Areas for Improvement for Individual Players

[The Claw Reborn]

Just like what the Super Moderator had stated ….we are a “jack of all trades” team…a few tweeners but not one player that is high level in one position.

The top 4 West team and East teams vying for a Finals Conference ticket do have at least 1 high level player with one or 2 teams arguably may have an extra one more lol.

Raptors have a long way to go to even fantasize surviving a play-in more so a first round seven game battle. ugh.

[DanH]

At least we found “close” to a common ground (IF), yet there is still a big gap there, haha.

Pascal is shooting 59% less than 5 feet and 40% between 5-9 feet. He ranked way below amongst the rest of his peers of same position and height. He is shooting 41% at the 15-19 feet area which is not bad, honestly.

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/sh...FG%20PCT&dir=1

An example: MPJ is shooting 75% (less than 5 feet) and 47% (5-9 feet) respectively.

So that we both disagree. The low post position is not actually his biggest strength.

It would be hypocritical for any of us here in this forum that we don’t have our own biases when we evaluate and value our own Raptors and most especially the other team’s players. However from my own perspective, Van Vleet and Siakam have some significant individual weaknesses offensively that they don’t hide each other’s flaws, the fit is not there.

Hard to envision a team without Lowry and having a weak Point Guard in Flynn and Van Vleet as the shooting guard while GTJ coming off the bench as the 6th man…OR have Van Vleet assume the role Lowry vacated and have GTJ who’s strength is more of a spot shooter rather than the pro-typical SG who can break defenses be the off guard while Flynn as the back up point guard.

A lot hinges on who they pick in this upcoming draft.

Having to carry two 28 years old, one will be earning 33 million and the other 19.5 million, a total of 52 million and both are not complementing each other’s game is not a prudent way of retooling a team IMO … financially to improve the team, the very least is for one to be traded to address a more pressing need.

Yeah, Pascal really should be capitalizing on all those uncontested looks inside he gets with Aron Baynes being the best passing big in history setting him up all the time. MPJ has 71% of his 2 pointers assisted. Siakam has 34% of his assisted (a number usually only seen for point guards - only players on the roster with decent usage who compare are Lowry, Fred and Flynn), by FAR the lowest of his career, as he was left mostly to just create all his own offence this year.

Siakam's inside game carried his efficiency - generating a quarter of his shots at the rim (0-3 feet) where he shot ~70%, generating free throws by driving inside (FTr back up into the .300's after a dip last season) combined with a career high FT%, and most of his playmaking generated from inside as well. You don't put up a 55% TS% on the strength of shooting 40% on long twos or sub-30% on threes.

The two help hide each other's flaws just fine when they are used optimally. Pascal wants the ball in his hands, Fred wants to be off ball. Pascal wants to be inside and needs floor spacers, Fred wants to be outside and doesn't need a path to the rim because he's useless there, reducing the need for Pascal to space the floor.

[The Claw Reborn]

Yeah, Pascal really should be capitalizing on all those uncontested looks inside he gets with Aron Baynes being the best passing big in history setting him up all the time. MPJ has 71% of his 2 pointers assisted. Siakam has 34% of his assisted (a number usually only seen for point guards - only players on the roster with decent usage who compare are Lowry, Fred and Flynn), by FAR the lowest of his career, as he was left mostly to just create all his own offence this year.

Siakam's inside game carried his efficiency - generating a quarter of his shots at the rim (0-3 feet) where he shot ~70%, generating free throws by driving inside (FTr back up into the .300's after a dip last season) combined with a career high FT%, and most of his playmaking generated from inside as well. You don't put up a 55% TS% on the strength of shooting 40% on long twos or sub-30% on threes.

The two help hide each other's flaws just fine when they are used optimally. Pascal wants the ball in his hands, Fred wants to be off ball. Pascal wants to be inside and needs floor spacers, Fred wants to be outside and doesn't need a path to the rim because he's useless there, reducing the need for Pascal to space the floor.

I find the sarcasm hilarious because you are putting the blame on the fact that we didn’t have a Center doing Point Guard duties lol. We were stuck with Aaron Baynes, why Siakam was shooting a dismal 59% 5 feet close to the rim while MPJ had the MVP.

Siakam in an island, having to create on his own down low unassisted.

You are hell bent in implying that Siakam is a natural power forward who has to post up like Karl Malone who needs a John Stockton to be effective while blame Nick Nurse for misusing Fred Van Vleet as a Point Guard rather than an undersized shooting guard who needs to be outside shooting threes.

I have to edit my politically correct term: it should be MIDGET shooting guard not undersized

[The Claw Reborn]

Indy is definitely a team to keep an eye on. They will likely move at least one of Brogdon, Sabonis, Turner. Maybe more. I wouldn't be wanting to move Fred but Brogdon coming back would ease that pain a bit.

And you are right, the Raptors have lots of plan A/B/C options, and each of their core three players can easily be the central piece in a superstar trade if one becomes available.

That was your post response Dan on another thread that we found a common ground….Sabonis is a nice passing high BBIQ big and so is Brogdon who is more of a versatile Point Guard who has a higher vantage point. We both can achieve what we wanted for this team.

Hopefully we target Indiana in the offseason to make changes and at least retain Siakam.

I still have hopes in him than self-admitting negative bias on Van Vleet.

One of the 28 years old has to go…Van Vleet has to be traded.

[DanH]

I find the sarcasm hilarious because you are putting the blame on the fact that we didn’t have a Center doing Point Guard duties lol. We were stuck with Aaron Baynes, why Siakam was shooting a dismal 59% 5 feet close to the rim while MPJ had the MVP.

Siakam in an island, having to create on his own down low unassisted.

