Time to say goodbye

Problems are funny things. Sometimes you know exactly what needs to be put right. Other times you can't even remotely fathom where to begin.

I find myself in such a quandary when I try to assess where the Toronto Raptors have gone ridiculously wrong.

However, before I address that I should qualify one minor detail. I honestly don't know a lot about basketball.

Oh sure I could tell you what traveling is, or when the NBA instituted the 24-second shot clock, but that's not what I mean.

I'm talking about the intangible aspects of a successful NBA franchise. The real added value of the coach, the outcome a whiny or dominant personality can have on a team or the need to balance the egos of stars with their actual results. Having never played the game myself I don't really get the team concept of basketball.

In hockey if you don't have an all-star goalie or a rookie who suddenly gets on a hot-streak your chances for Stanley Cup success are nonexistent. In the NFL don't even bother to show up if you can't dress a decent quarterback. Baseball, as the Arizona Diamondbacks re-affirmed last year, is all about the guys on the mound. For some reason basketball just seems different.

The Duke Blue Devils would appear to illustrate this point. A friend of mine recently noted that while they've obviously been one of the most dominant forces in NCAA hoops over the last 15 years or so, it's hard to point at a single player who's had prolonged individual success in the NBA. It seems obvious then that the talents of these individuals were somehow merged to produce a total greater than the sum of its parts with players willing to subjugate themselves for the greater good.

But I digress.

It wasn't all that long ago that the fans of the Raptors, myself included, were lauding the efforts of general manager Glenn Grunwald. After signing fan favorites Vince Carter and Antonio Davis to long term deals last summer he also re-signed Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and brought Hakeem Olajuwaan into the fold. It was decreed that we should lock in Grunwald as NBA Executive of the Year and throw away the key.

The team played inconsistently in the first half of the season but showed sparks of brilliance that seemed to lull Toronto fans into a false sense of confidence. But since the All-Star break things have gone horribly wrong.

The Raptors are mired in an ugly 1-for-18 drought that has brought questions of leadership and character to the forefront. Case in point was last Tuesday's match-up with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota came into the game 0-for-7 and seemed ripe for the picking. The Raptors, desperate for a win that might begin the process of salvaging their season, played some of the most uninspired, listless and downright pathetic basketball I've ever had the misfortune to behold.

Head coach Lenny Wilkens threw in the towel with just over five minutes to go as he benched all his starters and replaced them with Jermaine Jackson, Dell Curry, Morris Peterson, Michael Bradley and Eric Montross. The final score was a 112-80 drubbing and was the Raptors most one-sided loss of the season.

So what can the Raptors do to keep the circling sharks at bay?

The weight of accountability has been dropped squarely on the shoulders of Carter. Notable critics include the New York Times who have questioned the true extent of Carter's recent injuries and claim he is playing uninterested and hurting his team with his attitude and performance. Others, like Charles Barkley question his toughness and Sports Illustrated likens him to a "manufactured superstar who shirks his responsibilities on defense and team leadership" and suggests he has lost his luster in the eyes of executives and coaches throughout the league. Michael Jordan seems to have gotten the ball rolling last year when he publicly questioned Carter's defense.

While it's easy to point at Carter as the cause and effect for the recent troubles it's simply not fair. One, he is not 100 percent healthy and is obviously not able to elevate his game particularly down low. Two, Vince has never demonstrated a desire or ability to be the vocal and moral authority for his team. In retrospect getting rid of Charles Oakley was a horrendous mistake, as he seems to have been the only player man enough to challenge Vince and actually generate a response. Three, Carter is still a young player and shouldn't be asked to win a Championship all by himself. Larry Bird could turn to Kevin McHale or Robert Parrish, Michael Jordan dished out to Scottie Pippen, Magic could no-look to Kareem and Kobe can simply dump it inside to Shaq. Antonio Davis and Hakeem are good players but Vince needs another great one.

So unfortunately that leaves us with Hall of Fame player and coach Lenny Wilkens. His time in Houston came to an end when he lost touch with the younger players and here too his grip on the Raptors appears to be slipping. I think it's totally unfair that Wilkens is probably going to be the fall guy for this but what else can the Raptors realistically do?

The team has displayed an alarming lack of mental toughness. While the coach doesn't lace up or put the ball through the hoop there's really no excuse for the mental errors and lack of grit. Due to that alone the buck has to stop with Wilkens. The only thing that might give Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment second thoughts is that Wilkens still has two years and $10 million left on his contract.

Just don't believe all the speculation about former New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy riding in to save the day. He's still under contract to the Knicks and probably wouldn't be free to coach anywhere this year or next without serious compensation. The clock is ticking on this season and for all intents and purposes the Raptors have fouled out. Barring some unforeseen miracle all the Raptors are playing for now is pride and an outside chance to win the lottery!

Perhaps in the summer they might also petition the Phoenix Suns with the proverbial "Penny for your thoughts?"