Do we still have trust in Masai?

[distorsun]

Watch JP put up 17p/10r/2a/2b/1s on 60+% shooting

Everyone's opinion will change then lol

How is he getting the ball?

[myklk]

I'm really not disappointed with the Poeltl pick. He was arguably the best player available.
I'm also not disappointed with the Pascal Siakam pick. I was actually hoping he would be picked - but I thought it would be in the second round.
I really thought Masai was going to pull off a trade that would send us a player plus some second round picks for 9 or maybe for 27. However to be honest Siakim would have been my second pick - my prefered pick would have been Chinanu Onuaku - same as Pascal but 3 years younger.

[Scraptor]

I have had misgivings about Masai's overarching strategy for a while now, but it's too early to say that he has broken my trust. If we end this summer like we did last year (overpaying another role player, no contending-type core piece added), I will be pretty disappointed.

[S.R.]

I have had misgivings about Masai's overarching strategy for a while now, but it's too early to say that he has broken my trust. If we end this summer like we did last year (overpaying another role player, no contending-type core piece added), I will be pretty disappointed.

Setting your own deadline by which time a GM "must" do something or else he's a bad GM ignores the real world reality that your GM can't control what the other 29 GM's are doing. What if Masai spends the whole summer offering tradeable pieces and no one bites? Does that make him a bad GM? Doesn't that make him a better GM than one who would overpay just to get something done?

And why such a short-term timeline? Last summer was a disappointment even though it put together a 56 win ECF team for the first time in franchise history? What should Masai have done differently? The Raptors desperately, desperately needed a SF and he got one, probably the best one available. I would say a summer in which he acquired Carroll, CoJo, BB, Powell, and Wright was pretty damn successful.

I'm sure he'd love to be adding a top 10 player to this roster, too.

Pretty easy to argue that Masai is the best GM this franchise has ever had. I think he's made more savvy moves than Grunwald, who got Carter and added a couple of pieces but couldn't get the job done (or keep T-Mac). Masai has put together a better team without a young Vince to build on.

People are losing perspective.

[Miekenstien]

Setting your own deadline by which time a GM "must" do something or else he's a bad GM ignores the real world reality that your GM can't control what the other 29 GM's are doing. What if Masai spends the whole summer offering tradeable pieces and no one bites? Does that make him a bad GM? Doesn't that make him a better GM than one who would overpay just to get something done?

And why such a short-term timeline? Last summer was a disappointment even though it put together a 56 win ECF team for the first time in franchise history? What should Masai have done differently? The Raptors desperately, desperately needed a SF and he got one, probably the best one available. I would say a summer in which he acquired Carroll, CoJo, BB, Powell, and Wright was pretty damn successful.

I'm sure he'd love to be adding a top 10 player to this roster, too.

Pretty easy to argue that Masai is the best GM this franchise has ever had. I think he's made more savvy moves than Grunwald, who got Carter and added a couple of pieces but couldn't get the job done (or keep T-Mac). Masai has put together a better team without a young Vince to build on.

People are losing perspective.

Mostly agree. Don't blame grunwald for mcgrady. Masai, at that time couldn't have done different. Grunwald ruined himself with Hakeem. Still one of the worst contracts that we have ever handed out. In my opinion, arguably worst franchise move ever. Up there with aruajo. Hiring O'Neil and hiring Babcock.

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[Scraptor]

Setting your own deadline by which time a GM "must" do something or else he's a bad GM ignores the real world reality that your GM can't control what the other 29 GM's are doing. What if Masai spends the whole summer offering tradeable pieces and no one bites? Does that make him a bad GM? Doesn't that make him a better GM than one who would overpay just to get something done?

And why such a short-term timeline? Last summer was a disappointment even though it put together a 56 win ECF team for the first time in franchise history? What should Masai have done differently? The Raptors desperately, desperately needed a SF and he got one, probably the best one available. I would say a summer in which he acquired Carroll, CoJo, BB, Powell, and Wright was pretty damn successful.

I'm sure he'd love to be adding a top 10 player to this roster, too.

Pretty easy to argue that Masai is the best GM this franchise has ever had. I think he's made more savvy moves than Grunwald, who got Carter and added a couple of pieces but couldn't get the job done (or keep T-Mac). Masai has put together a better team without a young Vince to build on.

People are losing perspective.

I'm not losing perspective.

I've been positing this thesis for a long time now: Masai is an excellent tactician but questionable strategist. He's great at shrewdly acquiring value, like snagging Bebe and Powell, getting the Knicks pick, getting cheap value deals for guys like Hansbrough and Biyombo. But there are little flags too, like us nearly trading away Lowry if not for Dolan, and heavily pursuing Wes Matthews so DeMarre could play the four.

And for all of our assets gathered, we still haven't been able to convert them into a game-changer. (At least not yet, which is why I'm holding out for this summer.) I'm really happy about what we accomplished, but we're still a piece or two away.

The main reason why this summer is important is because after we re-sign DeMar we are going to be capped out, and once we are capped out it's going to be a lot harder for us to maneuver. Next summer we have to re-sign Kyle.

This season will be Masai's fourth with the team. If during the summer of 2013 we'd been told by the end of summer 2016, our core would still be Kyle/DeMar/Jonas with Casey as the coach, with ancillary pieces shuffled around them (Hansbrough, then Biyombo, then Poeltl), how would we have viewed Masai's long-term planning?

