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

[sotola]

Valuncias has been fine. No different than the NBA, he's a rookie at this level so he doesn't get any judgement calls. I like that he competes regardless of whether he feels he will eventually get a call.

He will learn... but you can't teach a guy to compete, that comes from an organ that's close to his spine. He won't help a ton next year but there will be nights when you feel like you are watching Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace with offensive talent. The dude doesn't like to lose. I hope and pray he never loses that fire.

It just will take more time than most Raps fans are willing to endure. Kleiza has played very well... few mistakes and hard to stop. Hopefully that surgery is behind him.

[Simitar]

The always outstanding Sebastian Pruiti breaks down Jonas Valanciunas - with his usual insights and video examples:

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... he-raptors

[sotola]

This team looks half decent. No superstar which guarantees they will do nothing in the playoffs but they have a lot of depth. and the depth they have likes to play defence which is obviously ideal for Casey.

Some early season ponderings.... John Lucas was an amazing pick up for the price tag. Add in the fact that Calderone will eventually be traded and he's an amazing insurance policy. He shoots too much for a PG but he can flat out score. Valunciunas will be a great player in the NBA. He is limited offensively but he's mobile and tough. He doesn't fear anyone (or at least doesn't show it which is half the battle).

I can see them contending for a playoff spot unless they suffer too many injuries.

[hedge]

How do Toronto fans feel about Ed Davis?

[T Dot O Dot]

rotation player at best

i think he's pretty much hit his ceiling as a pro

and I love lefty's, if he could add some mass and a consistent midrange jumper to his arsenal he could be special, otherwise, he is what he is

[T Dot O Dot]

that said, this year is his 1st summer league

he missed year 1 due to injury & last year due to the lockout

I think this year will be very telling, he's a good kid... but so is Landry Fields

good kids only get u so far

[hedge]

I kinda keep up with former Tar Heel players in the pros. Not so much Davis b/c he didn't play much his freshman year and was injured much of his sophomore year (and should've come back for his junior year, but that's another story), but from what I can tell just from occasionally checking boxscores, he seems like a pretty solid rebounder but not much of an offensive threat...

[sotola]

I am not too enthralled with Davis. He's long but he seems disinterested and makes too many dumb mistakes (which could be due to his age).

I like players that either have incredible skills or an incredible work ethic and Davis doesn't seem to have either. I would package him with Calderon in the right deal because I don't see a fit for him long term. Either he or Johnson have to be added to a Calderon deal.

Whenever I look at Landry Fields, I see Doug Christie in his early years as a Raptor. I am not sure where his ceiling is yet because he makes a lot of dumb mistakes but he also has moments of basketball brilliance in terms of footwork, moving without the ball, or defending. If he follows Christie's development, no one will believe that contract was a really BAD contract. It was definitely a gamble but I can see why they did.

[hedge]

"He's long but he seems disinterested"

That was my impression of him at Carolina as well...

[Jungle Rat]

Um hedge, sotola is talking about his basketball skills.

[hedge]

That was actually pretty funny, but I'm not sure if it's b/c you have set the bar so low that even something mildly amusing seems like comic genius coming from you...

[Jungle Rat]

shut it

[yossarian1234]

Valanciunas has been better than expected so early. I think Davis could eventually start beside Valanciunas should Raptors finally part ways with Bargnani but his ceiling is definitely a role player at the moment unless he make some huge leaps. Not impossible since as TDot pointed out, he didn't have as much chances to develop offseason due to injury and lockout. Either way, I wouldn't mind if Davis or Johnson went in a trade with Calerone since they are redundant. In fact, I would agree it's necessary.

Still think we should've drafted Drummond. He's also doing better than expected so far. He and Valanciunas could've been quite a pair.

No idea why they drafted Quincy Acy. How the heck's he gonna get any PT now or in near future?

[sotola]

re - No idea why they drafted Quincy Acy

Because he's a 2nd rounder signed to a minimum rookie contract who won't complain for one second about not playing. He will play hard (if rarely), cheer on his teammates, and pick up other guys when they are down.

