Game #26 Toronto Raptors @ Boston Celtics: Thursday February 11 at 7:30pm EST

[The Claw Reborn]

How much is just being competitive prioritized by the front office in this COVID no-home team season?
Because upgrading the C position will result in a late 2nd round exit rather than an early 2nd round exit.

An upgrade of the Center position has to be elite. Drummond with his rebounding prowess is a deadweight on defense, he aint no Gasol or Ibaka either who both can stretch the floor and can be useful when contenders employ zone.

Why it goes back to the wing position. They have to prioritize that first with the C position as secondary

Raptors can reach that point by trading salary, youth and potential. Not a 35 year old expiring contract.

Lots of work to be done.

[The Claw Reborn]

The very least, Masai or Bobby should as much as possible mirror the chronology of how he got his dynamic wing first and his elite defensive center second.

Siakam is constant if both executives still consider him as the main core.

[inthepaint]

Either way, you had to bring one of them back. Not signing either, then signing just Baynes and Len, dropping Len for nothing without a signing in mind these are not highlights on Masai and Bobby's resume; a lot of miscalculations there including the read on Giannis.

After the bubble, not sure why we'd want washed Gasol back. It's not like we have Lebron and AD on this roster to carry him on offense. Serge probably (correctly) thinking the same. It was a slap in the face to Ibaka, tbh.

I remember shortly after the signing of baynes & Len, at least one anti-Ibaka biased poster on this board trying to rationalize and talk themselves into the idea that our team would probably be roughly the same as far the defensive/offensive impact serge brought. I physically laughed when I read it, but didn't say anything. Now we're seeing it. His loss has even been pointed in-game by the broadcasters more than once this season.

These rivalry games vs teams like boston are that type of games all the fans want a W, even the ones wanting to tank, and I'm no exception. That said, I can't help but feel some sense of order when the universe confirms once again that you're gonna eventually harvest what you planted: We chose to save cap space. There is a cost to that. It cannot be shoved under the carpet. Most of that came out of the C position, in not only letting go of what we had, but also choosing to limiting ourselves to 1-year stop gaps that wouldn't eat into the cap space for the "glorious 2021 free agent bonanza".

We're now simply laying on the bed we chose to make. For better or worse we swung hard and missed hard on Giannis. That "miss" will send a bill later. Gotta own it, pay up, and hopefully learn something from the experience.

[The Great One]

Boston own fred

This take is people are just making stuff up now. Fred had a bad game last night. It happens.

Fred scored 35 points earlier this year when the Raptors played the Celtics. In their 7 game series against the Celtics last year Fred averaged 18ppg. That's pretty good, no?

[golden]

This take is people are just making stuff up now. Fred had a bad game last night. It happens.

Fred scored 35 points earlier this year when the Raptors played the Celtics. In their 7 game series against the Celtics last year Fred averaged 18ppg. That's pretty good, no?

No. Fred put up 18ppg on 34.8% FG%, TS 46.5%, ORTG 95, which is straight up garbage. That's the very definition of volume chucking your team out of a series.

[A.I]

No. Fred put up 18ppg on 34.8% FG%, TS 46.5%, ORTG 95, which is straight up garbage. That's the very definition of volume chucking your team out of a series.

His bad games happens for Fred and constant trashing of Pascal is hilarious.

Although going back and thinking about that series, its crazy how Kyle almost carried the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals.

[The Great One]

No. Fred put up 18ppg on 34.8% FG%, TS 46.5%, ORTG 95, which is straight up garbage. That's the very definition of volume chucking your team out of a series.

I mean, he and Lowry had no choice but to force things up in that series. Why? because they didn't get any help from Siakam.

[The Claw Reborn]

Reminiscent of the Derozan years isnt it? One bad game against an elite team and great wins against mediocre teams. But when it matters most, Lowry it to blame then. I can see in the horizon that Siakam will always have zero room for error.

History repeats itself in RR land

[The Great One]

His bad games happens for Fred and constant trashing of Pascal is hilarious.

What hilarious is you constantly replying about someone quoting me. You be you. Do you have no balls to reply at me? lol

[The Claw Reborn]

Its simple, some would prefer to trade Siakam and Lowry to keep Van Vleet. What is there to argue? Opinions are opinions. Nothing to dislike

[S.R.]

