Raptors 2021-2022 Preseason + Training Camp

[TrueTorontoFan]

Bonga had some moments but again I think that we already have a lot of... "projects" on the main squad right now. So maybe this is one too many projects. He is young but I would say Ish over him. It comes down to Bonga vs Dekker I guess. Did you all see enough from Dekker to think that he can be better than just a tall Matt Thomas

[blackjitsu]

If I am remembering correctly Oshae Brissett had an injury at that time so we had to go with someone who could play on the actual team.

Yeah, I remember being really upset that they cut Oshae. Everyone was making it a competition between Oshae and Yuta, when it was obvious Yuta made the cut. Personally, I thought Brissett was miles better than Stanley Johnson. I understand that Johnson had a guarantee, but it felt like they cut a kid for being injured and kept a kid for no real reason, except his guarantee. Oshae landing in Indiana didn't feel like a coincidence. There was a lot of Raptor influence on that team (HC and FO). They knew how good Oshae was. Alize Johnson? Yeah, I see Mars's point on that one

[blackjitsu]

Bonga had some moments but again I think that we already have a lot of... "projects" on the main squad right now. So maybe this is one too many projects. He is young but I would say Ish over him. It comes down to Bonga vs Dekker I guess. Did you all see enough from Dekker to think that he can be better than just a tall Matt Thomas

He used to be more athletic than Thomas, but a tall Matt Thomas has job in the NBA. Height is a big reason why Thomas sometimes struggled to get his shot off. If Dekker works with the staff he should get some of that athleticism back. And his length allows him to play some zone. For deep bench, tall Matt Thomas is a decent player

[TrueTorontoFan]

He used to be more athletic than Thomas, but a tall Matt Thomas has job in the NBA. Height is a big reason why Thomas sometimes struggled to get his shot off. If Dekker works with the staff he should get some of that athleticism back. And his length allows him to play some zone. For deep bench, tall Matt Thomas is a decent player

Job is one thing.. working with this specific team is another. Thomas Struggled to get his shot off partly because of off ball movement. JJ reddick had a long long great career and was a similar size to Thomas.

[TrueTorontoFan]

[Shredder]

Bonga had some moments but again I think that we already have a lot of... "projects" on the main squad right now. So maybe this is one too many projects. He is young but I would say Ish over him. It comes down to Bonga vs Dekker I guess. Did you all see enough from Dekker to think that he can be better than just a tall Matt Thomas

On the other side, if we are trying to develop chemistry with our next bench mob (which could become our starting lineup a few years down the road), having too many projects is less of an issue. A Banton, Bonga, Barnes and Prescious (throw in someone else like Champaigne) lineup could be exactly what Masai wants to experiment with.

Bonga has more upside, Dekker is who he is more or less.

[inthepaint]

Bonga had some moments but again I think that we already have a lot of... "projects" on the main squad right now. So maybe this is one too many projects. He is young but I would say Ish over him. It comes down to Bonga vs Dekker I guess. Did you all see enough from Dekker to think that he can be better than just a tall Matt Thomas

He will most likely be better than MT. Thomas was/is an excellent shooter but his challenge was to get himself open to release the shot. Dekker doesn't have that problem. He is a lot taller, with a longer wingspan and more physical. He has no problem finding space to get the shot up, or take it inside and dunk it after a hard close out. They're very different players physically, and that has a direct impact on their games.

Now granted, like any shooter, there will be games he'll go 0-4. That comes from the attention the opposing defence will have to devote to guard him, but because of that extra attention, that usually means someone else on the team is going off, as the floor is stretched out.

Dekker is like one of those random guys the raptors often run into that murder us from 3. The Korkmazes, Mike Scott's, McDermott's and Ojelyes of he world. We always run into those guys, and I always ask myself the same two questions: 1. Who the heck is this guy? and 2. How come we never have a guy like that?

I hope we keep Dekker, so when we're bogged down on the half court without Lowry and nothing else is working, we throw him out there for a spark. We'll keep Bonga instead though, because he's an average defender and we're obsessed with energy bigs that can't shoot. He'll be a non-entity at the end of the bench because he doesn't bring anything different from what's already abundant in the rest of the roster. Then another team will pick up Dekker, he'll go 3 for 6 on us from deep, and we'll wonder what could have been.

[planetmars]

If I am remembering correctly Oshae Brissett had an injury at that time so we had to go with someone who could play on the actual team.

Yeah I believe he got cut because he got hurt. In hindsight would have been better off cutting someone like McCaw, Johnson, Bembry or Thomas (although he might have had a guaranteed deal the following year). But like I said, you win some and lose some.

I could see us cutting Dekker, him finding a place somewhere in the league, and averaging over 40% from 3 and finding a place on some teams bench. We have good scouts. There is a reason why Sam, Ish and Isaac made our camp. We see something in all three of them. And that makes them all sort of valuable.

