The biggest fear for those hoping for a top pick

[Chr1s1anL]

You've just convinced me you're 12 years old.

You've convinced me you were never a competitor


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[Nilanka]

You've convinced me you were never a competitor


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The only thing I'm convinced of is that your definition of "compete" is different than Matt's.

Yours: "Hope to win 35 games"

Matt's: "Hope to win 55 games"

[Fully]

I think Ujiri is going to give Lowry and Amir a couple weeks sans-Rudy to bump their value and then ship them out too. After one game, they're already off to a great start. Removing those two should curtail any worries that we'll "accidentally" win 35 games.

I have the utmost confidence that Masai will do what is right for the long term benefit of this team.

[p00ka]

You've just convinced me you're 12 years old.

Says the guy who whines about people getting personal

You've convinced me you were never a competitor


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Oh, with his gang in tow, he competes with his mouth on the internet.

[Axel]

Says the guy who whines about people getting personal



Oh, with his gang in tow, he competes with his mouth on the internet.

Anyone else get a dirty mental image here?

[Blacklash2k4]

Respect that everybody is ok with losing on purpose. No shame and form does that deserve respect. The fact that people our upset that we're going to be seeing good basketball and people our worried we're going to win a few more wins?


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Hey I'm with you. I don't really like the idea of losing games all the time especially because we've been loser for a couple years now. I've always wanted to go to a playoff game as I have never been to one before. Though I don't like losing and want to win now, if tanking is the answer to get us into exciting contention in the future, then I can live with another season on losing. I mean we're Raptors fans. We're used to it by now. Also, come on. Don't tell me you don't get a little excited with the possibility of Wiggins, Parker, Smart, or Exum in a Raptors uniform :P

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[Axel]

Hey I'm with you. I don't really like the idea of losing games all the time especially because we've been loser for a couple years now. I've always wanted to go to a playoff game as I have never been to one before. Though I don't like losing and want to win now, if tanking is the answer to get us into exciting contention in the future, then I can live with another season on losing. I mean we're Raptors fans. We're used to it by now. Also, come on. Don't tell me you don't get a little excited with the possibility of Wiggins, Parker, Smart, or Exum in a Raptors uniform :P

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At least this time we are losing by design and for a purpose. The last 10 years was just regular losing.

[thead]

You've convinced me you were never a competitor

If you can't see the difference between short term and long term success there is nothing we can do for you.

[Balls of Steel]

Perhaps the team was running on adrenaline last night hence the win (although I love Jonas' work on Pau). I don't mind the fire in these forums. It's great (as long as you don't get personal). My take on this (or hope) is that Lowry gets dealt along with the marginal players we got (ie. Salmons and his non-guaranteed for next year).

I'm also seeing something interesting in Boston where the team is competitive and looks like they're not on tank-mode. Boston is an interesting case because they also have the 4th best points allowed avg. in the East. They seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulders (much to Danny Ainge's chagrin).

I don't like accidental wins but if the young guys play better and get more burn as a result of Gay's departure, I'm content with riding the team to X-number of victories and losses. I'm also curious about the haul for Derozan (given how there's a shortage of good 2's in the league). Moving everyone not named Valanciunas is fine with me as well.

[ebrian]

I want to hear more about this gang of miscreants where Matt is the ringleader!

I've been thinking about this stuff in regards to "addition by subtraction". Does trading Rudy Gay really make us better? I think if you take it from the standpoint of proper basketball being played then sure, he was a blackhole and shot the ball horrible so naturally we will play better, functional ball without him on the court. But playing better vs winning is different. You could get Coach K out there running this team, and the lack of talent is still going to produce a bad record. I guess the question is how bad.

Inefficient or not, to me we still lost a ~20 ppg scorer who played pretty decent defense in his own right, and it's not as if the remaining players are solid 2-way players who are lights out shooters.

I guess what I'm saying is, Rudy Gay was the tank commander but there are still plenty of bad guys to choose from. Think of Rudy Gay as Cobra Commander. We still have Destro, Storm Shadow, Serpentor, The Baronness and Zartan.

[isaacthompson]

Hey I'm with you. I don't really like the idea of losing games all the time especially because we've been loser for a couple years now. I've always wanted to go to a playoff game as I have never been to one before. Though I don't like losing and want to win now, if tanking is the answer to get us into exciting contention in the future, then I can live with another season on losing. I mean we're Raptors fans. We're used to it by now. Also, come on. Don't tell me you don't get a little excited with the possibility of Wiggins, Parker, Smart, or Exum in a Raptors uniform :P

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This needs to stop being used in anti-tank arguments right now. The past is the past, it should not have an effect on what goes on with the team in the present.

[Superjudge]

You've convinced me you were never a competitor


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Say that to me, I dare you.



I'm convinced you still need to grow up and learn how the world works. The minute you leave amateur sports, you are in the world of sports entertainment, its a business, and in an business often the only way forward is to take a few steps back.

[Superjudge]

I want to hear more about this gang of miscreants where Matt is the ringleader!

I've been thinking about this stuff in regards to "addition by subtraction". Does trading Rudy Gay really make us better?

Its one game, but look at what Amir did with the extra touches.

[akashsingh]

yup very valid concern. With a pass first point guard (vasquez), a floor stretching big in patterson, this could be a very cohesive offense. And let's give credit where it's due, casey managed to mask the defensive weaknesses of jose and bargnani extremely well in 2011-2012.

All that being said, there are still moves to be made, and losing derozan would go a long way, he is the only wing on the team who is decent at creating his own shot. Especially, if we make trades that net us young inexperienced prospects that can't help us win now. I've said this before but I would be overjoyed if we ended up getting anthony bennett and/or dennis schroder.

[Bendit]

A bit much hand wringing by tank-nation (but I feel a twinge too!).

For starters, yes the tank got derailed in LA last night but lets not forget that Amir must have scored some "good stuff" in Venice because he was unconscious with his 32 pts on 13 for 15 shooting (?). How often is he going to do that? Lowry played like a dervish too and must have bee trying to impress Jack Nicholson or the ladies come out for the Mamba's return...more likely he of course knew that at least most of the western conference was watching that game and he is working for his next contract isnt he?

But we also have Chisolm's piece on the main page which also cogently lays out the integration of the in coming players into this team. Drats for the tank! However, my crystal ball (and it hasnt wavered so far on it's musings of MU's plans) tells me that Masai still has his eyes on the upper reaches of this draft. In order to do this as well as incorporate that other pillar of the rebuild (draft picks) I see him flipping some of them in other deals (Dec 15-19th) in addition to Lowry & Novak in the least. A tricky manouever no doubt.

The tank shall be righted yet progress for the team achieved. Unhappily, this is a paradoxic set of objectives that still seems to escape some of our brothers here.