Toronto Raptors - We can't be pathetic forever, can we?

[sotola]

While i don't really like the idea of taking on Felton's 12M salary over the next 3 years, ditching Lowry now for Felton, Peace and the first rounder solidifies operation tank. Felton can easily be packaged in future deals at 4M/yr and he is a noticeable downgrade.... frankly, he would probably end up backing up Vasquez.

Rumours are that Brooklyn is also interested.... not sure why now that Williams is back and looking good. Can't see anything on their roster outside of Blatche that might interest Masai.

[sardis]

We would appreciate you guys being in tank mode tonight.

[sardis]

Thank you

[sotola]

Is there a larger fall from grace than Kendrick Perkins? I have never been a big fan of his but he was a guy that was at least serviceable even if you didn't like him. He looks utterly useless now. I don't recall any serious injury but dude looks bad.

and dang, OKC knows how to draft. Reggie Jackson at 24 was an impressive steal.

[yossarian1234]

Guess I'm not eating my words just yet. In fact, the tank is in serious jeopardy. Either Ujiri wasn't tanking after all or he and Casey are not on the same page. AT ALL. It may be my prediction will ultimate turn true. Keeping Casey might be the cause of ultimate failure of Ujiri's era.

Ujiri assured everyone that we won't be in no man's lands but doesn't look like there's much choice.

[Bklyn]

Draft reproposal...

http://www.goatpen.net/forums/viewtopic ... 531#p99531

[T Dot O Dot]

dont think it will fly - leaves too much room for agents/players to manipulate the system in order to make sure they go to a desired location

[sotola]

maybe i missed it but how would it account for expansion? you can guarantee that will happen so where do you slot the new teams in everytime they come around?

There is an easier way around it.... change the odds for the teams that make the lottery. It won't prevent tanking for tanking sake.... meaning you can still "tank" simply by not trying to make the playoffs but you don't have to dismantle a team to make it happen.

Give every team one to five a 9% chance of winning, every team 6-10 a 7% chance of winning, and 11-14 a 5% chance of winning. You can guarantee team's don't ravage their roster if they know that finishing dead last will still only give them a 9% chance of winning a top pick or about a 25% chance of a top 3 pick.

Or make it a true lottery and just randomly select the 14 teams in order.

I personally like the lottery as it is currently set up. I think you need to have the crummy teams get a chance to rebuild quicker.

[T Dot O Dot]

I dont think the NBA realizes that bottom dweller fan bases have nothing left but lottery draft position to cling to as a final hope during a disaster stretch of losing.... the pipe dream is sometimes the only thing keeping fans from walking off the ledge

[sotola]

I dont think the NBA realizes that bottom dweller fan bases have nothing left but lottery draft position to cling to as a final hope during a disaster stretch of losing.... the pipe dream is sometimes the only thing keeping fans from walking off the ledge

Yes, except WE both know that you become immune to the pipe dream anyways when you have been through it so often.

[sotola]

operation tank is over anyway.... the east is just too bad that even trading lowry now will not prevent this team from finishing ahead of 5 or 6 teams.

I do hope that Masai doesn't avoid trading Lowry just because they can see the playoffs looming. I don't think you move Lowry just to become a bad team, because for many of the teams behind us, they will need 25 games to catch us based on their current progression. BUT, if some team is willing to overpay to get him, then I am all for it. My fear is that he will play the rest of the year like he has recently and want 10M+. I like him but not that much.

In any case, Gay's trade has has allowed 2 assets to surface that wasn't obvious before (Ross/Lowry). Really hate that Ross is falling in love with the 3pt shot..... if he ever learns to drive hard, rather than take the shot, he will be incredible. He has a great stroke but when you can blow by guys.....that shooting becomes an ever bigger asset.

[T Dot O Dot]

Over the remainder of the season, Toronto will play only four road games against Western Conference opposition (and two of those are the Jazz and the Kings).

Al Horford is out with a torn pectoral, if we stay healthy we will finish as the 3rd seed in the East, by default..... unbelievable

[T Dot O Dot]

Draft reproposal...

http://www.goatpen.net/forums/viewtopic ... 531#p99531

listening to the grantland podcast and zach lowe basically just described my biggest issue with the "wheel"

if you have a lebron type player in college.... he & his agents/handlers could look at the wheel and see that if Milwaukee has the pic this year but LA has it the next year they will decide to stay in school and game the system

Simmons has a better idea where if the system rolls over every 6 years & each team is guaranteed a pick in each 5-pick tier (ciquant ?) every 6 years

so if Miami had a pick in the first tier they would only be guaranteed the 5th pick

[sotola]

dot - we still have 6 games against the WC on the road (including a 5 game trip at the end of January). But i get your point and agree with it. the east is just too bad to now compete for one of the bottom 5 picks without giving up everything for nothing.

[hedge]

"if you have a lebron type player in college.... he & his agents/handlers could look at the wheel and see that if Milwaukee has the pic this year but LA has it the next year they will decide to stay in school and game the system"

Or this "LeBron type" of player could turn out to be Kwame Brown who stays in college an extra year. Then the Lakers get gamed!

[Bklyn]

If Kwame played in college he would never have gone #1. He would have gone Lottery, but not #1.

[Bklyn]

Posted with no more commentary outside of "bumbleclot"

[youtube]VKiOhwDmmo0[/youtube]

[T Dot O Dot]

he's talking about the police chief too, not a good look

say what you want though, my mayor certainly keeps it real

</rolls eyes>

[sotola]

when i saw the rumour of Rondo to the Raps this morning, I thought it was pretty far fetched because it seemed difficult to make the salaries match but there is a scenario that would work

Rondo to TO

Lowry to New York

Smith, Hardaway and 2 first rounders (one from NY (protected) and one from Toronto (unprotected)

Boston gets 2 first rounders (one without protection and hopes that Rondo fails miserably in TO this year). They also get a decent player with longer term potential in Hardaway and only have to deal with absorbing the attitude and salary of Smith for 2 years).

NY gets the PG they need and the protection on the pick should Melo and/or Lowry leave.

Toronto gets the best player and can absorb the salary differential due to the trade exception they got in the Gay trade. It's only a 2 year contract which offsets the risk of Rondo not returning to his all star status. and even if the Raps somehow stunk the rest of the year, the pick would probably be no better than 10-14 regardless of how they play.

I like Lowry but a healthy Rondo is an upgrade.... and I worry how much Lowry might cost if he continues with our line up.

[hedge]

Raptors’ Tyler Hansbrough a useful thorn in opponents’ sides

He's a man of few words and isn’t the most skilled player on the team, but Hansbrough knows how to get under the skin of opponents.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2 ... sides.html