[slaw]

For the people who watched the preseason closely:

- Did anything surprise you? Good or bad.
- Did anything happen that materially changed your expectations for the team?
- Did anything happen that materially changed your expectations for a player?
- Based on preseason, do you think this is a playoff team?

[TrueTorontoFan]

Yeah I believe he got cut because he got hurt. In hindsight would have been better off cutting someone like McCaw, Johnson, Bembry or Thomas (although he might have had a guaranteed deal the following year). But like I said, you win some and lose some.

I could see us cutting Dekker, him finding a place somewhere in the league, and averaging over 40% from 3 and finding a place on some teams bench. We have good scouts. There is a reason why Sam, Ish and Isaac made our camp. We see something in all three of them. And that makes them all sort of valuable.

Thomas had a guarantee, Bembry was not but I think he provided play making. Stanley provided defence. Mccaw was injured and I am not sure on the contract status. Johnson. I think had a player option.


Long story short there are guys we should have opted to cut over Oshae, however, it would have lead to the cutting of Yuta first more than likely. It was bad luck honestly. I go back and forth on Dekk and Bonga. I get the argument for Dekker over Bonga, because we could use more offense if a guy like Yuta goes down and we end up trading Boucher.

[saints91]

For the people who watched the preseason closely:

- Did anything surprise you? Good or bad.
- Did anything happen that materially changed your expectations for the team?
- Did anything happen that materially changed your expectations for a player?
- Based on preseason, do you think this is a playoff team?

I think Precious and Scottie looked a lot better than expected. I wasn't sure what expect from Precious, all his highlight videos from last year were him dunking, and in summerleague he was just okay. Now that he's playing with better players and in our system, he looks like a steal. The fact that he's only going into his second year, and now getting to expand his game in Nick Nurse's system, I think he has as high of a ceiling as anyone else on this team.

Playoffs... I was impressed at how close of a game we played against Boston. It appeared guys were trying in that game. We were playing without Siakam, Boucher, and Birch and they didn't have Brown, or Schoder... which is a wash IMO. Many media members are predicting that the Celtics are a top 6 team(not to put too much stock in media opinion), I think we are on equal ground with them.

[Hotshot]

Long story short there are guys we should have opted to cut over Oshae, however, it would have lead to the cutting of Yuta first more than likely. It was bad luck honestly. I go back and forth on Dekk and Bonga. I get the argument for Dekker over Bonga, because we could use more offense if a guy like Yuta goes down and we end up trading Boucher.

Dekker might actually turned out to be the Matt Thomas we wanted. Just a guy that can hit the open 3 without being a major sieve on defense but he is 27 years old and if he has one successful season he is going to look to get paid either here or elsewhere.

Bonga provides many of the things other guys already on the team provide like defense on every position and playmaking. If we were able to select Bonga as a 2nd round pick as he is today, I would be thrilled cause I know in a season or two under our coaching development staff he will probably be a good roleplayer on this team and not be such a black hole on offence (he is only 22 years old this season).

So for this season and next Dekker is the guy but in two years it might be Bonga as the guy.

[MixxAOR]

For the people who watched the preseason closely:

- Did anything surprise you? Good or bad.
- Did anything happen that materially changed your expectations for the team?
- Did anything happen that materially changed your expectations for a player?
- Based on preseason, do you think this is a playoff team?

- Scottie and Precious suprised me in a good way. Flynn surprised me in a bad way
- No, I still think they are still fringe playoff team.
- I think Siakam can take it easier and play off of OG and Barnes now.
- They have potential to be 8th seed

[Primer]

Bonga had some moments but again I think that we already have a lot of... "projects" on the main squad right now. So maybe this is one too many projects. He is young but I would say Ish over him. It comes down to Bonga vs Dekker I guess. Did you all see enough from Dekker to think that he can be better than just a tall Matt Thomas

Svi already replaced Thomas. He's our much better version who can shoot and defend and play make. Everyone forget already we signed Svi? Svi is our 11th or 12th man right now. No idea where any minutes for Dekker are going to come from.

The 15th roster spot should absolutely be used on a project because they won't get any minutes. Bonga has a lot of potential so I hope it's him. We pay him the min and develop him on the 905 and maybe he's an absolute steal in a year. Dekker is what he is, a streaky shooter who flunked out of the NBA. He may go off like he did our last pre-season game, and he may miss every single shot like he did the game before that. You can't depend on him at this level. If we go with Dekker I won't be pissed because it's the 15th spot and ultimately doesn't matter but I don't see any good reason for it to be Dekker.

[Hotshot]

If we go with Dekker I won't be pissed because it's the 15th spot and ultimately doesn't matter but I don't see any good reason for it to be Dekker.

This.

The Raptors aren't planning to compete for a championship for at least 2 years given their roster and current NBA landscape. The only reason to keep Dekker might be as a throw in sweetner for a packaged trade this trade deadline for a team looking for shooting at the 4 spot come playoffs time. Maybe it would help with Dallas meeting the Raptors trade demand if Dekker had a good season.