RobertArchibald wrote:
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Can the Raptors realistically be a 'Championship Team' the next 5 years?
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You come at the King, you best not miss.
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I agree that using an Indiana model doesn't really pertain to "championship contenders" because obviously they aren't as of right now. Regardless, I still think this is a good model to follow, looking at how much a team like the Pacers has IMPROVED in the last 5-odd years. With continued improvement from Paul George, and a realization from Hibbert that he's taller than every other center in the league, AND taking into account that they took Miami to 7 games this year, they definitely have the potential to become a championship contender in the next 2-3 years.
We have a PG that can space the floor as well as penetrate the defense in Lowry. I see George Hill as more of a scoring guard on a team that already has a bunch of scoring from every other starter, so having a playmaker like Lowry could be more effective.
I see DeMar and Lance Stephenson as having relatively the same game on offense. DeMar is DEFINITELY the better scorer of the two, but what they have in common is that they both need to have the ball in their hands to provide some sort of threat on that end. I also see Gay and Paul George having similar games. They're both athletic wings that can shoot the three and attack the rim.
They also have their differences though. Both Stephenson and George will give up the ball willingly in a given situation, whereas we'll see Rudy jack up a horrible midrange shot instead of making the right play. Also, from a defensive standpoint, both Stephenson and George are near-elite perimeter defenders. DeMar and Rudy definitely have the potential to have good defensive abilities with their athleticism, but they need to be more consistent.
DeMar and Rudy do look better ON PAPER then Stephenson and George, but to work better together as a 1-2 punch they need to put a little more work in on the defensive end and becoming more efficient scorers. You can develop a better rhythm as a scorer by getting into a rhythm on the other side of the ball.
David West can post up but has become more of a spot-up shooter in recent years. Amir has proven he can hit a jumper from outside the paint when needed, but he needs to work on a bit of consistency in order to become more reliable. & JV is really just a smaller Hibbert. He can post up, shoot from outside and play great post defense.Twitter - @thekid_it
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isaacthompson wrote: View PostI agree that using an Indiana model doesn't really pertain to "championship contenders" because obviously they aren't as of right now.
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Just on the subject of power forwards: Yes we need one. My idea of a PF for this team as constituted and/or going forward is a player who is tough/rebounds, can make his FTs and elevate himself some off the floor. Jump shot not essential. Defense first and run the floor. Think Faried of the Nuggets. Any others?
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Bendit wrote: View PostJust on the subject of power forwards: Yes we need one. My idea of a PF for this team as constituted and/or going forward is a player who is tough/rebounds, can make his FTs and elevate himself some off the floor. Jump shot not essential. Defense first and run the floor. Think Faried of the Nuggets. Any others?"They're going to have to rename the whole conference after us: Toronto Raptors 2014-2015 Northern Conference Champions" ~ ezzbee Dec. 2014
"I guess I got a little carried away there" ~ ezzbee Apr. 2015
"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon
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Bendit wrote: View PostJust on the subject of power forwards: Yes we need one. My idea of a PF for this team as constituted and/or going forward is a player who is tough/rebounds, can make his FTs and elevate himself some off the floor. Jump shot not essential. Defense first and run the floor. Think Faried of the Nuggets. Any others?Whoever told you skies the limit is looking dumb because I'm 22 and i'm moonwalking on the sun.
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"Didn't you just describe Amir's game?"
i think he pretty much did! ..... i will agree with the general concept that we don't need to blow it up and start completely over. i liked our best unit when it was on the floor and it seemed pretty darned competent but the sample size was too small to say 100% ..... you make Amir the guy and give him 34-36 minutes he could be a dbl-dbl machine......i think Rudy is light years ahead of anything we've had at the 3 for the past few seasons and i really want to see him as the main guy at the 3 with our best 5 on the floor..... Val is gonna make some mistakes on defense but hey ya gotta play him and let him learn ...Demar has showed to be a good scorer and while he's not the 3 point threat you'd like i think he's showed he can play with and compliment Rudy as opposed to strictly duplicate him ..... Lowry just needs to be himself more and hopefully the coach will let him free wheel a lot more than he did last season .... this unit got a grand total of 343 minutes together and even though Demar for instance was here for 82 games this is his highest 5 man unit total for the season by almost double the nextwhich means .....
the bench is another matter entirely and it has way too many people in the mix for my liking since i much prefer the Bulls(even without Rose all year) + the Pacer philosophy of a 9 man unit so this is where we need to upgrade first with a better traditional big at the 4-5 and if he's better than Amir that would make it a front line to give teams nightmares .... a much better backup point guard and if he's better than Lowry well that would be an combo to give teams fits .... a 2-3 (or a couple) with a 3 point shot would be needed for that change of pace ..... upgrade a piece at a time and see how it unfolds
i think our current roster screams a traditional 5 man unit and if it was given 2600-3000 minutes together i believe it would compete very nicely on a nightly basis and with some eventual tweaking it could be a top 4 seed in the east .... now moving from there to a championship is a very very tough mission and we'd need some magician type work from our new GM but i think this route makes way more sense than blowing it up and hoping for a lottery saviour or 2
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It's no coincidence that Miami has been to 3 straight finals, and before them the Lakers for 3 straight. Boston was also there for 2 straight. It takes not just talent, but elite level talent be championship contenders these days. I think we can be a good team in 5 years, maybe Indiana or Memphis sort of success but unless something drastic is done to acquire elite talent I don't see Toronto as a Championship team.
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Mediumcore wrote: View PostIt's no coincidence that Miami has been to 3 straight finals, and before them the Lakers for 3 straight. Boston was also there for 2 straight. It takes not just talent, but elite level talent be championship contenders these days. I think we can be a good team in 5 years, maybe Indiana or Memphis sort of success but unless something drastic is done to acquire elite talent I don't see Toronto as a Championship team.Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
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