Masai Ujiri said "We need a culture reset"

[DanH]

Ultimately, the biggest issues for the team have been a) the lack of a LeBron-level superstar, and b) a system that is key to the success found so far and at the same time limiting for the team in the playoffs.

There is very little they can do about the 1st problem, and the second problem is complex. I certainly wouldn't have had a problem with Casey being replaced, but the team can still see significant improvement within this system if the correct modifications are made to it over time (such as Powell starting at the 3 protecting against the trapping strategy; or a greater emphasis placed on passing, to better leverage our non-star talent and make it harder to game plan against us).

Ultimately, if your goal is championship or bust, there is only one thing the team should be doing - tanking hard until they manage to get a LeBron-level talent, or at least a Durant or Curry level talent. MVP calibre, is the point. Odds are stacked against you no matter what you do if you don't have a player of that calibre. If your goal is to be a very good to great team, to give yourself a chance at the ECF and even the Finals if everything breaks right - then they are doing the right thing, building on their strengths and hopefully bolstering their weaknesses with personnel and strategy fixes.

Abandoning the things that got them here (star guards in DD/KL, complementary scoring options in Ibaka/JV, the system designed to maximize the stars) would just be tossing a coin on which way it goes - making some improvements to those things is a safer bet to improve the team next season. Heck, the team was already 2nd best in the East last year, and could well be this year too if the youth step into their roles as I expect them to.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Ultimately, the biggest issues for the team have been a) the lack of a LeBron-level superstar, and b) a system that is key to the success found so far and at the same time limiting for the team in the playoffs.

There is very little they can do about the 1st problem, and the second problem is complex. I certainly wouldn't have had a problem with Casey being replaced, but the team can still see significant improvement within this system if the correct modifications are made to it over time (such as Powell starting at the 3 protecting against the trapping strategy; or a greater emphasis placed on passing, to better leverage our non-star talent and make it harder to game plan against us).

Ultimately, if your goal is championship or bust, there is only one thing the team should be doing - tanking hard until they manage to get a LeBron-level talent, or at least a Durant or Curry level talent. MVP calibre, is the point. Odds are stacked against you no matter what you do if you don't have a player of that calibre. If your goal is to be a very good to great team, to give yourself a chance at the ECF and even the Finals if everything breaks right - then they are doing the right thing, building on their strengths and hopefully bolstering their weaknesses with personnel and strategy fixes.

Abandoning the things that got them here (star guards in DD/KL, complementary scoring options in Ibaka/JV, the system designed to maximize the stars) would just be tossing a coin on which way it goes - making some improvements to those things is a safer bet to improve the team next season. Heck, the team was already 2nd best in the East last year, and could well be this year too if the youth step into their roles as I expect them to.

Then toss a coin. You don't keep trying the same thing when you know it won't work.

[LJ2]

This franchise is just doing the Atlanta Hawks version of treadmilling. You know you can't beat the best, you won't do anything about it, but you'll maintain a 50ish win team and avoid the tax to maximize profits.

We are the Arsenal of the NBA.

If it was only so easy to acquire a big time talent as it is to complain about not having one. I'm pretty sure they've tried about every avenue possible to improve. If they were just concerned about maintaining a 50 win team then why bother paying big bucks for Ibaka? They could have spent less to keep 2Pat and Tucker remained a winning team. Heck they probably could have kept just one of them and signed a lesser talent and still hit 50 wins in this years Eastern Conf.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

If it was only so easy to acquire a big time talent as it is to complain about not having one. I'm pretty sure they've tried about every avenue possible to improve. If they were just concerned about maintaining a 50 win team then why bother paying big bucks for Ibaka? They could have spent less to keep 2Pat and Tucker remained a winning team. Heck they probably could have kept just one of them and signed a lesser talent and still hit 50 wins in this years Eastern Conf.

This whole offseason was about cutting costs while maintaining in the top 4 seed, 1st/2nd round exit status that we've had so far. No, we did not try every avenue to get better. A team that's trying to get better does not use assets to dump salary and then hard cap itself with a marginal upgrade.

Step outside of the bubble on this site. Almost every major media who cares enough to talk about the Raptors have pointed out the lack of ambition shown. Zach Lowe, Dunc'd on, they always like to speak highly of us but even they have said that it's clear the team is satisfied with just being the new Atlanta Hawks.

