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CBSSports.com: Off Season Report - Toronto Raptors

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  • CBSSports.com: Off Season Report - Toronto Raptors

    Overall grade and accomplishments — A: What more can you ask of Ujiri, realistically? You can quibble with the yearly salaries doled out to Patterson and Vasquez, but it's not like either of those contracts will become poisonous or untradeable. Toronto brought the band back, didn't wildly overpay anybody and quietly became one of the deepest teams in the East.

    CBSSports.com's Matt Moore ranked Lowry as the best free agent on the market outside of the four perennial All-Stars, and he chose the Raptors. Johnson and Williams are under-the-radar acquisitions who make the team more versatile and could help lessen the minutes load on Lowry and DeRozan. Toronto's development program has intriguing new students in Caboclo and Nogueira, and there should be more internal improvement.

    The Cavs and Bulls are rightfully being talked about more than any other teams in the conference, but the Raptors have assembled a balanced roster that should be extremely competitive. They have solid scorers and defenders, and they have youth and experience. The sting of losing in the first round should have them more than motivated.

    If the summer had gone sideways, fans could have been lamenting the front office's decision to push for the playoffs rather than tanking last year. Instead, they're looking forward to Toronto potentially going farther.
    http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-...oronto-raptors


    Conclusion included only. Be sure to click link to read details.

    Solid review..... only because I agree with it

  • #2
    the bit about the sting of losing in the first round is certainly more than true. Ross seems to be taking it particularly personal. i have a feeling we'll be seeing a much more assertive, confident Ross.
    @sweatpantsjer

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    • #3
      I'm happy to be wrong about TRoss, because during last off season I boldly said that he will be leaving Raptors after his contract expires + he won't achieve much as a player in terms of his performance. Most of this argument was based on his complex personality at that time (seen in interviews) as it seemed that he trully doesn't like being in Toronto + he felt like a star after winning that meaningless dunk contest. I was wrong, now he's more humble and seems to enjoy company he's playing with, quite crazy what department of one big ego can do to teams chemistry.
      Official Pope of the Raptors sponsored by MLSE.

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      • #4
        I think Williams and J. Johnson will make our bench noticeably better, which will help out the first unit.

        P.S. Good article.
        Last edited by 007; Mon Aug 11, 2014, 11:41 AM.
        The name's Bond, James Bond.

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        • #5
          ceez wrote: View Post
          the bit about the sting of losing in the first round is certainly more than true. Ross seems to be taking it particularly personal. i have a feeling we'll be seeing a much more assertive, confident Ross.
          I haven't been keeping up with how the off season has been going, but what have you heard to indicate that Ross took the loss personally (as he should)?

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          • #6
            Imagine if we would of tanked last year.
            THANK GOD!
            @Chr1st1anL

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            • #7
              Chr1s1anL wrote: View Post
              Imagine if we would of tanked last year.
              THANK GOD!
              That is such a troll statement.

              You nor I nor anyone knows how that would have worked out.

              If the raptors went from 9 to #1 overall in the lottery like the Cavs did and drafted Wiggins to go along with JV and Ross setting themselves up for another top pick in 2015 yada yada yada.....


              Point is we will never know and the fact Masai has chalked the outcome up to luck as much as anything else is telling. They were prepared to tank and could have just as easily except things and together very quickly last December and January.

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              • #8
                I get the feeling their are many prognosticators out there who think the Raptors are going to do better/surprise than maybe even some of it's own fans (us) here in TO.

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                • #9
                  Mediumcore wrote: View Post
                  I haven't been keeping up with how the off season has been going, but what have you heard to indicate that Ross took the loss personally (as he should)?
                  his twitter/IG
                  @sweatpantsjer

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                  • #10
                    Mediumcore wrote: View Post
                    I haven't been keeping up with how the off season has been going, but what have you heard to indicate that Ross took the loss personally (as he should)?
                    He's constantly putting up pictures of the playoffs on his instagram saying how he thinks about that series every single day. He definitely is hurt by how bad he played and by the team losing that series. He also seems to be putting in the work with Demar and other guys this offseason from what I've read. He taking his game a lot more serious now so I expect improvement from him as well.
                    I relish negativity and disappointment. It is not healthy. Somebody buy me a pony.

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                    • #11
                      Bendit wrote: View Post
                      I get the feeling their are many prognosticators out there who think the Raptors are going to do better/surprise than maybe even some of it's own fans (us) here in TO.
                      For anyone paying attention, the Raps will be a sleeper pick for the East. They'll realize last season's #3 seed just got a bit deeper and is still developing a young core. Those who only watch the headlines ("Pau Gasol to Chicago!" "Rose is back!" "LBJ & Kevin Love!") won't give the Raps much credit.

                      Funny thing is, had Lowry signed with the Heat or Lakers, that move alone would get all kinds of press this offseason (of course). He's stays with Toronto and you don't see a single paragraph devoted to that fact within a week of the re-signing.
                      "We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard

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                      • #12
                        Chr1s1anL wrote: View Post
                        Imagine if we would of tanked last year.
                        THANK GOD!
                        Yeah, we wouldn't have a 50 win team that is missing the talent to win a championship. Thank God indeed.

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                        • #13
                          Mediumcore wrote: View Post
                          Yeah, we wouldn't have a 50 win team that is missing the talent to win a championship. Thank God indeed.
                          I would hate to argue with expertise in NBA player development of all the young players, so will just stick with the narrative. Yeah, we would have a 20 win team that is missing even more talent to win a championship.

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                          • #14
                            [ QUOTE=mcHAPPY;361983]That is such a troll statement.

                            You nor I nor anyone knows how that would have worked out.

                            If the raptors went from 9 to #1 overall in the lottery like the Cavs did and drafted Wiggins to go along with JV and Ross setting themselves up for another top pick in 2015 yada yada yada.....


                            Point is we will never know and the fact Masai has chalked the outcome up to luck as much as anything else is telling. They were prepared to tank and could have just as easily except things and together very quickly last December and January.[/QUOTE]

                            Speaking in hypotheticals, imagine we had traded Rudy to the cavs for their unprotected pick, he made them waaaaay worse, they won the lottery and we draft wiggy, sign PPat and GV now we'd have the same core... Blah blah blah.


                            There's absolutely no point in speaking of "what ifs"
                            A key that opens many locks is a master key, but a lock that gets open by many keys is just a shitty lock

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                            • #15
                              007 wrote: View Post
                              I think Williams and J. Johnson will make our bench noticeably better, which will help out the first unit.

                              P.S. Good article.
                              Very excited to see videos that show JV doing things we haven't seen before, even if it doesn't immediately (first 10-12 games of the season) translate into more wins. The improvements WILL be visible this season. Very excited to see DD's improved game during the Team USA scrimmages. Very happy to see TRoss expressing a new determination to improve. And, as you point out, a significant upgrade on the bench.

                              Who knows, maybe Fields will exhibit an improved shot. He seems to be working on it steadily. Internal improvement, some key new role players. Just pumped.

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