Everything 2017 Off-Season

[The Claw Reborn]

Well that wouldn't have changed. Vince couldn't win with Kidd, Prime Jefferson, T-Mac couldn't win and he had a good team around him. Them together? Maybe Finals but I don't see them beating Shaq and Kobe or Spurs

This would be an never ending debate, lol.

Although I have to say this, both skill sets complement each other. The next best thing to Jordan and Pippen. It was the GM's job to find the right role players and for both Superstars to police their individual egos.

[The Claw Reborn]

Just thinking of the what ifs then gives me the high as a fan of this team since 95.

Happy for the fans of the Bucks, Wolves, Sixers who are so looking forward of the possibilities.

2020 is the year for us sentimentalist. For now I guess we have to go with the motion.

And maybe 2025 would give us our next prime True Superstar. I may have grand kids then LMAO

[The Claw Reborn]

Then I read this...I expect the Claw Reborn to get multiple Transient Ischemic Attacks this upcoming season

Don't expect Raptors to completely change playing style: DeRozan

TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan has heard the talk and he wants to set the record straight.
According to the longest serving Raptor, anyone expecting huge changes to the way the Raptors play basketball is basically talking through their hat.
“I think the media kind of blow it out of proportion like it’s going to be something dramatic, like a complete dramatic 180-degree change,” DeRozan said, who was back in Toronto helping out with the Raptors’ Basketball Academy at Humber College on Monday. “It’s not that at all. It’s just moreso locking in and understanding what it takes to win from every single position. Everyone just know from our failures, guys stepping up and being better leaders, not just me and Kyle but everybody. I think once we lock in and everyone holds themselves accountable, everything else will come around perfect. That’s all it is.”
The talk of a “culture change” began when president Masai Ujiri took to the podium after the season and looking back suggested change was coming. He used that phrase “culture change” and the media jumped on it.
DeRozan didn’t disagree when it was suggested more ball movement might be demanded this season, but he did say the anticipated level of change by many outside the team is completely out of whack with the reality. The offence is still going to run through himself and Kyle Lowry.
Then there’s the issue of his own game. There is video evidence, and he willingly copped to it, of him hitting 64% of 700 consecutive threes he took as part of his workout Monday night before Tuesday’s morning’s camp with the kids.
DeRozan confirms the numbers are legit and that he has been working on his game as anyone who knows him even a little bit is par for the course in any off-season for DeRozan.
But any perception of him having a love affair with the three-ball is, like the coming culture change we keep hearing so much about about in Toronto, is being overplayed in some corners.
Yes, he’s invested in improving that part of this game. That is true. But it is not the focus of his off-season.
As with every off-season the focus is on getting better and that just happens to include those shots from behind the arc.
“My focus is always coming back better,” DeRozan said. “It’s never just one thing. It’s something that I always pride myself on. I’ve never understood when guys say I’m going to come back better at just this one thing. I’m just going to come back better period overall. That’s been my approach this whole summer. Come back better.”
DeRozan said the three-ball element of his game is just a another piece, one he admitted he’s felt capable of doing but one he just never really went to because of the success he’s had within the offence without it.
“I’m not even really adding it,” he said. “ I just never really shot it because I always felt like I didn’t need to shoot it.
It’s there when I need it. I don’t have to think about it. People always say I can’t do it but I just never really wanted to do it because I always felt like I could do everything else at a high level.”
Featuring it a little more in his game is certainly not out of the question, but talking to him you get the impression you’re not likely to see him camped out behind the three-point line on a regular basis just yet.
But DeRozan is self-aware enough to know that eventually that time will come when he does need it and he’s not about to get to that point and need it only to realize he hasn’t put enough work in on that part of his game.
“I’m going into my ninth year” DeRozan said. “I want to be like Vince (Carter) when I slow down. Then that’s when it comes to shooting threes and play a long career like that. If you want to call it going into my prime or whatever, that’s something I want to have that in my bag. I’m not getting any faster. I’m not jumping any higher, but everything else can get a lot better.”
DeRozan has already had a full summer of basketball and it’s not about to let up. He’s been playing in the Drew League in LA, paid a visit to Vegas when the Raptors were there for Summer League and has been working out quite a bit with fellow L.A. native Norm Powell in between all that.
His workout crew in L.A. will grow with a number of the Raptors joining him and Powell when he returns later this week.
Until then it’s get a workout in wherever his schedule happens to take him and continue to get better.

