DeRozan Injury & Raptors Gameplan Without Him

[Raptorsfan361]

If it's a month that's not too bsd

[mcHAPPY]

not to mention, no reason to sign a fringe NBA hopeful when we have a wealth of guards / wing players who could compete for Demar's minutes.

And then there is that - lol

[KHD]

No roster spot

not to mention, no reason to sign a fringe NBA hopeful when we have a wealth of guards / wing players who could compete for Demar's minutes.

[mcHAPPY]

TRoss moves to the 2, and resign Jordan Hamilton to play the #3.

No roster spot

[Heatdreamer]

DD replacement

There is no one on this roster who can bring what Lowry brings to the team. Lowry is the MVP, hands down.

However, I disagree that people wouldn't be looking to GV to raise his game or discussing how his minutes will be divided.

TRoss moves to the 2, and resign Jordan Hamilton to play the #3.

[Zainab]

Omg...you guys for the love of #WeTheNorth kiss and makeup! Stop attacking one another.....calm down! We all feel sad for DD and we wouldn't wish an injury on our least fav player aka Barg so obviouslyyy no one in their right mind would wish it on DD! The love for DD is immense and even though he has been struggling, he's still our go to guy. Him and Lowry are the leaders of our team and I am sure together with everyone on the team we will pull through. In the meantime, yes we do need to look at alternative options because we have games to play - our schedule does not just stop because DD got injured. We still have games to play starting tonight! Anyways, with that being said guys stop arguing over nonsense! This is it - wish DD the best, hope he recovers soon, and in the meantime lets hope our boys hold down fort! That is allllll!! Sheesh!

[mcHAPPY]

If Lowry got injured, would we be talking about all the benefits of it? I don't think so.

That's where my issues lie.

There is no one on this roster who can bring what Lowry brings to the team. Lowry is the MVP, hands down.

However, I disagree that people wouldn't be looking to GV to raise his game or discussing how his minutes will be divided.

[Puffer]

If Lowry got injured, would we be talking about all the benefits of it? I don't think so.

That's where my issues lie.

What Lowry brings to the table could not be replicated by other players on the current roster. But nonetheless, if he did get injured, we would all be given a chance to see what other players can do. Part of the issue is DD has such a high usage rate and also tends to be less efficient with his shooting than other players with lower usage rates. The same issue isn't true with Lowry (as I recall) so the impact of him being out would be different. No one else on the team approaches his assist and TO per 36 minutes numbers either.

Different players, different styles, different impact.

[KHD]

If Lowry got injured, would we be talking about all the benefits of it? I don't think so.

That's where my issues lie.

If Lowry got injured, we'd be in survival mode to a way larger degree than we are now, because Lowry is a far better and more important player than Derozan.

But you actually have no proof that we *wouldn't* be talking about it, although I'll concede that it'd take more time to make peace with it.

[mcHAPPY]

You don't even seem a little bit upset that he's injured.

Will crying make him heal faster?

If you want to start a raptor fan sympathy thread where you can only wallow in self pity and discuss how vitally important to the team DeRozan is, go right ahead, I won't post - trust me. But it won't make DeRozan come back sooner.

I prefer to discuss the positives of the situation of which there are a few:
1. Finally see what Ross is all about. Hopefully he raises his value around the league.
2. Hopefully see more less ISO in the offense.
3. Hopefully see guys step up like GV, JJ, and JV.
4. Hopefully see more on and off ball movement.
5. Hopefully the importance of team play and execution becomes apparent to DeRozan as he watches.

[NaijaBoy17]

If Lowry got injured, would we be talking about all the benefits of it? I don't think so.

That's where my issues lie.

[Puffer]

Chico, maybe we are reading these posts from a different perspective, but I don't see anyone celebrating DD's injury. (and reports of him being out 4 weeks or less seem to be nothing more than "sources" repeating what DeRozan hops is true...I suspect 6-8 weeks or more is more accurate)

What I see are readers acknowledging the injury and then identifying potential outcomes that could take some of the bad edge off of what is a bad break for the Raptors. There is no doubt that +30 minutes of playing time will now have to be spread around. Frequently players step up when given an opportunity. If any player steps up, or if more than one player steps up, that will definitely be better for the Raps when DeRozan gets back and could be a big help to them in the playoffs. There is nothing wrong with holding onto that thought to try and counter the real feelings of loss that all of us felt when news of how long DeRozan would be out were published.

Just my perspective.

[KHD]

I'm not stirring the pot.

I've just never seen an injury thread where everyone is just talking about all the possible benefits of the team's top scorer being injured. I'm sure Pacers fans weren't sitting there thinking how great it was when Paul George's leg snapped in half.

Nobody here is anything less than disappointed and empathetic for Demar.

But this is a sports team forum, the team still has to play the games, and we're speculating on how they'll approach them without him. And yes, there may in fact be some benefit to the team overall when Demar returns, if guys like JV and Ross get more comfortable in the offence.

If you aren't stirring the pot, then the fact that you're in here quoting people and telling them they "don't seem at all upset" is... what, exactly?

[RandomGuy]

I'm not stirring the pot.

I've just never seen an injury thread where everyone is just talking about all the possible benefits of the team's top scorer being injured. I'm sure Pacers fans weren't sitting there thinking how great it was when Paul George's leg snapped in half.

Those two injuries are not even close in terms of seriousness.

[NaijaBoy17]

Just keep stirring the pot, go ahead.

I'm not stirring the pot.

I've just never seen an injury thread where everyone is just talking about all the possible benefits of the team's top scorer being injured. I'm sure Pacers fans weren't sitting there thinking how great it was when Paul George's leg snapped in half.