Everything 2021 Tank

[The Claw Reborn]

It is not unicorns and ranbows…

Even we are not playing, Raptors fans already got shell shocked of this latest Siakam surgery.

Injury will always be a part of the long 82 game season

This team has little room to survive an injury depleted team

LOL

why I asked the O.P. on my initial thread bump post

[LJ2]

I think Atlanta has surpassed Toronto.

Toronto's competition is Boston, Miami, NY, Washington, Indiana and Charlotte. 4 of these teams make the playoffs. Not a sure bet that Toronto will be one of them.. especially if Lowry isn't here next year.

If Lowry stays I'd feel a lot better with our chances.

There is a solid chance Atlanta might be the ones fighting for a playoff spot next season.

[MixxAOR]

I think Atlanta has surpassed Toronto.

Toronto's competition is Boston, Miami, NY, Washington, Indiana and Charlotte. 4 of these teams make the playoffs. Not a sure bet that Toronto will be one of them.. especially if Lowry isn't here next year.

If Lowry stays I'd feel a lot better with our chances.

Yeah Atlanta rebuild the right way after Milsap-Horford-Teague core.

It took them 5 years after being on top of the East to comeback as serious playoff team. That should be a good timeline for Raptors. 2026-27

[inthepaint]

Yeah Atlanta rebuild the right way after Milsap-Horford-Teague core.

It took them 5 years after being on top of the East to comeback as serious playoff team. That should be a good timeline for Raptors. 2026-27

I think it all depends on how we see the last season for us. Was that just a hotel season where many games were missed due to injury/covid by our main players and on the final stretch we intentionally tanked to move up on the draft? Or is that the likely record we're getting this coming season too regardless?

Most likely the former. We're closer to the team on the bubble (took 2nd round to 7 games). That's actually where Atlanta is right now, except they are likely not taking their 2nd round to game 7 (Philly will finish them off sooner). In other words, if they're a "serious playoff team", so are we (unless the same stuff that went on last season goes on again, including Baynes)

[MixxAOR]

I think it all depends on how we see the last season for us. Was that just a hotel season where many games were missed due to injury/covid by our main players and on the final stretch we intentionally tanked to move up on the draft? Or is that the likely record we're getting this coming season too regardless?

Most likely the former. We're closer to the team on the bubble (took 2nd round to 7 games). That's actually where Atlanta is right now, except they are likely not taking their 2nd round to game 7 (Philly will finish them off sooner). In other words, if they're a "serious playoff team", so are we (unless the same stuff that went on last season goes on again, including Baynes)

Lowry was a big part of that Boston series. He pulled us out of many games. But he's getting old and he might not come back. That 2-8 start Raptors were who they really are imo.

[LJ2]

Lowry was a big part of that Boston series. He pulled us out of many games. But he's getting old and he might not come back. That 2-8 start Raptors were who they really are imo.

Awe Mixx, you don't mean that. This one down season has been harder on some than others lol.

[inthepaint]

Lowry was a big part of that Boston series. He pulled us out of many games. But he's getting old and he might not come back. That 2-8 start Raptors were who they really are imo.

Well, if they are that 2-8 team, then may as well tank again. That said, this stretch included abundant starter minutes for Baynes, after a shortened training camp, with half the team settling in looking for a place to live over Christmas and new years (season started Dec 23) and getting used to being booed in their "home" court. I don't think that's repeatable, but I guess we'll see.

Lowry is a 50/50 right now, but even if he doesn't stay, we either get a good rotation player on a SnT or cap space to sign one, plus a lottery pick regardless.

[golden]

"A lot better than the Raptors"? I disagree the Hawks are better than the Raptors, and think the type of defense Raps play under normal circumstances can stifle far better teams. Best yet we will be adding what should be a significant piece in the draft or as a result of a trade.

Our defense is hit or miss. Teams have figured out how to exploit the over-aggressive trapping by having shooters on the weak side. That's why even against bad teams, like the Pistons, we're seeing random guys go off for career shooting nights. Teams are moving the ball and scrubs are ready to shoot. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

And the Hawks had half their rotation injured for most of the season and still finished 5th. And I'm not saying the they are "a lot better than the Raptors".... I'm saying that DeAndre Hunter makes them a lot better when he plays. Given that Hunter missed most of the regular season and playoffs, we should expect the Hawks to be better than they are this year, if he plays a lot next year.

[planetmars]

Pascal sucked in those 10 games (-5.7 net rating), but Baynes (-10.6) and Len (-13.0) were so much worse. That center rotation was utter garbage early on. We have to nail that position for next year to have any chance for the playoffs.

Freddie all year had a net rating of -9.6 and Birch was -1.1. We need to be better than them as well.

[Primer]

With an even half decent C like Birch, this team walks to a playoff spot even without Lowry next season. Unless they have a similar disaster of context like this season, which seems exceedingly unlikely.

This right here. The east is still garbage and Nurse is still the best coach in the game. Missing the playoffs this year was a purposeful choice by our management. We won't be doing that again next season and we will easily make the playoffs.