[Just Is]

Why? please don't say Lowry is the better player.

Lowry is the better player by every measure except three: rating (as in "over"), age and height.

[rocwell]

So Nets haven't signed a single free agent, but have traded for 4 guys who may start (Russell, Crabbe, Carroll, Mozgov), losing one (Lopez).

— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) July 27, 2017

[S.R.]

Irving is a MUCH better scorer. Also, unlike Lowry and DeRozan, Irving has a playoff gear. He actually elevates his output in the postseason. His 26 ppg this spring is better than any scoring DD and Lowry have managed in the playoffs. I think Lowry is very guardable given his size and (relative) lack of athleticism. Guys give you a bit more space in the regular season, but that evaporates in the playoffs. Irving can score more when that happens, Lowry scores a lot less.

But yeah, that's just scoring. I don't think Irving makes his team better at all. Lowry is a winner. I'd keep Lowry, but I wouldn't be too quick to knock what Irving can do.

[psrs1]

Would you trade Kyle Lowry for Kyrie Irving? be honest now lol.

IF contracts could work out but DanH could tell us more in that regard ...

[TrueTorontoFan]

IF contracts could work out but DanH could tell us more in that regard ...

They wouldn't for a one to one trade

[DanH]

IF contracts could work out but DanH could tell us more in that regard ...

Raptors would have to take an extra contract back from the Cavs, Kyle makes several million more than Kyrie.

[Chr1s1anL]

I would do it. Lowry seems to shrink under the bright lights and it's the opposite for Irving. Irving is younger and will still get better which is scary.

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk

[The Great One]

Lowry is better than Irving????



I like Lowry but c'mon guys.

[MixxAOR]

Where Lowry ranks w/ IT, Wall & Kyrie in '16-17

PPG: 4th
FG%: 2nd
3PM: 1st
3P%: 1st
RPG: 1st
APG: 2nd
SPG: 2nd
+/-:1st
NetRtg: 1st
TS%: 2nd

— TORaptors (@T0Raptors) July 23, 2017

Here are the top 25 in RPM if you use a 60%/40% split for ORPM/DRPM. pic.twitter.com/7nP3tvRUeR

— Krishna Narsu (@knarsu3) July 23, 2017

[Joey]

Where Lowry ranks w/ IT, Wall & Kyrie in '16-17

PPG: 4th
FG%: 2nd
3PM: 1st
3P%: 1st
RPG: 1st
APG: 2nd
SPG: 2nd
+/-:1st
NetRtg: 1st
TS%: 2nd

— TORaptors (@T0Raptors) July 23, 2017

Here are the top 25 in RPM if you use a 60%/40% split for ORPM/DRPM. pic.twitter.com/7nP3tvRUeR

— Krishna Narsu (@knarsu3) July 23, 2017

While I agree with you that Lowry is slightly better, right now, but for me it's more about Playoff performance and age - Lowry loses both of those battles. I'd do that trade.

[Ball]

While I agree with you that Lowry is slightly better, right now, but for me it's more about Playoff performance and age - Lowry loses both of those battles. I'd do that trade.

I don't think Kyrie that great of a fit for us. It's debatable whether he's a better talent then Lowry, but the fit definitely isn't there in my eyes. He's not that great of a playmaker, is ball-dominant, and scores mostly off isolations. Lowry can play off-ball to complement someone like Derozan. Not to mention Lowry can play great defense (when he wants to), but Kyrie can't.

[KeonClark]

While I agree with you that Lowry is slightly better, right now, but for me it's more about Playoff performance and age - Lowry loses both of those battles. I'd do that trade.

I shudder to think of a team who's top 2 players are Irving and derozan. You just can't build a roster that way. Those guys have to play off someone else.