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Where Do The Raptors Rank In The East?

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  • S.R. wrote: View Post

    Haha "does basically everything well except shoot and play defence" is pretty hilarious tho, you have to admit
    Zion = DeMar?

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    • chris wrote: View Post

      the "zion might not be very good" was the craziest RR offseason take i've seen. the dude will enter the league as the second most efficient paint scorer in the league after giannis, has aaron donald power, and basically does everything well except shoot (he needs to learn to play defence). in a league wide draft of players to build around for the next 15 years, i'd take him 2nd after doncic.
      I'm still skeptical that he can play an 82-game season at that size. It's one thing to play ~20 minutes in a few preseason games 3-4 days apart but it's quite another to play 4 road games in 7 days in the middle of March....

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      • Luckily, we get a good look at him in a week! Hopefully Pascal can slow him down
        9 time first team all-RR, First Ballot Hall of Forum

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        • I do think Zion will be good - intensity, motor, and athleticism are very real skills that can produce at the NBA level. I also get the skepticism. Having no jump shot to speak of and questionable defensive skills are legitimate concerns for him. Recent picks like Lonzo and Simmons also couldn't shoot but are very good defenders. Zion's got some significant holes in his game.

          He's also got lots of time to work on his game and plenty of time there in New Orleans. A guy like that in a situation like that has 2-3 years before people start getting impatient.
          "We're playing in a building." -- Kawhi Leonard

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          • I don't get where the questions about Zion's defense are coming from. The guy was heralded as an excellent defender.

            https://www.sbnation.com/college-bas...nba-draft-2019

            Steals and blocks can be misleading but the guy averaged 2 of each a game in college, and also shot 34% from outside.

            Like those are minor quibbles for someone as gifted as him. I'm with chris, it's Doncic and Zion as the two young players I would want to build a franchise around.

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            • slaw wrote: View Post

              I'm still skeptical that he can play an 82-game season at that size. It's one thing to play ~20 minutes in a few preseason games 3-4 days apart but it's quite another to play 4 road games in 7 days in the middle of March....
              This is very much my concern with Zion as well. The sheer explosion that drives next to all of his success is scary in that it can all go away if he gets hurt. He's landing hard on his feet almost every time down the court on both ends of the floor and it feels like watching a train wreck that's about 15 minutes away that you can't stop. He's also about 20 pounds overweight, which he uses to his advantage very effectively but it exponentially raises the potential of injury, especially considering the aforementioned high impact style of play. I'm rooting for him; he's got a good head on his shoulders and he's fun to watch, I'm just not sure if he's built to last.

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              • Maury wrote: View Post

                This is very much my concern with Zion as well. The sheer explosion that drives next to all of his success is scary in that it can all go away if he gets hurt. He's landing hard on his feet almost every time down the court on both ends of the floor and it feels like watching a train wreck that's about 15 minutes away that you can't stop. He's also about 20 pounds overweight, which he uses to his advantage very effectively but it exponentially raises the potential of injury, especially considering the aforementioned high impact style of play. I'm rooting for him; he's got a good head on his shoulders and he's fun to watch, I'm just not sure if he's built to last.


                slaw wrote: View Post

                I'm still skeptical that he can play an 82-game season at that size. It's one thing to play ~20 minutes in a few preseason games 3-4 days apart but it's quite another to play 4 road games in 7 days in the middle of March....
                Prescient
                There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
                - TGO

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                • slaw wrote: View Post

                  I'm still skeptical that he can play an 82-game season at that size. It's one thing to play ~20 minutes in a few preseason games 3-4 days apart but it's quite another to play 4 road games in 7 days in the middle of March....
                  Little did we know you were a gypsy fortune teller

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                  • Somebody from the raps beat writer pool tweeted out that there is only 1 guy who weighs more than Williamson in the league. He’s listed at 280 and he’s only 20.

                    williamson is asking a lot of his body to play that hard at that weight. Don’t see him easing up so he needs to find a way to shed weight. He’s not fat or anything..but he has to lean out or he runs a higher risk of injury if he carries 280.
                    There's no such thing as a 2nd round bust.
                    - TGO

                    Comment


                    • https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...season-starts/
                      Q: Where will the Raptors finish in the standings this season? If you believe the team will reach the post-season, how far in the playoffs do they go?

                      Donnovan Bennett, Staff writer and digital host:
                      Fourth in the Eastern Conference.

                      Ashley Docking, Host of Sportsnet 590 the FAN’s Lead Off:
                      I think the Raptors will be good. May get off to a slow start but will figure it out. I put them as the No. 4 or 5 seed in the East and I think they lose in the second round.

                      Brad Fay, Host of Sportsnet’s Raptors television broadcasts:
                      Third in the East with about 52 wins. They will lose a long second-round round series to the Philadelphia 76ers.

                      Michael Grange, Senior basketball insider:
                      Third in the East; second round.

                      Steven Loung, Section editor:
                      I see the Raptors finishing as a No. 4 seed in the East, exiting the post-season in the second round in a tough series with with either the Sixers or Milwaukee Bucks.

                      Arden Zwelling, Senior writer:
                      Provided everyone remains healthy, the Raptors finish fourth in the conference, win a hard-fought series, and bow out of the playoffs in the second round. Q: How many all-stars will the Raptors have? Who are they?

                      Bennett:
                      Two. Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam.

                      Docking:
                      The Raps are going to get one all-star but two players in the festivities. Siakam, clearly, is the frontrunner. His nomination will depend on his ability to create his own shot while being a focal point of the defence. As for the other other all-star-weekend nod, Matt Thomas will be in the three-point contest — and win. He’s an assassin.

