Eric Koreen

Well, it's funny you mentioned that. I think the year before, so Andrew Wiggins was, year at Kansas, one year at college. This was right before the Raptors went on their surprise run that season. They sort of started the season poorly, traded Rudy Gay. It was looking like a full teardown. And then they miraculously got good five years later, won a championship.

But before all that happened, going into that year, you know, people thought the Raptors were going to be pretty bad. They could see a Rudy Gay trade coming. They could see maybe a DeMar DeRozan trade coming. They could see, who am I missing there? A Kyle Lowry trade may be coming. So just basically a complete teardown. Masayu Jiri was new to the Raptors at that point.

But before all that happened, going into that year, you know, people thought the Raptors were going to be pretty bad. They could see a Rudy Gay trade coming. They could see maybe a DeMar DeRozan trade coming. They could see, who am I missing there? A Kyle Lowry trade may be coming. So just basically a complete teardown. Masayu Jiri was new to the Raptors at that point.

But before all that happened, going into that year, you know, people thought the Raptors were going to be pretty bad. They could see a Rudy Gay trade coming. They could see maybe a DeMar DeRozan trade coming. They could see, who am I missing there? A Kyle Lowry trade may be coming. So just basically a complete teardown. Masayu Jiri was new to the Raptors at that point.

And in the walk-up to that season, there were coaches and players asked, how do you react to people talking about tanking? And at that point, It was even less discussed than it is, certainly less discussed than it was now. But the players were all sort of uniform, like, we don't think about that. This is not our job.

And in the walk-up to that season, there were coaches and players asked, how do you react to people talking about tanking? And at that point, It was even less discussed than it is, certainly less discussed than it was now. But the players were all sort of uniform, like, we don't think about that. This is not our job.

And in the walk-up to that season, there were coaches and players asked, how do you react to people talking about tanking? And at that point, It was even less discussed than it is, certainly less discussed than it was now. But the players were all sort of uniform, like, we don't think about that. This is not our job.

And back then it might have been a bit blunter, even blunter than saying the whole system is BS, but it's just more like as a foreign concept. It's like, we're trying to win. stop bringing this up. It kind of insulting. Um, and I think that's where the reaction comes from. And Garrett Temple, you know, he's a guy I've written a feature about.

And back then it might have been a bit blunter, even blunter than saying the whole system is BS, but it's just more like as a foreign concept. It's like, we're trying to win. stop bringing this up. It kind of insulting. Um, and I think that's where the reaction comes from. And Garrett Temple, you know, he's a guy I've written a feature about.

And back then it might have been a bit blunter, even blunter than saying the whole system is BS, but it's just more like as a foreign concept. It's like, we're trying to win. stop bringing this up. It kind of insulting. Um, and I think that's where the reaction comes from. And Garrett Temple, you know, he's a guy I've written a feature about.

I know pretty well, uh, as, as far as any of us can ever know any players well, which is, you know, limited, but that's a different podcast. I think, uh, where it's for my, my own insecurities. Um, but, uh, Yeah, it's not that he blames the fans. He doesn't blame the fans.

I know pretty well, uh, as, as far as any of us can ever know any players well, which is, you know, limited, but that's a different podcast. I think, uh, where it's for my, my own insecurities. Um, but, uh, Yeah, it's not that he blames the fans. He doesn't blame the fans.

I know pretty well, uh, as, as far as any of us can ever know any players well, which is, you know, limited, but that's a different podcast. I think, uh, where it's for my, my own insecurities. Um, but, uh, Yeah, it's not that he blames the fans. He doesn't blame the fans.

In fact, his experience, his knowledge of the league's players' association, his knowledge of the CBA makes it so he exactly understands where they're coming from. But he knows how much his younger teammates are putting into that game, each individual game. And so to him, the fact that fans are forced to go –

In fact, his experience, his knowledge of the league's players' association, his knowledge of the CBA makes it so he exactly understands where they're coming from. But he knows how much his younger teammates are putting into that game, each individual game. And so to him, the fact that fans are forced to go –

In fact, his experience, his knowledge of the league's players' association, his knowledge of the CBA makes it so he exactly understands where they're coming from. But he knows how much his younger teammates are putting into that game, each individual game. And so to him, the fact that fans are forced to go –

into a game thinking huh what's best for my team tonight winning or losing to him that's what is bs and i don't think most are as angry about it but like the veteran especially the veterans i spoke to and i try i mostly limited it to talking about veterans two veterans because i figured they would have the most context like they understand it but they don't like it and yeah none of that is surprising

into a game thinking huh what's best for my team tonight winning or losing to him that's what is bs and i don't think most are as angry about it but like the veteran especially the veterans i spoke to and i try i mostly limited it to talking about veterans two veterans because i figured they would have the most context like they understand it but they don't like it and yeah none of that is surprising

into a game thinking huh what's best for my team tonight winning or losing to him that's what is bs and i don't think most are as angry about it but like the veteran especially the veterans i spoke to and i try i mostly limited it to talking about veterans two veterans because i figured they would have the most context like they understand it but they don't like it and yeah none of that is surprising

The league thinks they have improved things. And I think I think that's right. In fact, like I, I do think that's right there, you know, by flattening the odds, which they did in twenty nineteen. By adding the play-in, even though the play-in's not perfect, we remember the Mavs in 2022, 2023, my years are all mixed up, sort of bowing out of the 10th place race. Sure. The Raptors, if they wanted.