It's doubtful the Raptors will appear on NBA's Christmas Day slate anytime soon

During the peak of Vinsanity, the Raptors were featured on Christmas Day at a time when unwrapping gifts and sitting down to watch hoops simultaneously wasn’t fashionable.

As reigning NBA champions in 2020, the Raptors made the cut just as Christmas Day basketball viewing was on the cusp of being an annual staple.

In recent years, the NBA has used Christmas Day as an unofficial launching pad to re-boot its season.

The NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament designed to keep fans engaged — with the necessary financial incentive for players to pursue in a league where no amount of money ever is turned down — just completed its third edition.

On Thursday, the league’s five-game Christmas package tips off with Cleveland visiting New York to play the Knicks — a no-brainer considering the Cavs emerged with the best record in the East last season against a Knicks team that is always among the league’s iconic franchises.

A rematch of the NBA Cup semifinal, pitting San Antonio and OKC will follow, two teams that hooped up Tuesday in the Lone Star State, a budding rivalry that is certain to draw eyeballs.

Then comes a match in San Francisco featuring the Dallas Mavericks against the host Golden State Warriors, who once again are dealing with Draymond Green’s petulant behavior.

A Kevin Durant versus Luka Doncic matchup sees the Houston Rockets in L.A. to play the Lakers before the evening’s night cap pits Minnesota and the host Denver Nuggets.

In each game, there’s either a star player — in a few cases, multiple stars — or an intriguing matchup worth watching.

Once again, however, the behemoth known as the NFL will rain on the NBA’s Christmas Day parade, but basketball will nonetheless generate favourable ratings.

Where do the Raptors fit?

It begs the question: Where do the Raptors fit in the NBA’s marquee pecking order?

The short answer seems pretty obvious, which is to say the Raptors are so far down the line that any talk of the team playing on Christmas Day is lunacy.

For some reason, this insecurity continues to reign when Canada’s lone representative, whether it’s the Raptors or the Blue Jays, are perceived as being slighted by American broadcasters or the leagues themselves.

The more things change, as they say, the more they stay the same.

At the end of the day, it matters little to nothing what a U.S.-based commentator has to say about whatever topic they deem will generate a reaction in Canada. All it does is speak to ignorance and insecurity, both of which aren’t new.

Winning takes care of everything. Vince Carter was must-see TV, which is why the NBA scheduled a Toronto Christmas-day visit to Madison Square Garden.

As defending champions, the NBA had no choice but to showcase the Raptors on Dec. 25, which turned into a non-event as the visiting Boston Celtics took care of business.

When the Raptors became the first team to qualify for the knockout stage of the NBA Cup late last month, the franchise’s profile was increased a bit. But as currently constituted, they don’t deserve any attention south of the border.

Lack of star power

For starters, they have no star. The team’s two best players, in no particular order, are Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. Neither plays above the rim, neither has an offensive game that draws in viewers.

As a team, the Raptors aren’t entertaining, unless you describe quick heaves launched by Immanuel Quickley as entertainment.

Winning, star quality and enjoyment provide the sizzle when it comes to Christmas Day participation. Anyone with an iota of objectivity must concede the Raptors strike out on all three facets.

When will the Raptors return to the NBA’s biggest day in terms of viewership and exposure is anyone’s guess. But does it really matter? People pined for the Raptors to play on Christmas Day primarily due to insecurity. They wanted to feel a sense of belonging, for some stupid reason.

In Wemby, SGA, KD, Luka, Ant and the Joker — the NBA has six of the most-recognizable figures in the league playing on Christmas Day. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg gets to usher in his coming-out party against a Warriors team that remains viable as long as Steph Curry is healthy. Perhaps it’s the final time fans will get to see LeBron James suit up for the Lakers on Christmas Day.

In other words, there are plenty of storylines to keep fans interested.

As for the Raptors, they’ll get a reprieve before taking to the court for a Boxing Day matchup in Washington against a woeful Wizards team to wrap up a three-game trip

The five-win Wizards are dead last in the NBA, while the 18-13 Raptors sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto then returns home for a five-game stay that tips off Sunday against the Warriors and eventually wraps up with a mini two-game set against the Atlanta Hawks.

The previous time the Raptors were home for five games, they narrowly beat Portland before dropping the next four games, including a beatdown by the Knicks in the NBA Cup quarterfinal.

Happy holidays to all.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com