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ESPN's Future Power Rankings : Raps 26th

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  • ESPN's Future Power Rankings : Raps 26th

    26. Toronto Raptors | Future Power Rating: 434
    PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
    123 (27th) 70 (22nd) 123 (12th) 38 (19th) 80 (6th)

    Virtually nothing has changed since we checked in on them last March. The Raptors are still a long, long way from coming together in a coherent fashion. Overall, they slipped another spot in the rankings to No. 26 as they continue to idle at the bottom of the East standings.

    But there are reasons for optimism. For starters, many NBA scouts are very high on last year's draft pick, Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas, who should allow the Raptors to play Andrea Bargnani (who continues to improve his game) at his more natural position at the 4 next season. The team is also in line for a high pick this June in what looks to be a very strong draft. In addition, Toronto could get significant cap room this summer if it uses its amnesty clause.

    On the downside, much of their young talent is still a work in progress. After a terrific sophomore season, DeMar DeRozan has regressed quite a bit this season. The team also still has gaping holes at both the small forward and point guard positions going forward (Jose Calderon is solid, but he's not the point guard of the future). And even with the cap room, will it really matter? Lots of teams are poised to have major cap space the next few years, and Toronto hasn't really been a marquee destination for top free agents.
    (Previous rank: 25)
    Source : http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...kings-1-120208

    26th ???

    Is ESPN that blind when it comes to objective judgement north of the border ? Or are we, Raps fan, living in a fairytale ?

    Thoughts...

  • #2
    Obviously, TO's results this season would be much different were Bargs not injured. If his injury is not a chronic one (no signs that it is) and his improvement is real (no signs it isn't) he will be an impact player next season. JV should have an almost immediate impact, even coming off the bench since it looks like he is a much better player than Raps current second unit C's. Adding an off-season free agent and a decent draft pick to an existing core of JC, a healthy Kleiza, Amir and an improving JJ should mean the Raps have a couple of consistent shooters, decent PG and good bigs. That will be enough to chase a play-off spot. A pretty quick jump from 26 to 16 is what I would expect next year.

    Comment


    • #3
      Yeah but aren't these rankings supposed to take all of this into account (future draft picks, JV's arrival, cap space situation, etc...) ? I don't know what our ceiling is with these foundations, but our floor is definitely playoff bound. So 26th seems really low...

      Related question : thinking of the future, would you rather be in Boston's or our situation ? Cause they're ranked way higher.

      Comment


      • #4
        Fanchie wrote: View Post
        Yeah but aren't these rankings supposed to take all of this into account (future draft picks, JV's arrival, cap space situation, etc...) ?...
        Clearly they are supposed to be taken into account, but I would have to say, clearly they weren't. Or they were and then discounted - AB won't continue to play like that, JV isn't going to have an impact, the player the Raps get at the 5 spot in the draft won't have an impact, JJ won't improve, Amir won't improve, DeRozan will continue to play like shite, Kleiza will re-injure himself, the $8 million free agent won't help them.

        Someone quickly skipped over a whole lot of ground to say the Raps would remain at the 26 spot.

        Boston is going to have a ton of cap space relatively quickly, or make some major impact trades. And they ARE Boston, a storied franchise. But I prefer seeing what the Raps can do.

        Comment


        • #5
          Guys, we waste too much time on articles that mean nothing. I don't personally care what somebody thinks who doesn't watch Raptors games. Beyond that, a lot of the future success hinges on this 2012 draft and the subsequent free agency period. A lot is going to change here and until it does I have no problem with the team getting kicked around in the dirt. It's not like they've done anything to stop the abuse. Honestly, the team sucks and there are only a handful of guys I see being here in three years. It is what it is.

          Comment


          • #6
            The "PG of the future talk" is kind of a head scratcher sometimes ... If it can be agreed that Jose has another 4-5 good years at a very high level - then how far into the future do we need to look? It's not quite an urgent concern for me. The coach loves him, the city does, and he is the perfect Pick and Roll PG to get Jonas involved next year.

            Sure we'll need another PG at some point in the future of the club, but I'd call Jose a very serviceable player at the spot - plus, how many super young players can a playoff team have in the rotation?
            The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show... and see if she likes the goods.

