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I'm a stat head so I understand why some feel badly for Kyle Lowry, but honestly having Demar Derozan make it into the all star game really is the best thing for this franchise. Can you imagine how pathetic it would seem if only Kyle had made it and he bolted in free agency? "Another all star player leaves the Raptors" is how the media would spin it. Back to square one, right?
Instead, we have a the younger of the two players, and the player we currently have under contract through his prime years, at the event, gaining the exposure and building the hype. Derozan's already one of the most liked players in the league and I'm sure he's made contacts and friends at the Team USA camp as well.
The NBA is about hype. I'm not convinced that actual NBA players view each other the way we do. I don't think they are comparing player efficiency rankings. Players want to go with other players on the rise, especially if they're friendly, and can help make them look more like winning players. Every good player wants to be on a team that's no longer rebuilding and is instead winning more than it's losing. We will be able to sell that to agents and players we target in free agency or trades.
We can now use Drake, Leiweke, Masai and Demar to help convince other young players around the league that Toronto is where they should want to play. Demar and Drake can do that more directly and easily during the season, especially if there's a player out there that wants out. Think whatever you want about whether Derozan deserves to be there but there is almost no negatives to this now that he will be there.
We will we be able to use the narrative that we have a young, unselfish, hard-working, nice guy all star in Toronto now to make the franchise seem a little more desirable to players looking to be traded from their current situations, or upcoming free agents? It can't hurt, right?
Instead, we have a the younger of the two players, and the player we currently have under contract through his prime years, at the event, gaining the exposure and building the hype. Derozan's already one of the most liked players in the league and I'm sure he's made contacts and friends at the Team USA camp as well.
The NBA is about hype. I'm not convinced that actual NBA players view each other the way we do. I don't think they are comparing player efficiency rankings. Players want to go with other players on the rise, especially if they're friendly, and can help make them look more like winning players. Every good player wants to be on a team that's no longer rebuilding and is instead winning more than it's losing. We will be able to sell that to agents and players we target in free agency or trades.
We can now use Drake, Leiweke, Masai and Demar to help convince other young players around the league that Toronto is where they should want to play. Demar and Drake can do that more directly and easily during the season, especially if there's a player out there that wants out. Think whatever you want about whether Derozan deserves to be there but there is almost no negatives to this now that he will be there.
We will we be able to use the narrative that we have a young, unselfish, hard-working, nice guy all star in Toronto now to make the franchise seem a little more desirable to players looking to be traded from their current situations, or upcoming free agents? It can't hurt, right?
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