then-NBA-record straight games hitting from deep (I can't find video of it anywhere, since it was the end of a 35 point road loss 15 years ago, but I'm sure Chuck Swirsky loses his mind). Landry Fields was a good citizen sadly with an elbow so damaged when he arrived he eventually attempted learning how to shoot with his other arm, though he was useful against those stupid Nets in the playoffs. P.J. Tucker in his second stint (he wore '1' in his  obscure first stint a decade before) added some much needed truckulance for one of those really good DeMar/Kyle teams that just couldn't beat LeBron.


Oliver Miller was the kind of player you never see anywhere in the NBA these days, or even professional sports non-Bartolo Colon division (I don't follow American Football). Miller was a center who at his heaviest looked like somebody you'd see on Biggest Loser, yet his tremendous girth disguised his sneaky athleticism and terrific court vision. The modern NBA is a much faster paced game so it is tricky to see if somebody of Miller's... unique size would fit, but yeah he also averaged 1.5 steals a game one season. As a 300+ pound dude. Different kind of ball or not, that's impressive. 

This is all window dressing of course. The best '2' is him. That fun guy. When the trade happened there was serious worry he was still injured, or in darker circles if he played well he'd demand a trade halfway through the year. He arrived with a suitcase full of huge questions regarding his attitude, his own career, and then the potential direction and future of his new team. He left near-universally beloved as one of the greatest sport heroes an entire generation in that city had ever seen. It's arguably the most impactful one season cameo for a franchise in the history of North American sports. A primary actor and protagonist of unforgettable, unbelievable moments. Board - Man - gets - paid.

3 -- OG Anunoby (2018-present)


The number of role players, Est. 1995. Indeed, as the fortunes of the franchise have improved so have the players wearing this number. Big Zan Tabak is a well known name among long time Raptor fans (but well before my time). Chauncey Billups played in Toronto half a season as a fresh lottery pick Boston gave up on (the same year they drafted him! 90s NBA was weird, man). Billups bounced around for a while until finding much bigger things and a borderline HoF career in Detroit.

(La?)Mark Baker owns a strong case as the most obscure Raptor of all time: playing two minutes in a single 98-99 game for his professional debut and never playing NBA ball again. Haywoode Workman played just 13 games of his 359 NBA games in purple but at least he got more than two minutes. Geez I wanna know if anyone really remembers these guys as a Raptor who wasn't actually on those teams.

More into my infancy as a fan, Loren Woods was an 'insert tall dude here' starting centre on some really bad teams (there's a reason the solid but very unflashy Rasho Nesterovic was a serious breath of fresh air for us). Juan Dixon was a frustrating score-first combo guard on a good Sam Mitchell/Bosh team; Marcus Banks was an overpaid point guard acquired in Bryan Colangelo's bad/coulda-been-way-worse Jermaine O'Neal-Marion swap, and Nando de Colo is an overseas superstar player the Raptors still own NBA rights on, despite not playing NBA minutes since 2014 (another one for Blake Murphy). Then you get Hassan Adams, or Gary Forbes who... well by his numbers seemed potentially useful. Once traded to Houston (as part of the Lowry trade) Forbes never played NBA ball again. I want to say he was injured, though the Rockets waived him before that season even began. 

Lowry himself also wore '3' during his prickly first season with the club, his more known '7' was occupied by... Andrea Bargnani. Yeah, that Bargnani. It's incredibly strange/funny that the first number the team will likely retire was occupied for a whole season by Primo Pasta Sauce Man when said legend arrived.

Anyways '3' goes to OG, still one of the youngest current Raptors and a key starter on still one of the best teams in the NBA. He's had some real nice moments plus his scarf game is... decidedly more subtle (damn I miss this team).

4 --


Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a useful (though erratic) bench forward on the current Raptors who shares my very understandable discomfort with heights. Luis Scola used old-man wiliness and a sudden ability to hit corner threes to great success on arguably the second most successful Raptors team of all time. You've also got early Raps Vincenzo Esposito and Sharone Wright (neither of whom I remember) and G-League stud Lorenzo Brown (whom I do remember and and wasn't much good). Jelani McCoy was another for the great rotation of mediocre centres during the Carter and beyond years, Michael "Yogi" Stewart was a fan favourite (why???) remembered more for his nickname than his play, and I served Quincy Acy once (his then-girlfriend-now-wife is a super kind, sweetheart of a person).

