How should Raps roster be constructed to beat CAVS next season?

[psrs1]

July 1 is coming quickly . It looks likely that DD will be resigned. Biyombo status is still up in the air. Moving forward what is it going to take to have legitimate shot to beat CAVS next season? Short of signing KD as our starting PF(DanH can advise re cap problems) is there a way we could be built to beat CAVS next season? It looks likely that Kevin Love will be moved in offseason . Much of what happens in the next month will determine if we could be in the conversation or not.

[Apollo]

I think they collect the best talent possible. If that beats the Cavs then great. I don't restructure the build around beating the Cavs. Especially after seeing the Warrior man handle them after just barely beating the Thunder.

[enlightenment]

A healthy JV and a PF that can help take advantage of Kevin Love's awful pick n roll defence. A healthy JV means we don't get eaten up on the boards, rebounds is one of the most important factors to our success considering the types of shots our back court takes. And making Love a liability is utilizing the Cavs main weakness.

[Barolt]

The reality is, we're a good, maybe very good team right now. But we aren't a great team.

And it's easier to go from being bad to good than it is to go from good to great.

[LJ2]

We don't know what the Cav's roster will look like next season. If we are constructing a team to beat the Cav's of this year then I think we need someone with better size to defend LeBron (Carroll just not big enough and JJ just not smart enough), and better outside shooting.

[enlightenment]

We don't know what the Cav's roster will look like next season. If we are constructing a team to beat the Cav's of this year then I think we need someone with better size to defend LeBron (Carroll just not big enough and JJ just not smart enough), and better outside shooting.

We literally paid 15mil to get a big defender at SF and now you want another one?

[KeonClark]

The reality is, we're a good, maybe very good team right now. But we aren't a great team.

And it's easier to go from being bad to good than it is to go from good to great.

That kinda just said a whole lot of nothing

[Apollo]

The reality is, we're a good, maybe very good team right now. But we aren't a great team.

And it's easier to go from being bad to good than it is to go from good to great.

I don't know man. It took 15 years to get a "good team" again. LOL

[Barolt]

I don't know man. It took 15 years to get a "good team" again. LOL

But we've never had a great team. At any time in the NBA there are ~5-10 good teams, and ~2-4 great teams.

What I was trying to say is that the next move is the hardest one to make. It's easy to come up with ideas that might make us better, it's much harder to measure the cost in terms of chemistry, and other intangibles, areas where we were very strong this year.

[Gambino]

The reality is, we're a good, maybe very good team right now. But we aren't a great team.

And it's easier to go from being bad to good than it is to go from good to great.

Everybody knows this already, we're trying to figure out how to achieve that last step not lamenting the fact that we haven't done so yet.

[S.R.]

I wouldn't aim to beat the Cavs, their roster is flawed and Lebron's on the wrong side of 30. The Raptors managed to take 2 games against them this year with no JV, Carroll MIA, and a wonky postseason from Lowry and DD. Frankly the Raptors can be a lot better. Add a new starting 4 and they're ready to give Cleveland a 7 game series.

I don't know how the Raptors could ever keep JV on the floor against GS's small lineups, but OKC gave me a lot of hope. There's a team with two ball dominant wing players that stuck with their size and physicality on the front line and they gave GS a very good run (and would definitely be beating Clevleand right now, too).

Honestly the Raptors should keep doing what they're doing. Find a starting 4, keep developing and integrating JV, and who knows when that put-you-over-the-top transaction becomes a possibility (if it ever does), but the Raptors have the value contracts and young assets needed if another 'Melo, Paul, Gasol, or Harden-type becomes available in the next season or two. Can't predict that, but MU's pretty well positioned for it.

[planetmars]

Obviously we all want a championship.. but the goal for 2016-2017 should be to repeat what we just did this year. Getting to another ECF game 6 would be a successful year for me. It's 2017-2018 where we consider taking that next leap if we can repeat it.

There is a lot of luck in the NBA. If JV was healthy and Carroll was in early 2014-2015 form maybe this team takes the Cavs?

The Cavs are beatable.. they just had a fairly easy rode to the finals. Next year doesn't need to be the same. What if they face a more hungry Detroit team in round one.. one that doesn't have those playoff jitters and they steal two or three games? What if they face Indiana and LBJ has to go through George like DD had to? What if they face Miami and both Bosh and Whiteside are healthy? What if Boston ends up with a star like Cousins, Butler or a combo or their #3 pick turns into a stud?

There are a lot of what if's.. and it's not a guarantee that the Cavs are in the finals or even in the eastern conference finals. Ultimately the Raptors shouldn't be planning to beat just one team.

The goal is to clean up the stuff that they didn't do so well in. Maybe give some more usage to JV so that DD doesn't have to do too much. Upgrade Scola and perhaps they start games well instead of having to climb back from a little bit of a hole that was created. And just hope and pray that KLOE is back healthy and as hungry as he was this past year.

[Bendit]

Best way to reconstruct the Raptors?

Bron Bron can opt out after the season. Masai should sign him. Matter closed.

[LJ2]

We literally paid 15mil to get a big defender at SF and now you want another one?

LeBron plays PF in the playoffs.

[rightsideup]

LeBron plays PF in the playoffs.

not against us