Windows

[Mediumcore]

In the NBA windows of opportunity to win championships or even to be good open as quick as they sometimes shut. Some teams are lucky enough to have those rare few Superstars that can keep that window open for a long period of time, ie. Chicago, OKC, LAC, Houston, wherever LeBron is playing.

Other teams rely on a mix of All Star talent and good players to stay in contention ie. Memphis, Indiana (from recent years) Atlanta, Dallas, etc., but these teams have a higher rate of flux. Meaning there are more moving parts to what makes these teams contenders and year to year things change with losing important role players in free agency. So this type of team doesn't have a consistent window because the only stable parts of their roster are the All Star level guys whom aren't enough to keep that window of opportunity open themselves. Certainly, Memphis is facing that with Marc Gasol's free agency this summer.

Then there is a group of teams much like the Raptors. The teams that are fighting to break out of that mould of being a bad team. Teams like the coach Karl Denver Nuggets, or coach Nelson Golden State Warriors (when they were good). Teams that are made up of decent to good players that have great chemistry. Those teams generally have a very small window to stay relevant in the NBA. They tend to come and go with a different bad team breaking the barrier between bad team and good team for a short time before falling back to where they were.

So are the Raptors' window of opportunity to stay a good team closing? Do they need to look harder at free agency and trades to firm up their foot hold as a good team? First things first, we aren't by any means a contender, and with a tougher schedule recently we are all starting to realize what this team is...a decent to good team. Half our core players are in their prime with another half nowhere near it. I don't know if that is balance or a recipe for disaster. Masaii is a very patient GM and doesn't make any harsh, reactive moves like BC might have, but should there be a bit more urgency on his part? Is this teams window already closing? Thoughts?

[Scraptor]

I'd say our window is just starting to open now. Lowry is cresting into his prime, DeMar is nearing his prime, and Val is ready to step up into a bigger role.

But I don't think that's enough to compete with the best of the West. We need more.

Masai has done a great job creating flexibility; he's got capital stockpiled to invest in his vision. Now he needs to convert that into tangible improvements in the team. That can either happen now (opportunistically), or in the offseason.

If there's any urgency, it's that we need to make a statement in the playoffs. You aren't going to interest a Gasol or Durant with first round exits. This year, the onus is on Casey. We should be a second round team with our talent level. Next year the onus will be on Masai to help us get further.

That's when we should really examine what our window looks like. Because at it stands right now the window is barely open a crack.

[raptors999]

That's a lot of words

[Mediumcore]

I agree with many parts of what you are saying. I think the window is just opeing up for us, but I also think that window will close very quickly because the type of roster we have which is made up of good but not great players don't have the ability to keep us a good team for long...2-3 years max. I think Masaii has to force some moves and create opportunities within that time and not just wait for opportunities to fall onto his lap. Lowry and his health are key to any success we have. I truly don't feel this team could make do in his absence the way it did with DeMar being out. And I don't know how many years he may have of this incredible level of play. He's not old, but he's not young and being that physical has to take it's toll at some point.

[Mediumcore]

That's a lot of words

Sorry, I tend to ramble when I'm trying to get a thought down.

[SamMitchells]

I'd say our window is just starting to open now. Lowry is cresting into his prime, DeMar is nearing his prime, and Val is ready to step up into a bigger role.

But I don't think that's enough to compete with the best of the West. We need more.

Masai has done a great job creating flexibility; he's got capital stockpiled to invest in his vision. Now he needs to convert that into tangible improvements in the team. That can either happen now (opportunistically), or in the offseason.

If there's any urgency, it's that we need to make a statement in the playoffs. You aren't going to interest a Gasol or Durant with first round exits. This year, the onus is on Casey. We should be a second round team with our talent level. Next year the onus will be on Masai to help us get further.

That's when we should really examine what our window looks like. Because at it stands right now the window is barely open a crack.

I like that

[SamMitchells]

Yeah you make good points. I also believe too much patience is terrible. The window is open at the moment and trades / acquiring someone doesn't have to happen today but if we want to have chance of establishing a strong presence .. There's no better time in this/next year

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I don't think that MU ever intended for the Raptors' window to open this early, as he continues to build with the longer-term future in mind. The current window is due in large part to the complete ineptitude of the Eastern Conference, especially in the Atlantic Division. RR members could get time off the bench for the Raptors and they'd still wind up raising another banner to the rafters of the ACC this season.

Traditional powerhouses (Miami & Indiana) have been decimated by player movement and injury, while other teams are failing to meet expectations (Cleveland). Chicago is the lone team that seems to be ahead of the pack. There are many other teams that have been doing a solid job rebuilding methodically, who suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves in the conversation as EC 'contenders'. Teams like Toronto, Washington, Atlanta and Milwaukee are loaded with young players who are full of talent and potential, with teams like Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando on the cusp of joining that 2nd-tier level.

Looking ahead, if managed properly, there's no reason why Philadelphia and Boston couldn't jump into the conversation in just a few seasons. If New York and Brooklyn manage to clear significant cap space, I wouldn't count them out either, given the glitz & glamor of their markets.

Yes, I think there is an inviting window of opportunity in the EC today, but I hope DC doesn't go 'all-in' this season. For the record, I don't think he will, since sticking to a methodical long-term plan for proper team building is one of the key things that differentiate him from BC.

[Mediumcore]

I don't think that MU ever intended for the Raptors' window to open this early, as he continues to build with the longer-term future in mind. The current window is due in large part to the complete ineptitude of the Eastern Conference, especially in the Atlantic Division. RR members could get time off the bench for the Raptors and they'd still wind up raising another banner to the rafters of the ACC this season.

