We're not getting Durant, how do we build a contender then?

[imanshumpert]

I think the ideal scenario is to have an all-star caliber player at every position. Something that might actually happen for this team in the new future.

Obviously none of our PFs are going to reach that level, but Lowry and DD are already there, Jonas should get there and Ross also has great potential. Combine that with flexibility in 2015 free agency to add a guy of that level at the 4 spot and it might be possible. After that it's about having great depth and a top 5 ranked offense and defense if possible.

There are actually quite a few PFs in 2015 FA that we could/should be interested in:

Paul Millsap
Kenneth Faried (Restricted)
Kevin Love (If he doesn't get traded and sign an extension)
Tobias Harris (Restricted, could be a steal type signing here, this dude can play #StephenASmith)
Thaddeus Young
LaMarcus Aldridge (Highly unlikely he leaves)

[BobLoblaw]

We already have 2 all-stars. Heat showed that having a 3rd one ruins your depth.

The biggest piece to the puzzle is JV. If he can become a dominant 2 way center sky's the limit.

But wouldn't that ruin your depth?

[planetmars]

You can win without a superstar but it becomes much harder.. you basically have to replicate what the Pistons team did that won in 2004. Create a team of all-star caliber players that hang their hat on defense and hope the team with the best player implodes due to lack of chemistry. But what really helps in the playoffs is to get an 'easy' score. That means scoring points in the paint or getting a guy a really good look for an open 3.

That's done by ball movement and having a good post up man. That requires team chemistry (Spurs ball) and JV to grow into one of the best big men in the league (possible, but has a lot of work to do). Both are achievable and neither requires a super star.

So we don't have to all crawl into a fetal position and start crying into our ice cream because we don't get Durant. It also doesn't mean we should stop chasing that dream though.. once you have a Durant you immediately become a contender.

Ultimately for this team to get to that level it requires serious growth from JV.

[stooley]

But no one is advocating what Houston did either. Teams sign meaningful free agents all the time without having to make 3 or 4 trades beforehand just to clear room. And of course there's no guarantees in free agency (landing someone in the first place OR getting them to click with the existing team) but there's no guarantee that the team as assembled evolves into a contender either. That's why I'm suggesting that the team focus on developing what they have now while keeping an eye on ways to improve externally as well.

I do think we're all pretty much on the same page as to what should and will be the plan for the next 1-2 years though; keep playing the asset accumulation/improvement game while building on what the team did last season, then use your cap room in the summer of 2015 to take the next big step forward. The key word in the OP's question is contender though, which I assume to mean one of the 5 teams in the league that has the best shot at being the champion. I'm not sure this current Raptors team gets close to that measure if you just let the thing play out organically.

First off, changed something in your post.

And I completely agree that it's stupid to pigeonhole yourself into one mindset. You always examine every opportunity to improve as it presents itself.

And re:the last sentence, I don't think you just sit back and watch the team from here on out, but you don't change things just for the sake of change. If there's a clear upgrade, yes, but continuity does have its merits and it can be dangerous to mess with things like that, so that has to be taken into account.

Lateral moves are not what we need. We aren't that guy on ebay trying to trade from a paperclip to a house, because there is such a thing as too many transactions, I think.

[Letter N]

We already have 2 all-stars. Heat showed that having a 3rd one ruins your depth.

All-Star =/= Superstar

[Fully]

I'm not saying adding a player via free agency isn't a good idea, I'm saying it is a move you can't rely on. Did you see what happened to Houston this offseason? Or the list of good players they let go because of their obssession of acquiring talent?

You can't build a team like the Heat. You can buy it, but there is absolutely no chance of this happening in Toronto.

But no one is advocating what Houston did either. Teams sign meaningful free agents all the time without having to make 3 or 4 trades beforehand just to clear room. And of course there's no guarantees in free agency (landing someone in the first place OR getting them to click with the existing team) but there's no guarantee that the team as assembled evolves into a contender either. That's why I'm suggesting that the team focus on developing what they have now while keeping an eye on ways to improve externally as well. We can do both.

I do think we're all pretty much on the same page as to what should and will be the plan for the next 1-2 years though; keep playing the asset accumulation/improvement game while building on what the team did last season, then use your cap room in the summer of 2015/2016 to take the next big step forward. The key word in the OP's question is contender though, which I assume to mean one of the 5 teams in the league that has the best shot at being the champion. I'm not sure this current Raptors team gets close to that measure if you just let the thing play out organically.

[stooley]

The NBA market for players is mostly efficient outside of draft picks and a few max contracts.

But I think you can get more than the sum of your parts with the right system and chemistry.

[thead]

everyone keeps sacrificing chemistry for talent.

[OptimalOptimist]

Our core is still young and everybody (but DeMar, but can you honestly see him leaves?) is signed for a couple of years.

We are pretty much were the Pacers were couple years ago when they took the Heat to 7 games.

[thead]

were good now. Let's see what our young guys do this year and adjust accordingly.

We have a DEEP team now and even our third string is loaded with upside.

Might be time to just play out the next two seasons making incremental changes

[stooley]

The most entertaining and likely (imo) path to a contender:

1. Get as close to a contender as possible.
2. Maintain flexibility.
3. Sustain that play over years.
4. Hope for a breakthrough from a development, coaching, drafting, free agency perspective that pushes you over the top.

In the end, you have to get lucky to win a championship, and I think that's as good a path as any. Plus it's more fun to watch a competitive team try and make that leap year in year out, than to watch the tank-contend cycle.

What it comes down to is that there is NO surefire way of winning a championship, any number of things outside of your control can derail a meticulous strategy.

[OptimalOptimist]

Well I think you can do both quite easily, and I think most good teams have an eye on how they can improve both inside and outside of their own team. Plus the topic at hand was what it would take for the Raptors to reach contender status, and I think most people would suggest that Toronto is at least one player away.

I never suggested that the Raptors would benefit from another team giving away a really talented player to us. Someone suggested that the team look to add another all-star calibre player in free agency (Millsap was brought up) and you seemed to scoff at the idea of adding him because three all-stars would be too much and not work (just look at those miserable Heat the last few years as an example!).

I'm not saying adding a player via free agency isn't a good idea, I'm saying it is a move you can't rely on. Did you see what happened to Houston this offseason? Or the list of good players they let go because of their obssession of acquiring talent?

You can't build a team like the Heat. You can buy it, but there is absolutely no chance of this happening in Toronto.

[Fully]

I don't get your point. You think teams will just throw away talent for whatever rason? Relying on getting talented players instead of focusing on your own talented players is a terrible idea.

Well I think you can do both quite easily, and I think most good teams have an eye on how they can improve both inside and outside of their own team. Plus the topic at hand was what it would take for the Raptors to reach contender status, and I think most people would suggest that Toronto is at least one player away.

I never suggested that the Raptors would benefit from another team giving away a really talented player to us. Someone suggested that the team look to add another all-star calibre player in free agency (Millsap was brought up) and you seemed to scoff at the idea of adding him because three all-stars would be too much and not work (just look at those miserable Heat the last few years as an example).

[Axel]

I don't get your point. You think teams will just throw away talent for whatever rason? Relying on getting talented players instead of focusing on your own talented players is a terrible idea.

Getting talented players is always a good idea. You can still develop your own players while acquiring more players.

[OptimalOptimist]

So we shouldn't try and acquire more talent?

I don't get your point. You think teams will just throw away talent for whatever rason? Relying on getting talented players instead of focusing on your own talented players is a terrible idea.