Thatcher started causing trouble, and the Raptors' record began to slide.
It was worth remembering that with so many star players moving to the East, competition there had become fierce.
They had been sitting ninth in the East, seemingly on track to make the Play-in Tournament and possibly the playoffs. But after this losing streak, they plummeted all the way to 12th.
This left Chinese fans deeply disappointed. They had been hoping Wang Yi and Pang Bo would both make the playoffs.
Wang Yi had already clinched a spot 23 games early, so his place in the playoffs was as good as guaranteed. He was on fire.
But Pang Bo had hit a wall. And the reason for it was Thatcher, which had the internet full of people cursing him out.
"He shouldn't be called Thatcher. He should be called 'Troublemaker.'"
"Dumbass."
"This guy isn't here to play basketball. He's here to mess with people's heads."
When the season finally ended, the Raptors finished 14th in the East, second to last, and missed the playoffs.
Pang Bo had also played his final game of the season.
He averaged 18.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game this season.
In fact, if Thatcher hadn't caused trouble, Pang Bo could have averaged around 22 points per game.
He would have had a very real chance of competing with Juan for Rookie of the Year. But after Thatcher stirred up trouble, Pang Bo's scoring average fell, and the team's record suffered. There was no way Pang Bo could still contend for the award.
By contrast, over on the Timberwolves, although this was Juan's first NBA season too, the team was full of young players. They had been won over by Juan's effort and talent, and were committed to following his lead.
So although they