Traditional powerhouses (Miami & Indiana) have been decimated by player movement and injury, while other teams are failing to meet expectations (Cleveland). Chicago is the lone team that seems to be ahead of the pack. There are many other teams that have been doing a solid job rebuilding methodically, who suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves in the conversation as EC 'contenders'. Teams like Toronto, Washington, Atlanta and Milwaukee are loaded with young players who are full of talent and potential, with teams like Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando on the cusp of joining that 2nd-tier level.

Looking ahead, if managed properly, there's no reason why Philadelphia and Boston couldn't jump into the conversation in just a few seasons. If New York and Brooklyn manage to clear significant cap space, I wouldn't count them out either, given the glitz & glamor of their markets.

Yes, I think there is an inviting window of opportunity in the EC today, but I hope DC doesn't go 'all-in' this season. For the record, I don't think he will, since sticking to a methodical long-term plan for proper team building is one of the key things that differentiate him from BC.

And this speaks to my point. As these teams around us get better, Raptors lose their foot hold in front of them, and the window closes a little bit more. The reality is, is that cap space and flexibility are not things which the Raptors alone have. And also lots of well managed teams never won a ring. For all of BC's knee jerk reactions that blew up in his face, did he realize that being patient and not making any moves in Phoenix to put them over the top might have cost them a championship?

[Bendit]

This trade deadline and upcoming off-season will provide a better feel for how MU will/or not change the roster for the coming years I still believe he is keeping his powder dry for the 2016 f/a class with some tweaks (ala JJ) along the way...unless an opportunity too good to pass up comes his way.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

And this speaks to my point. As these teams around us get better, Raptors lose their foot hold in front of them, and the window closes a little bit more. The reality is, is that cap space and flexibility are not things which the Raptors alone have. And also lots of well managed teams never won a ring. For all of BC's knee jerk reactions that blew up in his face, did he realize that being patient and not making any moves in Phoenix to put them over the top might have cost them a championship?

It's a double-edged sword, but I can definitely see that side.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a move made to improve the team in the immediate/short-term, but not if it means mortgaging the future. I don't think MU will put winning the EC this year, only to be fodder for the WC champion, ahead of his longer-term goals.

I especially don't think he'll put winning this year ahead of building a team that can have sustainable success, since that is what this franchise is in desperate need of. The team had successful seasons with VC and Bosh, but the success was a flash-in-the-pan in both instances, with the star players bailing on the team in the wake of that success. I believe that MU wants to build a successful franchise, as much as he wants to build a successful team.

[white men can't jump]

This kind of thing is never easy to discuss. Foresight in this area is usually just getting lucky with predictions.

For instance, if you had told me last year, even with all the hype, that LeBron and Love would end up in Cleveland, I'd think you're spouting bullshit. I know it's his home and they were younger than the Heat....But they were a terrible organization, and you know what? They still kind of look like one. In half a year they went from a young team with nothing but promise to a veteran team making desperate, short-term moves. So thinking they'd be the same team as last year, there's no way I would think they would be a contender. But if I knew LeBron and Love would be there, I'd also have a hard time believing that they would be this mediocre.

So lets say the Raptors are close to a top-tier, truly elite contender....What if they make a move and it backfires? The window suddenly gets a lot harder to predict.

Then you have to think about all the other teams and their situations. Who are the Raptors current peers, in terms of teams in comparable situations? Washington? Atlanta? And maybe teams like Milly, Charlotte, Detroit, Orlando and Boston are just about there? So many teams that could move in any direction. Charlotte looked ready to join Toronto, Washington and Atlanta....made a big move for Lance, and are half as good this year after adding a young near all-star level player. NYK look like they're in a horrible situation, but they'll have tons of capspace and a high pick this year. One big summer could turn it around there.

I think Toronto's window could end up being very long if they get lucky and do things right. Jonas is just 22. DeMar is just 25. If these guys end up being two major pieces to the puzzle, they could supply part of a solid base you could build around for another 10 years if things go very well for us. For about half those, you can hope Lowry keeps his play up, then you probably need a replacement. Maybe we still need one more piece added to those three, however I don't think there's an obvious answer there yet and a shortsighted move probably isn't worth the trouble. Shortsighted to me doesn't necessarily mean going after an older, veteran piece...but any piece ideally needs to be someone who'll at least be useful about as long as Lowry. And then you can look at it as building two different teams around DD and Jonas over whatever span of years.

There's one way I keep thinking of it....If this young team's window is supposedly just opening, then, well, it's really actually not. To me, the window really hasn't even opened. We're tapping at the glass, but it's still closed. At best it's just opened a crack. I think the East is wide open, and if things fell just right, we could even somehow make it all the way to the NBA finals....but does anyone think we could beat whichever team comes out of the West in a 7-game series? I'd like to, but I don't.

Stay the course. Don't make a win-now move that doesn't help you win "later". Again, "worst"-case, any big talent brought in has to align with Lowry's prime years. This team is just getting started, and doesn't need to screw up it's chances of having a window for the next 5-10 years by doing something to try and widen it for the next year or two.

[hotfuzz]

Ibaka would be perfect for this roster.

[Mack North]

I'm still on Windows 7. The whole Windows 8 thing has thrown me for a loop.

[Mediumcore]

The thing is I'm not even talking about the Raptors being in a position to jump to the contendership level by making a trade. I'm just thinking more might need to be done to fully entrench themselves as a 2nd tier team. As CalgaryRapsFan pointed out there are lots of teams in or close to our position, and our position itself isn't nearly as good as we might think. As has been much talked about as of late the Raptors really benefited from a soft early schedule. In reality we may not be the at the top of the heap when it comes to 2nd tier teams. Atlanta and Washington might be that much further ahead because they have that much more talent on their rosters.