[Demographic Shift]

This right here. The east is still garbage and Nurse is still the best coach in the game. Missing the playoffs this year was a purposeful choice by our management. We won't be doing that again next season and we will easily make the playoffs.

I think we make them... I don't know if it will be easy or not. The East right now is 3 deep with the Hawks first in line for the rest of the conference. 100% Nurse is a helluva coach and we likely get Nate B back into the fold which makes us better. .
BUT
Acquiring players isn't as easy as it is in NBA fantasy....

Ujiri does have options at his disposal.

• He is getting a guaranteed top 10 pick in the draft. This draft, as usual, is being touted as a deep year for new entrants in the NBA draft. In 9 days we find out what our draft slot is.
• With a bit of shit house luck he might get another crack at trading Kyle if he wants to. We might still get a younger player or two or maybe a player and low FRP but we will have to take back a bad contract. The price he pays for his indecision at last years trade deadline.
• He can if he wants trade high on one of our treasures OG or Fred and mix in a Boucher /Flynn sweetner if someone wants to dance and the return is better than what we have.

[TrueTorontoFan]

There is a chance they slip out of the playoffs again.

Pascal not playing for the first 3-4 weeks is not my concern. But losing Lowry could be. A first round pick, even a #1 overall rarely has impact on winning in their first year. I believe the last time a rookie made a significant impact on a team was Lebron. We'll be a worse team without Lowry, and he's 50/50 at this point to not being here. Free agency is underwhelming and there are no game changers.. even then we struggle to find anyone good in free agency. Richaun Holmes for example is still a role player. And yet I feel like if Lowry leaves, it would be a S&T, which means we'll have no cap space anyway.

And we are still missing depth. Even going back 1 season back, we had guys like RHJ and Terrence Davis producing. Norm averaged 16ppg that year too. We'll have potentially 3 rookies, with Harris, Gilliie and Flynn as sophomores. That's 5 really young players. Throw in guys like Yuta and Watson and that's 7 really young players.

Then on top of that you have to consider the growth in most other Eastern conference teams. Atlanta is a much better team with a lot more depth, and better coaching. Boston and Miami are still going to be in the thick of things. Washington will finally get their center back, who's all-star caliber. Indiana is going to get a new coach.. which may or may not give them stability.. at least they have a lot to prove after being eliminated the way they did. Is Charlotte going to be a playoff team finally? The one hope is NY takes a fall back.. but they have some crazy cap space and a lot to prove after being bounced in the first round.

And Toronto may not even have fans for awhile, assuming they even come home. Our politicians are idiots and I could see them fumbling this all up.

I just think there is likely as good of a chance that this team isn't good enough for the playoffs again next year. If we are far enough back of the play-in / playoffs by the all-star break.. I could see the front office resting a lot of guys again and hoping for more ping-pong balls.

Of course I could be optimistic. We had a positive net rating for most of the year despite all our rest/injuries/etc. We'll likely play more games in Toronto then not. And we are really good at home. Lowry could be back. There is a 50/50 chance he's back and not gone. And we need his veteran leadership more now than ever before (especially if we have 7-8 kids on the team next year). Birch has been good and could come back.. far better than Baynes. Boucher looks like he could become an all-star one day, so even if Pascal misses games it may not be so bad. And a team like Miami or Boston could actually miss the playoffs. Who's to say they don't have a worse season even next year. Philly could drop in the standings. Thibs always tends to wear out his welcome by the second year. And Charlotte, Indiana and Washington could all continue to stink and be mediocre.

But there is no guarantee we're a playoff team next year. This tank could extend into one more season.

The thing about the playoffs... You gotta remember this team was in need of a long off season rest for a while. Everyone will come back well rested with a proper developmental off season and ready to play. I don't see any reason why as Dan H pointed out that we would be out of the playoffs. Even without Lowry. Lowry is good but we can and should make the playoffs without Lowry with a healthy roster and a half decent center all year especially if we keep that pick.

[Dvdvideo]

Lowry was a big part of that Boston series. He pulled us out of many games. But he's getting old and he might not come back. That 2-8 start Raptors were who they really are imo.

Others have already answered this in detail, but I have to say, saying the raptors are a 20% win team as the roster exists is about the silliest thing I have seen on here. Please.

[TrueTorontoFan]

The other thing is I don't think that Lowry raises our ceiling in the regular season as much as he raises our floor in the playoffs. WHICH IS BIG. I think his biggest value is in the playoffs. HE is good enough for us to play 500 ball with everyone else out and just playing with a bench. That doesn't mean that if everyone else is healthy and lowry is gone that we are screwed.


Again I see us being the 4/5 best team in the east depending on the rookie pick and depending on the center and our depth. For example, if you replace the inconsistency of stanley johnson and get more offensive output from a body int he place of mccaw, in a rookie that right there makes us better. we have struggled with our depth over the past two years particularly bench scoring. If we draft someone in the top 4 that is no longer an issue. Depending on who we draft in the top 10 again not that big of an issue.

[S.R.]

Not this again