The award of '4' goes to Chris Bosh, a legitimately Hall of Fame player who like Carter was loathed when he left town but time has forgiven that wound. Also like Carter, Bosh was a young star in his prime when he left, the departure difference being situational: Bosh's buddies were forming a super-duper team and Colangelo's Raptors were going nowhere. To be fair to Vince, his sulky last season was also Rob Babcock's first year as GM, so Carter was pretty correct thinking that team wasn't going anywhere also. Younger me was quite resentful of Bosh for a while though and soooo wanted the Heat to lose.

Nevertheless, the Bosh as a Raptor era was a success with two (though disappointing) playoff appearances, the only franchise playoff appearances even now without somebody named Carter or Lowry on the roster. As great as Bosh was, he needed way more help here and was truly best utilized as an elite do-everything second/third option superstar in Miami with LeBron and Wade. Don't also forget how the Raptors could've totally screwed up by not drafting Bosh. In 2004 Toronto by the bad luck of the draft lottery, landed the fourth pick. No LeBron, no Carmelo... and no Darko Milicic! Carmelo in T.O. could've been fun (though super different) but taking Darko instead of Bosh (or Wade) is a potential mistake the potential Nevada Raptors would surely still regret.

Also there's this classic. A shame that blood clots of all damn things ended his great career way too soon.

5 -- Jalen Rose (G/F, 2004-2006)


What, not Bruno? This writer is an idiot, haven't you seen this?

(Actually I didn't have internet at my new apartment at the time, so I listened to that game on the radio)

'5' has been a number of disappointment in Raptors history. Michael Bradley, a college standout and first round pick, was the first to wear #5 but injuries prevented him from any notability while wearing it. Will Solomon was a (bad) backup point guard who would often turn and jump when making a pass, something that looks dramatic but really explains a lot of his turnovers. Quincy Douby and John Lucas III were both forgettable third-string guards during Bad Times(TM), Lucas surviving most of a season while Douby was roster fodder near the end of one. Austin Daye played just 33 minutes as a Raptor but his notable skinny/tallness stands out to my recollection.

Jerryd Bayless was a score-first combo guard who carved out an okay career, but didn't do much to help some really bad defensive Raptor teams. DeMarre Carroll is still Masai Ujiri's biggest money free agent signing and while useful (when healthy), he wasn't able to bring the consistent package of gritty forward defense and shooting that had made him such an integral glue guy in Atlanta.

Jalen Rose, likewise, was somewhat a disappointment in Toronto, though it was an odd idea to begin with. Another feature of those late Carter teams (besides auditioning any seven foot schlub at center) was a point guard void, since Alvin Williams was constantly hurt and unavailable. Switching out Antonio Davis for Rose in late 2003 (only a couple seasons removed from being a 20 ppg scorer on a finals team), seemed a risky but interesting challenge trade.

Rose was a fun offensive player who could do some different things, but being a full time point guard wasn't quite one of them. Despite being a reliable second option and an entertaining lefty scorer, the team was still pretty bad after he joined. Vince was soon traded next December and Rose was then just a good-ish player on a now awful team. Two seasons afterward he was traded to the Knicks as a historically useful salary dump (ironically for Antonio Davis again). Rose didn't enjoy much team success but had some fun in Toronto, was/is clearly well respected within the history of the organization and has constantly given love and respect to the team and city back. 

6 -- Cory Joseph (PG, 2015-17)


Jerome Moiso was another big athletic dude on those bad Carter teams we would get really excited about after one big career game every month (comparatively, what Serge Ibaka averages now). Man... some times. Luke Jackson was a 10th overall pick elsewhere with actual multiple playoff appearances as a Raptor (definitely don't remember that). His NBA career scoring averages are crazy affected by a 30 point outburst on the last day of the 06-07 season. Alan Anderson had an out-of-nowhere useful season as a swingman early in Dwane Casey's tenure, soon haunting the Raptors in the Nets playoff series the next year.

Getting big Jermaine O'Neal was a big score and a bigger disappointment (a Colangelo over-reaction to prime Dwight Howard owning the Raps in the playoffs the year before, in retrospect). O'Neal's all-star days were well behind him, he cramped Bosh's floor space, and Colangelo then made an even worse trade to get rid of him.