The CONSUMATE bench player.... and did I mention he's cheap? An EASILY moveable piece in any trade (even one where you are just trying to open a roster spot to facilitate another trade)

As for Drummond, I am still not sold on him. He is long, athletic, but fairly hopeless offensively if it's not a dunk. But what I don't like.... I have seen the guy whining to the refs in multiple games.... and it's only the pre-season. For a guy that was said to have such a great rep off the court, I have seen tendencies of a prima donna early on. I can definitely see the upside so many people like but the downside seems greater than a few guys taken around him. Hopefully it's just a bad month for him because I did like his story.... be a shame if he turned out to be just another headcase.

[sotola]

Um hedge, sotola is talking about his basketball skills.

lol, I must be getting old because it took me a couple seconds to get that

[sotola]

Bit of a surprise on this one.....

"Valanciunas in the rookie who will be best in five years"

Have the GMs given up on Anthony Davis that quickly?

[yossarian1234]

How's Quincy Acy gonna be a consumate bench player if he'll be stuck in D-league for most of the year? And probably out of the league in a year or two?

I mean a 22-year OLD rookie coming off his college senior year who is RAW and UNDERSIZED for his position, a position where Raptors got about 3-4 people ahead of him in rotation. Kinda bad combination, don't you think?

You don't draft someone to be a cheerleader when they have almost no hope of playing significant role for you. If that's what you are looking for, you can go the route of undrafted players or D-leaguers who you can pick up on non-guaranteed contracts and/or 10-day contracts.

Quincy Miller, on the other hand, will probably have about the same impact the first few seasons but he'll at least be an intriguing, young prospect at a position of need that you can hope to develop. I mean all the while they are overpaying for guys like Turkoglu, Kapono, Fields, Kleize, etc. to fill a position, wouldn't it be nice to have someone on the wings developing? Someone cheap? They lose nothing if he flops but the gain's much greater if he succeeds. I would like to see Raptors and Colangelo make something out of second rounders one of these days and not make these head-scratching moves or pick some no-name Euros that you've never heard of that will never make the NBA, ever.

[sotola]

Dude, I would not invest in any organization you were part of.

I would take desire, work ethic, and team player ANY DAY of the week when filling in my roster or team. Your all stars will be your all stars. The guys you want around them are guys that will bust their butt and not complain. The chances of ANY 2nd rounder ever being a starter are infintisemal (sp?) so why gets your panties in a bunch over a 2nd rounder?

They compare the kid to Reggie Evans which is an amazing accolade in my opinion. Evans has really zero offensive talent, is undersized for his position, yet he has carved a very respectable career for himself. If that's who they think Acy might become, that is quite a testament to his personality.

[yossarian1234]

Dude, don't exaggerate the impact of a 2nd rounder. He's not gonna cheerlead this team to victory.

And don't try to put words in my mouth. I did not speak against going for someone with desire and work ethic. Simply that draft pick is the wrong place to look for those qualities cause you can find those aplenty in FA bins or in D leagues if that's all you are getting out of the roster spot, essentially all you are gonna get out of Quincy Acy.

I usually don't care about 2nd rounders but there was actually an intriguing prospect to be had for a very low price that might actually have a chance to be something on this team at a position of need where we grossly overpay on an almost annual basis. Given a choice between that and someone who has almost no chance of making a team at the deepest position, then it's no question who should get taken. Either way, you lose nothing but potential gain is much greater.

It's fucking laughable that they compare him to Reggie Evans. For all the intangibles they dream up of him having, the one and only reason Reggie Evans was able to have the career he's had is due to having an elite skill, rebounding, despite his all other shortcomings. Witout rebounding, guys like Reggie Evans are dime-a-dozen and he would've been out the league after a couple of years. Quincy Acy doesn't have one single skill/talent that really stands out. The only thing they have in common is that they are undersized and they kinda look alike with the beard. So they think they can justify the pick with comparison to Reggie Evans. Some will be fooled but soon enough most will realize how ridiculous that comparison really is.

[hedge]

Don't get fooled again!