[Mess]

This franchise is just doing the Atlanta Hawks version of treadmilling. You know you can't beat the best, you won't do anything about it, but you'll maintain a 50ish win team and avoid the tax to maximize profits.

We are the Arsenal of the NBA.

Meh, Atlanta averaged 45 wins from 07-08 to 16-17 and only broke 50 games twice in those 10 seasons. Once being the 60 win year and the other the 09-10 peak-Josh-Smith season. Overall they averaged a 5th seed.

If you want the Raptors to end up like that (and not on the current 51 win, top 3 seed path), I think your preference of Kyrie over Lowry, so Kyrie can take Joe Johnson's role, would actually achieve what you claim they're currently doing.

[tDotted]

Name me a higher seed in the eastern conference playoffs that beat up on a lower seed this year not mamed Cleveland.

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk

I'm talking about since 2014. Not just 2017. Raptors are outliers in terms of performance against weaker seeds

[JawsGT]

DeRozan's struggles on defence have always been there and I hold out very little hope he'll ever improve there.

Same goes for his three point shooting. For all the talk, he's shown basically zero growth in his three point range over the past 4 years. The corner three has always been within his range, and the above the break has always been outside of it.

The one area where he's shown improvement in the past few seasons, and IMO could show even more significant improvement yet, is his awareness and passing. If he becomes a quicker and better decision-maker, that solves a lot of the issues with the play style - because that descriptor of "ball stopper" would no longer apply, in theory.

I agree with this. A good to great 3pt shot all over the floor would fantastic of course, and if Demar could do it off the dribble then even better. But realistically, it's hard to see it happening at a rate that would affect a defensive approach to guarding Demar on the perimeter in the way Lowry affects perimeter D. The Raps just need to spend more possessions with Demar parked in the corner and his only contribution to offence would be if he gets to take the corner 3. IF he can hit those at a respectable rate (which he has been doing) then he might provide some floor spacing ability while simultaneously allowing other players to be more involved in the offence. Other than that, a concerted effort to improving his playmaking as the primary ball handler, as you said, would go along way to improving the offence and get the ball moving more which is what everyone seems to want anyway.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

I'm not willing to excuse Lowry's playoff performances with the system. There are tons of other star players who don't have great offensive coaches who were able to play at peak performance or even better in the playoffs. Wall and George just to name two. You're the best player, step up and play to peak performance so your teammates can play off you.

[Chr1s1anL]

I'm talking about since 2014. Not just 2017. Raptors are outliers in terms of performance against weaker seeds

You do know in that 3 year span only Cleveland has more playoffs wins than the raps in the Eastern conference.

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk

[tDotted]

I agree with this. A good to great 3pt shot all over the floor would fantastic of course, and if Demar could do it off the dribble then even better. But realistically, it's hard to see it happening at a rate that would affect a defensive approach to guarding Demar on the perimeter in the way Lowry affects perimeter D.

It would affect the entire dynamic of the offense. Instead of it stalling while we watch DeMar dribble the air out of the ball, it will be quicker and harder to defend as he's now a threat to hit spot up 3s.

You do know in that 3 year span only Cleveland has more playoffs wins than the raps in the Eastern conference.

Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk

I'm aware. Doesn't make my statement any less true.

[golden]

Both players are crippled by the Raptors' offensive system in the playoffs.

The difference, as ever, between the two, is regardless of their scoring outputs, Lowry finds a way to help the team win no matter what (this is evidenced by the dramatic fall-off when he hits the bench).

Have to be careful about over-valuing on/off numbers as primary evidence. Like when Patterson's on/off numbers looked great because Scola (worst player on the team) was the guy "on" when 2Pat was "off". Don't have the numbers, but I would imagine that 2Pat's on/off numbers weren't as good when Ibaka was the "on" guy. CoJo has been the "on" guy for Lowry the last few years, and there's a pretty big drop-off there.

But yeah, most of the numbers almost always point to Lowry impacting winning a lot more than DeMar.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Have to be careful about over-valuing on/off numbers as primary evidence. Like when Patterson's on/off numbers looked great because Scola (worst player on the team) was the guy "on" when 2Pat was "off". Don't have the numbers, but I would imagine that 2Pat's on/off numbers weren't as good when Ibaka was the "on" guy. CoJo has been the "on" guy for Lowry the last few years, and there's a pretty big drop-off there.