We'll go with the local boy done good here, Cory Jo. A reliable, steady point guard behind Lowry on a pair of terrific teams. What Joseph lacked in shooting he covered with tenacious defense and a good drive-to-the-basket game, like a mini-Tony Parker. Plus this shot was so nails.

7 --


A super easy one, but also a fun look through history. Alvin Robertson was a terrific multiple all-star (though not a good human) in the late 80s-early 90s, who was the most recognizable name for the inaugural Raptors. The late Clifford Rozier was next to wear it, playing quite a lot as a starting center for the second Raptors season. Benoit Benjamin likewise is a dude too early for me to remember, though he had a pretty notable NBA career (only 4 games of it in Toronto) and then Brown had a couple seasons in the late 90s as a gun slinging guard who shot a ton of threes.

Keon Clark soon after that gave the Raptors the best two seasons of his career as an interior menace: blocking shots, kicking butts and taking names. An overlooked stud on the first Toronto team that made me personally fall in love with the game. Clark had some seriously sad and disruptive habits (later confessing he never "played a game sober") that undoubtedly ended his career prematurely and led to extended jail time. One can hope he has continued to stay on top of those demons (and it would seem he really is).

After the eventful but inconsequential Nate Huffman, nobody wore '7' until the first (and still only) #1 overall pick in Raptors history. The team was awful at this point: Chris Bosh was showing potential but was just finishing his second season and rookie Charlie Villanueva had capped a decent debut season with a 48 point game. Beyond that there wasn't much hope, so finally scoring a first overall pick felt like a transformative moment for the franchise.

There wasn't a clear number one in the 2006 draft, though. Adam Morrison and his 70's teenager look was a legend at Gonzaga but his NBA fit was uncertain; LaMarcus Aldridge was a stellar Texas big man but there was concern his game was too similar to Bosh's so they'd step on each other's toes (something Colangelo completely forgot when getting Jermaine O'Neal apparently) and Tyrus Thomas was an explosive but raw forward out of a championship run at LSU.

So Colangelo swung for the fences, selecting an Italian seven footer known as 'Il Mago' (The Magician), considered to then have the upside of Dirk Nowitzki as a dynamic shooting big man. Andrea Bargnani. Funny enough I remember the night the Raps drafted him: my buddy and I (we'd both graduated the year before) went downtown to crash our high school's prom afterparty and ended up escaping what was a somewhat lame rooftop affair just before the cops came to bust it.

Speaking of bust, Bargnani wasn't the next Dirk Nowitzki. His promising but flawed rookie season was followed by a step backwards in year two, then basically everything he was ever going to be in his third season: a stretch big man with average shooting skills without a position and dreadful defense. He wasn't strong enough inside or on the glass to be a center (one of the all time worst rebounders in NBA history among seven footers.) and as he got doughier his lack of mobility to keep up with forwards became glaring on good days. Besides his notorious '13 game' stretch where it maybe looked like it could work, Bargnani was the Raptors "Hot Potato" as my friend called him. It does explain this damn hilarious moment, an all time favourite of mine (I love how Tyson Chandler is freaking out before the ball even hits the rim). 

One of the first things new general manager Masai Ujiri did was somehow unload Bargnani and his awful contract to the Knicks for Steve Novak and a draft pick (Jakob Poetl, win, then part of the trade to bring in Kawhi Leonard, super duper win). This gave the rebuilding Raptors some salary relief but more importantly, freed '7' for this goddamn legend man.

It's strange to think now, after a title run and playoff ghosts have been exorcised, but getting Kyle Lowry was not an exciting move at the time. Even in that woeful eastern conference the team wasn't close to the playoffs. Jose Calderon was still here doing Calderon things (gawd love him), and so Lowry was just another point guard brought in to steal Calderon's job, like Jarrett Jack and Jerryd Bayless and many others before. Add that he cost a first round draft pick and his reputation as a coach's headache, it felt like another doomed move by a desperate Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo then doubled down that same season, swinging a trade to Memphis for Rudy Gay (giving away the promising Ed Davis) partially in hopes that Gay's close friendship with Lowry would stabilize the situation.