I remember shortly after the signing of baynes & Len, at least one anti-Ibaka biased poster on this board trying to rationalize and talk themselves into the idea that our team would probably be roughly the same as far the defensive/offensive impact serge brought. I physically laughed when I read it, but didn't say anything. Now we're seeing it. His loss has even been pointed in-game by the broadcasters more than once this season.

These rivalry games vs teams like boston are that type of games all the fans want a W, even the ones wanting to tank, and I'm no exception. That said, I can't help but feel some sense of order when the universe confirms once again that you're gonna eventually harvest what you planted: We chose to save cap space. There is a cost to that. It cannot be shoved under the carpet. Most of that came out of the C position, in not only letting go of what we had, but also choosing to limiting ourselves to 1-year stop gaps that wouldn't eat into the cap space for the "glorious 2021 free agent bonanza".

We're now simply laying on the bed we chose to make. For better or worse we swung hard and missed hard on Giannis. That "miss" will send a bill later. Gotta own it, pay up, and hopefully learn something from the experience.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take -- Wayne Gretzky -- Michael Scott"

I'm okay with the swing and miss at Giannis. Go big or go home, you don't win NBA championships without at least 1 top 5 or top 10 player.

I'm also okay with them taking their time now. Colangelo would panic in this situation and make moves that help shore up wins this season but get us nowhere long term. Let's not do that. It'll suck occasionally in the short term. But stick to long term vision.

I don't know what's on Masai's whiteboard for this season, next summer, and beyond, but I guarantee it isn't mediocrity/treadmill.

[S.R.]

No. Fred put up 18ppg on 34.8% FG%, TS 46.5%, ORTG 95, which is straight up garbage. That's the very definition of volume chucking your team out of a series.

Fred was awful that series and Siakam got crapped on way too much and Fred somehow didn't catch any of it. Both of them needed to be better. They both still need to develop, but it was also their first playoff really trying to lead the team - it was the Lowry/DD show then the Kawhi show and all of a sudden the Raptors G-League team is 2 of the team's top 3 players. They haven't been there before and you take your lumps. They just need to keep getting better.

[The Claw Reborn]

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take -- Wayne Gretzky -- Michael Scott"

I'm okay with the swing and miss at Giannis. Go big or go home, you don't win NBA championships without at least 1 top 5 or top 10 player.

I'm also okay with them taking their time now. Colangelo would panic in this situation and make moves that help shore up wins this season but get us nowhere long term. Let's not do that. It'll suck occasionally in the short term. But stick to long term vision.

I don't know what's on Masai's whiteboard for this season, next summer, and beyond, but I guarantee it isn't mediocrity/treadmill.

why I keep agreeing to you is beyond me, maybe Im just looking for a friend in a public forum. How pathetic that is. .

But in all seriousness, addressing the expiring Lowry situation should be on top of Masai’s whiteboard, although below the line of how much he can fleece MLSE for his next massive contract lol.

The man himself had said before he does not want to land in the middle. Patience is a virtue but good asset management is why certain guys like him separate themselves from the pack. How much room for improvement for Siakam/ Van Vleet and OG is something he has to assess. Are the three great enough to contend? Constant waiting for nothing can also be detrimental. Why he is no Colangelo, quick to trigger but at the same time attached to mediocrity as well.

[golden]

I mean, he and Lowry had no choice but to force things up in that series. Why? because they didn't get any help from Siakam.

Sure Siakam sucked badly, but FVV wasn't up to the task when the opportunity for more shots presented itself. Fred couldn't guard Kemba without a gimmick box & one defense either, which allowed backcourt cuts and dunks. Serge and OG stepped up, though.

[RaptorsVictim]

We’d be top of the East with Serge, but apparently we tried to re-sign Gasol and that pissed off Serge. There was no way he was coming off the bench again.

The truth is Massai put alot of hope on Gianis, and that prevented him from seeing the major flows in the roster by letting both Gasol and Ibaka leave. Right now, it is a very tough call as our options are very small and the idea of trading Van is not right at all if you consider Lowery's age.