Our ace in the hole was the Knicks pick, but master trader Danny Ainge couldn't swing a deal with the 3rd overall pick and seven other picks. I'm not sure Poeltl/Powell/Bruno will net us a hell of a lot via trade.

But let's see what happens. I'm still hopeful my thesis is wrong.

PS. As for not being able to control what other teams do, if we're offering tradeable pieces and no one bites, our tradeable pieces are probably not that valuable. And a GM who can't get deals done because he is unwilling to surrender value is really just the opposite end of the spectrum of a GM who spends too much value to get things done.

[DanH]

Trading Lowry away was a red flag? At the time it was 1000:1 he would come back in the summer, and only that miraculous run to the playoffs changed things. Trading away Lowry and tanking was the right move. We just got lucky that when it didn't happen, something clicked and we won a lot of games.

[Sinbad]

Trading Lowry away was a red flag? At the time it was 1000:1 he would come back in the summer, and only that miraculous run to the playoffs changed things. Trading away Lowry and tanking was the right move. We just got lucky that when it didn't happen, something clicked and we won a lot of games.

Exactly. Masai was ready for a teardown that the fanbase was resigned to, and the Raptors lucked into chemistry and went on a run. We can criticize some of his decisions, but Masai's job is to satisfy MLSE, which he has done to the tune of 3 straight playoff appearances, increased viewership, and increased gate revenue. As for his longterm vision, I wouldn't be surprised if he was waiting until LeBron's decline gets serious before he makes a swing-for-the-fences move and takes a run at a ring. He would never admit that openly, but it has to be in the back of his mind.

[Miekenstien]

Exactly. Masai was ready for a teardown that the fanbase was resigned to, and the Raptors lucked into chemistry and went on a run. We can criticize some of his decisions, but Masai's job is to satisfy MLSE, which he has done to the tune of 3 straight playoff appearances, increased viewership, and increased gate revenue. As for his longterm vision, I wouldn't be surprised if he was waiting until LeBron's decline gets serious before he makes a swing-for-the-fences move and takes a run at a ring. He would never admit that openly, but it has to be in the back of his mind.

Bruno is a swing for the fences move. He created a farm system to make Bruno that move. Whether or not you, me or anyone approves of Bruno. Not a lot of GMs would have made that pick. That took giant balls.

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[JimiCliff]

I'm not losing perspective.

I've been positing this thesis for a long time now: Masai is an excellent tactician but questionable strategist. He's great at shrewdly acquiring value, like snagging Bebe and Powell, getting the Knicks pick, getting cheap value deals for guys like Hansbrough and Biyombo. But there are little flags too, like us nearly trading away Lowry if not for Dolan, and heavily pursuing Wes Matthews so DeMarre could play the four.

And for all of our assets gathered, we still haven't been able to convert them into a game-changer. (At least not yet, which is why I'm holding out for this summer.) I'm really happy about what we accomplished, but we're still a piece or two away.

The main reason why this summer is important is because after we re-sign DeMar we are going to be capped out, and once we are capped out it's going to be a lot harder for us to maneuver. Next summer we have to re-sign Kyle.

This season will be Masai's fourth with the team. If during the summer of 2013 we'd been told by the end of summer 2016, our core would still be Kyle/DeMar/Jonas with Casey as the coach, with ancillary pieces shuffled around them (Hansbrough, then Biyombo, then Poeltl), how would we have viewed Masai's long-term planning?

Our ace in the hole was the Knicks pick, but master trader Danny Ainge couldn't swing a deal with the 3rd overall pick and seven other picks. I'm not sure Poeltl/Powell/Bruno will net us a hell of a lot via trade.

But let's see what happens. I'm still hopeful my thesis is wrong.

PS. As for not being able to control what other teams do, if we're offering tradeable pieces and no one bites, our tradeable pieces are probably not that valuable. And a GM who can't get deals done because he is unwilling to surrender value is really just the opposite end of the spectrum of a GM who spends too much value to get things done.

If during the summer of 2013 we'd been told that in 2016 we made the conference finals and took the eventual champions to six games, you'd have said to that person 'eff off, there's literally no way that can happen.'

[mjt20mik]

How are we gonna lose trust in Masai. Our team has improved every year with him at the helm. He may not be a great drafter, but he's an amazing GM.

[Just Is]

Have I lost trust in Masai? No.

Can I question some of the moves he makes? Absolutely.

I think there's a difference between trusting someone but questioning some moves and blindly trusting someone.

[mjt20mik]

Can we finally be summer league champs this year. I have a feeling Powell is gonna win MVP.

[lewro]

Have I lost trust in Masai? No.

Can I question some of the moves he makes? Absolutely.

I think there's a difference between trusting someone but questioning some moves and blindly trusting someone.

Yeah, that's how I feel.
He's taken great risks when it comes to basketball without borders guys. Generally he is very patient and risk averse. Both good qualities to a point. I'm curious to see when he will trade a few parts to get a piece.
Thought he should of traded up from 9 and back from 27 if his target was siakam.
He seems to partially be on a mission to validate global basketball which I respect but don't want to become the focus of the team.
As a person I love Masai.

[Hotshot]

Have I lost trust in Masai? No.

Can I question some of the moves he makes? Absolutely.

I think there's a difference between trusting someone but questioning some moves and blindly trusting someone.

Masai been very good but also very fortunate thus far. Lets not forget he wanted to get rid of Lowry in his first season here and he almost did but the Knicks have bulked and the rest is history.