a minute there it seemed like plugging veteran shooter Otto Porter into the starting lineup could temporarily help. After all, Toronto’s starting five has been amongst the least effective in the entire NBA, performing at far less than the some of its parts. But then Porter, who missed all but eight games in his first year as a Raptor due to a foot injury, hurt the foot again during Friday’s terrible loss in Charlotte. So we went from wondering how soon head coach Darko Rajakovic would move Porter into the starting five, after he talked glowingly about him after Wednesday’s game and after Thursday’s practice, to wondering again how many weeks it’s going to be until we see Porter on the court again this season.
That doesn’t mean one should expect the floodgates to open, as a lot of the fireworks already occurred when Damian Lillard and James Harden were dealt, but it’s good news for the Raptors, since the team is in dire need of a change or two, with no internal options that make sense. Next Friday is Dec. 15. Why is that date significant in the NBA world? Simple, it marks the day players signed in the off-season become trade eligible. That opens up the market significantly, making it easier for moves to be made.
