Stars that could realistically be available to Toronto in the next few years

[stooley]

ALLLLL I'M SAYING: 2006-2007 season

Ray Allen - 26.4ppg, 4.5rbg, 4.1ast 90% ft, 37.2% 3pt

Paul Pierce - 25ppg, 5.9rbg, 4.1ast, 39%3pt

Kevin Garnett - 22.4ppg, 12.8rbg, 4.1ast

They were all at least top 3 at their positions

I just think they were a little more "All-Star level" players than the 03-04 Pistons.

So really theres no point to argue me cause it further proves the point of what you were saying lol The Pistons are really the only team without a top 5 talent that has won a championship in the however many years...

Actually... was Nowitzki a top 5 player in the league when Dallas won? Hmmm, I don't think so.

If we're going off of history, how many superstars have the Raptors attracted?

Our odds are better of winning without one.

[Mr.Z]

If we're going off of history, how many superstars have the Raptors attracted?

Our odds are better of winning without one.

Doesn't count. The team was run by morons.

In Masai we trust!

[Jamshid]

Doesn't count. The team was run by morons.

In Masai we trust!

Wasn't Mesai part of the old regimes as well

[Mr.Z]

Wasn't Mesai part of the old regimes as well

He was victim of much oppression under Colangelo's regime lol

[Primer]

The Spurs team is built almost entirely of their draft picks. No blockbuster trades. No huge free agent signings. Just shrewd management over a very long period of time. That is a realistic goal for the Raptors, and it can obviously produce a championship team (Spurs). I don't see Casey even coming close to Pop level of coaching, but if we continually draft well we can put together a similarly talented team.

[imanshumpert]

The Spurs team is built almost entirely of their draft picks. No blockbuster trades. No huge free agent signings. Just shrewd management over a very long period of time. That is a realistic goal for the Raptors, and it can obviously produce a championship team (Spurs). I don't see Casey even coming close to Pop level of coaching, but if we continually draft well we can put together a similarly talented team.

Only issue is they drafted one of the 10 best players in NBA history with one of those picks.

So the superstar theory still holds unfortunately.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Only issue is they drafted one of the 10 best players in NBA history with one of those picks.

So the superstar theory still holds unfortunately.

Twice, actually, if you think of both Robinson and Duncan.

[planetmars]

If we're going off of history, how many superstars have the Raptors attracted?

Our odds are better of winning without one.

They acquired Hakeem via a trade

[007]

Haha, what are our chances of acquiring Nash as a free agent next year?

[Primer]

Only issue is they drafted one of the 10 best players in NBA history with one of those picks.

So the superstar theory still holds unfortunately.

Twice, actually, if you think of both Robinson and Duncan.

I'm talking about the Spurs as currently constructed. There is not a single superstar on that team. Duncan used to be a superstar, but this year he averaged 15 and 10. In the playoffs 17 and 9. Duncan hasn't put up superstar numbers since 08' or 09'. The Spurs are so good because of drafting well and good coaching, not because of a superstar player.

[white men can't jump]

I'm talking about the Spurs as currently constructed. There is not a single superstar on that team. Duncan used to be a superstar, but this year he averaged 15 and 10. In the playoffs 17 and 9. Duncan hasn't put up superstar numbers since 08' or 09'. The Spurs are so good because of drafting well and good coaching, not because of a superstar player.

As a well-established Jonas backer it pains me a bit to watch the Spurs. Anyone notice how unimpressive Duncan has been in the post? Anyone notice how he scores a lot of his points in situations where all he has to do is catch and go up with a dunk, layup, short hook/chip shot, jumpers...etc....? Even on second chance points a lot of them come from the D being in total chaos because the Spurs motion in the O creates said chaos and no one is in position to box him out. If Jonas was in their system, I could easily see him averaging 14-15 ppg or more.

[Stevo]

Sounds like we should go after rudy gay again doesnt. He commands a double plays ALOT of iso and scores quite a bit plus can take over games.

The term superstar is too vague that you can name sooo many players that by those standards are superstars. Joe johnson is a najor example how did he fare againstbthe heat.

Hell even demar is good at doing those things. Couldnt he be consifered a superstar. I think you can win with a colection lf demar type guys rayher than one god like player surronded by role llayers. If you have 3/4 suprrstars that fit well together than the superstar method works. So far only the heat have that working lakers failed with d12 and the brooklyn mess didnt work.

Sooo...your up buddy

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk

A little late, been busy and all. Nice touch on the Rudy Gay example, by the way.

At the same time, in fairness to Gay, we had the wrong talent to work with him. DD and Gay are both ISO-fficient players, but made less efficient due to them taking so many shots and depriving other players the chance of getting in to an offensive groove. If say, we surrounded Gay with a stretch-four (something we didn't have before the Gay trade), opening up the floor and leaving JV on a high-pick play with Gay's ISO play, he may have been more effective. It also didn't help that DD doesn't work as a perimeter player yet so defenses weren't too worried about closing out on DD's spacing of the floor in such a play. Also, Gay and DD don't pass enough out of the double-teams (just an observation, not a stat) to best make use of their one on one ability, which tells me they can't make their team mates better, something a superstar should be able to do. Hence, stars they are, but superstars they are not.....yet.

But the key is superstars make their team mates better along with their consistently above average NBA skills. The ability to score against a defender consistently in a one on one setting is an NBA skill, and one of several superstar qualities. The ability for a superstar to integrate their above average NBA skills in to their team's offensive and defensive approach is another superstar skill, albeit a rarer one.

Nowitski did this by polishing up his post play, and he won.
Bryant did this by shooting 5000 shots a day as his athletisim wore down, and he won.
Duncan focused more on passing as he aged.
KG upped his defensive tenacity for the Celtics as his offense wasn't as needed with Pierce and Allen.
Chris Paul, Melo, have all changed their games for the sake of winning.

The list goes on.

I'm in a bit of a rush, so not sure if I articulated my point well enough here, but I suppose I'll be back later.

[Primer]

Everyone talking about us needing a team that can beat the Heat is getting way way ahead of themselves. By the time we're ready to contend in 2-3 years, the Heat may no longer even have Lebron. If they do, he will be playing with a geriatric Wade and Bosh. The Heat as are as good as they'll ever be and will only decline from here on out. Planning our roster based on a team that won't look the same 2 years from now is a fools errand. All we need to do is draft smart and make the occasional smart trade (George Hill for Kawhi Leonard), just like the Spurs. I'll reiterate, the Spurs have not had a star player since 09' at the latest (Duncan stopped being a superstar after that), but that hasn't stopped them from being legitimate title contenders every season.

Ginobili 2nd round pick
Parker 1st round 28th pick
Leonard 1st round 15th pick
Splitter 1st round 28th pick

Their only big free agent signings were guys like Boris Diaw and Danny Green, aka, not big signings at all.

[imanshumpert]

Twice, actually, if you think of both Robinson and Duncan.

Umm no, only once. Robinson is not one of the 10 best players in NBA history.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Umm no, only once. Robinson is not one of the 10 best players in NBA history.

It would be debatable whether either Robinson or Duncan are top-10 overall in NBA history, but my point was they twice drafted generational talents. I'll forgive you if you're too young to have had the chance to appreciate The Admiral.