![\"ed40a9b0-c653-11e3-aab4-69cdea6f079e_TORtopper41714\"](\"http:\/\/www.worldline.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ed40a9b0-c653-11e3-aab4-69cdea6f079e_TORtopper41714.jpg\")
Going into this season the Toronto Raptors were picked to finish at the bottom of their division, and after a horrendous start,\u00a0they fired their\u00a0GM, ditched their two name players and looked like they were\u00a0on the road to a\u00a0record dismal enough to warrant a high lottery pick for the highly anticipated 2014 draft. That looked like the plan, to\u00a0tank.<\/p>\n
But that’s not what head coach Dwane Casey and their new GM,\u00a0Masai Ujiri<\/span>\u00a0thought. They liked what they had, and believed all that needed to happen was for their players to not only start believing in themselves, but each other as well. They needed everyone\u00a0to buy into\u00a0a\u00a0team concept.<\/p>\n In the NBA, this is rarer than most think as many the\u00a0players see playing basketball as a business first, and a team game second. Franchise loyalty is limited to a select few organizations, like the Mavericks and the Spurs for example, who have established their own identity, with a core group of players over a number of\u00a0successful seasons.\u00a0Not a group cobbled\u00a0together in mid-season like the 2013-14 Raptors.<\/p>\n Casey revealed this week what the turning point was.\u00a0Shortly after the all-star break\u00a0he asked\u00a0everybody in the organization to sign a declaration with the simple message being\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m all in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKyle [Lowry] was the first to jump up and sign it,\u201d Casey said.<\/p>\n For the remainder of the\u00a0season, the Raptors played as a cohesive unit, giving off a one-for-all\u00a0vibe and they started winning. They had the second best record in the NBA after all star break and went on to win their division. In the post-season, against a NY Nets team whose starting lineup\u00a0had a combined\u00a0417 post-season starts between them, (compared to the Raptors’ zero), the Raptors took them to 7 games.\u00a0In the end Lowry’s last second, and what would have been series\u00a0winning shot, was blocked.<\/p>\n Due to a mid-season change in attitude, they transformed themselves from\u00a0team that was looking\u00a0to tank for a high draft pick, to one that was a single play away from winning a seven-game playoff series in for the first time in franchise history.<\/p>\n \u201cEach player dedicated themselves, gave themselves to the season, and also, as far as I\u2019m concerned, to the future,” said Casey.\u00a0“This year was just a start of what we want to grow and develop with Masai as our leader and also the guys that are coming back here.\u201d<\/p>\n The fans of the Raptors had a thrill\u00a0ride, and after what they saw this year are chomping at the bit\u00a0for next season even though this one just ended. They’re “all in” as well.<\/p>\n We here at Worldline found the team very inspiring – and very familiar.\u00a0\u00a0We’re a group of scrappy underdogs as well, taking on Big Telco, and over the past number of years, we’re\u00a0really rocking it. The number one reason? The folks\u00a0at Worldline,\u00a0from our\u00a0Co-Founders on down, are all “in,” and so are our loyal customers.<\/p>\n The big difference between the Raptors and us? Exactly, that “big” part.<\/p>\n From all of us here at Worldline, congratulations to the Toronto Raptors on a remarkable season, and thanks for the inspiration both on and off the court.<\/p>\n We can’t wait for next season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Going into this season the Toronto Raptors were picked to finish at the bottom of their division, and after a horrendous start,\u00a0they fired their\u00a0GM, ditched their two name players and looked like they were\u00a0on the road to a\u00a0record dismal enough … Continue reading