• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

OT: The Official Toronto Raptors Thread

GEEMAN said:
You know the game better than most but isnt this a bit much to include #9
Click to expand...

If IQ had played all season last year and established his reputation as a plus level starting guard on a competitive team...yeah, adding the 9 would be too much. But I don't think that he has the reputation his on the court quality deserves yet. I honestly wouldn't be too interested in trading him for anything other than a Morant or Ball level talent. Both have some health and mental makeup questions, but both have top 5-7 offensive engine type upsides. Morant has already shown it before losing his fucking mind a few years ago, and Ball I think would show it in a more structured, competitive environment.

I mean, they have the multi million dollar scouting budget and I'm just a guy with an internet connection and a few decades of watching hoops, but I don't see a prospect around the 9 that I'd care about including in this deal and there's a few guys I like there. I'm sure there's an all star level talent available outside of the top 5, there is in pretty much every draft, but even if Charlotte was to hit on that guy, as long as Ball stayed healthy and developed well, I don't think I'd care. Ball has pretty elite upside.
 
zeke said:
GFY
Click to expand...

Would be the only way I can see to make the salaries match while adding no value on the Charlotte side of things. You probably would never see him in a Raptors uniform. He's unlikely to play this year from what I've heard, and we would probably trade or buy him out next summer.
 
Pwner said:

View: https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1927405106510676162
Click to expand...


Yeah, I buy this entirely.

Just in the east

- Cleveland is already over the 2nd apron for next year (207 million) with only 10 players on the roster. After losing in the 2nd round, it's hard to believe a small market team with a good core that hasn't won anything will be cool with that level of expenditure. Don't be surprised if the odd man out is Darius Garland.

- Boston is going to try to move at least one of but probably both of Jrue and Tingus Pingus.

- Milwaukee could do nothing, or everything this summer. If Giannis stays, you have to figure that they're going to try to add whatever they can. They're kind of fucked, but only kind of and can't possibly sell Giannis on the idea of waiting for Dame to come back at 36 with one ankle

- Detroit had a good season, but have to know that they're close to capped out with this group as it is. They have money, they have future picks, they have young tradeable assets, they have budget flexibility. Don't be surprised if they go hard after one of the big names that hits the market.

- Trae is entering his last guaranteed year and has had half a foot out for a while now.

- Miami is either going to blow it up or go hard to reload. They don't do this middle of the road shit. I expect a reload fwiw.

- Raptors could do nothing, or a lot. Went over this the other day. At minimum I expect a few members of the brigade of young guys (Dick, Walter, Shead, Mogbo, Battle) to get packaged together for a better role player which obviously isn't exciting. But I give a bigger move a 50/50 chance of happening.

- Brooklyn is another who could do nothing and tank again or make a bunch of moves. Gotta figure a Cam Johnson move happens at minimum.

- Philly can't just run it back, can they?


and the west is maybe potentially crazier ffs.
 
Volcanologist said:
I like the sounds of that, an impact player could shake loose for us in the chaos
Click to expand...

Maybe. My concern is that in a mess of teams all looking to do something big, the prices get stupid for guys who aren't really difference makers.

If we can turn RJ + Dick into Booker...then great. But short of something falling into our lap, I'd rather we just not treat the bench like a development league this year, put some pros on it and roll this starting lineup out. Eventually we're going to have to spin off someone from that group for an upgrade if we're going to start looking at chasing ECF or a Finals appearance, but I think you pump the values up by having success first.

This starting 5 is definitely playoff calibre, let's see where it fails in the playoffs before trying to figure out the path forward from there. It's the bench that isn't playoff calibre.

Assuming that we bring Boucher back (and actually fucking use him), he was our only particularly good bench performer last year. Okai was only okai and barring another step forward (entirely possible, he's allegedly a serial hard worker) he's a mid bench guy on a good team. Dick, Walter, Shead, and Mogbo were all varying levels of back of the bench and garbage time guys in quality when the season is viewed as a whole. While I don't mind hoping for improvement, I don't want to bet the season on it either when very gettable guys like NAW, Melton, Jerome Merrill, Payne, Payton, Paul Reed are all very legitimate NBA quality bench players available on the free agent market and likely for cheap.
 
To sum it up, here's probably the biggest reason to expect this summer to be nuts. If we break down the top offensive players/offensive engines in the NBA last season by oEPM, they slots into rough tiers

Super Elite
Jokic
Giannis
Shai

Elite
Steph
Tyrese
Spider
Luka
Brunson

Real Gud
Kyrie
LaMelo
Booker
Trae
Tatum
Kawhi
Zion
Embiid
Maxey
Cam Thomas
Garland

While only Giannis in the elite tiers is maybe available, a bunch of guys in the next tier are probably available. Now, all of them have their warts whether it's shit defence or injury risk but if you can manage those, you might be able to find yourself an average or better franchise offensive engine at a discount this summer.
 
Wait why is Booker available? Wouldn’t he be the one guy Phoenix would keep?

Beal is toxic, and all the rumours are about old man KD
 
MindzEye said:
To sum it up, here's probably the biggest reason to expect this summer to be nuts. If we break down the top offensive players/offensive engines in the NBA last season by oEPM, they slots into rough tiers

Super Elite
Jokic
Giannis
Shai

Elite
Steph
Tyrese
Spider
Luka
Brunson

Real Gud
Kyrie
LaMelo
Booker
Trae
Tatum
Kawhi
Zion
Embiid
Maxey
Cam Thomas
Garland

While only Giannis in the elite tiers is maybe available, a bunch of guys in the next tier are probably available. Now, all of them have their warts whether it's shit defence or injury risk but if you can manage those, you might be able to find yourself an average or better franchise offensive engine at a discount this summer.
Click to expand...
Can’t see Masai interested in Trae, Garland, or Zion
 
LaMelo and Zion are the two from that group I'm interested in theoretically. Zion might be stupid good if he can keep his head on straight and LaMelo is adjusting his shot diet away from being similar to Haliburton. Problem with Zion is that he only plays PF and Scottie really only plays PF imo so you would be choosing Zion instead of Scottie. LeMelo and IQ might actually be able to coexist in a back court together.
 
Series:

Towns: 34.2min, 25.8pts (27.6usg%, 66.8ts%), 1.5ast/2.5to, 11.5rb (2.0off), 0.3st/0.3bk, 4.0pf
Siakam: 36.4min, 25.8pts (26.6usg%, 60.9ts%), 3.3ast/0.5to, 4.8rb (1.3off), 1.0st/0.3bk, 3.0pf


Though Siakam is actually leading the Pacers in scoring and usage while Towns is a distant 2nd in both for the knicks.

And i'm pretty sure Siakam is getting most of that while up against OG.
 
Big difference in Indy-NY has been between Haliburton & Brunson in late 4th quarter. Brunson holds the ball so much it grinds everything to a halt while burning shot clock. There's minimal off ball movement and the only shots anyone else puts up is if Brunson gets shut down and he bails out late in the clock. Haliburton is just more dynamic and moves the ball so much more naturally. It's the difference between a shoot first guy who can pass and a pass first guy who can shoot. Indiana just has better team ball movement and it's showing up in better shot quality down the back stretch of 4th quarters.
 
zeke said:
Also KAT is a big soft fatty.
Click to expand...

Who has been really good for them this series. Brunson shooting 31% from outside and not looking for KAT more (46%) isn't doing them any favours. Getting Bridges more shots than KAT in the series is malpractice. Indy has shown no ability to slow him down and New York doesn't adjust to that at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top