Why The Toronto Raptors Won't Succeed (Unless Things Change Now)

Get a good look, Raptor fans.

This will probably be one of the last times you will see Chris Bosh in that red jersey. First thing, I am also a Raptors fan but as much as Bryan Colangelo tries we will never have a team that succeeds for a long term.

As long as the Toronto Raptors are the only Canadian team in the NBA, their star players will always have an itch to leave. Don't believe me? Just look at the facts.

Vince Carter eventually demanded a trade. He got what he wished for, and in that very trade we acquired Alonzo Mourning, who chose not to report. This year we have Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu expressing their desire to depart. Our other star players were all eventually traded away by boneheaded GM's.

The NBA must put more focus on Canada so that players that are traded or drafted here don't feel like they're going to the wasteland of the NBA. Toronto must do its part as well. No matter who is on the roster, they must make the playoffs for a couple of years in a row to prove they can be a contender.

If you look at their draft history, especially in terms of draft position, the Raptors should be contenders. They have had a top 10 pick in ten of the Raptors' 15 years in the league. Unfortunately only Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh have made an impact in Toronto.

Four of those ten picks have gone on to have better careers somewhere else (Chris Bosh seems destined to join this group), and the rest were complete flops. Anyone remember Rafael Araujo? DeMar DeRozan's career is to early to judge, but I won't be surprised if he joins Bosh in the "players who were better somewhere else" category somewhere down the road.

The Raptors can't just continue to be stagnant and miss the playoffs every year. Canada is not a basketball country. Weary fans will leave. I would never want this to happen, but unless things change in the next five years, I could see the NBA leaving Canada altogether.

I bid you farewell, Chris. It's been a pleasure watching you. Now go win a championship somewhere else, because it's not happening here.