Game #3 Toronto Bay Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers. 7:00 PM Tampa Bay, Florida. 6:00 PM Pensacola, Florida. SN

[G__Deane]

There are no juggernauts and Lebron isn’t in the East anymore. We’d have as good a chance as any team. Lowry and DeRozan wouldn’t have to face their boogeyman until the Finals.

Who knows I guess but I can't see Lowry and DeRozan taking out the Bucks, Celtics OR Nets. We'd be out in the first or second round again. But this team really needed at least a #2 option FA this season. FA only cost money not players or picks. But we strike out there most every year.

[slaw]

Who knows I guess but I can't see Lowry and DeRozan taking out the Bucks, Celtics OR Nets. We'd be out in the first or second round again. But this team really needed at least a #2 option FA this season. FA only cost money not players or picks. But we strike out there most every year.

The Raps didn't strike out in FA. This isn't baseball. There was no #2 option available in free agency this past offseason. There wasn't any possibility of any team signing such a player cause there wasn't one to be signed. Plus, even if there was, Raps had no cap room to pay a guy that kind of money.

They will have a whack of cap space this year to improve the team. No one knows what the landscape will look like this offseason, so, while it's fun to speculate and conjecture, doom and gloom is premature. NBA teams plan 3-4 years ahead for FA, so the idea the Raps are just aimlessly going to wander into 2021 flailing madly about is absurd. If this new core shows it isn't good enough then I am confident the organization will pivot as needed just like it did before. But, like before, a modicum of patience is required.

[LJ2]

One thing which I suspect is that Masai will not want to pull off another Kawhi type trade for a one year expiring. You can't build anything on those type of pick ups when all the evidence shows the player being traded for is going to leave in free agency. And despite the championship (which nobody regrets), it's set the franchise back. He wants a star he can build around.

[A.I]

Who knows I guess but I can't see Lowry and DeRozan taking out the Bucks, Celtics OR Nets. We'd be out in the first or second round again. But this team really needed at least a #2 option FA this season. FA only cost money not players or picks. But we strike out there most every year.

You make it seem like Raptors have cap space to use every year and no one bites. This is the first time in a long time we've had this much cap space. Most of the last decade we were riding with Derozan and Lowry.

[slaw]

One thing which I suspect is that Masai will not want to pull off another Kawhi type trade for a one year expiring. You can't build anything on those type of pick ups when all the evidence shows the player being traded for is going to leave in free agency. And despite the championship (which nobody regrets), it's set the franchise back. He wants a star he can build around.

I mean, which team doesn't want that? But you take what you can get. If you get a 1-year mercenary you take it.

I also don't know how Kawhi "set the team back". They won a title. They then set a franchise record in win percentage last year and should have been in the ECF. They now have piles of cap room, all their picks, and their three best young players on long term deals. They'd be in no better position had Leonard never came here except they'd have no title.

[LJ2]

I mean, which team doesn't want that? But you take what you can get. If you get a 1-year mercenary you take it.

I also don't know how Kawhi "set the team back". They won a title. They then set a franchise record in win percentage last year and should have been in the ECF. They now have piles of cap room, all their picks, and their three best young players on long term deals. They'd be in no better position had Leonard never came here except they'd have no title.

I gotta disagree and think that makes for an awful championship formula. Develop guys for years then move them for a mercenary on a one year with the hope of hitting the jackpot? Even the most loyal fan has got to admit that was a hail Mary.

We moved DeRozan, Poeltl, JV, Delon, the 2019 1st round pick and a 2024 second round pick to put that championship team together. Well worth it, but not a formula you want to use.

Kawhi leaving had Masai turning to Giannis as plan B and we'll that not gonna happen. We are now at a point where we can't contend because any trade would see too much outgoing. Unless Masai can pull off a miracle in free agency we're set back until we can build up assets again. That was always going to be the price we paid for that championship run.

