Terrence Ross says good bye and then hello to new opportunity

Terrence Ross penned a heartfelt goodbye to Toronto and the Toronto Raptors. He also looked forward to a great opportunity with the Orlando Magic.

It is truly cliche to say when one door close, another door opens. It can be especially cliche to say so in the NBA and in sports, in general.

Terrence Ross put his blood, sweat and tears into the Toronto Raptors for five years. He joined the Raptors when it appeared they were going to go through a rebuild. He became a key player for a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals. And it still appears Toronto is on track to make a deep Playoff run again.

Now Ross is leaving the only team he has ever known and thrust into a rebuilding situation. There are likely not to be any games in late April and early May.

And that has to be disappointing. Ross will not be part of that final journey for his former teammates and the only city he has ever known as a professional. He will have to watch them from the sideline.

That journey was the big part of Terrence Ross’ thank you to the people of Toronto, his teammates and the Raptors organization published on The Players Tribune earlier this week.

So too is the next part in his career. This new opportunity with the Orlando Magic.

"Man, believe me or don’t, but I love the situation we’re in. I love this roster we have: guys like Evan Fournier, and Nikola Vucevic, and Elfrid Payton, and right on down the line — just young and hungry and talented players. I love the vibe around this team, of guys with big chips on their shoulders. And I love knowing that, as a collective unit, the Magic have something to prove. I hear a lot of “rebuilding” talk around Orlando … and I’m sure the other guys hear it too. But what I hope I can convey to our locker room this season, and into next — well, it’s the same thing that my big brother Kyle conveyed to our locker room in Toronto, at the beginning of that season four years ago: All you can ever ask for in this league is a chance. And here in Orlando … we’ve got a great one."

Ross said the situation in Orlando reminds him of his early years in Toronto. There is certainly a fair comparison between the two franchises.

Individually, this is a big opportunity for him. The Magic are in desperate need of shooting and playmaking and seem willing to afford Ross the opportunity to grow.

Already in three games, Ross has seen his minutes increase from 22.4 per game to 35.0 per game. His field goal attempts per game jumped from 8.9 with Toronto to 14.0 with Orlando.

The Magic were prepared and are giving Ross more opportunity to create and be featured in a lineup. It is one of the many things the Magic wanted to explore when they acquired him.

For Ross, it is an entirely new chapter for him. A new opportunity.

"“For the past few years and pretty much my whole NBA career, I’ve been playing behind two superstars,” Ross elaborated at practice Thursday to Orlando Magic Daily. “It’s really not on me as much as it is on them. I feel like I am in the same position we were when I got drafted. This is a good test to see how much I can help improve the team and help the team get to the next level. That’s what it’s about. It’s all about trials and triumphs. Hopefully, I can help get us into the Playoffs.”"

What Ross does with this opportunity will likely determine how high his career can go. The Magic are happy to give him the opportunity as they sort out their roster.

With the All-Star duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan in Toronto, Ross would never get the chance to be a full-time starter without a move.

It is painful. In Ross’ letter, he talked extensively about the connection he made to Toronto and how hard it is to leave.

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But opportunity awaits him. And he clearly knows that too. Ross seems more than ready to take on that challenge.