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Many people seem to want to sit on this roster we have and add role players like Danny Green, or savvy vets in hopes of improving the team. Mediocre, tread-milling moves like these will not only not improve the team, they will leave us on the outside looking in on the playoffs. Note: I do expect Masai to make major changes, but i just thought it'd be a good idea to bring this up and demonstrate to people that standing pat or making the BC-esque treadmillarific moves we made in 2007-2009 or so, is going to result in those dreaded 9th and 10th seeds once again becoming the norm.
The eastern conference playoff standings this past year:
1.) Hawks
2.) Cavaliers
3.) Bulls
4.) Raptors
5.) Wizards
6.) Bucks
7.) Celtics
8.) Nets
Atlanta, Cleveland and Chicago have no real reason to take significant steps back next year. Perhaps Atlanta drops back to 50 or so wins from 60, but other than that those teams should be in the mix for the top spots again.
Now begins the problem:
Washington - Will probably be about as good next year as they were this year barring a significant jump from Beal or Porter. Which is still better than we are.
Milwaukee - I expect significant improvement from this team next season and they were already 41-41. Extremely young and will be adding a legitimate scoring threat in Jabari Parker to the starting lineup next year. Expect continued and significant progress from MCW and Giannis.
Boston - A very young team like Milwaukee that "overachieved" by making the playoffs. Except they didn't. Some other poster mentioned how they actually had a better record than us in the Atlantic Division. They have excellent coaching, young guys who are all improving and key members of the rotation, as well as the ability to make a splash via trade (literally no team other than maybe Philly has more trade assets when it comes to picks and prospects) and improve further.
Brooklyn - The only playoff team that stands to regress, they suck, are old and won't be getting better any time soon.
We only finished 9 games ahead of Boston last year. It's not inconceivable that Washington, Milwaukee and Boston could all leapfrog us next year if we don't make significant moves. Which would leave the standings at:
1.) Hawks
2.) Cavaliers
3.) Bulls
4.) Wizards
5.) Bucks
6.) Celtics
7.) Raptors
8.) Nets
Still in the playoffs, all good right? Wrong. There are teams that missed the playoffs last year that stand to improve significantly (or just enough to pass us)
Indiana - Will be getting Paul George back next year which will give them a huge boost. Also have a top 10 pick in the draft who should be an impact player for them. This was the top seed in the east just a season ago, and while they did lose Lance Stephenson, there's no reason to think they aren't at least a high 40 win team next year with George back.
Miami - They feature a very, very formidable starting 5 that was not healthy at any point during the season last year, Dragic-Wade-Deng-Bosh-Whiteside, very capable of being better than us next season and will likely make further moves in free agency to add depth behind them.
Orlando - Bringing in Scott Skiles at coach with their defensive personnel (Payton, Dipo, Gordon) is a scary prospect. This team played very well towards the end of the season and could also make a Milwaukee like jump with a better coach manning the ship as well as improvement from their young players.
New York - We love to make fun of them but here's the reality. They're bringing in a top 4 pick and have a lot of cap space. It stands to reason that they could sign 2 or more very high impact players in free agency and be a much stronger team next season.
Philadelphia - Darkhorse, but if Embiid really is a generational prospect... in the eastern conference this team could be very dangerous next year. They were already elite defensively this past season with essentially Noel, Covington and a bunch of scrubs/D-leaguers/reclamation projects.
If all of those teams passed us we'd be 11th. It would only take 2 passing us for us to drop to 9th. It will not be a cake walk to either the Atlantic Division title or a high playoff seed (or even the playoffs at all). The east stands to be much stronger next season.
Really in my opinion the Raptors have two options this offseason (I do not think signing guys like Aldridge or Marc Gasol is realistic so I won't include that prospect) in order to not be completely screwed long-term.
- Blow it up and rebuild
- Deal DeRozan or Lowry for a higher upside prospect or player at the same position, take a step back for a season but raise the ceiling of the team going forward.
The eastern conference playoff standings this past year:
1.) Hawks
2.) Cavaliers
3.) Bulls
4.) Raptors
5.) Wizards
6.) Bucks
7.) Celtics
8.) Nets
Atlanta, Cleveland and Chicago have no real reason to take significant steps back next year. Perhaps Atlanta drops back to 50 or so wins from 60, but other than that those teams should be in the mix for the top spots again.
Now begins the problem:
Washington - Will probably be about as good next year as they were this year barring a significant jump from Beal or Porter. Which is still better than we are.
Milwaukee - I expect significant improvement from this team next season and they were already 41-41. Extremely young and will be adding a legitimate scoring threat in Jabari Parker to the starting lineup next year. Expect continued and significant progress from MCW and Giannis.
Boston - A very young team like Milwaukee that "overachieved" by making the playoffs. Except they didn't. Some other poster mentioned how they actually had a better record than us in the Atlantic Division. They have excellent coaching, young guys who are all improving and key members of the rotation, as well as the ability to make a splash via trade (literally no team other than maybe Philly has more trade assets when it comes to picks and prospects) and improve further.
Brooklyn - The only playoff team that stands to regress, they suck, are old and won't be getting better any time soon.
We only finished 9 games ahead of Boston last year. It's not inconceivable that Washington, Milwaukee and Boston could all leapfrog us next year if we don't make significant moves. Which would leave the standings at:
1.) Hawks
2.) Cavaliers
3.) Bulls
4.) Wizards
5.) Bucks
6.) Celtics
7.) Raptors
8.) Nets
Still in the playoffs, all good right? Wrong. There are teams that missed the playoffs last year that stand to improve significantly (or just enough to pass us)
Indiana - Will be getting Paul George back next year which will give them a huge boost. Also have a top 10 pick in the draft who should be an impact player for them. This was the top seed in the east just a season ago, and while they did lose Lance Stephenson, there's no reason to think they aren't at least a high 40 win team next year with George back.
Miami - They feature a very, very formidable starting 5 that was not healthy at any point during the season last year, Dragic-Wade-Deng-Bosh-Whiteside, very capable of being better than us next season and will likely make further moves in free agency to add depth behind them.
Orlando - Bringing in Scott Skiles at coach with their defensive personnel (Payton, Dipo, Gordon) is a scary prospect. This team played very well towards the end of the season and could also make a Milwaukee like jump with a better coach manning the ship as well as improvement from their young players.
New York - We love to make fun of them but here's the reality. They're bringing in a top 4 pick and have a lot of cap space. It stands to reason that they could sign 2 or more very high impact players in free agency and be a much stronger team next season.
Philadelphia - Darkhorse, but if Embiid really is a generational prospect... in the eastern conference this team could be very dangerous next year. They were already elite defensively this past season with essentially Noel, Covington and a bunch of scrubs/D-leaguers/reclamation projects.
If all of those teams passed us we'd be 11th. It would only take 2 passing us for us to drop to 9th. It will not be a cake walk to either the Atlantic Division title or a high playoff seed (or even the playoffs at all). The east stands to be much stronger next season.
Really in my opinion the Raptors have two options this offseason (I do not think signing guys like Aldridge or Marc Gasol is realistic so I won't include that prospect) in order to not be completely screwed long-term.
- Blow it up and rebuild
- Deal DeRozan or Lowry for a higher upside prospect or player at the same position, take a step back for a season but raise the ceiling of the team going forward.
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