[MixxAOR]

I gotta agree with LJ2. It's very risky strategy. I really believed that it wasn't championship or bust in that Kawhi year. And that's what it ended up being. Kawhi would've left regardless. I think goal should be to build a dynasty. A team that can contend for multiple years ala Spurs

I'm happy with championship that we got but....but I don't think it's a sound consistent strategy

[A.I]

I gotta agree with LJ2. It's very risky strategy. I really believed that it wasn't championship or bust in that Kawhi year. And that's what it ended up being. Kawhi would've left regardless. I think goal should be to build a dynasty. A team that can contend for multiple years ala Spurs

I'm happy with championship that we got but....but I don't think it's a sound consistent strategy

It isn't, but you have to try for it if you have the opportunity. I'd say winning a championship would convince most stars to stay. Unfortunately, Kawhi wanted to go home no matter what.

[Kagemusha]

Reality check - it's a cycle like everything else.
The Raptors has been competitive for a long while, even got a championship in the end.
But like the Spurses and the Warriorses of the world, even the Lakerses and the Celticses if you want to go back farther,
every single team suffers through a drought phase.
Our time is up, let's accept it and move on / strategize for the future (2021 draft)

#time2tank

[Yuri Gagarin]

We did great last year i cant believe we’re gonna stink coz serge left as good as he was. Gasol is spent. We just need to ride it out. If we do stink we shed powell and fred (i dont we get much tho) and get a better pick.

matt and td lack of pt is really bothersome. Td f’d up. So did jv he got a chance. Dui isnt minor either. Give the guy a chance to make up for his mistake.

[Jclaw]

Reality check - it's a cycle like everything else.
The Raptors has been competitive for a long while, even got a championship in the end.
But like the Spurses and the Warriorses of the world, even the Lakerses and the Celticses if you want to go back farther,
every single team suffers through a drought phase.
Our time is up, let's accept it and move on / strategize for the future (2021 draft)

#time2tank

After reading through this whole thoughtful but at times frustrating thread, thank you for the laugh your pluralization skills gave me. Honestly.

[Kagemusha]

After reading through this whole thoughtful but at times frustrating thread, thank you for the laugh your pluralization skills gave me. Honestly.

Hahaha...
no problem bro.
The Raptorses of the world will rise again.

Chill!

[Jclaw]

Btw...it’s a chance to stop a losing streak..it’s New Year’s Eve....it’s the Knicks. This is a Goldblum started thread if there ever was one. You can start with this

Now even Pixar is trolling Bargnani? That’s rough.

[golden]

I gotta agree with LJ2. It's very risky strategy. I really believed that it wasn't championship or bust in that Kawhi year. And that's what it ended up being. Kawhi would've left regardless. I think goal should be to build a dynasty. A team that can contend for multiple years ala Spurs

I'm happy with championship that we got but....but I don't think it's a sound consistent strategy

The championship was the perfect way to cash in on the Lowry/DD/JV core before Lowry got too old. There should be no regrets for that. It was the culmination of great GM’ing. That era could have easily ended with blue balls, no chip and probably exactly where we are right now. Look at Houston as a perfect example.

The past decade you needed to have a Lebron, Durant, Kawhi and maybe Curry to have a shot at a dynasty. Sixers tanked perfectly and still couldn’t draft a guy like that. Dynasties are even more unlikely now because of player movement. If winning matters, then we actually just went through our dynasty period. It will take time to rise again.

[planetmars]

I'm not a fan of tanking.. I think with player empowerment it's too difficult to get great unless you can draft a super star that also wants to stay. That's rare. I'd rather not be a farm system for other teams out there.

I think being a "treadmill" team is the right approach. And then take another swing when we get that chance. Harden is available now.. but wouldn't surprise me if guys like Steph, Booker or KAT were going to be available as well as early as next summer.

I'm still pro-win, and I hope we can add on to what we have, and not lose Lowry while doing it. I still think we can trade OG/Fred/Pascal as nobody is untouchable. It's just that I prefer trying to win than lose.

This team is flawed for sure. Although the 0-3 start is not a reflection of their talent. The drop down from Gasol to Baynes is noticeable, especially when Lowry is on the bench and Fred or Pascal are out there trying to create a play. But I think we still are closer to a 50 win team than a 20-30 win team.