            Comment


            • #7
              Apollo wrote: View Post
              Guys, we waste too much time on articles that mean nothing.
              Bingo.

              That and the popularity contests, err, I meant polls.

              Comment


              • #8
                Papa Burgundy wrote: View Post
                The "PG of the future talk" is kind of a head scratcher sometimes ... If it can be agreed that Jose has another 4-5 good years at a very high level - then how far into the future do we need to look? It's not quite an urgent concern for me. The coach loves him, the city does, and he is the perfect Pick and Roll PG to get Jonas involved next year.

                Sure we'll need another PG at some point in the future of the club, but I'd call Jose a very serviceable player at the spot - plus, how many super young players can a playoff team have in the rotation?
                Expecting 4-5 good years from Calderon is reaching, IMO. He's missed an average of 15 games over the past 3 seasons, and he ain't getting any younger.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Is there a list of ESPN's rankings of the Raptors for the last few years (say last 5 years) and a comparison of where we've actually finished in each of those years? That would be the best way to answering the original question of "Is ESPN that blind when it comes to objective judgement north of the border ? Or are we, Raps fan, living in a fairytale"?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Apollo wrote: View Post
                    Guys, we waste too much time on articles that mean nothing. I don't personally care what somebody thinks who doesn't watch Raptors games. Beyond that, a lot of the future success hinges on this 2012 draft and the subsequent free agency period. A lot is going to change here and until it does I have no problem with the team getting kicked around in the dirt. It's not like they've done anything to stop the abuse. Honestly, the team sucks and there are only a handful of guys I see being here in three years. It is what it is.
                    100% agree. BUT... that change might happen much more sooner than the draft, if BC gets active on the trade front at the deadline or prior to/during the draft itself, to acquire additional draft picks or other long-term pieces for guys like Barbosa, Calderon, Bayless and Amir/Davis. We could easily see half the roster or more turned over as part of this "building" process.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Apollo wrote: View Post
                      Guys, we waste too much time on articles that mean nothing. I don't personally care what somebody thinks who doesn't watch Raptors games. Beyond that, a lot of the future success hinges on this 2012 draft and the subsequent free agency period. A lot is going to change here and until it does I have no problem with the team getting kicked around in the dirt. It's not like they've done anything to stop the abuse. Honestly, the team sucks and there are only a handful of guys I see being here in three years. It is what it is.
                      this man wins. let them talk their "ish", we true raptors fans know it's not true, we'll make them eat their words next year. We don't need validation from a bunch of idiots anyways.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        CalgaryRapsFan wrote: View Post
                        100% agree. BUT... that change might happen much more sooner than the draft, if BC gets active on the trade front at the deadline or prior to/during the draft itself, to acquire additional draft picks or other long-term pieces for guys like Barbosa, Calderon, Bayless and Amir/Davis. We could easily see half the roster or more turned over as part of this "building" process.
                        I'd be shocked if he works a deal before the deadline which he feels will improve the team in the standings right now. One of his biggest asset is the pick hinging on the team flopping this season. I'm not saying the tank is in but I am saying he's not going to shoot himself in the foot when high impact trades can wait for the off-season. It'll be tough to move salary for picks mid-season.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I think another thing that the writer didnt consider is that fact that there probably will be 10 or more teams in the eastern conference who doesnt have as much flexibility as the Raptors have now, therefore, would probably be coming into next season with pretty much the same roster, while the Raptors improve significantly.

                          I sincerely think that come next year, this team will be good enough to beat more than half of the teams in the eastern and western conferences.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            akashsingh wrote: View Post
                            this man wins. let them talk their "ish", we true raptors fans know it's not true, we'll make them eat their words next year. We don't need validation from a bunch of idiots anyways.
                            +111111

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              tbihis wrote: View Post
                              I think another thing that the writer didnt consider is that fact that there probably will be 10 or more teams in the eastern conference who doesnt have as much flexibility as the Raptors have now, therefore, would probably be coming into next season with pretty much the same roster, while the Raptors improve significantly.

                              I sincerely think that come next year, this team will be good enough to beat more than half of the teams in the eastern and western conferences.
                              I think the writer probably looked at the Raptors track record, looked at their spot in the standings and elected not to give them the benefit of the doubt anywhere because they don't deserve that.

                              Comment

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