                      Fay:
                      Lowry and Siakam.

                      Grange:
                      One. Siakam.

                      Loung:
                      Toronto will only have one all-star this season: Siakam. Lowry, as great as he has been for this club, is a fading star and if the Raptors are going to stay relevant they’ll need to see the emergence of a new one take his place.

                      Zwelling:
                      I’d bet Siakam is Toronto’s lone all-star. Lowry will be the Raptors’ most important player overall, as usual, but he’s coming off surgery and could have a slow start — in terms of both games played and production — which would lead voters elsewhere.
                      Q: The Raptors have a lot of new faces. Who of this group of newcomers will make the biggest impact this season (can include Boucher if you’d like)?

                      Bennett:
                      Terence Davis II.

                      Docking:
                      I’d like to cheat and pick OG Anunoby. A tough year for the kid in 2018-19. Injuries and family tragedy kept him off the court and he was never able to find his stride. This year, the Raptors not only need him, but he has the opportunity to live up to the hype that he generated two years ago.

                      Fay:
                      Chris Boucher and Davis.

                      Grange:
                      Matt Thomas.

                      Loung:
                      I’ll go with Thomas because he’s almost guaranteed to get a good amount of burn this season in a multitude of lineups. You can never have too much shooting on the floor these days and Thomas provides an ample amount of it.

                      Zwelling:
                      We probably won’t see anything too impactful from the newcomers. Davis could be a fun underdog story, Thomas should have a few hot shooting nights, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson could string together some good performances, but nothing that blows you away. Q: Will the Raptors trade a key rotation player this season? If so, who would it be and why?

                      Bennett:
                      Yes, Marc Gasol. He can do for a championship contender what he did for the Raptors last season.

                      Docking:
                      If Toronto takes a nose dive and decides to yard sale this group, the two things that contenders always covet at the deadline are size and scoring. As such, Gasol will be attractive for his passing, occasional offensive outburst and his championship résumé where he simply dominated opposing bigs. It’s why the Raps got him halfway through last season.

                      Fay:
                      I’m copping out but it depends on where they’re at in the standings at the deadline. Masai Ujiri could just as easily bring in a big name.

                      Grange:
                      Only if they run into injuries and end up mid-pack in the East. If so then it could be anyone other than Siakam and Anunoby.

                      Loung:
                      I don’t believe the team will trade any of their key rotation pieces this season. Serge Ibaka and Gasol are the most likely to traded given the fact they’re veterans on big expiring contracts, but you can use that same argument for why they won’t make a deal. The more money on a contract the harder it is to match in a trade. The team may as well just let the deals expire and have a lot of flexibility in the summer.

                      Zwelling:
                      Depends entirely on results. If Toronto’s a top four team in the East I’d expect them to keep everyone through the deadline. If they aren’t, I’d bet they try to flip one or both of Gasol and Ibaka — provided they’re healthy — to a contender.
                      Q: Who, besides Siakam, is the most likely player to take a Siakam-like leap this season?

                      Bennett:
                      Anunoby.

                      Docking:
                      I hope it’s Norman Powell as he’s proven that he can shift series in the past. He’s a player who can make an impact — and not just in the generic energy way that is often sold. The issue with Powell is that he needs to build up his floor. There is too much disparity from his best to his worst. A little more consistency and the three remaining years on his contract will prove to be money well spent.

                      Fay:
                      Powell or Anunoby.

                      Grange:
                      Anunoby has a chance to make the kind of leap Siakam made between his rookie year and his second season.

                      Loung:
                      I’m going to go off the board a little here and say Boucher. He’s a six-foot-10 inch centre with guard skills and gives the Raptors a much-needed shot-blocking presence. It’s obviously going to take a lot for Boucher to take the kind of leap Siakam did, but he has the raw physical tools to potentially do it. So why not him?

                      Zwelling:
                      No one’s taking a leap like Siakam did last season. What he accomplished was rare and exceptional. That said, Anunoby should improve substantially on his disappointing sophomore season and be on the floor late in close games guarding one of the opposition’s primary threats. And, with increased usage, Fred VanVleet should post bigger numbers than he has over his first three seasons.

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                      • A lot of those answers are fair.. I think the Raps get about 47-51 wins (in that ballpark).. I have them 5th in the East, but can see them 3rd or 4th. And I see a second round loss as well.

                        Health is my biggest worry. Kyle and Marc are going to need to play 75+ games, but I see them in the sub 70 area. It's mostly about playoffs anyway, and in terms of match ups I don't see them outlasting either Philly or Milwaukee this time. But happy to be proven wrong.

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                        • If Pascal figures out what to do when they switch a big on him and dare him to shoot: This team is Top 4 in the East. If he gets shut down though it'll be hard

                          Situation like Sixers series is like the worst case scenario for Raps. But if they can move past that experience, I can't see a lot of East teams beating them.
                          Only one thing matters: We The Champs.

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                          • I see the Raps in 4th or 5th but also with a chance of being unlikely bounced early by a team like Orlando or the Pacers. Not sure if I'm just being realistic or leftover irrational shudders from Raptors playoffs past....pre-2019

                            I'm going to enjoy the season no matter what but can't be happy with a 1st or 2nd round exit again.

                            Right now, all I care about is getting a FA stud to play alongside Pascal in 2021. Even if not a truly elite guy (come here Giannis!) just another top 20 guy to give us some grounded hope....a Beal or Jimmy Butler type.

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                            • Why are the Pacers getting so much love? their best player is out indefinitely. And who knows how effective he'd be when he returns.
                              Mamba Mentality

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                              • Official Pope of the Raptors sponsored by MLSE.

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