Raptors 2014 Free Agency: Raptors Thread

[OptimalOptimist]

- More efficient scoring
- Better rebounder
- Better playmaker with the ball in his hands
- Superior length allows him to accumulate more blocks+steals per 36.
- Can guard more positions including being a very effective post defender

Butler is overrated and overhyped because he's on the Bulls imo. He shot the 3 well two years ago, but that probably has more to do with him not really taking that many than him being an elite 3PT shooter. This year he shot more and shot terribly, was also under 40% from the field. There's nothing he does better than James Johnson other than a completely subjective evaluation of his man-to-man defense.

Totally agree, Butler is just horrible at everything in basketball aside hair cut and defense.

[mcHAPPY]

James Johnson's two-year, $5m deal with Toronto is fully guaranteed with no options, league source says.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 10, 2014

Wow again.

I'm really surprised by this.

Luckily just 2 years.

#Bruno2016

[raptors999]

James Johnson's two-year, $5m deal with Toronto is fully guaranteed with no options, league source says.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 10, 2014

Wow again.

I'm really surprised by this.

Luckily just 2 years.

#Bruno2016

Raptors could declare bankruptcy. Not likely but to say we have no options is too dramatic.

[Mr.Z]

Raptors could declare bankruptcy. Not likely but to say we have no options is too dramatic.

What?... He means the contract that Johnson signed doesn't have a team or player option.

[Nilanka]

Raptors could declare bankruptcy. Not likely but to say we have no options is too dramatic.

Very true. Masai could also hire these guys to take out Johnson.

[raptors999]

Very true. Masai could also hire these guys to take out Johnson.

See. There are options if you look hard enough.

[Joey]

Very true. Masai could also hire these guys to take out Johnson.

JJ and his Black Belt would dispose of them.

[imanshumpert]

People need to remember that role and market exposure can really affect how a player is perceived around the league. Put a guy like Jimmy Butler on the Bucks and he'd be an afterthought, if that.

Being picked to guard LeBron in the 2nd round of the playoffs is gonna get you noticed.

[Fully]

- More efficient scoring
- Better rebounder
- Better playmaker with the ball in his hands
- Superior length allows him to accumulate more blocks+steals per 36.
- Can guard more positions including being a very effective post defender

Butler is overrated and overhyped because he's on the Bulls imo. He shot the 3 well two years ago, but that probably has more to do with him not really taking that many than him being an elite 3PT shooter. This year he shot more and shot terribly, was also under 40% from the field. There's nothing he does better than James Johnson other than a completely subjective evaluation of his man-to-man defense.

I think the argument that Johnson is on par or even better than Butler from a talent perspective is fine, but the games aren't played in the basketball-reference per 36 minute section though.

Butler led the league in minutes defending the best perimeter players in the league for one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He's not an elite scorer by any means but he's got a respectable offensive game. Johnson is an erratic talent who is constantly playing himself out of the rotation, or off of teams altogether. Hell, he played himself out of the ENTIRE LEAGUE less than a year ago. Despite the rise of advanced metrics, some of that stuff still kind of matters.

You ask all 30 teams who they want and every single one of them takes Butler before you can finish their names.

[LBF]

JJ and his Black Belt would dispose of them.

.

[imanshumpert]

I think the argument that Johnson is on par or even better than Butler from a talent perspective is fine, but the games aren't played in the basketball-reference per 36 minute section though.

Butler led the league in minutes defending the best perimeter players in the league for one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He's not an elite scorer by any means but he's got a respectable offensive game. Johnson is an erratic talent who is constantly playing himself out of the rotation, or off of teams altogether. Hell, he played himself out of the ENTIRE LEAGUE less than a year ago. Despite the rise of advanced metrics, some of that stuff still kind of matters.

You ask all 30 teams who they want and every single one of them takes Butler in a snap.

I'm making the assumption that JJ's head is going to be screwed on right this season. Whether that's a correct assumption remains to be seen. Obviously every team would rather have Butler because there is 0 risk involved in acquiring him.

When both are playing at their best, JJ is a better player, that's my point. Whether you can get the best out of JJ though is the big IF.

[Jamshid]

I think the argument that Johnson is on par or even better than Butler from a talent perspective is fine, but the games aren't played in the basketball-reference per 36 minute section though.

Butler led the league in minutes defending the best perimeter players in the league for one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He's not an elite scorer by any means but he's got a respectable offensive game. Johnson is an erratic talent who is constantly playing himself out of the rotation, or off of teams altogether. Hell, he played himself out of the ENTIRE LEAGUE less than a year ago. Despite the rise of advanced metrics, some of that stuff still kind of matters.

You ask all 30 teams who they want and every single one of them takes Butler in a snap.

This is is what I call a beautiful post from someone who knows the game, probably played the game and knows what he is talking about ...

[Fully]

I'm making the assumption that JJ's head is going to be screwed on right this season. Whether that's a correct assumption remains to be seen. Obviously every team would rather have Butler because there is 0 risk involved in acquiring him.

When both are playing at their best, JJ is a better player, that's my point. Whether you can get the best out of JJ though is the big IF.

Well I agree with this but that's a lot different than what you originally said, which was that JJ was better than Butler last season. Like I said, you can't just look at a few numbers on someone's basketball reference page to figure out someone's value. Johnson missed the first couple months of the season because no one wanted to touch him with a ten foot pole, bounced in and out of the rotation once he arrived in Memphis and had some of his per 36 numbers inflated by putting up meaningless numbers in the last 5 minutes of some blowouts.

It's like saying Andray Blatche had as good of a season as Paul Millsap last year, or Patty Mills is a better scorer than John Wall, or any of the many other silly statements you can come up with by carefully selecting a couple of numbers.

[007]

Wow, never thought he'd be back.

[raptors999]

Wow, never thought he'd be back.

They all come back.