I had a few teams in mind but looking at their off season deals it looks like they don't need a pg. Utah, Dallas, Chicago were ones that came to mind.
cuban is to stubborn to go back and make a trade he already dismissed. if you watch him on shark tank you know there is no chance jose is going to dallas even if collison get injured.
i say we end up keeping jose unless we get a really fair offer for him before the trade deadline.
Hoopsworld article on how the bottom of the East playoff bracket could shake down, including where the Raptors might fit into the fight.
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Just watched that Raptors summer league behind the scenes feature.
Casey is a boss. He's prolly one of my favorite coachs ever and Im not really one that really cares that much about a coach (unless there really awful like John Farrell). Casey seems like a amazing teacher and is instantly respected by others and that should do well this season with so much young talent.
Ross is a good kid. I know many dont love the pick but I think he'll have a long career and be very effective. Almost reminds me of a more athletic Morris Peterson or Eddie Jones.
Again the Raptors are so lucky to have Casey. He's easily the best move BC has made in his tenure in Toronto imo. Wont be suprised if this guy coachs the Raps for the next 10 years.
Just watched that Raptors summer league behind the scenes feature.
Casey is a boss. He's prolly one of my favorite coachs ever and Im not really one that really cares that much about a coach (unless there really awful like John Farrell). Casey seems like a amazing teacher and is instantly respected by others and that should do well this season with so much young talent.
Ross is a good kid. I know many dont love the pick but I think he'll have a long career and be very effective. Almost reminds me of a more athletic Morris Peterson or Eddie Jones.
Again the Raptors are so lucky to have Casey. He's easily the best move BC has made in his tenure in Toronto imo. Wont be suprised if this guy coachs the Raps for the next 10 years.
I remember Eddie Jones' name being tossed around as a comparable for Ross prior to the draft.
I remember Eddie Jones' name being tossed around as a comparable for Ross prior to the draft.
If Terrence Ross can have the same impact in the NBA that Eddie Jones did then Toronto has drafted one hell of a player. A guy who was one of the top defenders of his time and in his prime was a 18-20 point threat nightly. I think Ross has all the tools to be a great player, I love the Jones comparison and he is a player Ross has been compared to pre draft. I personally think Ross is going to be a fantastic addition to Toronto and a fan favorite for a lot of years.
also of note is John Hollinger's annual roster breakdown, where he goes through each team and discusses what their players bring to the table. Today was the day for the Raptors:
Obviously the site's copyright rules prevent me from posting the whole article, but I will post snippets for a few players if there's anyone you want to see.
I think Toronto has a better chance to make it to the post season than a lot of other people are giving them credit for. Charles Barkley recently said there should be no expectations on the Raptors to do anything this season. But as a fan it's hard not to especially because of the players coming in this season and players who should improve.
Lowry's ability to create offense is something the Raptors lacked form the guard position for a while. His intensity is also addictive and his energy at both ends of the floor is a much welcomed addition to the lineup. Paired with Calderon and it gives the Raptors one of the best pg combos in the league.
DeRozan is due to break out. I don't think we've seen his full potential yet, moving him to SF full time imo is also a great step for him as I think his game is suited better there and had some of his best games there last season imo.
Fields is a guy who I think will benefit from playing in Toronto. Although he had a pretty underwhelming second season, I think he's gonna thrive in the system and style the Raptors are focused on playing under Casey.
Ross is in a great situation here in Toronto. He's not going to be expected to start and he's use to coming off the bench. He gives the Raptors more options off the bench and the secondary scoring they lacked for a while now. I think his adjustment time is going to be short and I wouldn't be surprised if he takes the starting job before the All Star break.
Valanciunas biggest attribute is he's going to allow Bargnani to move back to PF full time this season. It's unclear weather or not Val is going to start, I would probably say no, but depending on how fast he progresses you never know. The guy has a ton of potential and if he's able to put it together sooner rather then later Toronto is going to make some serious noise in the East.
Ed Davis has got a lot to prove this year. He did take a step back last season but imo it wasn't as bad as it was made out to be. I think people got a little excited when the Chris Bosh comparisons were floating around in this guys draft year. he's got the potential to be a 10-16 pt and 10 rebound kind of player who can be a shot blocking menace. but he's got to want it and at times he seems like he's just going through the motions.
Kleiza when healthy is a great player and he should give Toronto a solid scoring option off the bench but he just can't seem to stay in the lineup. He does look healthy this season and looks to be in better shape then the last two seasons. ( Maybe because of the Olympics?) He's a key piece to Toronto making a positive move in the standings this year. He can add a lot off the bench for Toronto and their 2nd unit.
All in all there are many more positives this season then last or well for a while now. If the Raptors hope to have any success this year they have to stay healthy, that means Bargnani, Calderon, Kleiza, etc etc need to be there and defiantly can't all go down at the same time for long stretches. The depth will allow Casey spread the minutes around a bit more and hopefully cut down on injuries this season. It's been a while since Toronto fans had the chance to be excited about making a playoff push let alone be competitive but I honestly believe this team with bee in the thick the playoff race all season.
Weren't we close to .500 last year before Bargnani got hurt? He made a big difference to our line-up last year.
Either way, I am really excited to see how this team performs defensively this year. Casey did a great job with last year's group, and now he has a PG that he can also count on to defend.
