ESPN's Raptors Offseason Report Card - D+

[ceez]

TORONTO RAPTORS | GRADE: D+

Please keep in mind it's a offseason grade and not a outlook grade. I kind of agree with him on the "not good enough to do much and not bad enough to win the lotto" sentiment, tho i'd give us a better grade for the MU/Leweike hiring and getting 3 picks and a decent player for Bargs.

[Doc]

ESPN's Raptors Offseason Report Card - D+

Apparently Chad Ford doesn't think we had a decent offseason so far.

Source - ESPN Insider

[isaacthompson]

Agree with everything he said, but we should've gotten at least a C for moving Bargs. That seemed like an impossibility 2 months ago.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I think it's a fair assessment, but a more accurate grade would be "Incomplete; re-evaluate after trade deadline".

MU stated that he would be comfortable starting the season with the same core as last season, but he has never said anything about his comfort level about finishing the season with that same core intact. This season - the first half at least - is all about roster evaluation, before the first domino falls. Which way that domino falls is still anybody's guess!

[mcHAPPY]

The problem for the Raptors is that they aren't bad enough to grab a lion's share of pingpong balls, nor are they good enough to compete for a playoff spot. And next year, they aren't likely to have much in the way of cap room. So either Ujiri waits this out until the 2015 season, or someone like Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry should keep his bags packed this season.

I think they are good enough to compete for playoffs. They will be part of that 7-11/12 group. They might not make it but they are definitely competing.

I think D+ is harsh.

Getting 3 draft picks out of Bargnani and a useful shooter was a steal.

Hansbrough and Augustine are all short term low money deals.

They have back themselves away from the luxury tax and apron.


The reality is:

1) the Raptors are a work in progress and if everything clicks they can bring players back and if they don't click they can send them packing,

2) they are better than they were last year on paper it would appear.

3) they were operating at the luxury tax/apron and now have about $6M in breathing room for hardcap and $2M for luxury tax.


I'd be inclined to give them a B- based on flexibility with additions, improvement in depth, and Bargnani gone. Without Bargnani it would be a solid C.

[Chr1s1anL]

American Media everybody. Thier say our players are good but we still wont win.

[Nilanka]

It probably isn't possible [at ESPN] to earn anything higher than a 'C' without acquiring some sort of "name" player. Austin Daye probably doesn't fall into that category.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

It probably isn't possible [at ESPN] to earn anything higher than a 'C' without acquiring some sort of "name" player. Austin Daye probably doesn't fall into that category.

Well how accurate is it for ESPN to assume all 30 teams started the offseason at the same place, with the same offseason goals? If Toronto achieved beyond their expected goal (ie: financial and Bargani based goals), but that was't the goal(s) ESPN chose to evaluate them against, then how could we ever expect the Raptors to get anything but a below-average grade? I don't think ESPN really took the time to consider each team in their own vacuum, weighing into consideration each team's unique roster and CAP related restrictions, let alone their own offseason objectives.

[Mediumcore]

Seems like a harsh grade, but guess it's fair. Outside of internal growth, which every team has undergone, are we any better as a team than we were last season? Still, I would have thought moving Bargs would have been cause for a better grade.

[mcHAPPY]

Seems like a harsh grade, but guess it's fair. Outside of internal growth, which every team has undergone, are we any better as a team than we were last season? Still, I would have thought moving Bargs would have been cause for a better grade.

End of 2012-13 season:

PG: Lowry, JL3, Telfair
SG: DD, AA, Ross
SF: Gay, Fields, Kleiza, Pietrus
PF: Amir, Bargnani, Acy
C: JV, Gray


Start 2013-14:

PG: Lowry, Augustine, Buycks
SG: DD, Ross, Fields
SF: Gay, Novak, Daye
PF: Amir, Hansbrough, Acy
C: JV, Gray

*Q-Rich left out


I see upgrade:

Augustine/Buycks > JL3/Telfair
DD/Ross/Fields > DD/AA/Ross
Gay/Novak/Daye = Gay, Fields, Kleiza, Pietrus
Amir/T/Q > Amir, Bargnani, Q
JV/Gray in '14 > JV/Gray in '13

Factor in they have actually decreased their committed salaries by $3M since the start of the summer and, well, I change that B- to a B.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

End of 2012-13 season:

PG: Lowry, JL3, Telfair
SG: DD, AA, Ross
SF: Gay, Fields, Kleiza, Pietrus
PF: Amir, Bargnani, Acy
C: JV, Gray


Start 2013-14:

PG: Lowry, Augustine, Buycks
SG: DD, Ross, Fields
SF: Gay, Novak, Daye
PF: Amir, Hansbrough, Acy
C: JV, Gray

*Q-Rich left out


I see upgrade:

Augustine/Buycks > JL3/Telfair
DD/Ross/Fields > DD/AA/Ross
Gay/Novak/Daye = Gay, Fields, Kleiza, Pietrus
Amir/T/Q > Amir, Bargnani, Q
JV/Gray in '14 > JV/Gray in '13

Factor in they have actually decreased their committed salaries by $3M since the start of the summer and, well, I change that B- to a B.

Plus you can add all those positives to:
- dumping Bargnani (addition by subtraction)
- actually getting decent return for Bargnani (Novak & 1st round pick & 2 2nd round picks)
- returning to DC's defense-first approach from 2011-2012 (Raps were a much improved defensive team that year)
- no long-term financial commitments (most signings were for 1 year, or 1 year with options)

D+ really does seem at least a little harsh after giving it a little more thought.

[Nilanka]

Well how accurate is it for ESPN to assume all 30 teams started the offseason at the same place, with the same offseason goals? If Toronto achieved beyond their expected goal (ie: financial and Bargani based goals), but that was't the goal(s) ESPN chose to evaluate them against, then how could we ever expect the Raptors to get anything but a below-average grade? I don't think ESPN really took the time to consider each team in their own vacuum, weighing into consideration each team's unique roster and CAP related restrictions, let alone their own offseason objectives.

It's almost guaranteed they didn't put in that kind of research. These subjective grading articles are basically just sports-related tabloids (and are just as meaningless).

[Rapstor4Life]

Agree with everything he said, but we should've gotten at least a C for moving Bargs. That seemed like an impossibility 2 months ago.

You forget in the eyes of the NBA peers Bargnani is a big talent and dangerous 7 foot jump shooter in the eyes of the Media except Toronto Knicks killed us on that deal.

[Chr1s1anL]

You forget in the eyes of the NBA peers Bargnani is a big talent and dangerous 7 foot jump shooter in the eyes of the Media except Toronto Knicks killed us on that deal.

That's not true. AB was not that well respected. No raptor drafted player is that well respected down there. I lived in the states for a while. Unless if your home city is playing the raptors you will never see a raptor game on TV. If you live in a city without a NBA team than you could go a whole season without seeing one raptor game. The only time raptors will get any exposure is if the make the playoffs.

[Letter N]

That's not true. AB was not that well respected. No raptor drafted player is that well respected down there. I lived in the states for a while. Unless if your home city is playing the raptors you will never see a raptor game on TV. If you live in a city without a NBA team than you could go a whole season without seeing one raptor game. The only time raptors will get any exposure is if the make the playoffs.

How many random Bobcats games are they showing?