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Is Toronto a better team than it was at the end of last season?

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  • #31
    I think the current Raps are better as they got younger, got rid of bargnani for something (novak and draft picks), got rid of old ball hogs who think they're kobe (allen andersen and john lucas), improved they're coaching staff.

    I'm not expecting automatic playoffs as I don't wanna get heart broken like what the Jays did, but the raps were a .500 team since they acquired Gay. They could have made the playoffs, but they lost a lot of key games in February against teams that they're supposed to beat. I'm expecting a much improved offensive system not over-reliance on isos, improved inside game esp with Jonas, more hustle (Amir, Jonas, Tyler, Acy), and of course highlight reels (gay, derozan, ross, buycks).

    The eyes are now on Gay and Lowry. It's"their" team now, no more excuses (jose, bargs, colangelo are all gone). It's time for them to show up and live up to their contracts (Gay especially).

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    • #32
      stretch wrote: View Post
      OK, I'll weigh in on this one. I believe that the Celtics will be good again before the Raptors are. They have started the rebuilding process with draft choices lined up and cap room down the line. The Raptors have to wait to see how the Rudy contract/trade plays out to get to the point to where the Celtics are right now.
      It all depends if draft picks pan out....also you need luck with lotto balls.

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      • #33
        magoon wrote: View Post
        People really need to stop pretending our bench is massively improved. Two guys from last year's terrible Pacers bench (Hansbrough and Augustin), a guy who was on the brink of playing internationally (Daye), a very situational shooter (Novak) and a 24-year-old project (Buycks) do not a Bench Mob make. They just don't. We heard the same hyperbole over the Raps' "improved bench" last year and it wasn't true then and it's not true now.
        We are not massively improved but we are better. The difference between being a playoff team and not is winning the close games, getting the calls and jumping on fatigued opponents early and often. Raps are better positioned to have success this year but there is no guarantee. I think the biggest thing we could do in my opinion to get easy wins is turn UP the intensity and effort when we get up by 7-10 points in games. Mentally our teams has let up in these situations....remember game vs Mil when up by 20 in second quarter that we eventually lost? That should not happen.

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        • #34
          We're pretty much the same as we were to end the season. There were no real talent upgrades made during the offseason. People saying that we're much better then last year are wearing rose coloured glasses. If you're hoping that Rudy Gay becomes an AllStar, DeRozan become an above average starter and JV has a monster year you'll be disappointed.

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          • #35
            I feel like they will win 8 more games than they did last year if the squad stays as is.

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            • #36
              magoon wrote: View Post
              People really need to stop pretending our bench is massively improved. Two guys from last year's terrible Pacers bench (Hansbrough and Augustin), a guy who was on the brink of playing internationally (Daye), a very situational shooter (Novak) and a 24-year-old project (Buycks) do not a Bench Mob make. They just don't. We heard the same hyperbole over the Raps' "improved bench" last year and it wasn't true then and it's not true now.
              You, and a few others it seems, keep ranting about "not contender" or not "massively improved", but that's not the question posed. Perhaps you and your brethren need to create a thread of your own where the subject is what you want to talk about?

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              • #37
                S.R. wrote: View Post
                The Raptors improvement this year, realistically, will be very slight.
                You guys are way underestimating the impact that Hansbrough and Novak will have. Hansbrough took a big pay cut to come to Toronto and play heavy minutes. He does a lot of little things that do not show up in the stats. His stats as a starter are very good, so look for him to step up when he has a chance. But most of all is his unmatched effort and will to win. I expect that will rub off on the younger guys.

                As for Novak, having a deadly three-point shooter on the bench is good way for a team to come from behind when things are not going well. The season is long and just getting close enough to catch a supposedly better team in the second half, then actually doing it, can do great things for morale.

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                • #38
                  fun fact, steve novak sank more threes than ray allen last year. or joe johnson. paul pierce. durant, kobe.

                  just saying.

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                  • #39
                    - AA, Bargs, Kleiza, Lucas, Pietrus, Telfair

                    + Augustin, Buycks, Daye, Hansbrough, Novak

                    Yeah we're better.

                    caccia wrote: View Post
                    You guys are way underestimating the impact that Hansbrough and Novak will have. Hansbrough took a big pay cut to come to Toronto and play heavy minutes. He does a lot of little things that do not show up in the stats. His stats as a starter are very good, so look for him to step up when he has a chance. But most of all is his unmatched effort and will to win. I expect that will rub off on the younger guys.
                    He's actually going to make more then he's ever made this year. $3,183,000 according to basketball reference.
                    Twitter - @thekid_it

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                    • #40
                      As a restricted free agent, Hansbrough was scheduled to make $4.1 million with the Pacers. That is nearly a $1 million pay cut. He and his agent convinced Indiana to revoke the offer so he could get playing time.

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                      • #41
                        caccia wrote: View Post
                        As a restricted free agent, Hansbrough was scheduled to make $4.1 million with the Pacers. That is nearly a $1 million pay cut. He and his agent convinced Indiana to revoke the offer so he could get playing time.
                        The truth be told, the Pacers had to rescind the offer to Hansbrough to get enough under the cap to resign David West.

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                        • #42
                          magoon wrote: View Post
                          People really need to stop pretending our bench is massively improved. Two guys from last year's terrible Pacers bench (Hansbrough and Augustin), a guy who was on the brink of playing internationally (Daye), a very situational shooter (Novak) and a 24-year-old project (Buycks) do not a Bench Mob make. They just don't. We heard the same hyperbole over the Raps' "improved bench" last year and it wasn't true then and it's not true now.
                          The Pacers bench was terrible in spite of, not because of, Hansbrough. He was a good contributor.

                          But there's no defending Augustin. He's only here in case we go into full-on tank mode.
                          "Stop eating your sushi."
                          "I do actually have a pair of Uggs."
                          "I've had three cups of green tea tonight. I'm wired. I'm absolutely wired."
                          - Jack Armstrong

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                          • #43
                            I was just paraphrasing the news reports. Salary cap considerations may have entered into the equation, although they are paying Copland an estimated $3,000,000. Here is the paragraph from ESPN:


                            In the wake of David West's new three-year, $36 million contract that was verbally agreed to Tuesday, Hansbrough and his representatives successfully convinced the Pacers to allow him to shed his restricted free-agent status and immediately become an unrestricted free agent.>

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                            • #44
                              JimiCliff wrote: View Post
                              The Pacers bench was terrible in spite of, not because of, Hansbrough. He was a good contributor.

                              But there's no defending Augustin. He's only here in case we go into full-on tank mode.

                              No Augustin is here because he was the best pg available to Ujiri to sign to help the team that wouldnt break the bank... You forget his moves were extremely limited if he could of signed a bigger name he would have and have Stone/Buycks as the project young guard.

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                              • #45
                                Matt52 wrote: View Post
                                In reading the link from Axel's post on SI.com Point Forward OffSeason Grades: Toronto Raptors, this statement was found within:




                                So what do you think? Is Toronto a better team than it was at the end of last season?
                                Easily.
                                Mamba Mentality

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