What/Who will have the biggest impact this season?

[Marz]

By biggest impact, I mean greatest positive influence on our win-totals (i.e. no room for negativity here!). Make sure to support your opinions with subjective commentary

1) Demarre Carrol at the 3
2) Kyle Lowry's Weight Loss
3) Jonas Valunciunas Maturing
4) DeMar DeRozan's Incremental Improvements
5) Patterson's Healthy Ankles (w.r.t. Amir Johnson)
6) Dwane Casey (now that he has more defensive-minded players)

[charlesnba23]

Jonas Valanciunas. Because he's our future and he's the key to our team's success.

15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks over 34 minutes, book it.

[Wild-ling#1]

A good thread and a nice list of options. Thanks.

I understand that DeMarre earns what he gets. A full-out effort sort of guy. When you consider DeMar and an under-confident T-Ross having to fill that role last season, and now breathing a sigh of relief about their new duties, while being supported by JYD2, I think there might be various ripple effects here. And he seems a very real guy. Instantly like-able because he's determined, yet grateful. It's moving, actually.
I made this choice because we've seen what Kyle and Demar can do at a high level. But I was torn a bit because even pushing Demar's long-2's out a few feet, which seems an incremental improvement, along with the other improvements (and you have to think Jonas will be a little improved, after working with Sikma and EuroBasket) could be a big, big deal.
Which is why I'm so excited about the coming season.
And it's why I'd like to see Morris come over, if he can bring even a modest improvement over what we've got. Scola and Morris added to what I've just put forward above might make us a very well-rounded and deep team. If we can play as a team.
(I'm pretty pumped to see Bismack, too. Another real guy and a guy who can contribute substantially, even if only as a specialist. But he's just 22, as we all know. )
Anyway, I'd dearly like to see this group really come together, and learn to complement each other. And I hope to see that ... before we start splashing around in 2016.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

As a pre-season prediction, it's a tough call between the addition of Carroll and the improvement (and allegedly-to-be-more-utilized) Valanciunas.

I went with Carroll because, at the end of the day, Casey is still the coach.

[raptors999]

Probably CoJo and Ross. KL+DD will be the same as the previous two seasons and DC + Starting 4 will be a wash vs starting SF + Amir or a little better or a little worse. GV and Lou had a huge impact on D and O negative and positive. Either the new backcourt will be great or bust since they replace a lot of scoring on both O and D

[The Great One]

Who will have the biggest impact? well Lowry is the Raps best overall player so i'd have to say Lowry.

For the Raps to get to the next level though, meaning 2nd round - then they need to get something from JV offensively and DEFENSIVELY.

[Marz]

I feel like having a real 3 is going to be the biggest difference maker. But an in-shape Lowry is nothing to scoff at. If his new weight allows him to play most of the 82 games at the level we saw him at during the beginning of last season, he could easily be the biggest difference maker.

[BS10]

Lowrrrrryyyyyyy

[Fully]

If Lowry's weight loss allows him to be the player we saw for the first two months of last season for close to a full 82 game schedule then I'd vote for that.

The maturation of JV will certainly help but I think it will be much more of an incremental ascent and not a sudden improvement that takes us from first round fodder to Eastern Conference Finals. And even if he did drastically improve this summer, I'm not sure he's given the role this season to show it all off.

[jerome]

Why do I kept on reading "masturbation of JV"...

[draps]

It could honestly be anybody
-Healthy Kyle
-Demar taking that next step shooting more 3s, and getting to the rack better with Patterson spreading the floor
-having a real 3 in Carroll
- jv if he can jump to around a still very efficient 17 ppg
One of these things will for sure improve us I think though

[distorsun]

7. New assistant coaches New systems implemented.

By biggest impact, I mean greatest positive influence on our win-totals (i.e. no room for negativity here!). Make sure to support your opinions with subjective commentary

1) Demarre Carrol at the 3
2) Kyle Lowry's Weight Loss
3) Jonas Valunciunas Maturing
4) DeMar DeRozan's Incremental Improvements
5) Patterson's Healthy Ankles (w.r.t. Amir Johnson)
6) Dwane Casey (now that he has more defensive-minded players)

[DDelight]

If Lowry were to play like he did for those couple of months before January, then definitely Lowry. However, quite frankly, I don't think the way Lowry played in those 2 months was ever going to be sustainable...so I think the answer is ultimately DeMarre Carroll.

His defense + DeMar/Kyle's ability to drive and kick to him is really going to make it harder on the other team to defend us. Lord knows, last season the drive and kick game to a struggling Ross, GV, and at times PPat at the 3 did nothing for us.

[Wild-ling#1]

Why do I kept on reading "masturbation of JV"...

Maybe you should write to him.

[SkywalkerAC]

It's going to be all of these things combining to give us the best season we've had as a franchise.