You are hell bent in implying that Siakam is a natural power forward who has to post up like Karl Malone who needs a John Stockton to be effective while blame Nick Nurse for misusing Fred Van Vleet as a Point Guard rather than an undersized shooting guard who needs to be outside shooting threes.

Where did I say Siakam has to post up like Malone? He's great rolling into space, operating out of the high post with a bit of a face up game, lots of options getting him the ball inside. Very versatile player who is easy to fit beside. But not at his best camping on the perimeter, and as such fits best beside players who ARE. Like... someone.

I'm not saying Siakam shot poorly (ish...) inside because he didn't have Jokic spoonfeeding him, I'm saying MPJ is a hilarious comparison to draw considering he DID. Like, what point are you even trying to make there? My counter is simply that comparing the two players and saying oh, look at how much more efficient MPJ was, well yeah, of course he was, look at the shots he got!

Comb through your comparative players and look for guys who create as much of their own offence close to the rim as Siakam had to and I'll bet you end up with a very small list of guys who managed to shoot better in those situations, and most of those superstars.

Heck, let's take a look, real quick, see if we can lump in Siakam with some other players. I'll just sort by total FGA per game in that 5-9 foot range and see how the highest volume guys stack up. Seems like a big range, some guys solidly below 40%, some guys approaching 60% (holy crap Jokic). Siakam took the 7th most shots from that range, and shot 41%.

List of players who shot 42% or worse from that range among the highest volume shooters there:

Markelle Fultz (oof, tough start to the list, but stick with me here)
Karl Anthony Towns
Ja Morant
Joel Embiid
Donovon Mitchell
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Caris Levert
Russell Westbrook
Domantas Sabonis (huh, we want to trade for this guy though, right?)
Ben Simmons
Elfrid Payton
Gordon Hayward
Marvin Bagley III
Dejounte Murray
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Yep. Not a group of players I'd ever want the players on my team lumped in with.

Also, LOL, had to scroll like 5 pages (200+ players) to get to MPJ, who takes LESS THAN ONE of these shots a game. Yeah, good job cherry picking that comparison. Defences really loading up to defend that shot from him.

[DanH]

That was your post response Dan on another thread that we found a common ground….Sabonis is a nice passing high BBIQ big and so is Brogdon who is more of a versatile Point Guard who has a higher vantage point. We both can achieve what we wanted for this team.

Hopefully we target Indiana in the offseason to make changes and at least retain Siakam.

I still have hopes in him than self-admitting negative bias on Van Vleet.

One of the 28 years old has to go…Van Vleet has to be traded.

Getting two players of that quality and keeping Siakam is certainly a nice idea.

But with the Pacers firing Nate, I expect they keep both Brogdon and Sabonis and the only guy they look to move on from is Turner, who is probably a little expensive for their taste with Sabonis there. Turner is still a guy I would really like to see them go after, but that's to add to the core. Trading FVV or Siakam for him would make no sense.

[The Claw Reborn]

Getting two players of that quality and keeping Siakam is certainly a nice idea.

But with the Pacers firing Nate, I expect they keep both Brogdon and Sabonis and the only guy they look to move on from is Turner, who is probably a little expensive for their taste with Sabonis there. Turner is still a guy I would really like to see them go after, but that's to add to the core. Trading FVV or Siakam for him would make no sense.

I am not fan of Turner honestly….Siakam would be best fit with Brogdon and Sabonis in the team. So Indiana ownership chose a side, guess that Bjorkgren and Van Vleet reunion ain’t happening then.

[The Claw Reborn]

Where did I say Siakam has to post up like Malone? He's great rolling into space, operating out of the high post with a bit of a face up game, lots of options getting him the ball inside. Very versatile player who is easy to fit beside. But not at his best camping on the perimeter, and as such fits best beside players who ARE. Like... someone.

I'm not saying Siakam shot poorly (ish...) inside because he didn't have Jokic spoonfeeding him, I'm saying MPJ is a hilarious comparison to draw considering he DID. Like, what point are you even trying to make there? My counter is simply that comparing the two players and saying oh, look at how much more efficient MPJ was, well yeah, of course he was, look at the shots he got!

Comb through your comparative players and look for guys who create as much of their own offence close to the rim as Siakam had to and I'll bet you end up with a very small list of guys who managed to shoot better in those situations, and most of those superstars.

Heck, let's take a look, real quick, see if we can lump in Siakam with some other players. I'll just sort by total FGA per game in that 5-9 foot range and see how the highest volume guys stack up. Seems like a big range, some guys solidly below 40%, some guys approaching 60% (holy crap Jokic). Siakam took the 7th most shots from that range, and shot 41%.

List of players who shot 42% or worse from that range among the highest volume shooters there:

Markelle Fultz (oof, tough start to the list, but stick with me here)
Karl Anthony Towns
Ja Morant
Joel Embiid
Donovon Mitchell
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
Caris Levert
Russell Westbrook
Domantas Sabonis (huh, we want to trade for this guy though, right?)
Ben Simmons
Elfrid Payton
Gordon Hayward
Marvin Bagley III
Dejounte Murray
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Yep. Not a group of players I'd ever want the players on my team lumped in with.

Also, LOL, had to scroll like 5 pages (200+ players) to get to MPJ, who takes LESS THAN ONE of these shots a game. Yeah, good job cherry picking that comparison. Defences really loading up to defend that shot from him.

The two help hide each other's flaws just fine when they are used optimally. Pascal wants the ball in his hands, Fred wants to be off ball. Pascal wants to be inside and needs floor spacers, Fred wants to be outside and doesn't need a path to the rim because he's useless there, reducing the need for Pascal to space the floor.

This is not happening and see no point of waiting for this to happen. Square peg in a round hole. Lol.

[Jclaw]

This seems to apply in so many threads