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OT: The Official Toronto Raptors Thread

It only looks bad imo if we're proper shite this year (like, out of the playoffs) and don't have a quick turnaround to contending for the east again. This was always a team that was built for a good time, not a long time.
 
I trust Masai. It'll be short term pain.

I'm interested to see if the casual Raptors fan will get it.
 
I've explained this. There's no scorer that can replace Kawhi available. The cost of a scorer that can't replace him is going to be Siakam, +

You can get someone with a shit contract for less (Wiggins, Love) or an injury reclamation case (Hayward), but I don't see the point. Turn Gasol & Ibaka into younger, rotation worthy bodies and picks, do the same with Lowry if he's willing. Play those younger guys heavy in a good system run by a very good coach. Build the value of those assets and flip them with picks for the next disgruntled star that comes up in trade talk (hello KAT), and then take a run at 2021 free agency with Siakam and said formerly disgruntled star in tow, and try to add a legit piece to the mix with cap space. Quickest, easiest way to get back to contention. There is no path to contention that starts with replacing Kawhi this off season.
 
All due respect, I doubt you’re acutely aware of who is and isn’t available out there and for what price, to be able to just completely rule out that approach. I really don’t think Masai plans to just dismantle everything now.

Not saying that I know he’ll stick with it. Just saying you don’t know he won’t.
 
Fwiw, these are the players possible to be free agents in 2021

Giannis
Harden
Westbrook
Lebron
Hayward
Conley
McCollum
Embiid
Beal
Adams
Dipo
Richardson
Jaylen Brown

2020 is grim. Davis will extend in LAL, Lowry, Gasol, Whiteside, Serge, Gallinari, Teague, Draymond, Biyombo, Gordon, Harkless, FVV, Crowder, Joe Harris, Harrell. It's basically a role player bonanza.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
All due respect, I doubt you’re acutely aware of who is and isn’t available out there and for what price, to be able to just completely rule out that approach. I really don’t think Masai plans to just dismantle everything now.

Not saying that I know he’ll stick with it. Just saying you don’t know he won’t.
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I'm acutely aware that there are roughly 3 scorers on the planet who can replace Kawhi and none of them are available. I'm also acutely aware that betting on second tier stars was what Masai was tearing down by making the Kawhi trade. You expect his first reaction to losing Kawhi, to be going back to the model that he was in the process of tearing down because he knows it doesn't work?
 
Something else to point out, is that we didn't just lose Kawhi. We lost Kawhi and Danny Green. A guy who played elite wing defence and shot 46% from 3 this season.

We're not replacing that, and it's a mistake to give up valuable assets to try to replace that.
 
Would be interesting to see this strange but potentially good starting lineup:

C Gasol
F Ibaka
F Siakam
G Lowry
G Vanvleet

On the offensive end ibaka can play low because Gasol plays high.

Obvious weak spot is two small guards but it seemed to work in the playoffs.

And when you run into tough defensive matchups you have a bunch of long versatile defensive wings in OG, Johnson, McCaw to sub in.
 
zeke said:
Would be interesting to see this strange but potentially good starting lineup:

C Gasol
F Ibaka
F Siakam
G Lowry
G Vanvleet

On the offensive end ibaka can play low because Gasol plays high.

Obvious weak spot is two small guards but it seemed to work in the playoffs.

And when you run into tough defensive matchups you have a bunch of long versatile defensive wings in OG, Johnson, McCaw to sub in.
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Last time we saw Serge at PF full time though, he was terrible. Maybe that was Casey's scheme not working with Serge's abilities, but it's what we've got as a sample.

I don't think it would be a bad team, probably 48-50 wins with maybe an appearance in the 2nd round. high floor, low ceiling.
 
MindzEye said:
I'm acutely aware that there are roughly 3 scorers on the planet who can replace Kawhi and none of them are available. I'm also acutely aware that betting on second tier stars was what Masai was tearing down by making the Kawhi trade. You expect his first reaction to losing Kawhi, to be going back to the model that he was in the process of tearing down because he knows it doesn't work?
Click to expand...

Nobody is going to replace Kawhi. Kawhi himself probably wouldn’t even replace Kawhi.

But the east is there for the taking. Why not find a guy with 1-2 years left who can score and fit into our defensive model and see if them and the rest of the champs can find their way to the finals again?

If we look like pretenders by the deadline, then execute the blow up. But before then it seems kinda premature and a waste.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Nobody is going to replace Kawhi. Kawhi himself probably wouldn’t even replace Kawhi.

But the east is there for the taking.
Click to expand...

Except it's not. Milwaukee is really good, the Sixers are really good. The Raptors beat them because the Raptors were really good, not because they were weak teams.

You realize that it took one of the best defensive performances in modern playoff history, and Kawhi putting in a pretty historic scoring performance for us to get by both eh?

Why not find a guy with 1-2 years left who can score and fit into our defensive model and see if them and the rest of the champs can find their way to the finals again?
Click to expand...

Like who? What do we expect to give up for this player "who can score"?

If we look like pretenders by the deadline, then execute the blow up.
Click to expand...

We don't need to wait for the deadline to know that team would be pretenders.

But before then it seems kinda premature and a waste.
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You can't replace Kawhi and Green without giving up valuable future pieces.
Click to expand...
 
MindzEye said:
Last time we saw Serge at PF full time though, he was terrible. Maybe that was Casey's scheme not working with Serge's abilities, but it's what we've got as a sample.

I don't think it would be a bad team, probably 48-50 wins with maybe an appearance in the 2nd round. high floor, low ceiling.
Click to expand...

Big problem there is that it was in combo with Jonas, meaning they Ibaka had to play on the perimeter, which is no good for him.

Playing with Gasol, who hangs out at the top of the key and the three point line , lets Ibaka play down low where he eats. Thats why the gasol-ibaka combo worked so well in the playoffs.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Nobody is going to replace Kawhi. Kawhi himself probably wouldn’t even replace Kawhi.

But the east is there for the taking. Why not find a guy with 1-2 years left who can score and fit into our defensive model and see if them and the rest of the champs can find their way to the finals again?

If we look like pretenders by the deadline, then execute the blow up. But before then it seems kinda premature and a waste.
Click to expand...

We could trade for Demar.
 
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