But yeah, most of the numbers almost always point to Lowry impacting winning a lot more than DeMar.

Oh Lowry definitely impacts winning much more than DeMar. However there is huge fallacy in the way DanH biases himself towards on-off stats to try to suggest that Lowry's play doesn't fall off significantly in the playoffs. It's like blindfolding yourself.

[tDotted]

If his play "fell off a cliff" like you say, his on-off numbers would be garbage. But for some reason they're still exceptional. I wonder why. Maybe just maybe Lowry doesn't only provide shooting for this team.

For some reason you can't seem to grasp this so you keep repeating the same tired stuff. It's getting silly. I'm supposed to believe the guy that's nearly +20 over a 4 year span is the one hurting and holding the team back because he shot poorly for just TWO playoff series'?

[KeonClark]

Oh Lowry definitely impacts winning much more than DeMar. However there is huge fallacy in the way DanH biases himself towards on-off stats to try to suggest that Lowry's play doesn't fall off significantly in the playoffs. It's like blindfolding yourself.

Kyles play certainly drops off a cliff every playoffs. But strangely (or maybe not so strangely if you have your own theories of why) so does everybody else. Powell seems to be the exception, and flashes from Joseph and JV. Everybody else sucks, like year after year. And I think what dan is getting at is even with his drop in play, kyle remains our mvp in playoffs, despite the lazy journalism from major media that just reads the shooting stats

[GLF]

If his play "fell off a cliff" like you say, his on-off numbers would be garbage. But for some reason they're still exceptional. I wonder why. Maybe just maybe Lowry doesn't only provide shooting for this team.

For some reason you can't seem to grasp this so you keep repeating the same tired stuff. It's getting silly. I'm supposed to believe the guy that's nearly +20 over a 4 year span is the one hurting and holding the team back because he shot poorly for just TWO playoff series'?

Man, I've been silent just watching the fuckery unfold LOL. I swear people on here have serious trouble with reading comprehension lol. They think saying the same thing over and over when stats and facts are thrown at them to prove them wrong constantly will change the truth of the matter. If anyone is watching this team in the playoffs and thinks Kyle Lowry's lack of SHOOTING is what's holding us back they know nothing about basketball. The man clearly puts this team on his back and anyone with a brain can see that. It also happens that advanced stats proves it as well so I really don't understand the confusion. Yes Kyle can shoot the ball better, don't get me wrong, but he does SOOOOOO much others things to help this team win in the playoffs that trust me his shooting is the least of our worries.

We run a system that a high school team could shut down. Maybe if we improved that Kyle and Demar will be able to play better offensively. We also always have guys starting that shouldn't be starting aka Carroll aka Scola etc. Kyle plays worse in the playoffs yes but falling off a cliff is complete bullshit. Shooting isn't the whole game. That's literally the only part that "falls off a cliff". Without his supposed atrocious playoff performances we wouldn't win not one game. So I'll take Kyle Lowry's "falling off a cliff" game any day of the week. Y'all keep talking about how we have the best playoff record after Cleveland in the East for the last 3 years or whatever. Well trust me we would have lost in the first round against the Pacers (JV and Cory were good in that series but we still couldn't win without Kyle) and Milwaukee if it weren't for Kyle. So his game couldn't have fallen off that much. I'll take the intangibles over his shooting any day. Hopefully this year he can have his shooting up to par on top of the intangibles and then we're talking.

Media outside of Toronto barely watch this team and know what Kyle does for us. So if you want to go and listen to them go right ahead. I will not be taking Kyle for granted. He is the reason the Raptors are what they are today, with the help of Demar and cast. Don't forget that and don't let American media cloud your brain. He's always in the top of the league in most advanced stats and stats that actually translates to wins for his team, even in the playoffs, so how one can just ignore that and say we're being biased is beyond me. Just because the man shoots 34% from 3 instead of 40%, but does everything else extremely well and makes his teammates better? Really? Even the eye test proves he's the engine and leads this team to wins in the playoffs so I'm baffled at what we can possibly be arguing about. But continue on gentlemen like you always do lol.