As we know, that's not exactly what happened. There weren't enough shots to go around with Gay, Lowry, an emerging DeMar DeRozan and the not emerging Andrea Bargnani, plus none of these guys besides Lowry seemed interested in playing any defense. Ujiri took over, traded Gay (more on that later) and was famously all set to trade Lowry to New York when rumour has it Knicks owner James Dolan swatted away the deal, possibly because Iman Shumpert (who may or may not have been coming back to Toronto) was having a strong week. So Lowry stuck with the Raptors, was stellar in that unbelievable 2013-14 turnaround, re-signed that off-season, and continues to lead as their heart, soul and mind through this incredible era of Raptors basketball. One of my favourite things about last years championship run was how Kyle, in each series clinching game, frantically rushes to grab the game ball right when the game ends. Even when Kawhi hits "The Shot" in that chaotic moment you can see him rush to grab it right away.

Maybe other players had more impressive peaks and superior talent or skill, but as a greater body of work Kyle Lowry is the greatest Raptor of all time, and obviously the best '7'. Kyle Lowry Over Everything. 

8 -- Jose Calderon (PG, 2006-2013)




Jermaine Jackson (no not that Jermaine Jackson) was a seldom used journeyman guard I vaguely remember from the Carter era, and Jordan Loyd is of course the Random Guy In A Suit.

Looking back, the 2016 Raptors were never going to beat the Cavaliers that year. Most people already knew that, but there was a ton of excitement regardless. That was a fun Raptors team with some funky stories (Luis Scola! Rookie Norman Powell!) but maybe none more so than Bismack Biyombo, a severely offensively challenged center who feasted on rebounds, blocks, and the adoration of the Toronto crowds that loved him. With Jonas Valanciunas injured, Biyombo stepped in against Miami in the second round and was a terror the rest of the run, bringing confidence and energy to a team that was over-matched against Cleveland's star power. Few expected the Raptors to win a game that series, forget two, and while the result and subsequent pantsing the next couple years at the hands of the Cavs aren't particularly fond memories, 2016 is the only time the Raptors felt somewhat dangerous against LeBron and Biyombo was a huge part of that.

But with respect to Biz, Jose Calderon gets the '8' nod. Probably one of the worst defenders I've ever seen, Calderon was still really good for a while and so fun to watch. A creative passing, elite shooting point guard with considerable style and flair, he constantly faced challengers to his starting position and constantly snuffed them out. Plus I swear his bald spot noticeably shrunk as time went on. He only had the good fortune of playing on a couple of good teams while he was here unfortunately, but he made those really bad teams at least watchable. One season I think he hit like fourty free throws in a row (and shot 98.1 percent from the charity stripe that year).

9 -- Serge Ibaka (C/F, 2017-present)


Joey Dorsey was a ripped, muscle bound dude who played way more than I remember on the "Bargnani #1 Guy" team (eech). Maceo Baston is surely one of the most forgettable Raptors to ever have two separate stints with the team (he wore '14' the first go) and Rick Brunson is not a good human. Kornel David had an unremarkable Raptors career (and his name just reminds me of popcorn), likewise Roy Rogers (who reminds me of an Elton John song). Tony Massenburg had a more notable career and is an original Raptor, which I'm way too young to remember so I'll move on. The late Rasual Butler wore '9' in his lone Raptor season, best remembered for botching a crucial inbounds play late in a close game, and Pape Sow really should've started instead of Loren Woods (couldn't have made things worse).

The nod goes to Serge Ibaka, really the only good/great player to ever wear '9'. Mafuzzy Chef has had a wild journey in just the four seasons he's been here. Acquired at the trade deadline in 2017 to finally be that reliable power-forward the team missed since Amir Johnson's old man ankles limped out of town, Ibaka was terrific down that stretch and earned a big contract extension. The next season wasn't so tasty: he often looked lethargic on the court and struggled playing alongside the post heavy presence of Jonas Valanciunas. After struggling mightily in the playoffs (a total non-factor in the Cavs Pt. III series) fans were eager to just dump the contract somehow, even if it meant giving up a draft pick to sweeten the deal. People hated this guy.

How quickly things can change. New coach Nick Nurse decided to make Ibaka a full time center instead of forcing the awkward Serge/Val frontcourt, and it worked brilliantly. While still prone to occasional bad shots and iffy decisions, that lazy-ish version of Ibaka seems inconceivable now. The dude brings serious energy, fight and intensity on the hardwood, and he deserves endless praise for accepting a slightly reduced role and making the absolute most of it. Everyone talks about Kawhi's shot, but Ibaka's performance against the 76ers in that Game Seven was absolutely enormous, being the only Raptor reserve capable of doing anything and hitting some huge third quarter shots when it looked like Philadelphia might pull away.

