2020 End of Season / Playoffs

[TrueTorontoFan]

they are still loaded with picks in the 2030's and 2040's.

unfortunately for them the CBA forbids trading any picks beyond 7 years into the future, and OKC own all their first rounders (or swaps) until then.

yeah thats the big issue is they really dont have a ton of assets.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Oh it should go without saying that Masai will keep the opportunity open to try and get Giannis here (as a number of teams will)
I just think the odds are better if we're still good and not sunk back to mediocrity, which I believe is possible if we stand pat.
If we had another Robin here, I think Batman would be more likely than just Pascal, and that was when he was playing well.

Lots of teams have 2 superstars on the payroll. We might need to do it with a 2A and B rather than a 1B. Gasol's salary gets us partway there? I Love Lowry but his salary is a problem.....key the outrage

well realistically lowry isn't going to resign at that level and wont be getting that level of deal anywhere... my guess is lowry reups for a mid level.

[GOLDBLUM]

well realistically lowry isn't going to resign at that level and wont be getting that level of deal anywhere... my guess is lowry reups for a mid level.

We have Lowry under contract for next year. And would have his Bird rights if Giannis wanted to come here, or any other free agent for that matter.

[Apollo]

I feel like the only way they beat the Celtics on Friday is with Siakam taking a backseat on offense. The game was so close and intense but he coughed the ball up in various ways by way of bad choices which led to it being so close. The Raptors won despite his play but by the narrowest of margins. I don't know hoops like Nurse does but come on, that was painful at times.

[saints91]

We can’t get caught into paying FVV top dollar. I think you let him walk for anything higher than 20. I love the guy but there’s a ton of great young pgs out there and Masai knows how to find the diamond in the rough. If Fred will take a one year contract, then we pay him more.

Can’t have Siakam and Fred as your highest paid guys.

[saints91]

To win game 7 these guys will have to come out firing like game 4. They’ll have to dig deep after playing crazy minutes last night. I think we can do it.

[saints91]

If I’m the Sixers I cash out on Embiid. His mentality reminds me of Bargnani’s. No drive, has the skills and size but no worth ethic, and tunes out all constructive criticism.

Every other player on that roster is affected by that guy, it ruins their locker room. They should find a way to steal Fox from SAC and build around Ben playing the 4 or 5

[golden]

We can’t get caught into paying FVV top dollar. I think you let him walk for anything higher than 20. I love the guy but there’s a ton of great young pgs out there and Masai knows how to find the diamond in the rough. If Fred will take a one year contract, then we pay him more.

Can’t have Siakam and Fred as your highest paid guys.

Well now they've got a Game 7 to show the world they're worth it.

[LJ2]

I know he's going to rebound from this, but last nights game did not make Siakam's contract look good. Actually this entire playoff run hasn't reflected particularly well on the contract. Still bringing it on defense, and he will rebound from this. Maybe just one of those guys who is affected more than others by being in the bubble, but makes me wonder if a future core of he and FVV is attractive to potential free agents. Life after Lowry could be scary.

[DanH]

I feel like the only way they beat the Celtics on Friday is with Siakam taking a backseat on offense. The game was so close and intense but he coughed the ball up in various ways by way of bad choices which led to it being so close. The Raptors won despite his play but by the narrowest of margins. I don't know hoops like Nurse does but come on, that was painful at times.

There are plenty of offensive criticisms to levy at Pascal, and they should certainly cut out the stupid isolation calls where he tries to beat Smart or Brown one on one. They have to get him better mismatches.

But he has been amazing defensively in this series and hasn’t gotten enough credit for that. Not solid, amazing. It’s not a coincidence the Raptors won his minutes handily despite his offensive struggles.

[DanH]

We have Lowry under contract for next year. And would have his Bird rights if Giannis wanted to come here, or any other free agent for that matter.

We’d have his Bird Rights if Giannis or another max DOESN’T want to come here. If we want cap room to sign a free agent, we have to waive those rights to clear Lowry’s cap hold off the books.

[planetmars]

People are too hard on Pascal. He has been great defensively. And in the end didn't cost us game 6, but even then.. he was really awesome in the regular season and got us to a position where we were the second best team in the league (not just the conference). Without bubble ball that would mean a lot.

He's not a headless chicken on defense. His net rating is still decent (unlike DeMar's was). He's always defending the other teams' best players (whether that was Kemba on a switch, Brown or Tatum). If we get to Miami you know he'll be on Bam or Butler.

Pascal had a really bad bubble experience. But it's a tough environment for him. He should have been better.. but I remember before the bubble started, I was expecting more players to be duds. He just looks really bad since most players figured out the environment.

He's still worth the rookie max extension. He's not Andrew Wiggins. He doesn't have injury concerns like other max players. And is still going to be on a nice tradeable contract if it comes to that.

He probably won't rebound in game 7 as that's unlikely at this point. But he just needs to keep playing hard nosed defense, and when he has the ball on offense do as much as possible to help us out. It sucks but it is what it is at this point.

[Apollo]

There are plenty of offensive criticisms to levy at Pascal, and they should certainly cut out the stupid isolation calls where he tries to beat Smart or Brown one on one. They have to get him better mismatches.

But he has been amazing defensively in this series and hasn’t gotten enough credit for that. Not solid, amazing. It’s not a coincidence the Raptors won his minutes handily despite his offensive struggles.

The defense is expected. Time to reign him in.

[MixxAOR]

Siakam's defense is great. He's our free safety. But damn you can't tell me it wasn't frustrating watching him getting stripped and him bricking threes

[slaw]

I know he's going to rebound from this, but last nights game did not make Siakam's contract look good. Actually this entire playoff run hasn't reflected particularly well on the contract. Still bringing it on defense, and he will rebound from this. Maybe just one of those guys who is affected more than others by being in the bubble, but makes me wonder if a future core of he and FVV is attractive to potential free agents. Life after Lowry could be scary.

Just for context. What we are watching is the end result of a 7 year Celtics rebuild against Toronto, which just lost its superstar, has no lottery picks in the rotation and is in year 1 of a rebuild. And it’s Game 7. And the Raps just won the title.

I have every faith they will figure it out after Lowry.