Anyone want to play some Fantasy Basketball here on Yahoo? I created a head-to-head league on Yahoo, so if anyone wants to join here is the league information:
League Name Just Another Fantasy League
Password Jonas
Draft Type Live Online Standard Draft
Draft Time Sun Oct 7 9:00pm EDT
If you have any scoring categories that you would like to see added let me know. Right now I only left the default ones.
Weren't we close to .500 last year before Bargnani got hurt? He made a big difference to our line-up last year.
Either way, I am really excited to see how this team performs defensively this year. Casey did a great job with last year's group, and now he has a PG that he can also count on to defend.
They were 6-7 before Bargs got injured I think. but we had a soft as butter schedule to start I believe. Cleveland and teams like that.
Casey said he expects his defense to take a bit of a step back but with better offense this year.
Maybe the Raps need a change of name like the Devil Rays. One season, one of the worst teams, the next after the name change one of the best.....and still there.
Maybe it's hard for them subconsciously to play for a team with a non-relevant extinct mascot. The Huskies should have (IMO) been chosen from the jump, keeping with the same colour scheme that all the TO franchises (except TFC * but remember the Blizzard) have/had.
Maybe the Raps need a change of name like the Devil Rays. One season, one of the worst teams, the next after the name change one of the best.....and still there.
Maybe it's hard for them subconsciously to play for a team with a non-relevant extinct mascot. The Huskies should have (IMO) been chosen from the jump, keeping with the same colour scheme that all the TO franchises (except TFC * but remember the Blizzard) have/had.
No. The Raptors just actually have a team for once this year. No name change fixes talent.
Maybe the Raps need a change of name like the Devil Rays. One season, one of the worst teams, the next after the name change one of the best.....and still there.
Maybe it's hard for them subconsciously to play for a team with a non-relevant extinct mascot. The Huskies should have (IMO) been chosen from the jump, keeping with the same colour scheme that all the TO franchises (except TFC * but remember the Blizzard) have/had.
That's like saying that the Canucks rise to prominence is because they switched from that navy/red/silver scheme to blue & green, or that the Sharks' fall from their perch is because they went and added orange to the jerseys. It's coincidence.
The Rays had BJ Upton, Carl Crawford, and other components while still the Devil Rays, but it was 08 that was a significant jump for reasons beyond the uni/name change. They drafted David Price #1 overall, they acquired Matt Garza, Evan Longoria was promoted to the bigs, they made some other shrewd acquisitions (Jason Bartlett, Troy Percival), dumped some of their malcontents (Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes), and boosted payroll from bottom-of-the-barrell levels to a slightly improved amount (just above $40 mil, I believe).
The Rays may have wanted to use the name and uni change to signify a culture change and new direction, and it may have worked as a coinciding element, but it was not a cause for their success in the slightest any more than any other singular insignificant other detail might've been.
And truth be told, I didn't like the Huskies name or those kinda-fake retro jerseys they wore. I like the red/black color scheme, though I wish they'd wear more red (and maybe bring back a bit of purple), and I'm used to/grew up with the Raptors name. The name doesn't have to make sense any more than the Lakers' name does in LA or the Grizzlies' name does in Memphis. It just has to be identifiable to the franchise, and it is.
Like Dion said, the difference for the Raptors will be talent. A name change doesn't add better players to your roster. Improvements they make now and over the next couple years will be because of guys like Lowry, Valanciunas, Ross, and anyone else they might bring in. Not because someone in the front office decides next year that they need to give the franchise a new brand image.
5th overall pick and he's a 59 overall. What on Earth 2K...
Yea that's pathetic but he's got two things against him starting off for those who make the 2K rankings, 1: hes white, and two he a big man from Europe. Ala Bargnani the guy has averaged about 20.5 points a game over the last two years, averages about 5.5 rebounds and 2 assists a game. not horrid numbers considering the supporting cast or lack of in Toronto.
If he can bounce back and have a break out year it's going to be huge for Toronto. Defiantly good news how he's worked so hard on his overall game and building his confidence back up. I hope it translates over into his games.
There have been amnesty rumors floating around with Kendrick Perkins. If he does get amnestied, I'd definitely love him on the team since that pushes out Magloire's camp invite. A big who can hold his own starting and can be the perfect tough big in Casey that can also take Val under his wing.
If he can bounce back and have a break out year it's going to be huge for Toronto. Defiantly good news how he's worked so hard on his overall game and building his confidence back up. I hope it translates over into his games.
Typical training camp talk. Everyone is in the best shape they've ever been in or worked really hard on their game. I just don't see the desire in ED's game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swervin81
There have been amnesty rumors floating around with Kendrick Perkins. If he does get amnestied, I'd definitely love him on the team since that pushes out Magloire's camp invite. A big who can hold his own starting and can be the perfect tough big in Casey that can also take Val under his wing.
Why? He's a decent role player, but wouldn't come here unless BC overpayed him (which he might do considering who we're talking about). Perkins is good defensively, but doesn't rebound that well and has zero offense.
Typical training camp talk. Everyone is in the best shape they've ever been in or worked really hard on their game. I just don't see the desire in ED's game.
Why? He's a decent role player, but wouldn't come here unless BC overpayed him (which he might do considering who we're talking about). Perkins is good defensively, but doesn't rebound that well and has zero offense.
I remember the look on his face when they drafted him; he didn't look too impressed.