Also his social media game, or ability to promote himself is clearly hall of fame level. It's hard to think of any Toronto athlete transform from "everyone wants him gone", to being absolutely beloved so quickly, especially when it's a dude who loves to trick his friends into eating weird gross stuff. He is so straight-faced yet irresistibly charming in an elegant goofy way. "He does art."

10 --


I remember Milt Palacio way more than any sane person should. Those bad Raptor seasons are traumatic, man. He was a backup point guard, wasn't very good on a very not good team. Neither was Uros Slokar, the second to ever wear #10 as a Raptor.

The third was a high flying kid out of Compton, California, drafted 9th overall in 2009. He was raw and barely twenty years old when he debuted that year on October 28th, starting alongside a who's who of Raptor history: Chris Bosh, Calderon, Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu. It was a weird team, flimsily built to make the playoffs and convince Bosh to stay. Little did anyone know, that 20 year old kid would be crucial in ushering the greatest era in team history and become its all time leading scorer.

The impact that DeMar DeRozan had on the Raptors franchise is difficult to overstate and goes beyond the numbers. Vince was a superstar almost right away. Bosh wasn't as flashy as young Vince (who is) but by his third season was acknowledged as an all-star caliber player. With DeRozan it was never a sure thing. He had incredible physical tools but also serious flaws: weak defense, couldn't hit a three etc. A decade later and these are still problems, but what he did instead was tirelessly and steadily improve the other aspects of his game. He learned how to draw fouls, developed his footwork and became a terror in the mid-range. Through trial and error he grew comfortable taking 'the big shots', and then near the end of his Raptor days his playmaking ability was a serious strength. It took a while but his sincere dedication to getting better, no matter the price, directly coincided with the improvements of the franchise. In the early post-Bosh years he was a solid scorer who could've coasted on that ability and had a nice though forgettable career. Then the team got good and he kept getting better along with them. Soon when he had the chance to leave, play in his native country or perhaps even his hometown, he re-signed in Toronto without even a second thought.

A lot of people will focus on his flaws or whether he's just somebody who stuffs the stat sheet with inefficient shooting. Fair enough, but first off not everybody can be the guy he was traded for. Second, when you watch a player on your team for so long their flaws become familiar and a frustrating subjective narrative. It's like how Lowry takes too many heat check threes, Bosh flailed too much, Vince didn't want to dunk anymore (which... at the end he didn't actually), Siakam dribbles to the basket sometimes without a plan, Bargnani was a hot potato etc.

DeRozan was a great Raptor and is still a great player. He believed in the franchise's potential for greatness probably before most of its fans did, and then helped deliver it. A Raptor all-timer and hopefully that '10' is retired alongside '7' as it should be. And man did he have some moments.

Next time we'll check out 11-20. Lots of old friends, lots of forgotten acquaintances.

March 2020

I've been struggling with serious depression for the majority of my adult life, and the past eleven months have been especially bad. I had a several week period of barely sleeping/insomnia that indirectly led me to losing two jobs, and most of 2020 has been me fighting despair to a draw just enough to just try and look for work. Meanwhile while watching all of my savings completely dry up.

In three weeks I might not even be able to afford my apartment anymore. And the way rents have skyrocketed in Toronto, combined with my screwed up mental state, I have no idea in that scenario when or how I could ever find a new, reasonably affordable place. When I finally scored a pretty solid job just a week ago, my fears were somewhat lifted: maybe here at the brink of total catastrophe things had at last turned a corner for me.

Now with concerts, sports leagues and many other large gatherings being cancelled or postponed because of the Coronavirus, I'm likely looking at no work shifts anywhere, of any kind, in the immediate future.

It's obviously important to contain this stupid fucking thing as best we can, to protect those most vulnerable, so I agree these precautions are necessary. It's just that..... they might probably have completely fucked my life and I was already in a pretty bad fucking place. Is feeling that way somewhat selfish? No shit. But I can care about other people not getting sick, while also be incredibly concerned about how this affects me at the same time.

All I'm saying is... I've been pushing a rock up a hill here for a really long time. Too long. And to finally be given some hope, then to have it snatched away again so quickly... I'm ready to just give up. You beat me. You win.